21+1

29th August marked the celebration of my twenty-something birthday with The Wu Tang Bitch Clan. It was also a milestone to our 3-years friendship. The actual date was on the 26th, but somehow it's our tradition to have a full-day birthday celebration that comprises of lunch, movie & dinner (and sometimes drinks) . Hence, the celebration was on the 29th instead.

Dinner reservations was made (without fail) by Macho at Porto Romano in Mont Kiara.

It was also another tradition to be hush-hush about the restaurant's name in order to create suspense for the birthday girl.

The funny thing is that actually I planned to suggest this place for Macho's birthday. Only mine is in Ampang instead. Too bad, my birthday came first and she beat me to it.

The place is actually pretty easy to locate. It's next to Wendy's in Mont Kiara. On the other hand, the location seemed a little peculiar, as they were located right in front of those posh condominiums. I mean, you wouldn't expect that there'll be a restaurant like Porto Romano there.

Miss Macho

The ever oh-so-hawwt Joozie

Without further a due, here are the yummilicious food for the night:

Porto Romano Salad

The salad is seriously oh-sooo-good. Definitely not stingy on the seafood! Me likey :) A must-try!

Spaghetti with Clam Sauce

Since Kissaten, I've totally fallen in love with pasta that's not tomato-based. Hence, I chose this dish. Taste-wise, it was good. If only it's a little less oily. Rating: 3/5

Four seasons Pizza

This thin-crust pizza has 4 different toppings : Beef pepperoni, mushroom , olives and chicken salami. A definite must-try!

The overall bill was only RM 143, plus 2 cocktails & ice lemon tea, which is seriously affordable right???

This place has officially became one of my fav restaurants to dine in :-)

The biggest surprise of the day definitely goes to this............

A 4th-Gen Ipod Nano from Macho & Lousybro! Thank you guys!!!!

With my name engraved on it sumore! Cool leh?!

Not forgetting a few other cool presents from friends and family too !

A glow-in-the-dark Virgo puzzle personally assembled by Miss Joozie and Christine :)

And a beautiful watch from my beloved aunt!

Thank you so much for the lovely wishes , presents & celebration. I feel so blessed !

Kiss A 10

Two Saturdays ago, the bitches and I went to Jaya One for lunch. Feeling clueless about what to eat, miraculously we ended up in a fusion restaurant called........

Who's fugly hand is that??

The restaurant serves a fusion of Japanese and Western cuisine. Spotted many mouth-watering dishes that we'd love to try--- Pastas, steaks, pizzas, udons and some other Japanese finger food.

A little preview of the food they served :-p

After much thought, we made our choice.. And here goes.....

Salted Pork Belly Spaghetti

I think this dish is quite special because I've never tried a pork-belly pasta before. Hehe. If you looked closely, there's also a soft-boiled egg in the dish. Taste wise, I'll give it a 3 out of 5 because it's a little bland for my taste, although it says salted pork belly in the menu. Nonetheless, it's worth a try if you are a first-timer.

Salmon Pizza

The pizza is also quite unusual because normally we don't get to try salmon pizza in Malaysia's pizza joint. A slight deviation from Italiannes' smoked salmon pizza, because in Kissaten, the salmon is baked. Taste wise, I'll give it a 4, because it's delicious, especially eaten with Tabasco sauce :-p

Joozie

Macho, this candid shot is for you. Since you don't like 'prepared' self-potraits.

I would definitely visit again because the food is not bad. And it's price-worthy too! Not to mention the ambiance is very homey and cosy, it's like you're relaxing in your own home :)

Getaway in Bali, Part Quatre

Our last day in Bali was mostly last minute food-hunting in the town of Kuta. Because our flight was at 2:00 p.m., we couldn't really do much in the morning. So this is a very short post!

We went to try out a pancake house called Flapjacks, which is located near the Mata Hari shopping mall. You just have to walk further down the street for about 5 minutes and you could see the pancakes shop at Kartika Plaza Street.

We discovered this shop on the night before and we were pretty amazed with what we saw.

He's probably preparing our order!

