Tag

Kuala Lumpur

in Expat Life, KL Food

Foodie Adventures: Mono Coffee Opens at Publika

Mono Coffee, Publika, Cafe, Expat Dining, Foodie, Food, Cafe, Coffee, Coffee Place, Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Solaris Dutamas, Diplomat's Wife, Recommendation, Laid Back Cafe, Cosans Coffee, Review, Opening, Launch

I love Publika and I notice that a lot of expats do too. I guess it’s because of the fine selection of restaurants, cafes, and shops in that mall. I often go there with the husband for tapas, actually. 😉

Recently, another cafe has opened in Publika to add to the place’s list of establishments. Mono Coffee is yet another place for people who want to hang out, enjoy a cuppa, and meet up with friends in the Solaris Dutamas area.

Mono Coffee, Publika, Cafe, Expat Dining, Foodie, Food, Cafe, Coffee, Coffee Place, Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Solaris Dutamas, Diplomat's Wife, Recommendation, Laid Back Cafe, Cosans Coffee, Review, Opening, Launch

(RELATED POST: Foodie Adventures: JEQ in the House (Seksyen 17, Petaling Jaya))

But one thing that’s really nice about the place is the atmosphere. The lighting, the unfinished and slight industrial feel of the cafe also makes it quite relaxing.

The cafe was opened by the Brandker Group – the company behind one of Klang Valley’s most well known cafe chains: Cosans Coffee.

Mono Coffee, Publika, Cafe, Expat Dining, Foodie, Food, Cafe, Coffee, Coffee Place, Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Solaris Dutamas, Diplomat's Wife, Recommendation, Laid Back Cafe, Cosans Coffee, Review, Opening, Launch

Mono Coffee, Publika, Cafe, Expat Dining, Foodie, Food, Cafe, Coffee, Coffee Place, Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Solaris Dutamas, Diplomat's Wife, Recommendation, Laid Back Cafe, Cosans Coffee, Review, Opening, Launch, Where to eat in KL

You can say that Mono is Cosan’s hipster brother. With Mono specialising on serving artisan brews. It’s for coffee aficionados and those who actually appreciate the proper process of getting your beans into your cup.

Continue reading

in Expat Life, KL Food

Events: Lipton Launches Instant Teh Tarik

Lipton, Teh Tarik, Hazelnut, Instant, Milk Tea, Teh Halia, Carcosa Seri Negara, Event, Ginger Milk Tea, Ginger Tea

Since moving to Malaysia, my husband and I have been addicted to Teh Tarik or “Pulled Tea” in English. We order it everywhere  –  at the mamaks, the fast food chains that serve them, at the restaurants, and even at food courts. He prefers it hot, while I always take it iced. But either way, we just love it – even though we know it can be quite fattening to drink it all the time. 😛

To get a-hold of Teh Tarik here in Malaysia, one has to travel to the nearest establishment that serves it. I can’t really imagine myself making some for Alvin from scratch as it can be quite a task to “pull” the milk tea and make it frothy.

Here’s the part where I tell you the good news: I can now have one of my favourite drinks at the comfort of my own home whenever I want it as Lipton recently launched their instant Teh Tarik! No more pulling, just stirring. 😉

Lipton, Teh Tarik, Hazelnut, Instant, Milk Tea, Teh Halia, Carcosa Seri Negara, Event, Ginger Milk Tea, Ginger Tea

My friends and I were at the launch event held aptly at Carcosa Seri Negara – one of my favourite places in Kuala Lumpur. I love going there. Especially for afternoon tea!

Lipton, Teh Tarik, Hazelnut, Instant, Milk Tea, Teh Halia, Carcosa Seri Negara, Event, Ginger Milk Tea, Ginger Tea

Aside from the Instant Teh Tarik, Lipton also re-launched their new and improved instant Classic Milk Tea that now contains more tea powder, balanced with equal amounts of milk to create a distinct tea latte.

They also have the nutty and fragrant Hazelnut milk tea and the Teh Halia or ginger milk tea (my personal favourite).

Lipton, Teh Tarik, Hazelnut, Instant, Milk Tea, Teh Halia, Carcosa Seri Negara, Event, Ginger Milk Tea, Ginger Tea, Diplomat's Wife, Carol Ramoran, Carolyn Malasig, Carolyn Ramoran Hamilton,

The Teh Halia uses real ginger powder to achieve an authentic taste and aroma as well as to infuse your drink with the nutrients and benefits that ginger has to offer. That’s definitely a plus for me. 😉

Continue reading

in Expat Life, KL What to Do

Events + Movies: The Avengers: Age of Ultron Advance Screening! (Win a trip to NY, Hollywood, LA, or Seoul!)

