Arthur's Day 250th Anniversary @ Sunway Beach Park

I can’t  believe that me and my wife join the worldwide celebration of 250th Anniversary of Arthur Guinness held in Kuala Lumpur (the only place in Asia chosen for the celebration among the 5 venues to host the celebration) at Sunway Beach Park on 25th July 2009. In Malaysia, the main attraction for the performing was the BEP aka the Black Eyed Pea. Beside them they were other invited artist from Taiwan and Malaysia sua as MC Hot Dog, MJ119, Point Blanc, Reshmonu, Man Hand, Danny One and Malique which also entertain us that night.

Sunway Beach Park Entrance

The theme were black and most of the crowd are wearing black attire. No SLR and Video cam were allowed but normal digital camera is allowed. Dunno why this 2 items is not allowed as the normal compact camera have this features. Even the mobile were having this function as well.
Anywhere, i manage to captured some of the image using my hp, my wife hp and my old Samsung compact camera which indeed really in need for that night.

Posing at the big poster of BEP near to the concert arena

The party was really great and we really enjoyed ourselves there. The party started at 8:00pm beginning with performance of local artist. As the party had started, me and my wife decided to have a drink at alcoholic section called Gravity Bar. And there was a long queues lining up to the section. Guess what, the first time i have problem entering a alcoholic place just because my name got “Bin”. What can i say, some west Malaysian does not know that the “Bin” was place on the name for Sarawak and Sabah bumiputera which is not “Muslim”. For them, as long you got “Bin” is Muslim. One more thing i notice about them is the poor knowledge in MyKad detection. If you were a muslim, “Islam” will be stated on your MyKad and if you non Muslim, no religion will be printed out. Not to offend for those West Malaysian reading my blog, but hope you all understand that not all people which are having “Bin” on their names is a Muslims. It’s for those bumiputera. For details, you may visit JPN website or called them even better. For yout info, our Idris Jala is not a muslim but a sarawakian bumiputera which is Christian. He also has this problem as well when dealing with west Malaysian. Back to my story, finally i manage to go in Gravity Bar after i quarrel with the non educated workers from the organizer and Rela. Finally, the leader from RELA let me in as I think he know the criteria of Mykad which does not stated “Islam” on it. They apologize to me and my wife and i just can’t understand why we were tag as living on top of the trees by some of west Malaysian but yet they do not know anything about MyKad. I think some of them never seat on an aeroplane for travelling.

Local performance entertain the crowd.

At Gravity Bar.

The draft Guinness beer.

The complete 1 round of Guinness beer.

The tab draft counter.

I order the draft guiness 2 rounds which cost RM10 per cup. 1 rounds consist of 4 cups. The taste of the draft stout is not that strong as the bottle. It tastes more of water as usually any beer draws from the tab the taste is diluted. It took more than 3 hours plus before the long awaits BEP to appear on stage. Once the BEP was on stage, the crowd gone wild and we all dancing like no once business. Hahahahaha... The BEP really rock the house and we really enjoyed it.

BEP start performing.

Taken from the big screen.

Fergie singing

Will I Am spinning his DJ skills and his remix rock the house.

BEP sang the last song, "I Got a feeling" as the last songs.

Firework display to marks 250th Anniversary of Guinness

The concert end at 1:30 am with a spectacular firework show which last for 15 minutes.

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Mungo Jerry Bak Kut Teh @ Jalan Raja Laut

There are a lot of shops here selling BKT aka Bak Kut Teh in KL. But each shop has its own taste. Bak kut teh) is a Chinese soup popularly served in Singapore, Malaysia, China, Taiwan and also, cities of neighbouring countries like Batam of Indonesia and Hat Yai of Thailand. The name literally translates as "meat bone tea", and, at its simplest, consists of meaty pork ribs simmered in a complex broth of herbs and spices (including star anise, cinnamon, cloves, dang gui, fennel seeds and garlic) for hours.