Flapjacks not only offers a wide selection of pancakes; but they also served crepes, sandwiches,waffles, raviolis, smoothies and ice-creams! I seriously had a hard time deciding which one to order...

In the end, we made our choice........

It's the Chocolate Gelato with Waffles & Coco Crunch!!!!!

Lousybro and I shared the gelato because it's supperrr huggeee!!! And I mean really HUGGEEE!!

If you looked close enough, you can spot the sun burn on my shoulders

Taste-wise; it was pretty ordinary. The gelato's a tad too sweet for my taste. But kudos to the amount of coco crunch that were given. We couldn't finish them. The portion is probably more suitable for 3 pax. Costs Rp 89,000 (RM27.90) excluding service charge.

So, that's the highlight of our final day in Bali.

I would definitely visit Bali again because I've yet to try out the water activities there, especially surfing!!! Oh ya, and also hiking up the volcano to watch the sunrise.. I'm sure that'd be an exciting experience :) And of cos, I wish my friends would be able to join me the next time :)

p.s. Have a nice week ahead!!!

Getaway in Bali, Part Trois

On Day 3, we toured around Bali. On the day before, we actually had made bookings for the tour (Well, there are lotsa stalls in Kuta that offer tours and water activities). The tour costs us Rp 350,000, which exclude lunch and any entrance fees. So basically, it's the fees for transportation and the tour guide's services.

Our Balinese tour guide, Mahtir who speaks decent English

Our first stop of the day was a batik factory in Batubulan (actually, the first stop was supposed to be some Balinese Barong dance, but we're not interested). I've got to say the batik factory was nothing to shout about. They just showed us briefly on how to make batiks (which is similar with what we have learnt in high school during arts class). The batiks sold here were also pretty ordinary and expensive (saw a normal batik shirt selling for 30USD!)

Then, we went to a factory that makes silver and gold jewelries. Again, they explained the manufacturing techniques and then we were brought to a showroom which houses the products. We bought a silver and gold frangipani brooch for Mom, which made us Rp 400,000 poorer.

Next, Mahtir brought us to an art gallery in Batuan . I'm pretty impressed with the arts in the gallery but we ended up buying nothing because I reckon they're a bit pricey. Besides that, it's pretty difficult for me to bring them back to Malaysia.

On the way to the Kintamani Volcano (which is the main purpose of the tour), Mahtir took us to see some Balinese temples.

Yeah, we had to wear sarongs into the temple as a sign of respect.

Hindu is actually the major influence in Balinese cultures. Majority of the Balinese population are Hindus instead of Muslims. And all along I thought they were Muslims.

Balinese temple

After visiting the temple, we head over to Goa Gajah (Elephant Cave) . I would say this place is a total rip-off! It's basically just a small dark cave with some shrines inside. We had to pay Rp 6,000 each to enter the place. Thanked God we didn't hire any guides inside. Or else, it would've costs us more. And they said it's one of the tourist attractions in Bali (-.-")

Kindda reminded me of some scenes in Tomb Raider

Trying to holified (is there such a word?) myself with the "holy" water... Muahahaha

Spotted this huge & eerie spider on our way out

Next stop on our itinerary was an agriculture factory that produces coffee beans; among other things.

A man cooking the coffee beans the old school way

Balinese coffee beans

At this factory, we were given a free cup of coffee, cocoa or ginger tea to try. They also offered the uber-famous Kopi Luwak (the coffee beans were actually produced from the faeces of an animal called Luwak) for the price of Rp 30,000. A small box of Kopi Luwak was selling for 50USD in that factory!!!

Our next stop was Kintamani Volcano, where we had our lunch there as well. The journey was took about 45 minutes from the factory. We passed by a traditional village on our way and we spotted this.....

The recession has caused the villagers to car pool... Haha jk..It's how they usually move around here

If you have noticed, the roads in Bali are pretty narrow. The largest road they have are two lanes, which can be seen in Kuta areas. If you're trying to get a free detailed map of Bali at the airport, I'd say; forget it. It's because Bali is pretty huge, so it's hard to get a detailed map. But thanks to my mom's friend who lend us her guide book, we could managed ourselves at Kuta area.