The Avengers, Age of Ultron, Movie, Movie Premiere, Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Watsons, Contest, Win A Trip, Travel Contest, Iron Man, The Hulk, Captain America, Black Widow, Thor, Ultron

The Hulkbuster! Seen in Pavilion prior to Watsons Malaysia’s advance screening of The Avengers: Age of Ultron.

Though I’m a huge lover of Marvel, going to the advance screening of The Avengers: Age of Ultron wasn’t in the plan last Wednesday. But thanks to my friends Ella and Mira plus the Watsons Malaysia team, I ended up going! Even Alvin made it despite the looong hours at the office these days due to the ASEAN Summit. He made it just minutes before the movie started! Whew!

I love movie premieres and advance screenings as usually, there’s a lot of fun things to do prior to actually watching the movie. Cocktails, a fun programme, etc. And of course, since it’s an Avengers screening, some of the “cast” members were there. Well, not exactly Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, and the gang. But you catch my drift. 😉

The Avengers, Age of Ultron, Movie, Movie Premiere, Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Watsons, Contest, Win A Trip, Travel Contest, Iron Man, The Hulk, Captain America, Black Widow, Thor, Ultron

Continue reading

in Uncategorized

Fitness: Healthy Post-Gym Snacks/Food (How I Curb My Cravings! Eat This Instead of That!)

Eat This Not That, Eat This Instead of That, Healthy Food, Healthy Food Alternatives, Raisins, Banana, Orange, Nuts, Yogurt, Healthy Snacks, Workout Snacks, Post Gym Snacks, Fitness, Impulse Studio, EMS, EMS Training, Kuala Lumpur

After battling a really bad case of allergies (which later turned into an infection), I am back to blogging! Yay! It’s kind of hard to write when your brows and eyes are swollen. But I look like my normal self now so I’ll just tell you guys more about that later. Today, I want to talk about FOOD and cravings!

As you might know by now, I’ve been doing EMS training regularly as my workout at Impulse Studio the past few months and the results have been ah-mazing! (Check them out here!)

I love EMS! In fact, my husband will even go as far as saying that I’m addicted to it.

(RELATED POST: Fitness: 9 Things I Love About Electric Muscle Stimulation (EMS) Training at Impulse Studio in Bangsar)

The next thing I should be telling you is how I’ve been eating more and more healthy food to aid my training. But alas, if you’ve been following my Instagram, you’d know that going on a healthy diet is a huge challenge for me and I’ve been eating some carb-rich, oily, dishes that has “A million calories!” written all over them. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever been on a diet longer than 24 hours for my whole life. I even failed on juice cleansing so bad. I ended up just drinking the juice with my usual meals.

Impulse Studio is located in Bangsar. And that location is both a blessing and a curse. I love going to Bangsar as that neighbourhood is super fun with quirky shops. I never get bored walking around the area after training. However, there are also a lot of restaurants in that place. Crepes, steaks, Thai food, sushi! You name it, it’s just a stone’s throw away from where I workout!

I dunno if it’s just me or what – but during those last few minutes of my workout, just when I know it’s about to end, I start imagining what I’ll be eating after! I start craving for burgers and sweets. I even think of all the restaurants in the area that I can just walk to after my shower! The McDonald’s that’s like a block away from Impulse isn’t helping my cravings either!

After a really intense workout like EMS Training, you’ll definitely be hungry. And in fact, you should eat! But the question is, will your food actually work with the training you just did to help your body be healthier or take you a few steps back when it comes to your progress?

So, to help myself instil a bit of discipline to my cravings and my tummy, I did a bit of research and asked people who know better than me when it comes to nutrition, about healthier (but still great tasting) substitutes to my usual cravings. And because cutting down my food intake is just near to impossible, I decided that if I’m going to be eating more, then I might as well opt for nutrient-filled food that will help me recover from intense workouts rather than junk, right?

I’ve tried them all and so far, they’ve been working pretty well for me. And don’t worry – I won’t be waxing poetic over kale and other greens. Not really the biggest fan of greens, to be honest. And I did promise great tasting alternatives, didn’t I?

