Wednesday 13 March 2013

Happy Belated Women's Day! and for my baby

Women's day was on 8 March 2013, and I am sorry we missed posting about it! I already had this post in mind and had written in out in the wee early hours of the day, but ALAS! no internet. This post is very special and dear to me, I hope you will take this time, this post, this day to appreciate all the important women in your life. Celebrating all the wonderful women I know and beyond!





I'd like to take this day to celebrate the woman my baby will be one day inshallah. Mama loves you so much, and as you are growing inside me and getting stronger by the day, I pray that you will grow to be a wonderful woman just like the wonderful women I grew up with and you will too. I pray that you will be as strong and clever and beautiful like your grandma, whose wisdom and strength have never ceased to amaze me and have molded me into the woman I am. I pray that Allah will give you AuntTi's resourcefulness and heart, so that you will be as successful n caring as she. I hope that you will also be like your Tok Mum whose energy, thoughtfulness and generosity will take you anywhere you want to go. May Allah bless you like he has Aunty Haneesa,so that you will always be sweet and kind and that you will always remember the important things in life. I imagine you to be bubbly and excited for life as your Aunty Lina and Aunty Syuhada are, may you be brave, confident and fun as they are at the same time just as wise. I pray that you are smart like your Aunty ad and breeze through school with flying colours n make me proud. i hope you grow up charming like your Aunty Nina so that you are always confident and liked by everyone around you; and resilient like Aunty Emma. I hope that one day you will have a friend like Aunty Aiysha has been to me, and together you will teach each other loyalty and friendship. i hope u will be just as lucky as me, so that u are always surrounded by good friends. I want to support u, love u, teach u, nurture u, and give u all that I can. I hope that Allah will bless me with the knowledge and strength to do so.

Last but not least, and I will break a rule here, I pray to Allah that you will grow up to be like your daddy. Whose kindness, patience, brilliance and sweetness is already within u now and I can feel it radiating in my heart. I love you sayang, and mama can't wait to be a better mother so that I can deserve such a wonderful you.

Sunday 10 March 2013

Ad: Food Review: Fat Spoon @ Uptown, Damansara Utama

Hey food lovers! How is everyone doing? I know I've been meaning to write a review on Fat Spoon for quite some time now, but I'm not sure what kept me from writing it but what's important is I'm writing it now right? haha

Fat Spoon is a very unique place to eat. It offers food that is meant to remind you of your grandma's cooking. Why grandma? Well, grandmas are generally perceived as amazing cooks, and come on, this perception is certainly not wrong, as least for my case. Both my grandma's are excellent cooks and whenever I'm visiting them, they go out of their way to make sure my stomach is full - AT ALL TIMES! hahahha

Let's start with the location. It's relatively easy to find. If you know where Pappa Rich and Wondermilk are, then you definitely won't have a problem spotting Fat Spoon. It's located on the same row as Wondermilk but a little farther up the road. When I went there with my family, it was during the weekend so parking wasn't a problem. However, I suppose if you're adventurous and optimistic, you can try and head there on a weekday. Don't say I didn't warn you though! If you are unfamiliar with Damansara Utama, or Uptown as people call it, then let me fill you in on the parking horrors of the place. It's IMPOSSIBLE to get parking. hahah ok ok, not impossible, but almost. I remember heading there on a weekday way before lunch hour and Syu and I wasted more than half an hour looking for parking. I mean we even went inside the paid multi-storey car park and it was all full. Uptown is full of offices so it's really no wonder that parking is always an issue here. My advice is simple: unless you work at Uptown, only go to the restaurants and cafes there after office hours or during the weekends :)

I really fancy the unique decor of Fat Spoon. It's one of those hipster places that reuse old or worn out furniture and materials to give a more welcoming and homely feel to it. There were polaroid photos on the wall, old wooden furniture here and there, and wide tinted glass frame substituting the front wall of the restaurant and a worn out, ancient-looking wooden door that separates the outdoor and indoor dining areas. There was a chalkboard with part of the menu written on it - most probably the most popular items on the menu were featured on it. I love fancy restaurants with their chic interior and exterior, but I also appreciate these places that utilise used materials to give off a more comfortable and rustic ambiance.


Moving on, the menu here is quite interesting. They have the usual Malaysian favourites, but some are offered with a twist. Some of the food here definitely cannot be found anywhere else. The ulam fried rice is an example. How many of you have ever tried ulam fried rice? I know prior to my visit here, I hadn't. I mean I have had nasi ulam, and I have had fried rice, but never ulam fried rice. They have cute names for their dishes too! Moo moo burgers instead of just calling them regular beef burgers, and there's a sandwich called fat salmon sandwich. Definitely something I like. I've always loved giving fun names to dishes. To me it's a way of making those dishes uniquely yours, especially if it's something that is served in just about every other restaurant. I love the presentation of the menu booklet too. Fat Spoon took those thin, hard-covered children's book and pasted brown paper with the menu items printed on them. Super smart and saves cost too!