There is one shop in KL located at Jalan Raja Laut near to EON Bank HQ selling a good taste of BKT. The shop named is Mungo Jerry. Don’t ask me why the owner chooses one of the 70’s English group band named as the shop name. Maybe the owner is a fan of the groups, it just my assumption.

Mungo Jerry group band in the 70's

The menus are mostly cook with pork parts which is not gone to waste. The signature menu in this shop you need to order is the fried 3 layer honey pork, pokari (Pork Curry) and the BKT (order for cham cham means mix with all parts of porks). You also not to miss to eat the fried onion rice which been cook with pork lard. Some people does not know how the taste rice mix with pork lard and i bet you, you will ask for more as when i was small in kampung, my grandma and grandpa always have this pork lark oil mix with soy sauce and rice. Mix with fried budou siret (not sure what we called it in English), it’s really taste good.
During my sis and bro in law came to KL, i brought them there. This is the first time this year since 2 years back when my wife, my sis and I went there order full of pork on the table. Since that day, i didn’t step foot at that shop anymore. But during my sis and her husband came here, so we went back there again. The place does not change much. The same old face of the waiter and the place we park our cars still got Mak Nyah selling services (Psst... the shop is near to the famous jalan haji taib which is label as black area which full of that service.)


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So back to our food, i capture some of the food photos for your view and comment. But i do recommend this shop if you ever came to KL. I think there also open another outlet in SS2 PJ if you think the one in Raja Laut is not that convenient.

Fried 3 layer pork with honey

Pokari aka Pork Curry.

Bak Kut Teh

Tauhu

Fried Kai Lan

Onion rice with pork lard.

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Berbuka Puasa @ Rebung Restaurant Bangsar

During the month of Ramadhan, most local malay delicacies will be sold at bazaar ramadhan, hotel and restaurant. In this time, most people are eager to eat ask much as they want what we called in Malaysia as “melantak puas puas”. Most fast food outlet, hotel and restaurant usually fully book during this time. If you feel like to eat in hotel or restaurant, sometime you need to make reservation a week before you want to dine there.

This year, me and my wife went outing with her department colleague for “berbuka puasa” aka breaking fast at Rebung @ Bangsar. It not only for berbuka puasa for her muslims friends, it also cum a farewell dinner for the Hilton OnQ team members which will depart to Japan the next day for implementing the new Hilton systems replacing the old Fidelio Systems which is out of phase.

The background of Rebung Restaurant, it’s owned by Chef Ismail which is Malaysian celebrity chef. It served variety of malay cuisine which will sastify most of the patrons from chicken curry, mutton curry, ikan masak lemak cili api and etc. I can’t remember all the menu but from what I see, it’s a lot. There’s a lot of people went there that nite as expected. Once the azan from the mosque nearby can be heard, everybody starts to eat and attack the buffet line. Some people will take a big portion with few plates on hand as if there was no tomorrow and think they can eat like a hungry horse. But the good thing about this restaurant, they always replenish the dishes when finish.

Although the restaurant was busy with patrons, the chef also turun padang (came to monitor and help) to oversee the restaurant operation. I told my wife, “Maybe I will take photo with the chef itself later and post it on my facebook and blogs”. When I was lining up on the buffet line, I stumble with Chef Ismail himself and I just ask him, “Chef, later can I took photo with you to be posted on my blog and facebook.” He smile and says, “Why not, it’s my pleasure. Just tell me when you want to take picture with me. Enjoy your dinner first. Once you are ready, just ask again from me.”

I was quite happy that he willing to take a photo with me although he don’t ever knew me. First impression does make an impact on a person. I thought most celebrity will not entertain those people who want take a picture with them. But this goes the way round for Chef Ismail. So, I took picture with him and also a picture of him with my wife. He don’t want us to pose like normal but with an action. Just see the photo and you will know.

Chef Ismail and me.

Chef Ismail entertain us by singing traditional malay song.

