When was the last time you really, really put away your gadget and spend quality time with your loved ones? You know, do things together as a couple or family? Do you do it often? Well, I’m ashamed to admit that I’m pretty much caught up with the rat race that I’m almost inseparable with my gadgets, especially my smartphone, and same goes with my husband. While smartphone has been a necessity in the modern world, it has also become an addiction that you can’t get rid off. I’ll be honest with you. Sometimes, using the smartphone is like peeking into the fridge. You know there’s not much update that could possibly happen in the cyber world within the span of 3-5 minutes, and yet, you still got to check it out.

Impossible as it is to put gadgets away while you are with your loved ones, it is still not impossible to actually disconnect to reconnect. All we need to do is, well…simply put away the gadgets and find something to really do together, something that’s totally not related to tech stuff and gadgets.

During my fun retreat with Tedmi Malaysia at Wave Rest House&Cafe, Jeram Selangor, everyone who were there were somehow forced to do just that. The planned activities practically hurled you back in the 90s where you’ll need to put away all your gadgets in order actually do it. The first planned activity that renders all gadgets useless is Craft Making.

See all these hanging windchimes? They are all over the rest house. Initially I thought they are mere deco to complement the homestay’s theme but I soon discovered that they are made from seashells that’s collected from the beach nearby and it is all made by guests during their stays here in Wave Rest House&Cafe.

The windchimes were hung up all over the rest house to commemorate guests presence there once done. Interesting concept, don’t you think? I certainly like the idea of writing messages or love notes on the seashells and leaving it there for us to look back during our future visits. Imagine going back there again after a year or two and still finding the windchime that you made with your loved ones, with sweet notes written on it still hanging there. It’s really a romantic idea. At least, to me it is very romantic.

Here’s Andrew Lim, the founder of Tedmi Malaysia, disconnecting to reconnect. 🙂 He briefed all of us during the craft making session on how the windchime is made.

Pre-collected seashells were scattered on the table for us to choose.

Kids choosing the seashells for their windchime.

Strewing together the seashells with a string.

Tedmi staff making their windchimes

Happy couple Elana and her husband with their windchime.

Here’s the winchime that I made with my husband and son. 🙂 We wrote our names and some messages on it for our future selves to read during our future visits.

Hanging up the windchime.

This will be there for quite some time. 😉 It was a small thing. And perhaps insignificant to many, but by the time we hung up our little masterpiece, I felt as if we have achieved something big as the three of us as during that short moment, we really did put away our gadgets and spent time with each other in every sense of the word. We talked to each other instead of texting or messaging. Well, don’t get me wrong. It’s not that we do not communicate with each other without gadgets, but this feels very different. 🙂 It’s like going back to the good old times where smartphones and stuff does not exist.
It was indeed a labor or love and a gentle reminder that while we often covet for materialistic things, simple things like this could bring so much joy and happiness.

To experience all these and get away from the superficial world for awhile, you can hop over to Wave Rest House& Cafe. Their package starts from RM139 for adults and RM69 for kids on weekdays and from RM169 for adults and RM69 for kids on weekend and public holidays, inclusive of meals and planned activities. There are 9 available rooms and the entire rest house can cater up to 30 pax. The place is about 60km away from Kuala Lumpur. You may drive there using Waze: https://waze.to/lr/hw28413e6s.

Packages includes accommodation, seafood dinner, breakfast, bicycle riding to the beach, mangrove forest exploration tour, craft making and bird watching at the sea.

Details of the homestay is as below:

海•浪滔滔民宿(Wave Rest House & Cafe) 
Facebook: facebook.com/wavehomestay
Address:
Jalan Bagan Sungai Janggut, Batu 15, Jeram,
45800 Kampong Sungai Janggut,
Selangor.

My husband, my son and I were in Genting Highlands for a short weekend tour last week, and we had somewhat a pre-Mid Autumn Festival reunion dinner in Resort Seafood Restaurant, Genting Highlands, courtesy of the good people from Resort World Genting. So, what can you have in Genting, you ask me? Granted, dining up there can be quite costly, but I assure you what I’ll be sharing with you is pretty much reasonable and worth every penny paid, considering the location.

Resort Seafood Restaurant, Genting Highlands is offering fresh exotic seafood dishes and dining hot pot style, and I think it’s just perfect for the upcoming Mid Autumn Festival.

The restaurant have a very spacious dining area and I reckon it’s perfect for family reunion or group dining. So, here’s sharing what we had the other day; Steamboat Set for 8 pax.

