My Langkawi Trip...

I have a BIG problem... and that is, I love my photography.. So you can tell if you have been reading my blog or following my facebook page: www.facebook.com/mieranadhirahdotcom all this while, it is heavily peppered with assortment of photos... 

For me, I feel that photos tell a lot more stories then what I can say and besides I am just a high school graduate, never got the chance to go further then that, so I am just truly an average person....

On the red carpet with PERFECTO POPCORN

Popcorn  is  a  classic  snack  loved  by  all,  especially  moviegoers.  Nothing makes  a trip to the  cinema  to watch the latest movie or blockbuster better then delicious  fully coated  popcorn.  I know I always have to have my popcorn before I head into the cinema hall or I would feel something missing....

Food Review: Ancasa Hotel and Spa's Ramadan Buffet “Selera Desa”

With Ramadan approaching, there are just so many Ramadan Buffets being offered and I am kinda getting fat from all this eating.. but I can't help it......

But hey, if you would like to know where you can have a great value for money and also delicious food, you really have to check out Saffron Brasserie's spread.

This Ramadan, AnCasa Hotel & Spa, Kuala Lumpur will feature a lavish buffet spread of mouth-watering and authentic Malay cuisine served ala ‘Kampung’.

Setia City Mall Celebrates Happiness with Malaysians

Setia City Mall is three this year and is celebrating the occasion by giving out presents to all its customers. The mall will be having a myriad of on ground and online activities that will bring Malaysians like you and me lots of delight and you can be in the running to win many awesome prizes from May 17 - June 14. Since its inception in 2012, Setia City Mall has been the centre of happiness for Malaysians, truly living up to its philosophy - “Great Times Inside and Out”.

LIFETIME®’S MASTERCHEF ASIA'S NEW JUDGES: SUSUR LEE, BRUNO MÉNARD AND AUDRA MORRICE

A+E Networks® Asia just announced their line-up of judges for the inaugural season of MasterChef Asia.  The panel consists of Hong Kong-born, culinary genius Susur Lee; 3-Michelin Starred chef Bruno Ménard; and culinary TV personality and Singapore-born, Audra Morrice, a MasterChef Australia finalist.

Susur Lee has often been called the “Father of Fusion” and has won numerous culinary awards including Food and Wine magazine’s “Ten Chefs of the Millenium” and the 5-Star Diamond award from the American Academy of Hospitality Sciences.  He is the owner-chef of four highly-rated restaurants in Canada including LEE, Luckee, Bent and LEE Kitchen in Toronto, as well as TungLok Heen in Singapore.  For 20 years, he has been the Executive Consulting Chef for the TungLok Group, which owns over 40 restaurants in Asia.

US POTATO CULINARY FESTIVAL KUALA LUMPUR 2015

The atmosphere at the swanky Villa Danieli was festive with banners and buntings all over the place. The venue was just as classy but the festive air added excitement and thrill in the air as those present, including yours truly waited in anticipation as to what the night held in store for us...

Giveaway: Atopiclair for kids who has Eczema

Do you have a child suffering from eczema?  (according to Eczema.org) Eczema (also known as dermatitis) is a dry skin condition. It is a highly individual condition which varies from person to person and comes in many different forms. It is not contagious so you cannot catch it from someone else.

In mild cases of eczema, the skin is dry, scaly, red and itchy. In more severe cases there may be weeping, crusting and bleeding. Constant scratching causes the skin to split and bleed and also leaves it open to infection.

pic credit to kidshealth.org

Eczema affects people of all ages but is primarily seen in children. Those who “grow out” of their eczema during early childhood may see it recur again in later life.

About one in five children and one in twelve adults have eczema while eczema and contact dermatitis account for 84-90% of occupational skin disease.

EXPERIENCE A PROFESSIONAL HAIR CARE BY HAIR PRO BY WATSONS AT THE COMFORT OF YOUR HOME

There are so many types and brands of shampoo in the market nowadays that makes it hard for us to decide which one is ideal for us. 

Recently, however, I was at the launch of 'Hair Pro' by Watsons , a range of all-new hair care products that formulated with a Heat Active Technology, at Number76 Hair Saloon, Mid Valley which really seemed heaven sent, especially when you like to blow dry or use curlers on your hair like I sometimes do.....

Two of my best ever hotel experiences in Malaysia

For every negative, there must be some positives too, so today I am going to share with you two of my best ever hotel stay experiences in Malaysia... lah

Yeah, the experience of staying in a hotel is always made better when there is sincerity and friendly staff. It is not just about the beauty of the hotel, because there are dozens of gorgeous hotels all over Malaysia and the rest of the world. When the service is good, guests will definitely remember it always and would want to come back for more....

