Travel 2013: Avillion Admiral Cove @ Port Dickson

One of the weekends, we decided to take a short getaway and headed all the way to Port Dickson! We stayed at Avillion Admiral Cove, quite a popular place to stay these days and they heavily advertise online through various online marketing-shopping platforms such as Groupon or Living Social.



Avillion Admiral Cove is situated along Jalan Pantai, Port Dickson. There are actually two different Avillions, one which is located nearer to the new PD Waterfront area is actually a beach resort - more exclusive and commands a higher price per stay. We drove pass it and caught a glimpse of the resort. It's hidden between some big old trees and they look pretty posh.

The one we stayed was Avillion Admiral Cove. Unlike the beach resort, it's still situated along the beach with a different twists - more like a hotel than a beach resort.



The decent looking lobby. It's open-air concept, therefore there's no air conditioner. It's pretty warm in here. As this place is getting busier, I really hope the management would consider fixing air-cond as I notice many people who want to check in, are waiting uncomfortably due to the heat.

I must give praise to the Avillion Admiral Cove's staffs though, they still try to serve you well even if you could see them sweating like crazy especially those ladies in their make-up. The management should really start considering my point for the sake of the staffs' welfare.



The swimming pool that needs to be bigger, like seriously. It's too small for adults and there are too many small children, not a good spot for couples to relax. Neh...


This is the reason why it's called a Cove - a place for the rich to park their private yachts here. Unfortunately, there are more piers than the yachts and boats.


The room is not bad and spacious. We got the older wing instead of the new wing. It's generally clean however there are things that need to be fix a bit to keep up the proper image.


The living room area.


Our beds! The comforters and sheets are clean.


Now we have come to one of the most important aspects of staying in a hotel and to determine if the hotel is worth it or not - THE BATHROOM.

For me, a clean bathroom naturally leaves you a very good impression of the entire hotel. So in this corner, it could be small but it CANNOT BE FILTHY! Kudos to Avillion Admiral Cove, despite the slightly worn-out furnitures in the room, the bathroom is sparking and refreshingly clean! Well, of course that instantly put a satisfactory smile on my face!


This is where we had our Buffet Breakfast. The food was okay and very standard. Honestly there's nothing much to talk about so I shall skip it.


Here comes the final verdict! To be honest, I enjoyed my stay there, it was short and sweet. The surrounding was very well-kept and everything looks neat and clean. The customer service was good too! All their staffs were friendly and helpful whenever we needed something. Despite the old furniture, there's nothing much to complain about as the place is clean, cosy and that naturally tops everything else in the list.

Oh yeah, I don't mind even if I stay in inns or budget hotels but cleanliness is something I am extremely fussy about!

 

For More Information:

Avillion Admiral Cove Website

Donald & Lily Nyonya Food @ Malacca | Melaka

Donald & Lily Nyonya Food Restaurant is not something new among the locals. They have been running the food business for a very long time and have established quite an reputation in Malacca (Melaka). The restaurant is well known for its tasty and authentic Nyonya Food. And with the affordable prices, it is no surprise that this restaurant is always packed to capacity, with long lines of people waiting for their turns to have a taste of their food.

As I was in Malacca (Melaka) with a few chefs who knew Donald (the "father" of the business) through a food convention, we headed there and had a special place for ourselves instead of waiting for the lines. Yay!

Uncle Donald!

Their old restaurants

When we are talking about Nyonya Food, this item - Cendol is not to be missed! Think about it, all tourists come all the way to Malacca (Melaka) just to have a taste of Cendol! So how could we not order this sweet item?

As you could see, it's filled with lotsa Santan (Coconut Milk) goodness! Apart from that, they also put in Sago as one of their ingredients other than the usual ones like red beans and the cendol.

Cendol - RM2.50


The Nyonya Laksa is good, it's filled a lot of santan goodness too! For someone who doesn't take much spicy food, I don't really enjoy this dish much. However, all my other fellow friends commented that it's delicious! So why not you try it for yourself?

Nyonya Laksa - RM4.50


Mee Siam! This feels like ordinary mee goreng like you can have everywhere in the morning. I find it common and nothing special to scream about to be honest apart from the added ingredients. (OOPS!)

