Baby Discoveries

Tweet It's 3a.m in Malaysia and here I am, wide awake (not by choice). I used to be a good sleeper, sleeping all the way through the night like a rock. After the numerous trips to the loo during pregnancy, which was still okay, because I fall asleep right after... this time, it's different!

All the mothers out there know exactly how I feel and what I am going through. The 1st month of every baby is all about waking up every 2 hours, feeding, changing diapers, etc. You know the drill.

BREASTFEEDING & BREASTPUMPS!

Breastfeeding wasn't all the rage during my mom's time, so she didn't breastfeed any of us (me & my sisters). Now, all the books, websites, doctors and friends highly recommend it. Now that it's been a month after delivery and 2 purchases after (breastpumps), I highly recommend to all soon-to-be mom's to be ready with their pumps and I am confident in recommending my 2nd pump purchase which is Lactaline Ameda. I bought it recently for RM599 (which is a really good deal) and it has made the whole ordeal better.

At this point, I am writing this blog while pumping! This is made possible with the purchase of a Pumpin' Pal holder which makes it a hands-free experience! Also, I will spare you the hours of research online from actual users who have shared their experiences on different pumps (their success and frustrations!)

The 2 websites (in Malaysia) I found which offer the BEST prices for pumps and other baby accessories you may need are:

1. http://www.enjoybreastfeed.com/
2. http://www.fabulousmom.com/

They ship to any address. And for the #2 website, you will find their retail store location (which is the one I purchased from). You get to even test the pump you want -- which makes it a more comfortable choice for me bec I usually want to see what I am buying!

WHERE TO GO WITH BABY

Confinement for post-delivery lasts 1 month. I couldn't wait for 1 month to get out of the house... so armed with my hubby, my mother & my little baby girl ... we went out for small advetures at the mall!

The whole mall experience has totally changed. Whereas hubby and I used to choose the mall by points like: what restaurants are there, what shops to visit, what sale is going on, and which one can give us easier parking experience. Now, the consideration is if there is high traffic at the mall and if that mall has facilities like baby changing room / nappy room / breastfeeding room.

I never knew they had such facilities (I guess I was totally disinterested with these things). At present, this is my numero uno priority if we go out with little baby! So to share with you my top picks for shopping malls to visit with your little one:

1. Isetan, The Gardens MidValley - this is my favorite. Isetan in The Gardens has wonderful facilities! A number of changing tables plus breastfeeding rooms. Plus can do a little shopping right after :)

2. Isetan, KLCC - same as Gardens. Problem is more packed with customers as compared to Gardens

3. Parkson, 1 Utama - I never thought they had such a facility! In the new wing where Parkson is located, they have a dedicated room where you can have privacy with little one while feeding... and a number of changing tables.

4. Bangsar Shopping Centre - their 3rd and 4th floor have nappy changing rooms which are private. A tad bit too cold for my taste though (the aircon was blasting away and hubby got so cold!)

5. Parkson, Pavilion - they only had 1 baby room and because we went on a super-duper peak day (Dec 25), it was packed and people were lining up. We were able to have our turn. The room is nice, with a comfy seat plus running warm water!

Well, that's it for now. Time to switch off the pump and attend to the little one before I try to grab some ZZZZ's.

Pregnancy & Delivery in Kuala Lumpur

Tweet I just delivered a baby few days ago and I am an expatriate living in Kuala Lumpur.
The whole time during my pregnancy I was already living here, and I am fortunate that this is a lovely country with great services.

I would like to share a very brief blog so that other pregnant expatriates who may be planning to come to live in KL will have some knowledge about it.

A fellow expat recommended that I see this Doctor who works at Gleneagles Intan in Ampang. He is Indian Malaysian and very professional. At first I was hesitant with a guy doctor, but he sounded very experienced and there were always many, many expats at the waiting room coming to see him. It's always best to choose a doctor which is recommended by someone you know so that you are assured of his practice.

Gleneagles Intan is where I delivered my baby. All I can say is that their service and facilities are great. The prices will be higher than the other typical hospitals but it's because you are getting what you pay for. The staff are all nice and friendly and willing to help. Believe me, if you are the one lying there on the bed with a c-section & slowly recovering... you will appreciate all the kindness and friendliness around.