Also, most of the road outside Kuta are pretty much like the picture above-- narrow and quiet. I'd totally had a hard time navigating if we were stranded there. But I'm pretty impressed with the ang mohs who have the guts to rent a 4WD or a motorbike and explore Bali themselves. Probably they have stayed there for quite some time.

Finally , we reached the place where we had lunch. Prior to that, we have to pay Rp 10,000 (if I recalled correctly) before we could go up the hill.

Kintamani Volcano, which is still active.

The place we had lunch was the perfect spot to snap some pictures of the volcano. At this restaurant, patrons could choose to.......

Dine in a gazebo

Or............

Dine Al-fresco, facing the volcano

We chose the former as it was pretty sunny :-p . We would say that the buffet lunch was a rip-off too. The food was soooo run-of-the-mill and they charged us Rp 65,000 each (excluding drinks and tax) . But then again, we actually paid for the view as well..

Mahtir said we could hike up the volcano to watch the sunrise. He said the hike up the volcano took about 3 hours in total (to and fro), and we have to start our journey around 2 a.m. in the morning. I think I would do that on my next trip to Bali!

One last shot before we leave ;)

Then, the next destination is Ubud ; which is about 45 minutes from the volcano.Along the way, we stopped by at another tourist attraction; i.e. Bali's terraced paddy fields by a very narrow roadside.

I don't think we see this much in Malaysia, except maybe in Cameron Highlands

On our way to Ubud, we spotted many shops that sells wood carvings, wall decos, paintings and furnitures. According to Mahtir, these shops have many orders from overseas. So, if you're interested to get any Balinese arts and crafts at wholesale price, I think this is the place. I don't know the name of the place, but I think you could just mention the place between Kintamani Volcano and Ubud, you would probably get there.

Our last stop of the day was Ubud --- the capital of Balinese arts. Ubud is much more rural compared to Kuta. The accomodation here is definitely cheaper because the locals actually rent out rooms to tourists and you could learn the local culture (like Balinese cooking) from them too. Definitely a way to get to know the Balinese culture! But there're also some high-end hotels in Ubud like the Four Seasons Hotel.

Ubud market

We did some shopping in the Ubud market and we actually bought some modern art pieces and decos here. If you have good negotiation skills, you could score some pretty good deals here.

Miniature cool guitar and drums decos. Costs about Rp 45,000 each. Of cos, prices are negotiable if you purchased more.

Balinese wood carvings..Could you tell what's that in the middle? Muahahha..Go figure!

Modern and traditional paintings in abundance

After an hour at the market, we went food hunting for the renowned dish in Ubud.It's none other than.....

Yes! It's Ibu Oka's Babi Guling (Suckling Piglet)

Since the journey back to Kuta was an-hour ride away, we tapau'ed the babi guling back to our hotel.

Crispy and succulent!!

The suckling piglet tasted somewhat like siu-yoke (roasted pork). It's so full of flavor and best eaten with the sambal. The skin was very crispy (in fact, it's too crispy that we had a hard time biting it). Costs Rp 35,000.

After the light snack, we went to watch the sunset at Kuta beach.

Four different sunsets in Kuta. I know, it's gorgeous right??

Okay, I was just pulling your leg. Lousybro actually played with different features on his camerephone and hence the beautiful effects. The real sunset is pretty ordinary..

The real sunset taken with my phone. My camera's cell failed on me and I forgot to bring my extra cell from our room at that time :(

Our "beautiful" silhouette :-p

Does this looked like an A & F ad ?? Hahahahahha

Control macho, bro, control....

I think Balinese people are quite resourceful. Any opportunity is business opportunity to them. During our short stint at the beach, we were approached by many people selling all sorts of things. Ice-creams, temporary tattoos , mats-for-rents or umbrellas-for-rent, kites, surfboards rentals, hair-braiding services and even massages on the beach were offered!

Come night time, we hit the clubs in Jalan Legian as it was our last night in Bali. We went to a club called Engine Room, which I.M.O was pretty cool and happening come midnight. The music played by the DJ were nice and catchy too.The bartenders and dancers were dressed as if they were working in a construction sites-- with safety helmets and overalls!