Mee Siam - RM4.00


ROJAK! It's different as you have lotsa Taukua and other beans items, fish cakes as well! I find the sauce is lacking in terms of sweetness and the combination of the ingredients.... Oh well, let's just say it doesn't go along with my self-preferences.

Taukua Rojak Special - RM5.00


COCONUT MILK! Nyonya food uses a lot of COCONUT MILK, which is a great item to elevate the taste of food to another level, provided if the milk is fresh. Otherwise, this ingredient actually can cause lotsa troubles to many people like me who has a sensitive stomach.

This Udang Masak Lemak - direct translation: Coconut Milk Cooked Prawn is very good! Finally, I have something memorable to take away from Donald & Lily. I really love the fact that they add in pineapple to cook with the sauce so that it's a bit soury instead of the just the coconut milk taste that might just overturn your appetite if consumed too much. The prawns are fresh. This dish is highly recommended.

Udang Masak Lemak - Seasonal Price


Ayam Ponteh is cooked with black soy sauce; it's a very common dish among the chinese families. I find it lacking in something, like it's good but not too great to actually leave a memorable impression on people.

Ayam Ponteh - RM6.50/RM13.00/RM25.00


THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST CHICKEN RENDANG I HAVE EVER HAD. ENOUGH SAID. And yes you must order this! It comes with the Nasi Lemak, at only RM6.50, definitely worth the price you pay!

*The Chicken Rendang dish here is special as we went with celebrated chef and they prepared this specially for us.

Chicken Rendang 


Donald & Lily Nyonya Food has its speciality and the unique tastes that always seem to come along with old and historical restaurants like this one. Perhaps the fact that the food has been serving for generations make it different than the those commercial ones that we have always been bombarded with; or it is just that we all miss the simplicity of the life before our times? Maybe both.

I like this restaurant enough to recommend this to everyone who loves to get some nice, affordable Nyonya food. The nasi lemak is a must-try. The restaurant is always full so you might need to line-up for tables. So all the best! :)

 

Honey Lemon Girl's Rating
[xrr rating=3/5 imageset=default label="Ambience:"][xrr rating=3/5 imageset=default label="Service:"][xrr rating=4/5 imageset=default label="Food:"][xrr rating=5/5 imageset=default label="Value:"]

 

For more information:
Donald & Lily Restaurant
No.16 (Ground Floor), Jalan KSB 1,
Taman Kota Shahbandar,
75200, Melaka

Call : +6012-292 3157

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The Steakhouse @ Changkat Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur

Just recently, we were invited to The Steakhouse situated at the busy Changkat Bukit Bintang. For a brief introduction, the restaurant is owned by Chef Werner Kuhn whose F&B establishments include Dine In The Dark, El Cerdo, The Whisky Bar (right beside). All restaurants are situated on the same streets, serving various cuisines unique to their own to cater to all the different taste buds out there.

This round however, we are going to talk about The Steakhouse and the premium foods they offer.





Together with the calm, relaxing, peaceful and charming atmosphere, the restaurant is definitely great for people who are looking for good meals while enjoying the calm and peacefulness. And also for couples who are looking some private and romantic meals together.





For starters, we started off with their Caesar Salad as recommended. Don't ever look down at this common salad dish, it is actually one of the best salads that we have ever tasted. My partner and I both agreed that it is one of the best salads, based on experience since we are both Caesar Salad lovers and would definitely order this dish whenever there is one in the menu.

Of course, the ingredients were fresh. However, it was the Smoked Duck Breast that left this dish totally and awesomely memorable! It was smoked handsomely enough without destroying the flavours.

If you are visiting The Steakhouse, don't forget to order this!



Caesar Salad RM26

Next up! We have the Wild Mushroom Soup. I love the chunky mushrooms inside, it adds a bit of texture to the soup. However, I find the soup a bit watery as compared to other premium mushroom soups I have had. Don't get me wrong, the taste is definitely up to par, just that I prefer thicker soups and together with garlic bread, that would be the best!



