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For many of us who prefers a wide variety of food and sometimes just too busy or occupied to drive out for a sit-in-dining, the introduction of GrabFood has been a godsend. Day or night, just a few clicks away and we can have some of our favorite restaurants deliver their delicious meals right to the doorstep, how the world has changed for the better!

This year, for the celebration of Malaysia Day, GrabFood is bringing out the Makan-Makan Malaysia promo. From now until 6th of October, enjoy 31% OFF with your order (up to RM 31 discount, min RM 25 spend required) for up to 8 times.

Simply use the HOTDEALS promo code if you’re in Klang Valley with participating merchants, and HOTDEALS31 for all merchants in Outer Klang Valley ((Melaka, Penang, Johor Bahru, Kuching, Kota Kinabalu)

GrabFood, operating day or night

These are the participating outlets for those in Klang Valley:

• YellowBrickRoad / Wizards At Tribeca/ The Red Beanbag
• Village Park
• A&W (First fast food chain in Malaysia)
• KGB
• Marrybrown (Malaysian fast food chain)
• myBurgerLab + myPizzaLab
• Old Klang Road Hokkien Mee
• Hawker Hall
• Secret Recipe (Born and bred in Malaysia)
• San Francisco Coffee (Malaysian brand, with great coffee)
• Inside Scoop
• The Chicken Rice Shop

Additionally, there are  more than 100+ merchants that will be participating MAKAN-MAKAN MALAYSIA, memang plenty to choose from!

31% off myBurgerLab, yesss

I took the advantage and ordered two dishes from one of my favorite local brands – myPizzaLab and myBurgerLab, which worked out to be an excellent deal after the discounts.

Nasi Lemak Ayam Rendang Burger via GrabFood

My pick for MyBurgerLab was their Nasi Lemak Ayam Rendang Burger, which comes in their signature bamboo charcoal buns, a general piece of rendang chicken with telur goyang, sambal, fried anchovies, pickled, and even a layer of peanut butter jam. Take note, this burger is only exclusively available if you order on GrabFood or via GrabPay in-store! 

Definitely did not disappoint, it was rich, flavorful, and packs a punch.

Apam Baling Balik Pizza, one of a kind

Apam Baling Balik Pizza was the choice from myPizzaLab, a sister restaurant to myBurgerLab. The dish is a playful marriage between traditional pizza and Malaysia’s very own apam balik. Treat this as a dessert for sharing and you’d be delighted. The combination of sweetness and nutty flavor worked surprisingly well. The #ApamBalingBalikPizza too is exclusively available on GrabFood or via GrabPay in-store! 

Remember, you have until 6th of October to take advantage of the HOTDEALS promo!

I’ve been on a bit of a hot pot hunt as of late (or as well call it in Malaysia, steamboat), especially Sichuan style mala hot pot. So when the opportunity to be one of the earliest group to sample Xiao Long Kan Sichuan Hot Pot (小龙坎火锅) came calling, I was quite excited, to say the least.

Xiao Long Kan at Fahrenheit 88

Xiao Long Kan is one of the most popular spicy steamboat chain originated from Chengdu, which is the capital of  Sichuan province in China. So when it comes to authenticity, you can’t do any better than that, this is the ground zero of Spicy mala hot pot.

pork bone broth, tomato, or mala soup?

Xiao Long Kan’s first branch in Malaysia is located at Fahrenheit 88, more specifically, at the side that is facing Starhill shopping mall (don’t try to look for it INSIDE Fahrenheit 88 like I did..)

While there’s plenty of seats spanning across 4 levels, it already gets pretty packed, but a little patience from your end and I’m sure you’ll agree that it is definitely worth it.

original condiment, without all the other fuss

There’s four different soup base to choose from – traditional spicy soup (mala, a must have), tomato soup, mushroom, and pork bone broth. You can always go for up to three like we did (all except mushroom). Additionally, the level of spiciness can also be customized. Do refer to the menu below.

Condiment situation is different here at Xiao Long Kan compared to just about every other hot pot outlets. Instead of a dozen or even more choices, here they stick to the traditional way of cilantro, green onion, and garlic. A special oil (xiang yu) is then added to the condiment which has the property of lowering heat. You can also choose to add soya sauce or black vinegar, though the good chef does not recommend doing so.

