The way I see it

Some architect had a sense of humour. The Dewan Bahasa Dan Pustaka building in Kuala Lumpur is definitely not a building I would show as 'iconic' in a tour of KL but it has emotion down to a science.  This building is pissed off and I'm pretty sure it is because they have yet to showcase him as a transformer... poor guy doesn't even realise he is a 'Go Bot' (google it or be born in the 80s) see the pics below and judge for yourself! Look at the furrowed brow... totally angry It strikes an imposing figure

First off just want to say I'm not very good at making perogies. I've tried 3 times now and I would have to say that they have got better each time. Here in Malaysia we have a small problem with getting the right ingredients for any western cooking job. for these bad boys I was really at the mercy of one particular ingredient - sour cream! The grocery store near my house doesn't always have sour cream in stock or perhaps it is a hot item and I never knew.  I better get off my rant and on to my post. I used a very simple recipe for the perogies The shell  4.5 cups of all purpose flour (I used a bit more) 3 eggs 2 cups of sour cream 2 tbsp of butter 2 tbsp of oil (or more butter if that's your thing) salt (you need a couple tsps or so) basically you mix the wet items then add them to the flour (I thought it was more difficult) make a ball or two and let stand covered for about 10-15 mins The filling 4-6 baking or other large potatoes 1 cup of cheese shre...

Over the course of the years I have collected a lot of things but there comes a time when you really have to learn to let go and downsize.  I think I have reached that point with some of my more space hogging collections that I'm really not that into anymore. Today I had my first sale and we will see how it goes from here on in. I'm trying to liquidate some games, books and toys so, if you have ever been to my house feel free to make me an offer on anything you like... I really need those American/Canadian Pickers guys to roll through. LOL

During my recent trip to The Traders I sampled just about everything they had to offer except in-room dining. The grill and steak house was offering specials relating to mushrooms: specifically wild ones. Coming to dvd mushrooms gone wild... unrated! The land menu meaning anything on land... well almost anything A lovely olive roll French onion soup.  The soup was very tasty but the cheese was a bit mild and tasteless. The portion size was huge and I felt full and a bit bored by the time I reached the bottom. Cream of mushroom soup.  The mushroom soup was a very normal puree mushroom soup. It was not bad just nothing special - a very fresh soup. Steak and mushrooms.  A sirloin steak with sauted wild mushrooms and spinach. The side was potatoes au gratin (scalloped or cheese potatoes for those not initiated). The steak went very well with the mushrooms and was cooked to a perfect medium. Ribeye steak.  By far the star of the even...

When looking to stay in Kuala Lumpur (KL) the options are nearly limitless - from high-end luxury to quaint boutiques to backpackers' budget. I recently stayed in the luxurious Traders Hotel which overlooks KLCC park and is opposite the iconic Petronas Twin Towers. A note before I get started - this hotel is not cheap! The room I selected runs you back about RM550 but is definitely worth the cost should you want the indulgence. Parking and reception. The reception is split between three floors the ground floor the first floor and the fifth floor. The parking believe it or not is actually in the convention centre lot which I am told has a separate security guard and is free for overnight guests. The concierge is located on ground, group check ins on first, and general check ins on fifth. The reception staff were efficient, had impeccable English and customer service skills. The man who handled me answered all of my questions accurately and informatively and generally gave me m...

Do you want to pig out on pork? Do you enjoy tucked away out of the way places? Do you like Bangsar? If you answered yes then you better mosey on by this place in Bangsar Village. The location is a bit odd as you can enter through the Village Grocer super market. But the atmosphere is quite nice. I'll call it homey-chic as its both cool and homey. My party was greeted at the door by a nice energetic lady who was taking names and generally trying to get the crowded seating organised in the small venue. She was nice enough to seat us at a table without high chairs as one of the party had a very short skirt. The pigs menu for the daytime only... before the wolves come out. The hours if you are interested A sample of a few of the illustrations in the menu. Pork meatballs. These were fresh and moist with a light and tasty tomato sauce.  A bizarre choice but here is fish and chips. This was apparently very well fried, crispy but not oily. Bacon...

I was really concerned about going to lakeview as they are one of the few restaurants at The Heritage without the word "grill" in their name but a very prominent grill in their menu. Also they are not really in view of the lake... so false advertising. The service was good and the staff were attentive and polite. I went as a party of three and we sampled three different areas of the menu. We had  Chicken Beryani, Filet Steak, and Shish Taouk. For drinks, I braved their ice lemon tea, the others drank coke. The iced tea looks weird but it had a nice balance of tea and sweetness. Chicken beriyani smelled divine with a nice blend of spices and fragrance The filet steak was substandard at best. Ordered medium it came on the wellest end of well done and was tough and chewy. The saving grace of this steak was that it was very well seasoned and very reasonably priced for the portion size. The grilled vegetables were very oily and are recommended to be skipped....

A long while ago I had a very disappointing experience at the Hadramout Mamalket restaurant at The Heritage, then I returned for yet another disappointment.  Tonight is the last chance and we shall see whether we get a thumbs up or another look of disdain. I went to the place with a couple of girls and we all brought our appetites.  The order was the mixed grill, couscous libby, and hummus. This all seemed good until we had to wait more than 15 minutes to see drinks and another 40 without any food at all. Kind of interesting another patron ordered food from a competing restaurant and received it after about 15 minutes. It seems that guy had the right idea! After an hour we enquired about our food. As it turns out despite the server repeating our order twice,  the order was never actually taken. So we walked out. Very rarely I have walked out but these guys really pushed my patience too far. In closing, we went for some fast food, but our question was answered it def...

If you have ever been to a supermarket in Malaysia then you are probably familiar with the meat and fish being displayed in metal bucket things filled with ice.  If you know me then you know I can stand that as I find it unhygienic. I have, unfortunately, determined that the chicken that does not sell off the ice just gets shrink wrapped so you are stuck with ice chicken no matter what you do! These days I sniff all the meat I pick from the ice and if necessary rub it for slimey-ness. Today I found a sickening sight at giant... No not that... something even more horrifying than Jamie Oliver! Do you notice something strange about the chicken keel right in the middle? The meat is actually GREEN... GREEEEEENN!!!!! This is enough to make me a vegetarian again! In summary. Do not trust any meat lying around anywhere.  Always sniff the meat and for the love of god don't buy it if it is green!

I recently made the unfathomable trip from my home to Setia City Mall in Setia Alam Malaysia. I was, of course, in search of interesting shopping and imported food. Some background. For those of you living in Setia Alam congrats on picking a beautiful place to live; however, my condolences as you all live in the bloody boonies!  Setia City is an INCREDIBLY nice mall with a fine selection of shops and F&B outlets, but unfortunately no game stores or Chilis (TGIFridays? Really? Ugh.) I stumbled upon a grocery store that looked quite up-scale and my import sense started tingling. What a classy place with words like Urban and fresh right in the name it must be good. The pillar says "fresh food" for seal's sake so come on! They had this interesting apple display going on at the front of the store.  This is actually a cardboard tree with apples all around it. It is a neat idea... I just hope the apples didn't grow on cardboard! The fresh fruit and veg...