Wild Mushroom Soup RM20



The Chunky Mushrooms Inside!

This is definitely something new! These paper-thin beef ham can be eaten just like that or you could eat them together with the Rock Melon. All you need to do is wrap a piece of the beef ham around one small piece of the melon and swallow them whole! Hah!

It may sound like an eccentric way of eating. Trust me, it is really interesting! One moment you taste something salty and the next is sweetness from the rock melon. And it doesn't feel weird at all, the combination is just right and as a person who does not take beef a lot, I actually enjoyed this dish a lot.



Air Dried Spanish Beef Ham RM38

Yeah! This is how I ate them. It's good!



You have never visited The Steakhouse unless you order their steak... Well, that goes without saying! This is the main highlight! We could literally smell the aromatic steak from the kitchen as they prepare it all the way until they serve on our table. It comes together with one potato side dish (French Fries, Mashed Potatoes, Sauteed Potatoes) and a sauce of your choice.

For testing purposes, we picked two sauces instead - Red Wine & Black Pepper. The red wine sauce is a killer, it totally elevate the taste of the steak to another level. I literally went "WOO" and "WOW" on every bites. I loved the black pepper sauce too for its spicy heat. It gave a different peppery flavour to the already fragrant steak. Honestly, I couldn't pick which sauce was the best. Each of its own, I guess self preferences may come into play in this matter.



Charcoaled Grilled Australian Beef with Garden Vegetable on hot Plate (T-Bone) RM108

Served with Parsley, potato, mushroom and creamy wasabi pesto sauce, this Cod Fish was unforgettable. Initially, when I first saw the menu, I was turned off by the Pesto Sauce as I had bad experience of this sauce before. It is not one that most asians are accustomed to you, and I did not know how to appreciate it before. Since the waiter recommended it, I decided to give a go.

And boy, I never regret making that decision! Not only the fish was fresh, it was the taste and flavours of the pesto sauce that distinguished itself from the horrible one I had.



Grilled Black Cod Fish RM58

I love these two Sangrias. If you are looking for something refreshing after your meal, opt for the White Wine Pear. If you prefer something sweet, the Rose Raspberry is good. However, if you are driving, you better avoid these two.



White Wine Pear Sangria & Rose Raspberry Sangria

What's a good meal without desserts to end the day?

Well, don't be fooled by this photo, just because the Werner's special is placed at the back doesn't mean it's not as good.

If you love Chocolates and Wine, Andrea's Special is definitely your thing. Personally, I love the Werner's Special for its fruity, refreshing and berry-licious flavours. Yeap! I love berries! And I definitely enjoyed my dessert as well KL Teo enjoying her Andrea's Special rich with chocolates and wine.



Andrea's Special & Werner's Special (at the back)

Thank you The Steakhouse for the amazing food and fabulous hospitality. I love the selections of food so even if someone in the party might not prefer steaks, they could opt for many other wonderful items they have in their premium selections. I highly recommend this restaurant for those who are looking for good food with a romantic atmosphere - good for lovey-dovey anniversary celebrations.
Honey Lemon Girl's Rating
[xrr rating=5/5 imageset=default label="Ambience:"][xrr rating=4/5 imageset=default label="Service:"][xrr rating=4/5 imageset=default label="Food:"][xrr rating=4/5 imageset=default label="Value:"]
For more information:
The Steakhouse KL
No.48, Changkat Bukit Bintang,
50200 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Call : +603-2143 2268

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The Lone Ranger (2013)

IT'S JOHNNY DEPP!!



What could go wrong with Johnny Depp anyways? And what's more? It's directed by Gore Verbinski who happened to be the same director for the successful series Pirates of Carribean. Naturally, I had high expectation on this movie and besides, it's something different among these summer flicks that revolve around superheroes although The Lone Ranger is somehow also considered as a hero - a normal kind of hero.

Let's talk briefly about this Lone Ranger before we head right into the movie. This masked Texas ex-Ranger is a fictional character and also an enduring icon of American culture. He and his Indian friend Tonto, and together with their white horses, fights for injustice in the American Old West.