After gawking at the menu, we decided to order claypot loh see fun, ulam fried rice with curry chicken, the regular ulam fried rice and also nasi goreng kampung. The loh see fun was pretty good. I don't usually order it because I've had experiences in other restaurants where the loh see fun just tasted like burnt fried noodles. As long as I couldn't get that overwhelming burnt taste, it was fine already by my standard. But putting that aside, it was cooked together with a generous amount of minced meat (can't remember if it was chicken or beef though), and it had that awesome runny egg yolk on top. Its taste was different from what I was used to (or maybe I was used to burnt loh see fun?) but in a good way. It had a subtle smokey taste and a the runny sauce that the noodles were partially submerged in was full of flavour. It wasn't spicy, but it tasted good. Oh and to those of you who don't know what's loh see fun, it's basically a Chinese noodle dish that uses this special noodle that is (according to my friend) quite popularly known as rat's tail noodles. The name does not sound appertising at all, I know. The Chinese liked to name their food based on how they look like. For example, chee cheong fun's literal translation is pig intestines rice noodle roll or somewhere along those lines. Anyway, thumbs up for the claypot loh see fun! Oh right, I almost forgot, it was served with this chili paste that I tried only a little. I think I prefer it without the chili paste.

The nasi goreng kampung was Yummy with a capital Y! It definitely had a lot of flavour and had that kick that all fried rice should have. It did remind me of my kampung and of my grandma (both of them!). The fried chicken went well with it of course. I don't remember the chicken being extra special, but I remembered it was good, so no complaints here. It was also a relatively large piece of chicken, which is always a plus. I've been to several places which state on their menu that the dish comes with a piece of chicken, and was disappointed when the dish came because the chicken was actually a tiny piece of drummet. So yes, as I mentioned, big chicken = good. The portion was just right and I liked the presentation. It was served with fried long beans and a piece of poppadom too.

 Next is the very unique and intriguing ulam fried rice. It was ordered with an additional side of fried egg. I found it so cute that the egg was served in a small frying pan haha. The rice itself was full of flavour courtesy of all the ulams (herbs). It definitely did not taste like the usual fried rice, but it was a refreshing change. It's something that I would definitely order again. It, too, came with poppadom and sauteed long beans. The chicken curry that came with it hit the right spot. It had the ideal thickness that I look for in curries. I don't really enjoy diluted curry that is super runny because it usually just becomes tasteless at that point. The chicken was cooked well and went extremely well with the fried rice. I find that certain places make very dry fried rice, which I do not enjoy, unless it is served with some sort of gravy to make it less dry. Fortunately in this case, the rice wasn't dry and the curry was good, which means that whether or not you choose to have the ulam fried rice on its own or with curry chicken, they both will keep your tastebuds satisfied.


And now we've come to my favourite part: Desserts! I enjoyed my meals but I was absolutely head over heels in love with the desserts. They were so good that I would go to Fat Spoon just to have some sweet treats. This place offers some very interesting desserts. We ordered two desserts. The first is the Sago Gula Melaka with Salted Gula Melaka ice cream on top, and the second is cempedak (jackfruit in English) spring rolls, served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. I'm sure most of you have tried (and fallen in love) with spring rolls, but I know most of you have never tried cempedak spring rolls before - because this was something completely new to me, and something out of the norm for most Malaysians.

The sago gula melaka with the salted sago gula melaka ice cream on top was simply uh-mazing! Sago gula melaka is a very simple dessert that uses this special type of sugar called gula melaka and of course, sago. The ice cream made a huge difference because it just made the dessert even better than it already was! The ice cream even on its own would've been a winner. Pair it with the sago gula melaka and it almost reaches divine levels of goodness. Seriously, you readers have to try this someday. I'm having a hard time concentrating on writing this because I keep dreaming about having it.


The cempedak spring rolls, at first, did not sound very appealing to me. If my brother had not been there to convince me to try them, I probably would not have ordered them and I probably would've missed out on something completely mind-blowing. A sweet honey jackfruit mixture that is a tad creamy is what lies hidden in the crispy and hot outer layer. Just take a bite and you immediately excite your senses with its texture. Add a spoonful of ice cream to that bite and you may just start weeping because it is so good. I was completely taken by surprise by how wonderful it tasted. It made me wonder why I had never thought of stuffing it, and other fruits, into spring rolls before. Heck, why didn't anyone else think of it? I guess it's one of life's greatest mysteries but whatever it is, promise me that if you are ever looking for a fun place to have desserts, or if you just happen to be in Uptown, that you will try the desserts here at Fat Spoon. I'm sure you will not regret it!


The service here is satisfying. None of us had to use sirens to get the attention of the waiters, and we didn't have to wait long for our orders either. The coolest thing is that there are very few staff, two if I'm not mistaken. One who serves, and the other a bartender who also doubles as a waiter. Yet somehow they still manage to run the place smoothly. Overall, it was yet another enjoyable dining experience. I'm sure I'll make my way there again. Yummy and unique food combined with good service makes dining here a pleasure. Go ahead and give this place a try - don't forget to leave your thoughts in the comments section!