Also, prior to delivery, the hospital was offering some classes for new parents who may want to learn more about the baby, pregnancy and delivery. We paid for the classes (i think around RM300) for 3 classes on consecutive Saturdays. My husband and I attended the classes and some useful discussions were around:
- how to bathe the baby
- how husband can massage wife and other useful positions to help her relax
- how husband can assist in lamaze breathing techniques and we all practiced together
- options on drugs / pain relief during labor
- questions on vaccination for the newborn baby
- a trip to the labor room (where you may possibly deliver if you have a normal delivery)
- a trip to the nursery and the maternity floor which was dedicated only to baby deliveries
- a view of the different rooming options and their prices , so you are aware of how it will look like
- breastfeeding information session which was private (me and husband together with the midewife)
- they also offered the midwife services which you pay a fee (around RM300+) where she will come to visit you in 3 consecutive weeks after your delivery to measure, track the progress of your baby, your breastfeeding, etc questions on newborn baby

It's hard to summarize in words how I felt and what happened. All I know is that I am thankful there is such a hospital and such good services here in Kuala Lumpur. I stayed 4 days in the hospital because I went through an emergency c-section delivery. After 4 days stay ... the cost was around RM9,000++ which included all fees -- doctors, surgery, rooms, services, etc

I will surely recommend this hospital to fellow friends should anyone ask me about pregnancy and delivery.

Dinner Get Together at Mezze, Damansara

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It's getting harder and harder to walk around because of my big pregnant tummy, so I have been working from home. That meant like being under house arrest most of the time so I was happy to know we were meeting some friends for dinner at a fairly new place called Mezze. One of our local friends recommended it and we arrived at Mezze on a Wednesday evening 7:45pm. The place was vibrant with customers and 1 hour into our dinner I noticed that they had quite a lot of customers for a weeknight. Good food pulls customers on any day of the week.

We were a group of 5 people. We had 2 bottles of red wine (I didn't drink and instead tried their orange-calamansi-apricot concoction). Plus a round of good tasty dishes which my friends ordered. The bill was around RM700+ i think (our hubbies - the guys took care of the bill :)

In terms of food selection, the menu is straight-forward (it's a 1-pager landscape menu laminated that looks like a table mat I could buy from French souvenir shops).  I do appreciate the simple menu as it helps narrow down the choices. Mostly our local friend did the ordering and came up with different dishes for sharing.

For starters we had the pork belly which was very crispy and not too much fat. I think we ended up ordering 4 plates of that since we devoured the thing so quickly every time it arrived at the table. Since I didn't order the dishes for tonight I can't remember the exact names of the dishes. I just remember some details and will share if it's very tasty or okay.

- Crispy pork belly - must order starters, very tasty. We couldn't stop with just 1 serving!

- Duck pate with bread - this one should be good. I tasted a small bite because I remember reading somewhere that pregnant women should avoid pate

- Chorizo - i found this just okay

- Shrimp pasta - must try, very tasty and slightly spicy

- Mussels - nice dish for sharing

- Special fish of the night - I didn't try but hubby said it was very tasty and good

- Lamb with couscous - I liked this one. Too big for 1 person, best if you share it and try other dishes

- Shrimp Tempura - this is okay. Taste a bit like home-made tempura my mom used to make. In case you have Japanese cravings I guess you can go with this one

- Duck & Chicken spring roll - a nice starter specially if you have hungry guests

- Pannacotta - this is probably the best pannacotta I have tasted in KL. I was so, so , so disappointed with the pannacotta at Delucca, Il Padrino, and other Italian places I have been to! We ordered 2 servings of this!

- Brownie with Ice Cream - this is also very, very good. We ended up with 2 servings as well!

Overall I would recommend to group of friends having a dinner night out. Try it and judge for yourself. The ambience is nice. Toilet is clean. Service is good. The chef also came by to say hello and introduced himself to all of us. Based on the number of customers they had for a Wednesday evening, I would say this place has it the right note in terms of menu. Will surely go back to visit one day.

Mezze
No. 132, Jalan Kasah, Medan Damansara

50490 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
(behind Victoria Station, near Vintry & La Rista)
Tel: 03-20950122

Breakfast Again at The Bread Shop

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It must be the pregnancy. Or simply my love for bread and pastries.

Hubby took me back to The Bread Shop for breakfast because I was craving for their yummy bread. We had coffee and hot chocolate along with the pastries we chose (this time we sampled the Almond Danish and the Sugar Butter bread). I simply love the ambience and pastry choices they have!

