I made four trips to Banyan Tree KL within the first two weeks it was open..! A little much, i know. The first time was when Sasha and i were going to have a girl’s night out on a Friday (before it was launched) and we enthusiastically traipsed 45 minutes (IN OUR HIGH HEELS NO LESS) to avoid insane Friday evening traffic. I can’t believe i walked from Mandarin Oriental (where i had a meeting prior) to Banyan Tree (which is across Pavilion, next to Pullman Hotel).
To our dismay, Vertigo was shut for a private event that Friday, so we headed to La Bodega to drown our short-lived sorrows and nurse our blisters. We both swore never again.
In mid-May, Deep said he was going on a road trip by himself. I offered to accompany him if he’d go a little later when i reckoned i would be more free, seeing it’s Ramadhan and all. He actually waited for 2 weeks, Danny got pulled in to the trip, and next thing you know the both of us were asking Deep the day before we were to leave, “Where are we going?”
His retort: “Bring your passports, just in case.”
We laughed, “How FAR are we going la? Thailand?”
Deep told me to bring modest clothes, cos we were passing through Kelantan (a majorly Muslim state).
The last time i did a road trip to that side of Malaysia must have been over 10 years ago… wait. I didn’t even go to Kelantan then; i went to Kuantan, Terengganu.
He mentioned Gua Musang; and my father questioned why i was even going there. I said i was just going with the flow and that the boys were planning it… i was just getting in the car to ride. It felt like a good idea to just leave for a sudden road trip. The three of us are single, run our own businesses, and have no children. Who knew when the next possible time to do something as impulsive as this would come again?
My phone has an incredible number of food pix… as i reckon most Asians would.
A bunch of expats i stood around talking with commented how the first question most Malaysians ask them = “What is your favourite Malaysian dish?” or “Have you eaten today? What did you eat?”
Behold my urm food diary below. A most random collection of food pix from across the past few months ?
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Thanks to 303-year-old cognac brand Martell for having me at their glamourous luncheon, where all the dishes were paired with Martell cocktails and their new cognac: Martell VSOP Aged In Red Barrels. The cognac is matured exclusively in casks of fine-grained oak from France which are selected by the Cellar Master for its reddish tinge and subtle woody undertones.
We were served 5 courses: cyrstalline Iceplant with fresh scallop and fishcake, baked half Boston lobster with garlic & butter, crispy grouper fish, braised 8 head abalone with pan fried foie gras, and chilled winter melon in Thai coconut with egg tart.
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If you’ve been following my blog since its 2008 days, you might remember how i would frequent Somo in Mont Kiara. One of my oldest friends Andrew (who opened Somo) just launched Curious Kitchen @ Tropicana Avenue – an open-concept restaurant serving tomahawk steak and Iberico that’s grilled over charcoal in front of you.
I’ve been recommending my friends to order their: mushroom soup, truffle mash (i daydream about this), Iberico tenderloin, and ratatouille.
What a jubilant week it has been for many Malaysians!
I never thought change of this extent would come now… really not.
To have previously cringed every time we made world news in the past 10 years; to revelling in the fact we’re now described as the beacon of Asian democracy, having the world’s oldest prime minister, and appointing our first female deputy prime minister… it felt like a dream.
I went to Fort gyms earlier today, and was telling Brian about the oyster affair i had at Southern Rock Seafood last Sunday.
B: I never liked oysters
Me: Well, i guess you either love them or hate them… *tries to be diplomatic*
B: I had my first oyster and was like yuck
Me: Ok stop. I think we can’t be friends anymore
I love oysters…!!! It’s one of my favourite foods.
When i was under Aunt G and Uncle M’s care in London at 17, i devoured all the oysters they’d proffer me till Aunt G told my dad, “Your daughter loves oysters and foie gras, and she’s becoming very expensive to feed!”
Thinking about oysters got me reminiscing about the day i ate so many oysters, i didn’t touch them for a whole year after.
Imagine that.
I out-oystered myself (which i never thought possible). And then i realised – i have all the pix from this particular day edited and in my blog’s backend for years *cough* and never posted them.
So in memory of my most marvelous oyster-binging day… a whole bunch of pix.