Putting this up here for posterity’s sake and so I can look back at it whenever I finish working out. But don’t judge me when I post gelato photos on Instagram. I’m allowed cheat days, aren’t I? I’m still doing baby steps here. 😉

Without further word vomit from me, here’s my no-diet, crave-curbing cheat sheet! I hope it helps you out too! 😉

1. Instead of ice cream, go for yogurt.

Yes, you’ve heard of this one before. But some say that a lot of yogurt brands are actually not as healthy as you might think. Sugars, calories, etc. But at the end of the day, yogurt still has less of those than ice cream. I also opt for Greek yogurt these days or the low-fat, high calcium ones that Anlene has. Just so my brittle bones and teeth get some extra love.

2. Instead of candy or chocolate, go for raisins.

It’s the snack my grandma used to give to me after school and I still love it up to this day. Raisins make me forget about candy in an instant. They’re chewy too which is a plus!

Raisins do have calories. But they’re the good kind that’s filled with nutrients! They also contain protein, fibre, potassium, and iron.

3. Instead of French Fries, go for nuts

This one is hard to curb. Fries are so effing good! And I’ll admit, to me, nuts are not entirely God’s gift to human kind. They’re hard to bite on which can be a nightmare for my brittle teeth (they sometimes crack while eating really crunchy food) and nuts get in between them too which can make flossing a tedious task. But the health benefits make the hassle and extra care worth it. Whenever I feel like taking a short stroll to McDonald’s to order a large pack of fries, I force myself into a cab so I can go home straight to where my stash of nuts are.

Almonds, cashews, and walnuts have been linked to lower cholesterol levels. Walnuts are also rich in omega-3 which is good for your heart while almonds are packed with fibre and Vitamin E which is a powerful antioxidant. Cashews, meanwhile, carry iron and zinc which are good for your brain and eyes.

4. Instead of milkshakes, go for granola smoothies

https://instagram.com/p/0E0M4CiqXF/

I’m lucky that Impulse Studio in Bangsar is right next to LA/PA, a restaurant that makes awesome granola smoothies so I usually get mine from there. But they’re also quite easy to make at home (if you’re not lazy like me). Just mix milk (almond, coconut, or hazelnut milk would be better), frozen fruits, and granola into a blender and voila! A sweet, nutritious, and very filling drink. 😉

Oh, and add a bit of dark chocolate, if you must. 😉

Continue reading

in Expat Life, KL Food

Events: Domino’s Pizza Launches the New Golden Chicken Plus No GST Price Increase (#PaySameOrLess)

Domino's Pizza, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Golden Chicken, GST, No GST, No Price Increase, Pizza, Online Delivery, Delivery, Food Delivery, Events, Blogger,

A little over a week ago, I was invited with some of my blogger friends to a Domino’s Pizza event. I wasn’t going to say no as it’s common knowledge that I’m a huge fan of the pizza place – I practically abuse their online delivery service on days when I feel lazy to cook. (Yes, there are days like that. Shh!)

We usually order the Meatasaurus pizza with an ‘Extreme Edge’ which translates to an all-meat pizza with cheese inside the crust! Ah. So sinful but so good!

Domino's Pizza, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Golden Chicken, GST, No GST, No Price Increase, Pizza, Online Delivery, Delivery, Food Delivery

Golden Italian Chicken

Continue reading

//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
in Beauty & Fashion, Skincare

Events: #PimpMyChuLip at Kare Cafe

Chu Lip, Lip Balm, LipBalm, ChuLip, Japanese, Brand, Event, Contest, Pimp My Chu Lip, #PimpMyChuLip, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Kare Cafe, 1 Utama

When it comes to taking care of my lips, I often go all out. After all, I’m pretty prone to windburns and chapped lips every time we travel to cold areas. I’m the type who exfoliates lips twice a week and will never be caught dead without lip balm in her purse. Gotta take care of the puckers lest I won’t have any use for my ever-growing lipstick collection. 😉

I love lip balms as much as I love lipsticks. In fact, I never apply lipstick on my lips without applying lip balm first – especially with matte formula lip colours. Choosing the right lip balm is definitely a must for me and a brand (originally from Japan) that was recently launched here in KL called Chu Lip is seriously making its way to my list of favourites.