For people not familiar with Damansara Heights area, you may get a bit lost finding the place. If you are coming from Mont Kiara, turn left at the science center. Then left again on first corner. Then another left on first corner. Drive up and you will see some shops on the right side. Get a parking slot. The Bread Shop is right beside the restaurant Decanter. You will surely love the bread selection! Ahh bread heaven!

Elcerdo: A Place for Serious Pork Lovers!

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Back in Manila we had a dish called "lechon" which is super-killer-yummy.

How Lechon is prepared: "After seasoning, the pig is cooked by skewering the entire animal, entrails removed, on a large stick and cooking it in a pit filled with charcoal. The pig is placed over the charcoal, and the stick or rod it is attached to is turned in a rotisserie action."


The lechon is served on special occassions like wedding, big birthday parties, Christmas, etc. It is a whole pig roasted over fire and displayed for the guests to cut their own pieces. I especially like the fatty part (which is bad!) but there is nothing like it! If you ever go to the Philippines and happened to be at Cebu (one of the major islands), you must NOT miss tasting their special lechon over there. Even French hubby fell in love with it.
 
Now that we are almost 3 years in Malaysia, we realized we haven't had lechon for a long, long time. The last one was when we flew back to Manila 2 years ago! Suddenly we had that craving and thankfully there is a restaurant in town that serves something close to what Lechon is in Manila. And they had a small serving just right for 2 hungry people like us!
 
We went to visit this restaurant called Elcerdo which is located near the Bukit Bintang area. Close to the Jalan Ceylon where they have a string of interesting restaurants that will tickle the fancy of expats in Malaysia.
 
We ordered the roasted pig, which was cute and small enough for me and hubby!!! We finished almost the whole thing (and we had to take-away a few pieces which we could not finish and I refuse to just leave it there). The roasted pig came with some salad and potatoes. It also comes with a "different experience" where you will need to break the plate for good luck. I won't expound on it as this is some exciting stuff -- go try it yourself! Hee Hee....
 
It definitely satisfied our piggy cravings and it will be some time before we go back to that place. I think we had an overdose after this indulgence!
 

Prior to the main meal, hubby ordered some ham platter which he said was superb. It was a ham-and-melon appetizer which was yummy. Definitely a must try if you visit their establishment. If I was not pregnant I would have eaten that whole thing! I miss eating those ham and melon. It reminds me of that summer we were in South of France and his parents serving this as appetizer as we sat in their terrace with perfect summer weather --- ahhh those were the days! The restaurant ambience also has a European feel to it -- so it's a good place to bring a date. The service was prompt and fast.
 
Just wanted to share this in case there are serious pig lovers out there who are out to satisfy their pork cravings.

A Very Interesting Read: The Sharper Your Knife, The Less You Cry

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This is one of the most interesting books I have purchased this year 2009. It's my favorite book! Definitely a good investment -- especially if you are fond of cooking.

I bought my copy at Times bookstore for RM 49.95

For those who have been to Paris, who love French food and has some interest in cooking, you will surely find this book a good read.

I have always been in love with Paris. I love the feeling, the sights, the beauty and the kind of life they have there. Hubby and I have been visiting every year (except for this year bec of my pregnancy). And every year I go back I am still at awe at how I can feel when I am there.

This book brings me back to those wonderful places in Paris. Plus more insights as the girl in the book describes her experience when she enrolled in the famous cooking school : Le Cordon Bleu. The book shares her experience as a normal 36-year old middle manager who just got tired of corporate life. She took the plunge and tried to have an adventure of a lifetime by flying to Paris and enrolling herself in cooking school. It was very inspiring to read! Sometimes I wish I had the guts to just do that!

I was definitely inspired to cook and try out some of the recipes which she shared inside the book. Yes, there are recipes that you can test out :) which makes this book even more interesting.

Did I mention that I was so into this book and the time I was in my 2nd trimester -- which meant it was aligned to the time I had great appetite! That was also the time I kept on blogging about different restaurants. It was weird --I had cravings for different dishes for different days! Hubby had to keep up with me. But mostly I craved for Japanese food -- tempura yummy!

In case you are looking for a new and different book to read, do check out this one. Happy reading!

