A DIFFERENT KIND OF HOLIDAY ~ PRECIOUS TIME WITH MY DAUGHTER

Through the years, my holidays to Kuala Lumpur has been no different than to visit and stay at my brother’s place in Subang Jaya. Don’t be mistaken, I have always looked forward to it and have always enjoyed my stays there, nothing is more pleasant than to be closer to family....as my mom, brother and sister is down south, whereas I am the only sibling living way up north and I always get the best ‘attention’ while I’m there [ Love you guys  (^3^)]

  But this time around the decision to stay with my daughter had given me the chance to explore more of Kuala Lumpur.

My daughter had just completed her Degree ...had some spare time in between her interviews so I accepted her suggestion to stay a while at her place in Kota Damansara for a change.  It was a last minute thing and within 3 days after deciding I was on the bus heading south.

On arrival I was whisked off for a nice hot steamboat dinner and then coffee at Old Town in Section 18, arriving at my daughter’s apartment quite late at night. The apartment she shared with two other girls is located near to SEGI University College where she studied.  Her room was considered quite spacious amongst the three, with a small balcony in the living room where they were able to dry their washing. She was able to fit in another extra mattress which I used during the week. Tired, I slept like a log the whole night long...waking up refreshed to a bright sunny Sunday morning.

We had breakfast at Cheras before heading on to Pavilion for a movie. Afternoon tea was at Fahrenheit 88 just right opposite to Pavilion ~ SU’S CAKES FOR KICKS...such a unique name. I really enjoyed their Dark Chocolate Cheese cake & my favourite was definitely the Durian Cheese Cake which is their renowned signature creation... at RM8.00 per piece, I find the price quite reasonable for such a delightful fare .....don’t ever miss this if you’re a durian lover.

                        (Taken outside Pavilion)

(Delicious cakes @ Su's Cakes for Kicks ~ Ground Floor, Fahrenheit 88)

Sunday night was family time...my sister had organised a small gathering at her house in Subang Jaya. It is times like these that I treasure most...being around my mom, brother, sister, nieces & all.  What can be better than food & laughter with your loved ones (^3^)

                                (My loving family)

                                 (The feast for the night)

After the whole day out Sunday, Monday morning was spent relaxing at home as my daughter has to get prepared for an interview the next morning. I didn’t know I could sleep that long...woke up rather late in the morning...we had late lunch nearby her apartment that she and her friends call ‘Malay Kampung’ because of the many Malay foods available there. She recommended me the ‘Mee Kung-Fu’ but had to opt for Koeyteow Kung-Fu instead (their mee was ‘out of stock’ ...lol) and it was as delicious as she had said it would be.

                                 (Koeyteow Kungfu & Nasi Goreng Pattaya)

My daughter drove me to 1Utama shopping Mall after she got back from her interview the next day. We browsed around the shops a bit before deciding what to have for lunch.

PASTA ZANMAI ~ I can never forget its’ delicious Unagi Onsen Pizza...a pizza with a twist I would say. Crispy pizza topped with unagi, seaweed, egg & lots of cheese, makes me drool even writing about it.  You may consider it a bit pricey but it’s really worth your money, at RM26.00 it is enough to be shared by 3~4 people.  Pity there isn’t any branches up north, or I’ll definitely be a loyal customer (^-^)

                                 (Our meal at Pasta Zanmai)

(Unagi Onsen Pizza ~ Highly recommended....you'll really love this)

                                  (Salmon pasta set)

If you’re a salmon lover, I would suggest the Salmon pasta set which comes with a bowl of fresh salad and Miso soup for the same price as the Uniagi Onsen Pizza.  The Salmon pasta is very much different from the Italian pasta, it has a tinge of sour to it and topped with pickled radish & salmon roe...tastes more like a salad rather than the usual pasta I am used to having....but rather unique in taste...you should try this if you’re a salmon lover.

Today is really a ‘Makan Day’ for us as we were whisked off again by her friend for dinner not too long after we got back to the apartment.  Sunway Giza, a moderate size mall nearer to her apartment. Majority of the tenants are food outlets.