Set for 8 pax consists of; A pot of soup with a choice of Tomyam Soup or Herbal Chicken Soup, A platter containing: Shittake Mushroom, Enokitake Mushroom, Chimaji Mushroom, King Oyster Mushroom, Fatt Chou Fishball, Fried Vegetables Ball, Fu Chew Fishball, Bean Curd Roll, White Bean Curd and Pacific Clams. Also in the set but served on side platters are Grass Prawns, Grouper Slices, Ostrich Meat, Chicken Supreme Slices, Poh Choy, 8 pieces of fresh chicken eggs and King’s Noodles. The set for 8 pax costs RM456 for members and RM502 for non members.

We were served Herbal Chicken Soup that day. Much to my chagrin. I’ll be completely honest with you. I’m not a fan of everything herbal. They turn me off. I usually turn away from them, but this one is not so overwhelming on the palate. The taste was not so distinctive and strong, so I guess it is pretty tolerable although I personally prefer the Tomyam soup as my steamboat soup base.

Assorted sauce for dippings is available for your picking.

Platter for 8 pax: Shittake Mushroom, Enokitake Mushroom, Chimaji Mushroom, King Oyster Mushroom, Fatt Chou Fishball, Fried Vegetables Ball, Fu Chew Fishball, Bean Curd Roll, White Bean Curd and Pacific Clams.

King Noodles. Fantastic. The King Noodles are smooth in texture and does not get soggy easily.

Poh Choy. Apparently none of us at the table that day was a fan of greens, so although they are fresh, it remained untouched by the end of the meal.

Fresh chicken eggs

Chicken ham slices. The children seems to fancy these.They were gone in a jiffy once they were cooked.

Grass Prawn. They surpassed our expectations, to be honest. Naturally sweet and flavourful.

Garoupa slices. Somehow we mistook these as chicken slices and was really surprised when we consumed them.

Ostrich Meat. We were not aware that these red slices of meat are ostrich meat and those who doesn’t take beef because of religious diet restriction did not touch it. Therefore, my family and I finished up the entire platter. Honest mistake. We thought it was the common beef and only discovered that it was actually ostrich meat by the end of the meal. That said, the meat texture was much lighter, smoother and much more delicious in comparison to the common local beef and perhaps second only to Wagyu beef slices.

Chinese Tea is highly recommended to cleanse your palate with but being a lover of all cold drinks to accompany my meals with regardless of cuisines, I’ve requested for Calamansi Ice Blended instead. Sourish, refreshing and definitely addictive.

The restaurant have other dishes offered on their menu, so if you are not into steamboat communal dining, be sure to flip the menu for other things. They are famous for Chinese cuisine, so do check it out.

Spacious interior and comfortable ambience, Resort Seafood is the perfect place for a family dinner, gathering with friends, or even a homely dinner with your loved ones.The next time you are in Genting Highlands, you might want to check out the wonderful Resort Seafood restaurant at Resort Hotel.

Walk ins is welcomed but bookings and reservations is recommended:

Resort Seafood
Level One Resort Hotel, Resorts World Genting
Genting Highlands 69000, Malaysia
Telephone Number: +60 6036 1011 118

Opening Hours
12pm to 2.30pm, 6pm to 10pm (Daily)

Want to reward yourselves after a whole day fasting? Not in the mood to hunt down for food in the crowded Ramadan Bazaar? A proper sit down meal is probably a much more favourable option but not sure what to eat and where to go? Well, why not go for some delicious steaks at Me’Nate Steakhub? It is owned by once a meat carver in Buckingham Palace, serving for the Queen Elizabeth II. Impressive, right? You can read his experience, written in the Harian Metro (click HERE)

There’s 3 Me’nate Steakhub’s outlet so far and I managed to drop by their Setapak branch with my husband and son just a few days before Ramadan for their media preview.

Entering the steakhouse, we were greeted with a lineup of refrigerators that stores raw meat. To retain the meat quality and texture, their meat are all chilled, and not frozen. Assorted steaks can be found here for your choosing, ranging from as low as RM35++ to RM1k++, depending on the steak’s grade and quality.

The most expensive I’ve spotted in the refrigerator that day is this Matsusaka Wagyu steak, costing RM1008 per 200gram or RM4800 per kg. Expensive? Yes. Definitely. But I personally vouch for these. The steak will practically melt in the mouth as you eat it.

The restaurant is a no-nonsense kind. No fancy deco whosoever to greet you or to tempt you to go on a photography or a selfie escapade, but it is spacious, functional and definitely comfortable. You may opt to dine in at the ground floor or at the air conditioned area at the first floor. Here’s a picture taken on the first floor.