Title: The Sharper Your Knife, The Less You Cry
Author: Kathleen Flinn
Where to get it: I bought mine in Times Bookstore

PS. for those people who have encountered relationships or conversation with French people, you will find some funny moments at the girl's adventure (and struggle) with the French language. I myself have been improving my French -- but not yet good enough to go wondering about alone in Paris! In case you want to learn French, I highly suggest enrolling yourself at Alliance Francaise . They have one in different countries. I enrolled myself few years back in Alliance Francaise Manila. And I also took some classes here in Kuala Lumpur. It's a good place to start your French language.

Recovery After Pregnancy: the Chinese way = Confinement

Tweet For westerners, life after giving birth means immediately getting busy with baby stuff. It means getting up everyday to feed the baby, do household chores, and go about their daily lives. For Chinese people in many parts of the world -- whether they come from Manila or Malaysia, they believe in the recovery period needed for every mom... and that means 1 month of "confinement".

To my western friends, this concept is very foreign and they are very much surprised when I share some of the steps involved in confinement. I guess in other parts of the world, this confinement thing is unheard of, or even simply impossible to do. Imagine Europeans who could not afford household help -- how can they even have 1 month of confinement if they are alone at home? They have to get up the next day, feed the baby, do the household chores, cook for themselves, etc. What makes me wonder is that despite these westerners not doing their proper confinement after childbirth, well, they still survive and live a long & healthy life. I'm saying this because most of the stories I hear from elders is that if one does not do a proper confinement, one will get different aches or ailments at his/her old age. I don't know if there are proper statistics nor research findings to show that women who had confinement are really better off than those who didn't. Or simply, western women will have more ailments/aches vs women from the east?

Back to confinement, though I am not armed with proof, I do not want to turn my back from my culture. And at some point I am thinking "better safe than sorry"... which is probably what a lot of younger generation Chinese women are thinking when they go through confinement in this modern day.

Be in Philippines or Malaysia, the Chinese people living there believe in this very important 1 month of recovery for new mothers. Though to compare, the Malaysians seem to have stricter guidelines & a longer list of what to do, eat, etc. Maybe the Chinese in the Philippines have somewhat adopted to the local culture which meant dropping some of the early practices of confinement. It was only living here in Kuala Lumpur did I discover that there is such a thing as "Confinement lady". This is usually an elderly who comes to stay at your house to take care of the mom (full time) & cook all the nutritious food to help speed up recovery. Imagine, it's a full time job over here! And the good ones seem to be in demand -- they even require you to book in advance.

What's amazing to me is the instant access to these confinement stuff : confinement lady, confinement herbs, etc. Last weekend, hubby and I went to 1 Utama shopping mall. We visited this huge Chinese herb shop which is located at the basement floor. They had gazillions of herb and other stuff, which even to me was shocking. We didn't have such a thing back in Manila. Most of the Chinese herb shops were small stalls operating at Chinatown. Not something this huge at a shopping mall! Hubby and I were amazed at what we saw: they were selling deer horns and deer tails... and dried sea horses! There were so many weird stuff around and they cost a lot of money! Yikes...

They had a ready brochure of Chinese confinement herbs. It was a back-to-back brochure which had English and Chinese versions. This is a very easy guide to what you should be eating and drinking in the 30 days of your confinement. I know, it sounds like they have commercialized it. But for someone like me, a 3rd generation Chinese who have lost the ability to read Chinese characters and have no easy access to elderlies, at least I have this brochure as a guide. Thankfully they also had a salesman who was speaking some English. He attended to our needs and my questions. In the end, hubby and I walked away spending RM800+ on all the Chinese stuff. I only get pregnant a few times in my life, I better try to recover the best way I know which is the Chinese way. It's going to be tough, but might as well do it than be sorry. Mind you, I don't plan to follow everything strictly. I think I will mix up the 2 Chinese traditions from Manila and KL... and will try to stick by what I can. After all, the westerners are doing fine despite not knowing confinement stuff at all!

In case you want to read more about confinement stories, you can refer to these links:
http://www.mymomsbest.com/tips/tip_confinement.htm
http://www.babycenter.com.sg/pregnancy/asian-postnatal-practices/confinement-confessions/
http://babynme2008.blogspot.com/2008/10/chinese-herbs-for-confinement.html
http://www.babycenter.com.my/pregnancy/asian-postnatal-practices/confinement-practices/

In case anyone else out there is as clueless as me in terms of chinese herbs, and yet would like to buy some and try to do your own confinement at home, you can visit the shop and they have a ready brochure and easy to understand list. All you need to do is buy the set and add it to the soup... and eat your way to a good recovery after your baby delivery.