Clubbing in Bali is so darn cheap!!!! No cover charges at all! You only paid for your drink, which is pretty cheap too. I ordered a cocktail drink for Rp15,000 and it comes with a complimentary cocktail drink too. So, it's like buy one free one! Lousybro had the Bintang beer (which is also buy one free one) for Rp 10,000.

Not to mention you get to see a lot of ang moh eyecandies here as well :-p I think I would come here every night...Hahahaha!

So, that's about it on Day 3. Stay tuned for the last episode!

Getaway in Bali, Part Deux

Day 2 was lazing-around day. We started off our day with breakfast at the hotel. The buffet breakfast was pretty good. Wide range of selection they've got there and the menu changes daily ;)

Our hotel - from the outside

After breakfast, we toured our hotel for a bit before roaming the streets of Kuta.

Super-gigantic guitar!

Being the hotel for rockers and celebrities, one would've guessed how the hotel is being decorated. Yeah, if you guessed guitars.. then you're absolutely right! They have so many guitars in different shapes and sizes!

Guitars with different shapes and patterns

Lousybro with Human Nature's guitar

We spent our afternoons exploring Kuta streets, namely Jalan Legian. We practically walked 2km under the hot blazing sun! Well, basically, Kuta is surrounded by lotsa retail stores and spas. Because Kuta is next to the beach, there are many shops like Quicksilver and Billabong; you know, the whole nine yards.

Though there are many retail shops there, things in Bali weren't exactly dirt cheap. The prices were pretty much the same as those in Malaysia (Haha,Bangkok's still my fav shopping destination!)

After much walking, we indulged ourselves in a 3-hour hot stone body massage and facial at a spa in Jalan Legian. It only costs Rp 230,000 (RM 73) per person after negotiating with them (Yeah, you can negotiate with them cuz the competition is stiff there). I've gotta say I had the most bizarre spa experience here. We had to strip down to our undies for this massage!! (Easy ok, no need to get all too excited, people ;-p)

Of cos, it was pretty awkward to me at first, especially when I had to switch to lie on my back (with my boobs hanging out for a second before she covers it with a towel) while she massage my stomach. All in all, the massage and facial were pretty amazing and rejuvenating :)

After the spa, we walked to the beach, which is just in front of our hotel. I think that day I had the longest walk of my life. As a result, both of us got sunburns on our bodies :(

Kuta beach - the place for surfing!

We took a few shots at the beach and before we even realized, it started raining like cats and dogs. So, we practically ran back to our hotel!

Spotted this awesome man who carried durians on his head!

After cleaning ourselves up, we grabbed dinner at the same stall from the day before :)


This time around, we had......

Nasi Goreng Sate Ayam (Fried Rice with Chicken Satay)

Taste wise, it was pretty good. The satay was succulent. Definitely worth a try if you're in Bali.

Sup Buntut (Oxtail Soup)

Although the name Sup buntut may sound a little obscene, but the soup was quite tasty. I would have love it if it weren't too salty.

Udang Pete (Stir-fried petai with shrimp)

For those of you who knew me, one of my favourite dish is petai. Now, we've got petai and prawns! What more could a girl asks for?? Hahaha.. I LURVVEEE this dish!

Coconut drink

I had this huge coconut drink while Lousybro had the carrot juice (which is the real deal--only carrot, without the milk). Although the coconut's huge, but I prefer the smaller and young coconuts that we had in Malaysia.


After dinner, we checked out the one and only shopping mall in Kuta; i.e. Mata Hari. The shopping is rather small and old. The concept is kindda like Parkson Sg.Wang-cum-Fajar.

The shops along the streets in Kuta

At about 11 p.m., we head to the Hard Rock's Centerstage for the hotel's complimentary welcome drink before calling it a night. The live-band there was pretty amazing.

Lousybro with Ronan Keating's guitar

Me and the Rolling Stones!

Spotted a very cool electric guitar that belongs to Howard Leese. If I were a rocker, this is the guitar I'd be using ;-p