Cheers,
Ad

Verdict: 4 out of 5

Fat Spoon Cafe
73, Jalan SS21/1A Damansara Utama, 47400 Petaling Jaya, Malaysia

Business hours:
Tuesday - Thursday: 11.30am-3.00pm, 5.00pm-10.00pm
Friday - Sunday: 11.30am-10.00pm

Call them at: 03-7728 3323

Visit their facebook here


Tuesday 5 March 2013

Far: DIY no-sew nursery bunting


This isn't my best DIY, but its a super easy way to spruce up any room! I am so in love with buntings anyways, and I love the neat lines and pretty colours that they sell at shops and craft bazaars, but they always ALWAYS come with a hefty price tag.

I am looking forward to my baby's birth and juggling a few things at once with a very slow and often fuzzy pregnancy brain. Between looking through books and journals for my thesis, walking around at baby expos on swollen feet, buying things, checking out antenatal classes and trying to keep up with some form of exercise and having frequent bouts of resting and napping hehe, leaves me quite stressed out! so what do I do? I start cutting bits of cloth and pinning them to a ribbon.

if you are stressed out too and want to do one these, you will need:

a good amount of cotton material or some sturdier material
a pair of pinking scissors
tiny wooden clothpins (I got mine at daiso)
and a pretty and long sturdy-ish ribbon.


aren't the ribbons the cutest!




these pretty hands belong to my sister:) she wanted to help me out because she like cutting and pasting too:)

Draw desired shape and size of triangles with a light coloured crayon or colour pencil


and cut! you can make single triangle or fold the cloth and have a double triangle with two patterned cloth sides. either way its your choice! mine became messy because we had a lil of both.


fun part! start pinning!



et voila! tres simple!


Sunday 3 March 2013

Lina: The Ultimate Girl Kit!


Hi everyone! I got this lovely box of goodies for my birthday last year! Sorry for the late sharing session :)
My best friend, Aiysha (best baker ever!) gave this to me! I was REALLY HAPPY and I wish you could see the look on my face when I opened it. Priceless! haha. This is actually a girl's must-have items..in other words, the ultimate girl kit.

So what's inside?

  • Himalaya Cucumber Soap
  • Nail file
  • M&S Chocolate Chip Cookies
  • M&Ms
  • Earrings from Diva
  • A box of masks from My Beauty Diary
  • Chic-lit novel "Italian For Beginners" from Little Black Dress collection

Awesome, right!?! Imagine this... While letting my mask absorbs its wonders onto my skin, Im doing my nails with the nail file, while reading a romantic comedy novel. Then after removing the masks, I munch on yummy bits of chocolate treats, and continue my novel. I put on the earrings if I want to go out and enjoy the day with loved ones, and before I go to sleep I clean my face with the soap. PERFECT!

This is such a perfect birthday gift to all the girls out there. I hope this inspires you to do this for your friend's/mom's/sister's birthday soon! Have fun :)


What's your favourite DIY gift ?


XOXO!
Lina

Friday 1 March 2013

Far: Exfoliating Oat Soap! aka Haneesa's Birthday Present!

Hi all! Our girl Haneesa just turned 23 last month! We are all very proud of her as she has accomplished many things the past year namely graduating and nabbing the perfect job! To commemorate her special day, I set about making her a little gift of luxury.




Something soothing and simple to greet her at the end of a long and tired day: Exfoliating Oat and Lavender Sachets!


I came up with the idea of creating an exfoliating bath sachet because its easy and simple with no mess! Not everyone has access to a bath tub or the time for that matter, and though sugar scrubs are quite fun to make and use, they can get quite messy and truth be told, are just not as luxurious as these babies. 

                             

Made with love, organic rolled oats and organic dried lavender buds, nothing could be simpler or more delicious! When wet, the oats will turn slightly mushy and oat milk will secrete from the sachet creating the most gentlest and creamy exfoliant you can imagine! Lavender acts as an aromatherapy that relaxes you after a hard day's toil and puts your mind and body at ease. - insert imaginary ahhh...-




if you look hard enough you can see the oats and buds through the sachet


You don't have to wait for your birthday to make these little pockets of soft-skin goodness! Just grab a clean stocking or panty hose, an organza sachet, or muslin cloth and fill with a good amount of organic oats (you can use instant if that is what you have lying about in your pantry), and add in anything else you would like! tea leaves, sea salt, epsom salt, chamomile flowers or your favourite essential oil. Easy peasy.


If you keep it clean and dry-ish, you can use your sachet a few times before tossing it in the bin. Give it a sniff to make sure. You can also, alternatively, drop this in the tub (if you have the time and the access to one,of course) and it will create the loveliest milky bath! then take the sachet and scrub those elbows!

If you enjoy DIY gifts, check Lina's 'recent' DIY present from Aiysha here!

Will write again soon! stay tuned!

love, Far


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