You can visit EFFECTIVE HERBS & MEDICINE SHOP
Lower Ground floor, One Utama
Tel 03-77271681

The post-natal soup herbs are packed into 28 different sets. This means you will use 1 pack a day to add to some pork or chicken soup (which you need to use double boil or slow cook method). The total for the 28 herb-pack is RM350.00

Good luck!

weather in KL november

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For the past week the weather in Kuala Lumpur has been on this kind of pattern : super sunny in the mornings and afternoons. Then toward the late afternoon and evening, we will experience heavy rain. Last night we had some major thunderstorm at Mont Kiara area. And that was after such a beautiful sunny day. So in case anyone out there planning to visit KL, it's best to plan your activities in the morning and early afternoon.

Spa Relaxation and Indulgence in PJ

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Once in a while couples will try to look for something they can do together. Something out of the ordinary, not your typical movie or dinner out. Hubby and I decided to have a very long and luxurious relaxing time so I went on the internet to browse nice spa places (which are still in the affordable range). I know that if we were ready to super splurge we could easily choose places like those spa inside hotels... but I wanted to see if Malaysia offers nice spas which are outside the hotel.

I landed on a few blogs and sites, and luckily I ended up with this one : Khareyana Spa at Petaling Jaya. The great thing about it is that they have Indo ladies who specializes on pregnant women! That was great news for me as this was one of hubby's concern. I am now on my 8th month of pregnancy which means I am quite heavy and with a big tummy.

The Khareyana spa is located very near the Assunta Hospital (that landmark makes it easier for customers to find the place). It's located near the round-about and very easy to find. Upon arrival we were greeted by this lady who explained the different scrubs available. As the price goes higher, the scrubs smelled better and better. I guess that's all part of the marketing and upsell... I should know, I am a marketeer myself! Hubby and I ended up with the body scrubs that smelled really good (and highest in the price range). Since we don't do this often, might as well indulge and go all out.

The whole experience took 3 hours and 30 minutes. We also had a nice couple's room which is a bit rustic in design. Hubby liked it because it's different from the typical posh hotel spas. We also had a view of the outside which had lots of greens and water. Walking to the room itself was interesting because we had to walk on the small cement steps and avoid getting your feet into the pond! Very original design spa.

For my treatment it included: body scrub, full body massage, and a milk bath. While hubby had body scrub, full body massage and steam. The spa experience is at RM325 per person. Not bad considering the quality of the service.

In case you visit their website and curious which treatment we took, let me the details. I tried the Javanese Rose while hubby (after smelling several options) ended up with White Tea.

Javanese Rose

Gentle apricot granules enriched with rice extract and rose essential oil. Javanese Rose treatment helps to remove dead skin cells and stimulate skin regeneration bringing out softer and more beautiful skin.
180 Minutes RM325.00

White Tea

Gentle apricot granules enriched with rice and tea leaf extract and panthenol. White tea treatment helps to remove dead skin cells and stimulate skin regeneration leaving skin looking soft and supple.
180 Minutes RM325.00

For reservations and more info, contact:


Khareyana Spa
36 Jalan Selangor
46050 Petaling Jaya
Selangor, MALAYSIA
T : +603 7958 6219
F : +603 7958 6284

For couples thinking of what to do on their special day or simply want to have a lazy afternoon indulgence, I highly recommend some together-time at this place! Compared to prices at the hotels spas, this place is reasonable.

early breakfast at The Bread Shop

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Calling all bread lovers out there... Bread and pastry lovers like me! I was in heaven when I walked in to The Bread Shop at Damansara Heights. The beautiful collection of sumptuous bread really blew me away and I was spoilt for choice. We arrived early in the morning around 830am and the bread / pastries were all ready. We ordered 3 pastries : chocolate danish, cinnamon swirl, and bananas scotch danish plus a cafe latte and cafe mocha. Wow, I really enjoyed every piece of bread that went into my hungry tummy. I'm so glad to discover this place! The interior is modern chic and simple. They also have all day dining in case you want some hot food.