This movie is a mixture of comedy and action together. Surely, the actions effects are all wonderful; something you would naturally expect from a movie produced by prominent companies - Walt Disney Pictures & Jerry Bruckheimer Films. However when it comes to the plot, it was lagging behind as compared with all the smashing actions especially in scenes like the death of Red Indians, Lone Ranger's brother and the end of Tonto's tribe... Those were very emotional times, and just when I could feel myself getting into the depressing atmosphere and mood... Poof! We were suddenly rushed into another scenes. These were where I was very disappointed with, the movie did not go deep enough in these scenes; otherwise it would have made some emotional impact to the audience.



The movie is not all disappointing, in fact there is this one aspect that I am pretty impressed with - Character development. Throughout the two and a half hour, you could see how Lone Ranger (Armie Hammer) changes overtime and how his principle of justice evolve.Then not forgetting Tonto (Johnny Depp), audience could look into his past and see how he has become into how he is now.

Before I start spilling more beans, it's time to sum this movie up! All in all, I find this movie..... OKAY. It's entertaining and funny enough however due to its lack-of-depth storyline, it is not a memorable show; not one that you would proudly tell others "I HAVE WATCHED THIS *evil laugh*" kinda movie.



 

I would like to thank KLIPS Malaysia for the premier screening tickets. THANK YOU!

Yes, you should head over to their website like RIGHT NOW if you want to win some FREE movie passes too!

 

The Loaf @ KL Pavillion

The Loaf is universally known to be owned by our very famous ex-Prime Minister and also for its pricey premium breads and pastries, however, unless you always dine in expensive restaurants, much less is known about the food they have in their restaurant. The prices of the food is of higher end, something you should already expect when all their branches are opened at areas such as KL Pavilion.

I have the honour of knowing someone who used to work at The Loaf so I was brought to their KL Pavilion's branch to have a taste of their premium food.



For starter, we began with the Mushroom Soup. As expected from a premium restaurant, the quality of this soup is undeniably good. The texture is thick and you could feel the mushrooms in it. I love the taste, it's not too salty nor buttery, just smooth, nice and rich with mushroom flavours. The bread that comes together on the other hand, is nothing special or unique to shout about; would have preferred to go with Garlic Bread instead for my own preference.



Mushroom Soup, RM18

Next up, my friend introduced me to one of the best item in their Main Course Menu - the Peppercorn Salmon. Certainly, the ingredient is as fresh as it could get. And I love how the fish is not overly cooked thus leaving it soft and juicily good. As the name implies, the fish is grilled with pepper. What makes this dish interesting is of course the sauce, I couldn't make out what it is but it tastes like a mixture of Teriyaki & pepper together. There were white radish and some hams to compliment the salmon.



Peppercorn Salmon RM38

Lemon Juice - cooling and refreshing, totally quenched my thirst but nothing to shout about.



Lemon Juice RM8

The Loaf Cube -60 Celsius is a very interesting creation. You will be served an empty cup with black coffee iced cubes with another pot of hot milk and syrup. To enjoy this drink, just pour the milk over the iced cubes and let the coffee cubes melt.

Apparently this signature drink comprises of a glass of espresso ice cubes frozen to -60C to preserve the coffee flavour in a special freezer imported overseas.

The taste seems good but personally I find the coffee is strong. So if you are espresso lover, you might just love this twist.



The Loaf Cube -60 Celsius





Overall, I am pretty satisfied with the food quality and the service The Loaf @ Kuala Lumpur, Pavilion. If you are looking for a premium place and ready to pay for the prices, I would recommend you this place. Yes, be prepared to pay for the prices. =)
Honey Lemon Girl's Rating
[xrr rating=4/5 imageset=default label="Ambience:"][xrr rating=3/5 imageset=default label="Service:"][xrr rating=4/5 imageset=default label="Food:"][xrr rating=3/5 imageset=default label="Value:"]

For More Information:
The Loaf Bakery & Bistro
Lot 3.13.00 & 14.12.02, Levels 3 & 4
Pavilion Kuala Lumpur
168 Jalan Bukit Bintang
55100 Kuala Lumpur
Tel : +603 2145 3036
Fax : +603 2145 3034