I have been lucky and in my lifetime so far, I have had the opportunity to stay in various hotels from backpacker budget to 5 stars which includes Pangkor Laut Resort, Legoland Hotel Malaysia, Hard Rock Hotel Penang, ShangriLa Rasa Sayang Penang, Casa del Rio etc...etc...which are really beautiful and lovely hotels I am proud to have spend some time in....

However, for me, personally, these two hotels definitely exceeds my expectation of everything there is, most especially when it comes to the personal touch, the sincerity and friendliness of the staff.....

One of the hotel is in Langkawi...... and the other is in Kota Bharu.

The one in Langkawi is naturally The Danna, located at Burau Bay... The hotel is gorgeous, amazing and I had the opportunity to spend a couple of nights there.  Ok, somehow or other I was not blogging properly at that time and I did not blog about it and I can't seem to find photos of it on this new laptop, so I am using some pictures from my instagram...

 

Rantings on a hotel stay in Langkawi

A lovely chandelier at the hotel...

I am on a holiday in Langkawi. And I booked myself into a lovely hotel/service apartment and with the rest of my family members, we envisioned a happy holiday here...

Sadly, that is not the case.. the hotel /service apartment along with the scenery and pool here may be quite gorgeous... But the service and the food sucks... 

To protect the privacy of this hotel and to give it some semblance of dignity , I will not be naming the hotel here... But if you are following my Facebook or Instagram, you probably can figure it out...

Citarasa Ibunda Buffet Ramadan at Caprilicious@ Capri by Fraser

This is the first time I have been to Capri by Fraser, thanks to an invitation by Destination Malaysia Magazine by TM Info-Media.... 

For those who are ignorant about this just as I was , Capri by Fraser Kuala Lumpur is a new hotel residence for today's 'always on' lifestyle, situated at the Bangsar South City, right next to Bangsar Nexus, and I really like the hotel... it is really different from other hotels in a whole new way by offering studios for your staycation, whether for work or play, and every studio or apartment has a lot of personal touches unlike regular hotels... Meaning you can find some picture frames, novels, hour glass, cook books, even toys and so on arranged artfully in the residences....

XES Signature's Classic and Rich Tales of Olympus...

Have you heard about Iris Apfel...  Yes? No? Ok, for your info, Iris Apfel is someone who inspires me... she is probably the oldest fashion icon in the world.... She is 93 years and that does not stop her from being fashionable, fabulous and looking awesome...

One of my favourite Iris quote is....‘If your hair is done properly and you’re wearing good shoes, you can get away with anything.’ -Iris Apfel 

And.... for me, I can be very picky on my shoes. I like my shoes simple, classy and fun, but they must also be comfortable, and XES is one of those brands that I like because their shoes are simply all that and more....

Anyway, yours truly was invited to check out the XES Signature Launch 2015 with the theme, The Tales of Olympus....and it was a grand and happening event with soooooo much happening in the main concourse of the Quill City Mall!!

This was certainly a very eye catching launch with the Gods and Goddesses of  Olympus , Grecian maidens and dashing demi gods mingling with mere mortals like yours truly here....

Make Your Lips Smile with Burt's Bees.....

So yours truly here was one of those who got invited to the amazing 'Make Your Lips Smile' Bloggers Party 2015 at the swanky M Marini Caffe on the posh ground floor area of KLCC..

It was a fun filled tea time with lip crayons, lip balm, lip gloss, colours, makeup tips, great advise on what to wear and what NOT to wear at a certain event, great company in a great and fabulous ambiance with deliciously refreshing honey lemon drinks, tea, coffee and delicious canapes....

One-A-Day Skin Whitening Supplement Crystal Tomato Global Debut...

Ever dream of being Snow White? With skin as white as snow.....?  I am sure at some point of time, many of us Asians do wish they can be Snow White, who is the fairest in the land....

Have you heard of Crystal Tomato? No? I did not too, until a few days ago and that had me absolutely almost dying of curiosity to find out what it was all about..... 

So yours truly attended the launch of the Crystal Tomato at Le Meridien yesterday morning (20th May 2015) to see what it was all about.... and boy oh boy... it was very, very interesting and it definitely is exciting for beauty enthusiasts and people who want to stay fair and lovely the easy way!!!!

Penang Food Promotion - Zende Restaurant, Seri Pacific Hotel Kuala Lumpur

Yours truly was at the lovely Zende Restaurant at the Seri Pacific Hotel Kuala Lumpur, which is situated just right next to the PWTC for the launch of the Penang Food Promotion.