Sigh, brings back memories of Paris and all the yummy bread that goes with it.
Truly a must try place for bread lovers especially those looking for bread with a twist in flavor. Other stuff they have which I will try next time : custard almond, butter sugar, apple danish, cheese sausage, etc.
In case you want to check it out for yourself :

The Bread Shop
11 Jalan Setiakasih 5
Damansara heights
Tel no. 03 20938734
Open : 8am- 730pm mon to fri, 8am to 5pm on saturday
Closed on sunday and public holidays

We got some bread to take-away. One tip for you guys out there who want to enjoy yummy croissant for breakfast: buy the croissant and freeze in a tupperware immediately when you get home. Then, the day you want to eat for breakfast, put it inside the oven for about 10-15 mins and voila! It will be almost as good as a newly baked one. That's how we do it :)

To give you an idea of the bread and pastry prices, let me share the breakdown of our bill. We discovered that dining in they will charge you more because of the service charge.

Cafe Latte - RM 7.80
Cafe Mocha - RM 7.80
Banana Scotch Danish - RM 5.80
Cinnamon Swirl - RM 4.80
Chocolate Danish - RM 4.80
Subtotal - RM 31.00
Service Charge 5% - RM 1.55
TOTAL BILL : RM32.55

I took away some sausage roll (RM 5.80) and butter croissant (RM2.80).

Will surely go back to this place for more pastry and bread tasting. Yummm!

An Evening of Live Music in KL

Tweet or expats out there who don't know what else they can do on quiet evenings, you may want to have a musical adventure. Oftentimes, me and hubby are trying to see what new things we can discover in KL. Also for us, it's time to enjoy our last few weeks of bliss before baby comes!

So after hearing good reviews from friends about this place called No Black Tie, we decided to check it out. True enough, it was definitely worth the time and we had a nice evening. We attended one of the Bossa Nova evenings where they featured a good bossa nova singer. I was in heaven. I love, love Bossa Nova music and the first 2 songs she sang really blew me away. On other evenings, they would feature Jazz and other type of music.

On another evening I tried to drop by with some colleagues to listen to some music and chillout after work. The nice thing of this place is that they start the live music at 9:30pm, which is not too late. Unlike other places I have researched, the live music/band usually starts at 1030pm, and at some restaurants they only have the live stuff during Thurs/Fri/Sat evenings. No Black Tie plays music every night. You can check out their schedule at their website http://www.noblacktie.com.my/

Their cover charge is quite reasonable at RM20 per person. On some occasions, they will charge RM 40 per person because it's a special night. All you need to do is pay the cover charge then you can opt to just order drinks while listening to music. They do serve food also, but we opted to eat somewhere else. Especially as the Jalan Ceylon area has tons of nice restaurants. You can even park at No Black Tie and eat across the street (right in front of them you will find an Italian restaurant called Delucca). If you are not concerned about budget, I would recommend you and your friends to eat at the different restaurants around the area, especially these :

1. Nero Vivo - Italian restaurant

2. El Cerdo - serves crispy pork like no where else! really nice pork place with European setting ambience

3. Neroteca - if you love cheese platter with some parma ham and great wine, then this is the place for you!

4. Le Bouchon - if you love French food (especially their duck .. yummy!) A bit pricey but good quality real french food

So the next time you and your friends don't know what to do on evenings, you can try to check this place out. The place is small and cozy ... just right for a night of music!

Kuriya Japanese Restaurant at BSC Bangsar

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For Japanese food lovers (like me), it's refreshing to find new restaurants in the city. After browsing through some blogs, I decided to give this fairly new restaurant a visit.

Like what they say: a true measurement if a Japanese retaurant is good is if you see many Japanese locals frequenting the joint. True enough, I saw a number of them while I was eating there. So it's safe to say this is an authentic Jap place.

Kuriya is located at the top floor of the newly renovated BSC (Bangsar Shopping Centre) and the ambience is modern chic. Surely a good place to impress your loved one (if that is what you are aiming for). I saw a few couples who were surely having a "dinner date" ... well they picked a nice place!

The service was fast and prompt. The california maki roll I ordered came in just after 5 minutes of ordering it. I also noticed they had quite a number of Filipino staff (waiters and cooks) which may have contributed to the friendly service.

Hubby and I tried the traditional Japanese stuff as we didn't feel like being too adventurous with our orders that evening. Though on the menu they had some exceptionally different stuff which I didn't find in other Jap restaurants... maybe I will try them next time. We opted for ebi tempura, garlic fried rice, chicken teriyaki, cod fish teriyaki and of course some salmon sashimi (which they are proud of bec of the regular fish delivery flights from Japan). I can tell you that the salmon sashimi was really very fresh and tasty. Though I am 8 months pregnant and not supposed to be taking sushi (or any raw stuff), I couldn't help myself and I tasted 1 piece of it. Melt-in-your-mouth sashimi... sigh. Will have to come back after I deliver little baby. Mommy will is craving for sashimi treat!