This blend is to ensure the taste of ingredients and soup is tasted to its fullest instead of being overpowered by fancy condiments. Can’t say I disagree.

Australian wagyu A5, we had to order another portion, so good

And then there’s ingredients. Xiao Long Kan does not lack in “special dishes” not easily found at other restaurants. Some of which even requires some sense of adventure.

We were served with Astralian wagyu A5 (so good we went for seconds), pork ball, pork neck, fish paste,  prawns, pork belly, chili beef, rose meat ball, sliced lamb, and these are just the “normal dishes”.

meat slices, duck intestine, pork blood, balls, pig’s brain, and tripe

In addition, we also had duck intestine, tripe, pork blood (my love!), pig’s brain, and even aorta!

I like that they also include a guide on the menu on how long you should cook each ingredients – ranging from 30 seconds (sliced green bamboo shoots), to 8 minutes (pig’s brain). Following the guide ensures that you don’t overcook certain items to the point where flavor is lost, or worse, under cook dishes and end up having an washing machine within…

sliced green bamboo shoots were definitely on point

Their rice cake & fried crispy meat are two of the ready-to-eat items we tried, and both are pretty delicious too. The rice cake should be consumed soonest possible to enjoy that crispy on the outside and soft inside texture.

As a rule of thumb, meat is best cooked in the clear or spicy soup, while vege goes better with tomato/clear soup, as advised by the head chef from Chengdu.  These sort of pairing ensures that taste doesn’t clash, sorta like how you pair red with meat, and white with seafood kinda idea.

Jess, Mei Mei, KY, Eunice, Mag at Xiao Long Kan

Overall I got to say that this was one of the best hotpot I had recently, the super thick tomato soup, to the aroma from the red spicy soup, and all those fancy, fresh, and mostly imported ingredients. I’m pretty sure we’ll be back again for more mala goodness.

Address:
Xiao Long Kan
Lot 03, Block D, 179,
Fahrenheit88, Jalan Bukit Bintang,
55100 Kuala Lumpur
GPS: 3.147331, 101.713282
FB:  www.facebook.com/XiaoLongKanMY

Most human draws to the beauty of the ocean – crystal clear water, blue sky, and all that nature has to offer. I’ve had several fantastic experience in live aboard diving trips over the years at Thailand and Maldives, but if you’re looking for this type of experience in Mediterranean, then you would appreciate what Turkey Luxury Gulet has to offer.

While there are many ways to plan a group trip sailing across these water, Turkeyluxurygulet.com is the #1 gulet specialist for luxury cruises in Turkey. Starting out with how easy is it to plan: Simple describe the group with its composition, size, and dates of your holiday and they’ll do the rest.

The team has organized over 650+ such gulet charters so you know they’ve got it down when it comes to providing the best possible experience. Expectation is matched with the right type of gulet, crew, and itinerary with breath taking view.

Turkeyluxurygulet.com went on to inspect 573 different gulets and chose the best 50 to be in their fleet setting the standard in terms of quality, value, and customer service.

I also like the fact that they’ve listed their fleet with pricing information right on the website for easier budgeting. You can find these unique experience starting from 7,000 EUR on a 24 meter gulet with 4 cabins for 8 guests, all the way to something that’s upwards of 100,000+ EUR for an ultra luxurious experience on a 50m gulet for 6 cabins with 12 guests.

If you’re looking for an unforgettable experience over these beautiful water, check out Turkeyluxurygulet.com

Pretty much all of us has done the two following things:

• visiting 24 hour convenient store
• visiting 24 hour makan places

What if I told you that now, there’s a place where you can have both of these in one place? The wealth of choice offered by convenient stores, as well as a good selection of ready to eat hot food and chilled drinks at an always open location with comfortable seating area. Now wouldn’t that be a great concept?

KK Concept Store at Bukit Bintang

Well, welcome to KK Concept Store where you find exactly that.

I was invited to the opening of this brand new concept at the very first KK Concept Store at Bukit Bintang to see what it is all about, and from the first impression, I think this is offering exactly what many of us didn’t know we needed.

packs with over 4-5000 items to choose from

So how is this concept store differ from the 400 outlets of “regular” KK Super Mart?