Once we had finished our dinner, Chef Ismail ask us to stay a bit longer as he want to entertain us by singing karaoke for his favourite traditional songs. What a surprise, the chef do sings very well. We were really entertain by him and fellow friends which singing on the stage provided. Finally, we have a group photo with the Hilton group with Chef Ismail.

Group photo

Maps and Location

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Mum's Place Restaurant @ Damansara Perdana

Mum's Place Restaurant cum Furniture Gallery

If you were wondering around Damansara Perdana, you will find a lot of nice condo’s, apartment, studio apartment and duplex condo at this area. Some says it a place for the elite and the rich. The place located at lush greenery area next to a hills. The place was used to be orang asli settlement area but when the developer develops the area, the developer gave some proper landed house for them as an exchange for the land. Although the place had been developed, you may see some of the orang asli entering the jungles near the well built apartment and condo’s to gather some jungle produce from there.

Mum's Place dining table setup

Some of the item display are for sale.

Let’s starts talking about a fine dining place which a must to visit when you are in this area. The place that I’m talking about is My Mum’s Place. The shop is quite different from other shop where it also furniture shops. What i meant is, the furniture where you dine or the item been display in the shop, if you like it, you can buy it. I know back on my home town Sibu, a shop called Cafe Cafe also having the similar concept. Can be say, the idea in Sibu was taken from here. According to my wife, the shop was established long way before Cafe Cafe open in Sibu as her late mums family side always dine there since her granny still alive. Maybe this concept was make the Sibu Cafe Cafe owner wanted to do the same as well.

The Eagle Sculpture close up on top of the dragon

The dragon beneath the eagle.

The food sold here is quite nice and the atmospheres are cosy. It feels like at home. I was amazed with the sculpture of an eagle and a dragon. You may purchase it if you have the money. The weight is 300kg. For those Feng Shui and art lover, the money is not a problem if the sculpture is worth spending. About the food, all the food are the family recipe which been past down the generations. The food is nice and delicious.  My wife really loves the fried sambal cencaru with stink bean. There a variety of food to choose and all are ala carte. The food serve here are all halal food.

The menu

Yet another menu to choose from.

Fried cencaru with sambal and petai (stink beans)

Pucuk Keledek with fried blachan

Fried portugese black pepper beef

Lotus chicken soup

Thai Water Chestnut

ABC aka Air Batu Campur

Map and Location:

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Kampua Mee @ Bandar Puteri Puchong

Beryll Cafe at Bandar Puteri Puchong

Kampua mee, oh kampua mee,  finally the closest taste of kampua mee is here in KL. It is not in KL u can find this aunthetic Sibu food, you need to travel all way down to Bandar Puteri Puchong for it. I discover this place from my bro in law where he get to know this place from our ex school teacher, Mr. Authur Wee aka Mr. Arthur Wee.  The shop named is Beryll Cafe. You won’t be mistaken which shop coz it the only shop selling Sarawak food.

The stalls which selling the kampua mee.

The fellow who opens up this stall is a Foochow Neng (ppl) from Sibu itself. I did interview him for a while and he was quite friendly and happy when he knew that a Sibu ppl came to his stalls craving for Sibu food such as kampua mee and bian sip (wantan).

He did told me that most of his ingredient are imported and bring directly from Sibu such as the mee, the soy sauce, the chilli sauce and pork lard. Hahahaha... According to him, as his business seem to be good, he will bring in the machine to make the kampua mee  to KL from Sibu. He is planning to open branches if his business is improving.

Kampua Mee with black soy sauce and chili sauce.

Bian Sip soup aka Wantan Soup

Dry Bian Sip with black soy sauce and chili

For the price of the food, it is quite pricey than the price serve back home in sibu. Can be said double the price from back home. But back here in West Malaysia, RM4.50 for a plate of kampua is reasonable as most of the food sell here are expensive. For those who are from Sibu and staying in Klang Valley, this is a place we can go for visit if we crave for Sibu food.

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