I didn't feel like drinking anything from their list, given my condition. So I just opted for some warm water while hubby took some hot green tea. Both drinks didn't appear in our bill so I guess these are "gratuit" or free of charge. Good to know especially as some of the other Jap places charge for water and for green tea.

In case you are wondering how does this Jap restaurant fare against others in terms of costing, let me share the breakdown of the bill. For 2 people, we spent RM148.35 which is not too high cost for a posh place like this. But I think if you plan to try the more exotic looking stuff you will surely end up with RM100-120 per person or even more.

Ebi Tempura - RM28
Matcha ice cream - RM8
Gindara Teriyaki - RM 30
Chicken Teriyaki - RM 18
Garlic Fried Rice - RM15
Salmon Sashimi - RM 22
California Maki - RM 8

Service charge + Gov't tax on top of the food cost brought the total bill to RM 148.35.

If you would like to make a reservation, you can contact the restaurant:

KURIYA Japanese Restaurant
Tel. No. 03-20939246 / 03-20939242

Will we come back to try the other stuff? Yes... we will. It gets tiring sometimes going back to the same old-same old Japanese places we frequent : like Rakuzen Sri Hartamas (which is always fully booked) or Sugimoto at Desa Sri Hartamas. It's nice to have some change once in a while.

Hiestand Bakery at Mont Kiara ... finally a good bakery nearby!

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I have always dreamed of walking to a nearby quality bakery for fresh bread in the wee hours of the morning. My dream came true when I was vacationing in South of France at hubby's hometown and cherished every moment we walked to their nearby bakery to buy fresh croissant, pain au chocolat and baguette.

Now... my dream is a reality... here in Mont Kiara! Finally, they opened a decent & quality bakery called Hiestand. It's located at the ground floor of Mont Kiara Meridin condo, minutes away from where I stay. I believe that the neighborhood will truly appreciate this new establishment!

Hiestand opened its doors only last week (Sunday). The good news is that this bakery opens at 7:30am every day Monday to Sunday! Yippeee! Fresh bread anytime!

I went to the shop today to buy some bread and the sales lady informed me that they will have a breakfast set available starting this Saturday (Oct 24), a combination of bread, jam, eggs and coffee. Can't wait til this weekend to try it out. Best of all, they open very early!

In case you are wondering about the prices, let me share with you a breakdown of the items I bought today:
Pain Au Choc- RM 2.60
Strudel Almond - RM2.00
Focaccio bun- RM1.20
Butter Croissant - RM3.80

To my neighborhood friends in Mont Kiara: enjoy freshly baked bread every day!

Rainy wednesday @ Sultan Ismail

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On my way home from work. Suddenly the rain poured. Traffic usually slows down when the rain comes. The good thing about Malaysia's rains is that it usually lasts for a short time. In my 2 years stay, I have not experienced any typhoon. Usually the heavy rains would last 1-3 hours only. Sometimes the sun comes shining through after a heavy rain!
Unlike Manila weather which could literally be gloomy and rainy all day, Malaysia has a more favorable weather in my opinion.

superb hokkaido ice cream at MOF Pavilion

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I was really surprised to see that japanese dessert shop tucked away at the basement corner of Pavilion (near Mercato). I suppose it's been there for a while but I rarely pass by that area since it feels like the end of the world. The friendly waiter explained their best sellers & I decide to be adventurous. I was not disappointed at all. The milky ice cream was oh so good and melt in your mouth. While the small japanese dumplings, jelly and some cute colored candy thing-y which I forgot the name. it also came with some fruits which were fresh and tasty. I would definitely go back to try the other desserts! They also do take away where people can easily order ice cream cone. For the few minutes we were there we saw quite a number of customers. I guess they have established their customer base. Good high quality ice cream!

bad experience at Ichiban Boshi, Pavilion

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We were at Pavilion on a weeknight and decided to try something new. We were going to Pancake House to try some Filipino dish but walked passed this Japanese place called Ichiban Boshi at the basement floor and decided to give it a try.
What a disappointment it was. The service was bad despite so many, many waiters standing around. The food took long to come out from the kitchen and it wasn't piping hot (like the usual japanese dishes). To top it off, we ordered ahead of the table beside us but they got their food first. Then when I followed up, they came to tell me one of the items we ordered was not available anymore which made me more upset. My husband asked for the manager, and instead they brought some Malay supervisor who didn't know a thing about customer service & she just stood there after a short apology. Then we realized there was another manager and called for her. She apologized and quickly said that the chef can make some of the eggplant dish we ordered so we decided to wait. It came after few minutes and the taste was so so, though this time it was warm. Overall it's a dismal japanese place which we will never visit again.