Anyway, here’s sharing with you what they will be offering especially Ramadan. They have this group dining options especially for Ramadan 2015. No. There is no buffet at Me’nate but there is 4 type of group steaks with a minimum of 2 person per order.

All sets comes with pasta Olio Aglio, mix salad and complimentary dates, fruit(mix fruits), soup of the day, rice of the day(briyani rice/dhal rice/ tomato rice) and free flow drinks.

Here’s what we managed to try. Heavenly Beef set.

Heavenly Beef Set

This Heavenly Beef set is priced at RM350 for 4-6pax.

It is a meal set that comes with Crackling Beef served on a bed of 3 types of fragrant rice with a side of salad, soup of the day, fruits, dates and free flow of drinks. There is 3 different flavoured rice served with the meal, Nasi Briyani, Nasi Dhal and Nasi Tomato.

Chef Mustaffa, the once Royal Meat Carver himself taking care of the carving for us. He is the one who served Her Majesty The Queen Elizabeth II of England. I never once imagined that I would have such an opportunity, but the man is not only generous and kind, but humble too. This is non food related but the chef got all teary eyed when he spotted my son. He probably recognized the fact that my son is autistic I suppose, and told me that I’m a privileged mother as there is only one child like mine in the world, and one day he would make me proud. I nearly cried on the spot at his kind words, and even more so when he specifically requested to have his photo taken with my son. Now, that is completely a new experience. The child is different and always will be. I have made peace with that and when it comes to socializing, he have been rejected countless way, even among some family members and relative. To have someone who is a complete stranger say such heartwarming things and treat him like he is someone important and special truly touches me. Anyway, enough of the sob story and let’s proceed with the foodie experience, shall we?

A closer look at the Crackling Beef after the carving is done.

The beef was slowly roasted for 8 hours and was done medium rare. There was no additional flavourings added to it and it was a gastronomic perfection. No steak lover would be able to peel themselves away from this culinary masterpiece. It was flavourful, juicy, moist and positively divine on the palate. The 3 types of rice on the other hand, complement the beef perfectly. I’d suggest you to go easy on the rice, though. That way you’d be able to fully savor the splendid beef.

Apart from the Heavenly Beef set meal, we had the opportunity to try 3 of the other sets featured this Ramadan.

Set A at RM75/person. The set consists of Angus, Beef ribs and Lamb ribs/Ranghost.

Just like the Heavenly Beef meal, the Angus, Beef ribs and Lamb ribs/Ranghost was magnificently done.

Set B at RM75/person consist of lamb shank, lamb ribs, lamb rack/loin and lamb syabu.

These are not just a meal, but a culinary masterpiece.

Set D the Wagyu Lover at RM150/person consist of wagyu beef and wagyu beef ribs.

No words can actually describe my feelings when I took a bite of these. The meat practically melts in the mouth and it actually brings me to heaven and back. I still could imagine the taste as of writing. The Wagyu beef was magnificent, and I definitely would not mind a repeated experience in the nearest future.

Here’s the chefs who were responsible for our gastronomic pleasure that night. And should you patronize the outlet, they will probably take care of your palate the exact same way and you will probably would want a repeated experience the moment you stepped out of their restaurant. They truly lived up to their claims of serving the best steak in Malaysia.

There is 3 Me’Nate Steakhub in Kuala Lumpur. Below is the information should you want to give their Ramadan offerings a try, either that or go with their ala carte menu. The choice is yours.

Me’Nate Ramadan Special

Set A at RM75/person consist of angus, beef ribs and lamb ribs/ranghost.

Set B at RM75/person consist of lamb shank, lamb ribs, lamb rack/loin and lamb syabu.

Set C at RM100/person consist of Salmon, Mussel, King prawn and Scallop/Crab Meat.

Set D the Wagyu Lover at RM150/person consist of wagyu beef and wagyu beef ribs.

Advance booking is recommended should you want to dine in groups, but they also welcomes walk in diners.