The ambience there at the restaurant is lovely, contemporary and modern with comfortable seats and bright orange napkins that stands out....

Kevil Hill, an unusual world of Cryonics, now in Sunway Lagoon, Malaysia...

Some locals including yours truly recently received news of a mysterious happening at Kevil Hill deep inside Sunway Lagoon were invited to unearth the dark secrets buried within the mysterious walls of the Kevil Hill Cryonic Corporation (KHCC), founded by James Buchanan (JB) Kevil..

Together with some highly- trained officers from the CDC-CCU (Center for Disease Control- Cryo Containment Unit), we went on a spine chilling discovery, as we learned all aout cryonics and how one can live after dying inside Lynton V Harris' Scream Park at the Sunway Lagoon theme park....

Ramadhan Buffet at Fish & Co , Pavilion KL

I recently attended Fish & Co.’s first ever Ramadhan buffet during an exclusive media preview at their Pavilion KL outlet.

This marked the second consecutive Ramadhan collaboration between Fish & Co. and MasterChef Celebrity Malaysia Champion, Dato’ Fazley Yaakob.

Launch of the Perdana Trail

The evening by the poolside at the Cerana Coffee House in Hotel Perdana Kota Bharu was lovely and balmy. This was the evening they were officially launching the Perdana Trail, last Saturday. We were each given a lovely piece of material to be worn as selendang or shawl upon registration...

Fun at the Bloggers Poolside BBQ Party

The weather seemed dismal, cloudy skies and rain or drizzle the whole day yesterday, but nevertheless, it did not stop us from attending the Bloggers Poolside BBQ Party organized by Dr Sidney Kan at the gorgeous Opal Condominium at Kota Damansara....

Just stepping food at the property was enough to make my breath catch and my little girl (ok, maybe not so little - heaven knows she hates me calling her little and insists she is already a 'tween') was thrilled at the sight of the pool...

BiO-LiFE® Launches Astaxanthin 4mg at ‘The Superstar Ingredient: A Red Carpet Affair’ Event

Yesterday was the day when all ten of us bloggers who were selected for the Astaxanthin review dressed up , made ourselves pretty and sashayed down the red carpet.

Now, for some avid blog readers, you would probably have read some rantings from some of the errmm... more "dramatic" bloggers who kinda shunned this as they said it made them feel bad, blah, blah, blah. 

Food Review @ Food Republic Pavilion KL

Food Republic has turned the food court scenes around in an open dining concept and stamped its mark in many Asian countries such as Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong, China and Taiwan . It dishes out the best of hawker and restaurant fare under a single roof at affordable prices with good customer service. 

When you choose to eat at any Food Republic outlet, your palates will satisfied, your senses will be  indulged. The cuisine selected from the best rated food operators, different and interesting ambient settings, are being brought across by customer-oriented service to satisfy your dining experiences.

EVERYONE’S FAVORITE TRIO OF CHIPMUNKS ARE BACK

My daughter loves Nickelodeon, there are tons of her favourite shows in there and she loves Alvin.... and when she found out that they were going to be airing  ALVINNN!!!! and The Chipmunks she was so happy!!! Nevermind that she is now a tween, she will always be watching Nickelodeon and her favourite characters and shows....

Nickelodeon and Bagdasarian Productions are bringing Alvin, Simon, Theodore, and The Chipettes back to television in the all-new, CG-animated series ALVINNN!!!! and The Chipmunks premiering Friday, 8 May at 5.50pm (TH/WIB), 6.50pm (HK/SG) and 7.30pm (PH) and Friday, 15 May at 7.55pm (MY) on Nickelodeon. The new series reunites Janice Karman and Ross Bagdasarian, the duo behind the original 1980s animated series and three blockbuster feature films, and will mark the return of the franchise to television after 20 years.

Bio-Life Astaxanthin Review and the Women in Red

My friends all got their Bio-Life Astaxanthin early... for me I got it a bit late as I missed the Pos Laju sender and I was too busy and only got to pick it up a few days later, so up to date, I have taken Bio-Life Astaxanthin for approximately 12 days.... but hey, this is really good stuff...

Celebrating the contest winners on Maehyang Strawberries from Korea

I can never ever resist a juicy red strawberry. No way!! It is one of my most favourite fruits ever!!! 

But I just realize that taking strawberries is also actually very healthy!!! Here I am going to share 10 Health Benefits of Strawberries with you ...

1. Helps burn stored fat - The red coloring contains anthocyanins, which stimulate the burning of stored fat. When a group of animals was fed a high-fat diet along with anthocyanins, they gained 24 percent less weight than the animals eating the high-fat diet without added anthocyanins.