Interesting Performance by Chinese

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I attended one of the I.T. Magazine event this week. It was a sit down dinner event coupled with awarding ceremony.
They had an interesting mid-dinner entertainment. They invited some people from China to come and perform. It's amazing what the mind and body can do when one is determined! These kids were trained to do tricks since they were young. Some of the performance were nerve racking while others were okay. Overall I am amazed at what humans can do with their body when trained well. These people are available for hire for events... just in case anyone out there looking for some for entertainment for their party or event, this may be something you would want to consider.

pregnancy treat: Clarins Massage for pregnant women

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I'm getting heavier everyday. And each new week I discover new 'preggy symptoms' such as water retention, swelling feet, increase in leg cramps, etc. Sigh, all mothers know the drill. I'm very thankful though that things are progressing well and according to plan. Thank God I don't have back pains (yet), especially as many books and online resources warn of it in the late stages of pregnancy. Which brings me to the point of having pregnancy massages, which is highly suggested in western resources to relieve back pain.

A friend of mine told me that she had a pleasant experience when she tried the Clarins pregnancy massage. This idea stuck in my mind for a while. I was keeping it as a treat should I encounter back pains.
Well, thankfully the back pains have not arrived on my door, and hubby insisted that I take this massage as a little treat & indulgence.

I booked myself at the Clarins Institute and I definitely had a pleasant experience!

Let me quickly enumerate the overall experience (and how much time you need, how much it will cost)

• You will need at least 2 hours to complete the whole process: which includes a short briefing, 15-mins body scrub, a short warm shower, then a 1-hour body massage
• You will need to call for an appointment. This is because they have limited masseus who are certified for pregnancy massages. For the KLCC Clarins Institute, you can contact tel 03-23826800, while the 1Utama branch tel +603-7728 7266
• Don't worry about shower cap and displosable undies, as these will be provided. They also provide warm water / tea before, during and after the treatment to help keep you hydrated
• The massage position will include side-way massage as we pregnant women have a big tummy so we cannot face down. The massage table is comfortable and it's even warm (heated) at some point which provides a relaxing feeling
• The massage oils used smell so good! And they warm up the oil before use, so you will feel a relaxing effect the moment it touches your skin
• Oh, and for preggy women like me .. dont worry! They have a toilet inside the Institute, which means you can get easy access... our bladders can't hold water for too long :)
• The overall expense will be RM 265.00 per session. They told me about their package promotion which is buy 5 and get 1 free session. But since the economy is bad and we should be prudent with spending, I decided to just pay for the session. I am not sure if I will go back for another treat before I deliver. That will depend on a lot of things :) But they did encourage me to make an appointment for the next month session. Anyway, you can always cancel it

To all mothers-to-be ... this is one treat that you deserve!

sunday brunch pancake @ paddington

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Opting to be different this Sunday morning, hubby and I went to the Curve (at Mutiara Damansara) to have pancakes at 'paddington house of pancakes'. It's been a while since our last visit to that establishment, which was a favorite of mine when we just moved to KL 2 years ago.
My only complaint is why this restaurant does not open its doors at 8am when in fact pancakes are supposed to be breakfast specialties. They had a branch at Plaza Damas last year which opened early but unfortunately it closed down. I took the hot chocolate drink (which I found too sweet to my taste) but I was so hungry & couldn't wait for the food to arrive. Finally my American stack pancakes arrived with peaches and bananas. The waiter was kind enough to add more bananas for me since I told him I didn't want the vanilla ice cream that was supposed to come with that order. Hubby took a crepe looking dish which is called Brussels. The wheat crepe he took had toppings like baked beans, beef bacon, cheese, guacamole, & egg. Both orders were up to par and would satisfy anyone's pancake craving. Hubby also took a flat white coffee. Total bill came up to rm 54.