Me’nate Steak Hub 
Ampang Jaya Branch
No 16 Jalan Kerja Air Lama Satu,
Taman Shuet Liang,
68000 Ampang Jaya,
Kuala Lumpur
Telefon/Faks: +6 03 4251 3460

Wangsa Maju Branch
25 Jalan Delima 12,
Wangsa Link,
Wangsa Maju,
53300 Kuala Lumpur
Telefon: +6 03 4251 3460

Setapak Branch
C-01 & C-01-03, Starparc Point,
Jalan Taman Ibukota,
Off Jalan Genting Klang,
53300 Kuala Lumpur
Telefon : +6 03 4131 8121
Faks : +6 03 4131 1611

It was 19th May 2015, and it happens to be both my husband’s birthday and our anniversary. Yes, yes. I’m a hopeless romantic. I married my husband on his birthday. :p Romantically speaking, I will always be his birthday gift. Practically speaking, he will never ever forget our wedding anniversary til he breathe his last as it was his birthday too. 😛

Truth be told. Our marriage was no bed of roses but we have been blessed with 13 years together and still counting. 😉 Last year, we took a short trip to Hadyai and Songhkla, Thailand to celebrate his birthday and our anniversary, but this year, we were both busy with work and couldn’t manage to even arrange for anything. Me with events and food reviews and him with work. It’s been seriously a hectic month for us, but of course we do try to take some time off for each other and have a short date every now and then.

Aside from celebrating in the confines of our bedroom door, we didn’t plan for anything special but universe wants us to do it differently and we were invited to a Ramadan preview in Nook, Aloft Hotel Kuala Lumpur. Despite of having to work, my husband and I said yes to the thoughtful invitation, of course. Who can resist good food and some romantic time together with the love of their lives on their birthday and anniversary anyway? We certainly couldn’t.

It’s the time of the year for the mouth-watering delights of Chef’s A-List Malaysian Feast at Nook.

Nook will feature traditional local Malay delicacies, succulent barbecue, seafood delights and juicy roasted whole lamb this coming Ramadan 2015. They showcased a lot of food items that night but here’s highlighting some of the delicacies that is worth mentioning.
The buffet line-up offers an extensive selection of Malay dishes and regional specialities, along with appetisers, salad, condiments, breads, soups, main dishes, action counters and desserts.

Chef Adri and team has crafted the menus this year, adding in more local delights into the buffet, offering Chef’s star dishes such as Stuffed Whole Lamb Kuzi.

Lamb Kuzi. Don’t let the picture fool you. This dish was sensational. The meat was tender and juicy and perfectly flavoured. My husband and I love this Lamb Kuzi very much that we took more than just one helping of it that night.

Nasi Briyani was a tad bland in my humble opinion. Lacks the usual herb and spices taste but it makes a perfect pair for the assorted curries offered here in Nook.

A selection of curries in pot for your to pair your Nasi Briyani with.

Beef Rendang

Dhal Curry

Ayam Percik

Pajeri Terung

Apart from assorted curries specially cooked for you to pair with the Nasi Briyani, there is also assorted sambals and curries served in claypots for your takings.

Sambal Udang Petai

Sambal Tempe Ikan Bilis

Fish Head Curry

Ketam Masak Lemak Cili Api

If you are not into strongly flavoured rice, you can try Nook’s steamed Chicken Rice with condiments.

Steamed Chicken. I did not manage to try this, but my husband said this one is simply delicious.

Porridge and condiments

One of the not to be missed Ramadan’s special, the Bubur Lambuk.

Dimsum is also available but I suggest you to give this a miss in favour of other mouthwatering dishes offered here at Nook.

Sarawak Laksa is available at the action counter. I can’t comment much about this as I was too busy devouring the Lamb Kuzi, but my son had two helpings of the Sarawak Laksa so I suppose this is very good too.

All time Malaysian favourite, the chapati

Spotted some beef and chicken satay too.

Street food favourite like Roti John is also available.

The grill section featured some interesting sea products like BBQ squids, fish and cockles.

Fans of fried food will be pleased to see that they are not forgotten either. There is plenty of fried fritters too over here.

My son found this gem at the fried food section. The Ayam Goreng Berempah, to be paired with some chilli dips. These are wonderfully flavoured and adeptly fried. Crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside.

Spotted a lone pan of pasta over here.

The lamb stew is a must try too. It was such a comfort to the growling tummy.

Betis Lembu Rendang

The salad counter

Not sure if Pecal is categorized as salads but you can assemble and customize a bowl of your own at the Salad Counter too.

Fresh local fruits and pickles. Great to cleanse your palate with.

And not forgetting, Nook’s fun Ice Kacang. I did not make my own Ais Kacang as I was seduced by the dessert section.

Traditional Malay kuih is spotted at the dessert section.

But what really won my heart over is the temptations displayed here.

Chocolate Swiss Cake

Custard Pudding

Caramel Pudding

Pavlova. Because we have been running around like some headless chicken and couldn’t find time for a proper celebration, we stole some of this lovely, colourful Pavlova from the buffet spread and brought it to the table and enjoyed the sweetness and the quiet birthday and anniversary night together before we end our little gluttony adventure.