FULLHOUSE serves a variety of western foods and some local delicacies as well.  The food is great ... the ambience was great, impeccably and beautifully decorated which made dining really heart lifting. Besides enjoying our meal, we had a nice time taking shots around the place. Check out their creative website http://www.fullhousecafe.com.my/

(Our meal ~ Alfredo Speghetti, Curry Laksa & BBQ Chicken in Black Pepper Sauce)

My Wednesday & Thursday afternoons were spent at The Curve, Ikano & Ikea where I shopped for nothing more than food (^-^) On Wednesday, being ‘Movie Day’ we decided to catch the early evening movie after our late lunch.  After browsing through the shops, we decided to try something fishy instead...

THE MANHATTAN FISH MARKET.  Something on the menu caught my eye...”Of-Fish-Cially for Two”.  This special set consists of one  Small Flame, Fresh Garden Salad with Italian dressing, Grilled catch of the day which was Grilled salmon on rice with veggies & drinks.  For RM49.90 it was really worth your money.  It was so filling that we weren’t even hungry enough to have dinner, so you can imagine that the set for two can actually be fit for 3 persons. I was really impressed by the presentation of the Small Flame ... which was fired-up right before us. Check them out at http://www.manhattanfishmarket.com/

                                (The Wow! presentation)

(The Small Flame all ready & served ~ Dory fish, prawns topped generously with cheese, fun fries & veggies)

                                 (The Fresh garden salad)

                                 (Grilled Salmon Fish)

                                  (Happily enjoying our Fishy meal)

                                  (Random shots)

On Thursday I got to see more of The Curve, Ikano & Ikea. Ikea can really create dream homes. The whole place is a showroom by itself. Beautiful & delicate designs ranging from living rooms, bedrooms,  study rooms, kitchens complete with kitchenware. Step into one and you can imagine you are in a real home. Besides all these, there are also plenty of other items on sales..all to make up your beautiful home. Learn more from their website http://www.ikea.com/my/

 My daughter suggested that I try THE STEAMBOAT KETAM VILLAGE at Ikano (as she knows that I simply love steamboat..lol) I find this restaurant very much different from the rest...here each person has their own personal steamboat pot & can pick their own choice of soup..this is what that makes it unique.  So no more disagreement on the types of soup...lol

                                  (Our Lamb & Chicken set)

Clear soup for myself and curry for my daughter.  The curry is actually very nice.  Usually we only find either clear soup or tomyam at other regular steamboat outlets.  Price is reasonable as well ~ the Sliced Lamb noodle set costs RM13.80 whereas the Curry Chicken noodle set is RM12.80

                               (Day at the Curve ~ The Gardens Restaurant)

                        (Night at the Curve)

Friday....today is the day I have been looking forward to...I will be spending the whole day with my daughter...shopping!! She took me on my 1^st bus ride to KL Sentral and then on the monorail straight to Times Square...a shopper’s heaven. The whole journey from Kota Damansara took us roughly an hour (and this isn’t peak hour).  I really can’t believe how affordable things are ... especially the clothes.  One would expect that shopping in KL would be expensive but Times Square offers a huge variety of clothes, bags & accessories at very affordable prices.

But before we began our shopping spree....Lunch! GASOLINE CAFE ~ located on the 3^rd floor of Berjaya Times Square is rather unique in its own way. “Dining in a cave” my daughter says and indeed it seemed like it. The food is considered moderate ... nothing to brag about, affordable especially if you’re on a budget.  I opted for their Marmite Chicken Rice set which came with a drink of our choice for only RM9.90 while my daughter ordered their Tomyam Fried rice set for the same price... which turned out to be more like seafood fried rice...most probably a mix-up.  Surprisingly the Marmite Chicken turned out quite nice.