Continue reading

in Beauty & Fashion, Skincare

Beauty + Review: First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream

First Aid Beauty, Ultra Repair Cream, Moisturiser, Sephora, Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Beauty Another quick review! 🙂 By now you probably know how much moisturiser means to my daily life. If you didn’t know it yet prior to reading that sentence – well, now you do. I confess my love for good moisturisers time and time again. I never get tired of trying out new stuff, raving about or hating on it afterwards then going through the cycle again. That’s just how it is. 😀 So for this entry, I’m going to rave about First Aid Beauty’s Ultra Repair Cream. After going through my Ziaja Natural Argan Oil Protective Face Cream, I knew that my next moisturiser would have really big shoes to fill. That’s how much I loved that stuff. (It’s not available in KL so there’s no chance of repurchasing it ASAP) First Aid Beauty, Ultra Repair Cream, Moisturiser, Sephora, Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Beauty I did my research on which brands of moisturisers other girls are going gaga for and I decided to try out First Aid Beauty after seeing so many good reviews about it online. So far, it’s been one of my best purchases. Continue reading

Betjeman & Barton, Tea, Perfume Making, Afternoon Tea, Bisou Bon Bon, Paris Theme, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, The Butterfly Project
in Expat Life, KL Food, KL What to Do

Events: Bisou Bon Bon Perfume Tea Party at Betjeman and Barton

**As promised, here’s a new post! I’m back! <3 So happy to have time to write again!**

A couple of weeks back, I was so fortunate to be able to attend an event organised by The Butterfly Project where I, along with several other beauty bloggers, learned the basics of making perfume while indulging in oh-so good tea and desserts. Definitely my kind of party. 😉

I’m so, so happy to see Betjeman & Barton in Kuala Lumpur. Prior to being told the venue for this event, I was not aware that this French company was present in this part of the world.

But quite frankly, I’m not surprised to find a Betjeman & Barton branch thousands of miles away from Paris. After all, they’re one of the most trusted brands for tea and has been around since 1919. I’m happy that they’re here in KL as I just love their tea selection!

Which has a wide variety, by the way. 😉

Continue reading

in Uncategorized

Fitness: 9 Things I Love About Electric Muscle Stimulation (EMS) Training at Impulse Studio in Bangsar

For 2015, I promised that I will take working out seriously. The goal is to be healthier, stronger, and to get toned. At 32-24-35, I’m what most people would call ‘skinny’. I’m considered tall for an Asian girl but I wear XS-sized clothes. Being thin gave me a false sense of security on how healthy I am.

But the truth is, despite being the farthest thing from looking obese, I’m actually ‘fat’ and unhealthy on the inside. Eep! I eat a lot of junk food and carbs are usually on the menu as well. I was never the type who exercises religiously. I did it when I felt like it and I thought that was okay.

But now that I’m 25 years old and I’ve gone from daily-on-the-go journalist to freelancer, I am more sedentary with a metabolism that’s slowing down.

Oh, and did I mention I’ve been eating the same amount of unhealthy food? So. It’s time for a change. I have moved on from my home workouts and every-now-and-then runs to actually going to the gym regularly! Can I get an applause out there? 😉 I’ve been going to Impulse Studio in Bangsar and I gotta say, it’s been fun!

The workouts are hard and I’m currently sore all over but trust me – I’m coming back for sessions! 😀 And that says a lot cos I tend to just stop doing workouts when I find them too hard. Really. But since I started going to Impulse Studio, I’ve been more motivated to work out and get healthy. Here’s why: Continue reading

in Expat Life, KL Shopping, KL Tips

Events: The Entertainer 2015 Launch

A blogpost! Yay! Sorry for the lack of updates the past few weeks. I’ve been up to my eyeballs with family stuff as my grandparents (mom’s side) as well as my mom and her boyfriend are here in KL for a visit. My husband and I don’t seem to have a shortage of people who love us and are more than willing to travel just to see us, don’t we?

And that’s not just because KL is so near Manila. After our current visitors, my dad who lives all the way in Sweden is also visiting followed by a friend! Or will my friend come first? I gotta check my calendar as I’m starting to confuse the dates already! Hihihi. I feel so much more loved than the usual lately, it’s just super awesome.

Speaking of love, I’m so excited to share with you guys that one of the products out there that I absolutely adore – The Entertainer – has launched their 2015 books and app! I’ve been quite excited for it as I’ve been told that this year, they will have more participating merchants which will make the product even better than last year.

Just in case you haven’t heard of The Entertainer yet, it’s a product (you can choose between a book or an app – whichever is more handy for you) that gives you access to buy 1 get 1 free offers in restaurants, bars, spas, hotels, and other awesome establishments. I previously wrote about it here and about using it in Langkawi here. Oh, and that one time my husband and I went on a quickie dessert date in one of my fave gelato stores in KL.

The Entertainer, Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Launch, 2015, Starhill Culinary Studio

The Entertainer Malaysia and The Entertainer Travel 2015

Continue reading

Close