Well, to start with, there’s going to be many ready-to-eat and fresh food offered at the concept store – from premium satey sauce with kangkung, asam pedas oden, hainanese chicken chop, chicken rendang bento rice, to pao and even siu mai.

fresh food with proper seating area and even massage chairs

Additionally, heading upstairs you’ll find over 1000 square feet of dining/seating area with free wifi, power outlets, and even clean toilet, much like a proper cafe would. Interestingly, there’s even a couple massage chairs as well (I use these a lot especially at mall/airports)

the people behind KK Group, including CEO Datuk Seri Dr KK Chai

On the opening day event, we were treated with a curated lunch expertly arranged by Eunice, and everything you see on the beautifully presented table are from food item available at this KK Concept Store.

The group aim to open another 40 more such KK Concept Store by 2020, which each outlet strategically located at both residential and high traffic area. I need one to be near me!

CEO Datuk Seri Dr KK Chai, Taste Test, Eunice & KY

From 20th to 22nd July, 2019, there’s a Buy 1 Free 1 promotion on all food item at B Cafe, and subsequently a 20% off all Bento sets from 23rd July till 11th August, 2019. The promotion will continue with 20% off all make-to-order sandwiches from 12st August till 31st August, 2019.

Do check it out!

When I first received the invitation for Gin Rik Sha, I must admit that from the name itself I’d have never guessed what this place is all about.

Gin Rik Sha, Plaza Damansara

Well, as briefed to us, the name Gin Rik Sha actually derived from the “pulled rickshaw” in Japanese, which does not really explain what they serve here and how it is all related, but it is definitely a fun quirky name that I’ll remember.

a drink after a long day’s work

As it turned out, this restaurant at Plaza Damansara specialized in something that isn’t very common around Klang Valley – modern Indian cuisine with a bit of fusion touch, as well as a fully equipped bar serving wine, whisky, spirits, and even cocktails.

how do you like your cocktails?

Started the evening with cocktail, I wanted something sour and was recommended to go with Amma’s Potion made with gin, coriander leaf, lime juice, and cucumber syrup, a good refreshing start to the evening.

My second was Whisky Cha, a play of whisky, masala herbs, and sour which was a tad more sophisticated compared to the refreshing note of the first.

If you’re not a cocktail person, there’s plenty of other drinks to choose from, alcoholic or otherwise (see menu below)

chili chicken is great as bar snack

If you like something with a bit of a kick to start, Chili Chicken certainly fits the bill. This is Gin Rik Sha’s interpretation to the classic popcorn chicken but one that is quite high on the spicy meter. Juicy inside, crispy out while being spicy and aromatic, I love it, a perfect bar snack to go with beer, or cocktail in this case.

kerala shrimp, wrap it up

Kerala shrimp is a classic Indian dish of spicy tamarind flavored shrimp with roasted coconut, and in this case served with toasted chapati instead of rice, which turned out to be quite a good combination. The sauce carried a kick and complimented the seafood well without being overpowering.

banana leaf baked sea bass

If you like fish, check out the Banana Leaf Baked Sea Bass – banana leaf wrapped with fresh aromatic sea bass and basmathi rice and served with brinjal sambal.

This dish is certainly a full meal, love the long grain rice and I wish there’s more brinjal sambal to go with! The fish was prepared properly and not overcooked, a good execution in this case. If this could be tapao as lunch I’d be a happy man.

Other interesting dishes on the menu includes spiced cauliflower rice, vegetable lasagna, chicken briyani, and even rack of lamb. There’s a good variety of modern and traditional classic to choose from.

hello Sammi! kulfi with caramelized bananas, carrot halwa filo pastry samosa

In the dessert department, their menu isn’t exactly very comprehensive. We did try the Kulfi with Caramelized Bananas and Carrot Halwa Filo Pastry Samosa with Black Pepper Ice Cream as the sweet endings to the night.  I enjoyed the samosa and pepper ice cream, and thought the kulfi was perhaps ordinary and not having a lot to write home about.

Overall this was certainly an interesting visit, a place fit for after-work wind down or a proper meal with friends. The menu and combination is bolder than most, and I for one welcome more innovations in culinary offerings in KL.

Address:
Gin Rik Sha
37, Ground Floor, Plaza Damansara,
Jalan Medan Setia 1, Bukit Damansara,
50490 Kuala Lumpur
GPS: 3.150079, 101.652613
Tel:  010-243 8266