(Lunch ~ Marmite Chicken, Fried Rice, Iced Lemon Tea & Blue Ocean) 

                                  (Gasoline with its unique interior design)

(Some random shots around Times Square before shopping)

We really had so much fun shopping & all too soon we had to call it a day...had to catch the monorail & bus back before the rush hour ... or at least we tried...lol

Lucky for us, we only got caught in the early part of the after office hour rush.  The monorail was a bit packed but we managed to get seats after the 1^st station and had seats on the bus ride home as well. But the journey back took us a whopping two and a half hours!!! We were tired & cold.....the bus air-conditioner was blasting right above our heads...my brain almost froze....lol

We reached exhausted yet happy with all the good bargains we got (Yeahhhhh!! ) We retired early for the night as tomorrow will be another exciting day......SURIA KLCC  \(^-^)/

Our morning began with a breakfast stop-over for Wantan Noodles at Dragon View Restaurant, Jalan Alor, Kuala Lumpur. Jalan Alor is a very famous food street in KL. The whole street is packed with restaurants & kopitiams from end to end.  As we were there early, not many shops were opened, guess most cater for lunch onwards.  Hear that this place is always buzzing with life during the evenings.

I had the Wantan noodles with roasted duck .. maybe not so good a choice as the duck even though tastes good was rather chewy.

Suria KLCC with its famed Petronas Twin Towers ... this landmark of Malaysia is well known far and wide. It was once ranked the tallest buildings for six years until 2004 when the Taipei 101 was completed. 

(A 5.4 meters sky bridge links the Twin Towers, the unique double-deck sky bridge stands 170 meters above street level)

The extensive gardens outside Suria KLCC  serves as a public park, with lush tropical greenery with swaying palm trees, wading pool, children’s playground, symphony fountains, shelters & benches. Which makes it a suitable place for family outing.

Suria KLCC holds many attractions, the most popular being Petrosains & Aquaria.  PETROSAINS is an interactive Science Discovery Centre that presents the story of science and technology of the petroleum industry in a fun way, more entertaining especially for the younger generation I would say. We did not get the chance to visit Aquaria as the time spent inside Petrosains took us more than 3 hours.   We took a lot of shots inside Petrosains but it didn’t turn out very nice because of the dark lighting inside.

(This is called the “Dark Ride”, shaped as an oil drop which begins our journey into Petrosains)

We had late lunch at Rasa Food Arena just a stone throw away from Petrosains.  We patronised Gerai 15 Penang. Their Fried Koay-Kak met my expectations...really good for RM6.50. My daughter had the Salted Fish Fried rice for RM0.50 less than what I ordered and it tastes just as good.

                                 (Don't forget to try the food at GERAI 15 - PENANG)

Still having enough time to spare before our next destination, we dropped by Sungai Wang Plaza, did some window shopping as I have done my shopping at Times Square the day before. I find Sungai Wang Plaza rather congested; the shop lots are smaller than at Times Square and the walkway rather narrow. This being Saturday makes it more packed with weekend shoppers.

My final destination for the night is somewhat a very pleasant experience for me.  My daughter said we are going to a very nice place where we can view the city lights of KL ....so I said “Oh..okie”.  Then she told me its’ a place called Lunar Bar. “ But I don’t drink” I exclaimed, and she replied ... it’s ok, as long as her friend drinks...lol

Perched on the 34^th floor of the Pacific Regency Hotel at Jalan Punchak, Off Jalan P. Ramlee, is the LUNAR BAR. Parking is available inside the hotel (don’t be fooled by the parking attendants mending the parking lots outside the hotel ~ they will attempt to fool you to park outside at an exorbitant fee double of what you be paying for parking inside the hotel)

Once up there, I stared with awe at magnificent beauty that beholds me.  This super chic breezy roof top bar with a pool in the middle (but unfortunately you cannot use it) offers a most magnificent 360 degrees night view of Kuala Lumpur city, where you can see the Twin Towers in all its beauty illuminated right in front & the beautifully lighted KL Tower on the left. The lower level of the bar also includes an area for fine dining.  Futon beds line along their large transparent windows allowing you to lie down & relax while you sip your drinks and enjoy the superb night view of the city.

We left Lunar mesmerised by its breathtaking view. We stopped by for late supper at a 24 hrs Dim sum restaurant at Jalan Ipoh before heading back.

                                  (Siew Mai, Loh Mai Kai, Porridge & Chee Cheong Fun)

We reached back rather late (or should I say very early in the morning =), bags all packed & ready to travel back home tomorrow morning.

This whole week had been a very productive & adventurous one .... seen lots of places, tried so many foods and even did lots of shopping together with my daughter. I’m glad I made this trip & I feel the time spent has brought us much closer together.... precious time with my daughter Shirl