My Favourite Laneige Water Drop Tinted Lipbalm

What makes a girl most beautiful? Her SMILE , of course... without a SMILE, the most prettiest girl would just look sulky or conceited and that is not beautiful, won't you agree?

Anyway, Laneige introduced one of its latest innovation in lip products which was launched earlier this month - The Water Drop Tinted Lipbalm. And it is one of my MUST HAVEs in my list and always in my handbag or backpack ever since I got one at the very amazing launch at the Presidential Suite of the Casa del Rio a few weeks ago.....

TRIPDA PROMOTES VACATION TRAVEL WITH ITS NEW TRAVEL SEARCH FEATURE

Carpooling is a great and cost saving way of travelling - it saves money, reduces congestion and carbon emission on the roads. The volume of cars are increasing on the roads and highways with more than 70% of the vehicles made up of single occupant vehicles. Cutting down this number can greatly lessen traffic congestion and turn our journey into a smoother one. 

Tripda (www.tripda.com.my), an online carpooling platform that connects drivers commuting with empty seats in their cars and passengers heading the same way is offering travellers an economical way of travelling with an opportunity to discover more places with its new travel search function.

Tripda’s new travel search feature enables users to explore many possible destinations you can carpool to, from wherever you are. Simply put, a user can just fill in his or her departure location and leave the destination field and date empty. This will allow the user to then browse through all the possible trips that he or she could take.

Victor Ang, Managing Director of Tripda in Malaysia and Singapore said “This new travel search feature will open up many more travel locations for our users. They will not only be able to use our platform for their day-to-day carpooling, but also plan for trips to new locations in the state or even in the country. This search feature will give them a chance to discover, explore and make new friends along the way.”

Carpooling using the Tripda platform is safe and fuss-free. Users can access Tripda via its website www.tripda.com.my or download the app via the Apple App Store or Google Play. To enjoy the convenience of Tripda, users just have to register on the website or mobile app using their Facebook credentials in order to offer a ride or find a ride by entering the date of travel and departure location.

The Perdana Trail - a discovery of Kelantan's background....

The Perdana Trail was initiated by Hotel Perdana Kota Bharu’s General Manager Muhammad Taha

Zainal to allow guests to learn more about the beautiful culture, heritage and history of Kelantan. As the saying by Anna Letitia Barbauld goes, "We can only love what we know"...

The Perdana Trail encourages guests to explore Kota Bharu by foot, getting some good exercise while at the same time visiting various places of interests including Tourist Information Centre, and the State Museum. While we were on our on our Perdana Trail, the State Museum was having a very intriguing exhibition which was focused on one of the top traditional performance Wayang Kulit.

My Eczema Action Plan

Do you know of anyone who suffers from Eczema? I do, as I myself do suffer from a mild version of Eczema (thank God) , but even though, it is mild, when the itch begins, there are instances I can't help but scratch until my skin turns inflammed or red...sometimes even drawing blood..and that turns painful.

In case you do not know, Eczema is an inflammation of the skin that often results in dry, scaly and itchy skin. Millions of people around the world suffer from eczema and it is quite common among young children - one out of five children is affected by this skin disorder.

An amazing stay at the HOTEL PERDANA KOTA BHARU

If you have been a friend of mine on my facebook or a follower on my Instagram, you would already know about this lovely hotel. After all, I have posted quite a bit about it in the past few days, after being invited there by both Hotel Perdana Kota Bharu and Destination Malaysia magazine by TM Info-Media...

 This lovely new landmark of Kota Bharu, Kelantan is none other then the Hotel Perdana Kota Bharu. It is situated in a great location, smacked right in the heart of the city centre in a commercial district and walking distance to Stadium Sultan Muhammad IV where major events happen!!!

Sumptuous ‘Memori Selera Desa’ Buffet Spread at Soi23

Yours truly was at the Soi 23 for a food review to check out some of the dishes they would be serving this coming Ramadhan which is due to begin in June...

  

Nestled in the busy Golden Triangle in the heart of Kuala Lumpur, Soi 23 is located ion the 23rd Floor of the Pacific Regency Hotel Suites.  You can find the Pacific Regency Hotel Suites right opposite the famed KL Tower. This pretty cool Thai restaurant with amazing city views both during the day or at night has actually collected quite a few awards over the years as can be seen on the walls...

I have only heard of it before and since I was fortunate to be among some of the media and bloggers invited, I was wowed by the simple yet elegant dining interiors as well as the food and the very pretty layouts.