Although it was not a exactly a proper birthday or anniversary celebration for both of us but Nook, Aloft Hotel KL has unknowingly made it to our book of memories. And a rather delicious one too. 🙂

Fancy some sweet and delicious moments with your loved ones too this coming Ramadan 2015? Well then, book Early! A-list Malaysian Feast buffet is priced at RM110nett per person and early bird special is available from 1 May until 21 June at RM90nett for 30 vouchers and below and RM80nett for 31 vouchers and above! Chef’s A-List Malaysian Feast is available from 22 June till 16 July 2015.

Nook is located at Level 1, Aloft Kuala Lumpur Sentral and is open daily from 6.30am to 12am. For more information, please call +603 2723 1154 or zip an email to nook.03758@alofthotels.com

Hunting for birds… I mean birdwatching is not easy, especially when the weather was pretty much scorching hot. I ended up drenched in my own sweat by evening, so I was glad when the day draws it’s curtain and it’s time for us us to retreat to Awana Resort Genting Highlands. It means I can finally take a bath and put my feet up for a rest. Awana Resorts Genting was the last checkpoint for the Wings of KKB 2015: Selangor Bird Race, and words has it that the area around Awana is a home to a lot of rare birds.

We arrived at the lobby and the good folks from MDHS and Tourism Malaysia Selangor welcomes us and briefed us about the program that night, which was the gala dinner.

Awana Resort Genting is the accommodation sponsor for Wings of KKB 2015: Selangor Bird Race. It is a family friendly hotel situated 4km before the peak of Genting Highlands at Gohtong Jaya, a short distance after the town roundabout. The resort provides accommodation in 413 family rooms, split between a pagoda tower and condominium blocks below that houses studio apartment units. The resort’s spacious land area provides for a wide range of recreational facilities that include an 18-hole golf course, team building circuit, swimming pools and sports courts. A grand ballroom and 16 function halls of various sizes provide space for events and conventions, while there are five food & beverage outlets. A free shuttle service is provided to the peak at scheduled times during the day.

My family and I were given a suite with two Queen sized bed and a bathroom ensuite. As a family travel activist, we usually don’t fuss much on accommodations. I for one is fine with two single beds; where I usually share one with my husband. Ahem…I love to cuddle while sleeping and I kinda dont like big beds as I tend to get ‘lost’ in big beds. 😛 Our son on the other hand, sleeps on one bed on his own but we were really pleased nevertheless when we were given such a spacious room to stay for the night.

Toilet was squeaky clean.

Regular sized bathtub. Not big enough for some water play activities but it was good enough for us. Functional for families.

Living room. With small section for coffee or some short chit chat.

Unlike the First World Hotel Genting, where only ceiling fans are available in each rooms for air ventilation purposes, Awana Resorts provides both fan and air conditioner for guests’ pleasure. I suppose it got something to do with the altitude and temperature. The temperature is not that cold in Awana Resorts in comparison to First World Hotel or Genting Grand, hence air conditioner is needed for those sunny days.

We were given smoker friendly room, by the way. Guests is allowed to smoke at the balcony. Something that pleases my smoker husband immensely, I reckon.

It’s time for some for some R&R before the gala night, but we were terribly famished and before I could even finished watching movie, my boys decided to drag me from the bed and head over to the poolside cafe to get something to eat.

Not wanting to spoil our appetite for dinner, we just shared this by the poolside cafe. A cuppa milk tea with Chocolate Cheese Brownie.

Initially I find it rather ridiculous to have an outdoor swimming pool in highlands area such as Awana Resorts as it can be quite cold outside but I discovered that the outdoor swimming pool is one of the main attractions in the resorts apart from their birdwatching area and their golf course.

The swimming pool is equipped with heaters. Which means the water is not cold at all and in fact, is warm to swim in even in cold temperature.

My boys had a go at the pool.But despite being a swimmer, I wasn’t really interested in jumping in after such a busy day.

I rather put my feet up and have a rest I instead.

Apart from their heated outdoor swimming pool, they also have beautiful, serene gardens around where you can take a walk or just sit back and enjoy the sceneries. Or take a selfie or two as well.

There is also fishponds around but you are not allowed to feed the fishes.

Overall, our stay in the hotel is a pleasant one and hopefully we would be able to stay there again some time soon in the future for our short weekend getaways. It is definitely much more refreshing and relaxing than First World Hotel and Genting Grand Hotel that accommodates more gamblers than eco-tourists and families who are getting some R&R.

For more information and room rates on this hotel, you may check out this link: https://www.gentinghighlands.info/awana-resort.htm