For the coming Ramadhan season, beginning in  June 2015, Soi 23 is offering ‘Memori Selera Desa’ (it translates to errmm.... Appetizing Hometown Memories - or something like that, yours truly here is not exactly the best of translators.....), an array of sumptuous traditional Malay delicacies inspired by Chef Zairul’s memories of his mom’s homecooked meals. 

With over 100 selections you will definitely be hard pressed on which you should feast on. 

I know I was , even from the start, at the ulam and kerabu section where so many attractive and tempting choices were displayed...

You will definitely be delighted to find a few Malaysia’s original menu such as Gulai Telur Itik, Belimbing Buluh, Gulai Pisang Muda, Tenggiri Gulai Bendi and Ayam Masak Lemak Daun Cekur among others served with piping hot steamed white rice combined with a variety of ‘ulams’ and an array of spicy sambals that would make the perfect meal!

Don't the sambal belacan look so tempting, in case you are not Malaysian, sambal belacan is a spicy accompaniment to the rice dishes that adds flavour and spice to the taste..It is a must have for almost all the Malays.

The Hong Kong Choy Sum above was cooked just about right without being too salty or too bland. The greens were definitely fresh and crunchy

The Kambing Masak Kurma Kentang was pleasant on the palate, especially when eaten with the Ghee rice or even the white rice....

This is one of my all time favourites, the Udang Sambal Petai or also known as the Prawns with Spicy Stink Beans sauce. It is heavenly eaten with white rice.. My daughter loves this too....but if you can't stand pungent food, you might like to skip the stink beans...

The above is the Gulai Lemak Pisang Muda, nice to be taken with just the white rice...

I like this as well, the Squid Dried Chilli with Roasted Cashew Nut. It was very flavorful with just the white rice..but not too spicy.

This is the Gulai Kampung Ikan Tenggiri. It translates to fish curry and it is nice. I like that the fish is fresh and the curry is fragrant with just the right amount of spices...

The above is the Daging Masak Hitam Mamu, it is lovely with both the Ghee rice or the white rice.

The Ayam Masak Lemak Daun Cekor was a surprise, as normally I tasted Ayam Masak Lemak Chili Api. It is quite similar except they use Daun Cekor for a slightly different scent. I like it. I always use Daun Cekor to cook Ikan Pari or String Ray because my husband is Javanese and that was the only dish I learned using Cekor and Daun Cekor to make, so this gives me an idea.... heheheh

The above is the Ghee rice of course.... for those who like their rice more richer and fragrant ... hehehe

Above and below boils down to the same thing actually as they are the Ayam Percik... It is pretty yummy and I like it. The chicken meat is also tender and the gravy is flavorful.

(Above) Bread and Butter Pudding...

(Above) Choice of Kelatanese Laksam or Penang Laksa

(Above) Putu Bambu...

The chicken satay (above) and the beef satay are pretty good.... for satay lovers or even foreigners wanting to try our local food, it is a must to grab a few of these sticks and enjoy it with the accompanying  peanut sauce

There are some dishes for you to customise and make your own to your heart's desire... like this Pasembur or Rojak here...

If you like lamb, you might not want to miss this Lamb Briyani or if you prefer seafood, pick from the fishes or seafood grilled in banana leaves.

Here you have the Nasi Dagang, a must have staple diet from the East Coast of Peninsula Malaysia with the Gulai Ikan Tongkol (below)

And for every Ramadhan, the bubur lambuk is a must have.....

I am quite impressed by the selection of fresh fruit which also includes Longan or Mata Kuching, Jackfruit or Nangka, Mango, Dragon Fruit and even cut Plums.

And for dessert lovers...... there is a choice of both local kuih as well as cakes, puddings and jellies to delight every sweet tooth... I know I was also thrilled and excited by the DIY Air Batu Campur (ABC) or Ais Kacang... There were just so many choices and I easily found my favorite and made my own version of my perfect ABC....with the ingredients and syrup....

In the spirit of sharing, Chef Zairul will also be releasing his exclusive recipes every Friday via Pacific Regency Hotel Suites official facebook (https://www.facebook.com/prhskl) in which the public may try at home!   I am excited and cannot wait to check it out!!! So, be sure you do too!!

 ‘Memori Selera Desa’ buffet is available at RM103nett per adult and senior citizen / children get to enjoy it at RM59.00nett for the whole month of June. 

Grab this opportunity for something different while dine in the comfort of our stylishly furnished Soi 23 that offers an expansive view of the city’s skyline. For reservations, please call +603 2332 7777 ext. 6807 or email at fnbadmin@pacific-regency.com

Advanced booking is encouraged to avoid disappointment. Pacific Regency Hotel Suites is currently offering an Early Bird Promotion of RM78nett which can be purchased now till 31^st May 2015.