Standard Chartered KL Marathon 2012

 

It's another milestone for me this year at the Standard Chartered KL Marathon which was held on 24th June 2012. This marked my 2nd participation in the yearly run held by SC and this is also my 4th run ever since I started running last year. It's my fourth medal for finishing the 10km category and I must say that I could have done better if not for the heavy travel schedule for the past few weeks that I didn't get to train.

I was quite happy with the results because at least I improved by 8 minutes from my run last year. This time, I managed to complete 10.79km in 1:16:19 and I finished at the top 10% of the women open 10km category. The route is quite challenging as there were quite some elevations throughout the journey and I hate running uphill!

I'm glad Yiling also participated in this run together with Calvin. It's their first SC KL run but their 2nd run after the Energizer run a few months ago. Eventhough they are still new to the scene, they both are really good. That's why you both should sign up for the "speed" category and not the "cruise" category!

At the time I finished, Dataran Merdeka was still quite empty. However, in another 30 minutes the whole place was jam-packed! I also like the availability of Salonpas Pain Relief Spray where we can get a spray or two after completing the run.

Nando's was also there to promote their "chicken". They gave away vouchers for free Coca-Cola - how disappointing (and it has to be redeemed from a certain outlet)!

This is my running gang! Some of them has already moved on to Half Marathon and hopefully I will be also able to do that end of this year.

After such a tiring run, we head to Segambut to have some Ipoh Road Yong Tau Foo! The calories burnt was instantly replenished. The next day, I was limping to work and for the past few days, I couldn't walk properly but I was glad I managed to start training again yesterday but for a start, I only ran 2.5km before heading home for dinner. See you next week at the NTV7 Feel Good Run!

Gourmet Burgers @ The Daily Grind, Bangsar Village

It was a well-planned Saturday brunch which took place because one of my girlfriends wanted to pass me a pair of shoes. If it hadn't been for the shoes, we don't know when we could actually meet up and have a meal due to our busy working schedules. It seems that life after college is all about WORK!

These 3 pretty girls are all from Ipoh! However, we only get to know each other while in college. How ironic. And the funny thing is, they come from a different high school from me and our schools are rivals but we managed to become good friends. I guess school rivalry spirit ends when you leave for tertiary education. What a silly thing to hate other people's school right? I still don't get it.

I suggested that we should go to The Daily Grind in Bangsar Village. When I first patronised this outlet a month ago, I really like this place. It will continue to be my hangout joint for sometime. I can't believe I was so out of touch with food outlets in town that until my friend suggested to dine here, I didn't know about this outlet hiding in the lower ground floor of Bangsar Village.

Although The Daily Grind is located at the Lower Ground floor, it faces the main street and that brightens up the whole place. I love the sunlight in the morning and my favourite place is at the bar area though it's a smoking area and usually there is no one there at brunch time. This place is very comfortable, nothing pretentious and you don't feel a lack of choice for food from the menu.

 

All Day Breakfast Burger (RM27)

I had a All Day Breakfast Burger which the name suggests is indeed something you would have for breakfast! It is made of a 100g juicy beef patty, topped with turkey bacon, fried egg, sauteed mushrooms on English muffin. On the sides, there's grilled tomato, baked beans and thick cut fries. Hmm.. this is an all day burger to me!

 

Avocado & Bacon Burger (RM29)

This burger has lots of avocado cream, topped with crispy turkey bacon and BBQ sauce on a juicy beef patty. My gf seemed to enjoy every morsel of it. I think avocado with burgers is an acquired taste and I don't seem to have that special tastebud.

 

 Classic Beef Burger (RM24)

The first time I was there, I had this Classic Beef Burger which was quite a tall order due to all the ingredients all stacked up together. They used their own mustard mix sauce and also a homemade tomato sauce topped with lots of pickles on buttered toast buns. While I really like the beef patty, I actually don't really fancy pickles. I would be more happy if they had put in lettuce instead of pickles.

Jai Ho Burger (RM28)

I guess you can tell from the name that this burger draws inspiration from the land of Bollywood. It has a juicy chargrilled chicken breast smothered with a spicy mayo sauce, topped with red pickles and served with pappadums. Quite unique don't you think so?

The coffee served here are using the Cafe Vergnano 1882 from Italy. Even Gordon Ramsay says this is a "remarkably sublime coffee". This is definitely one of the better coffees out there. Nice presentation, good aroma and smooth coffee.

Besides making their own beef and chicken patties, the ketchup and chilli sauce is also homemade. Therefore, you'll notice that the ketchup is unusual and it looks like it's pureed from fresh tomatoes! It's one of my favourite places now due to accessibility and also the food choices. You don't really have to eat the burgers because there's other dishes like pasta, soups, ribs and more. The price is reasonable and you won't feel your wallet screaming after a meal.

The Daily Grind

LG 8 Lower Ground, Bangsar Village
1 Jalan Telawi 1, Bangsar Baru 59100
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Website

Open: Everyday 11:00am-11:00pm

Email: burgers@thedailygrind.com.my

Telephone: +60 3 2287 6708
Fax: +60 3 2287 6707

A little obsessed with shoes perhaps?

I don't know why women love shoes but I know I am one of them! Long before I could afford better shoes for my discerning feet, I've always been fascinated with heels. I think my first pair of "heels" was a pair of platform shoes (those that are 4 inches in height and looked like an iron) but it was a rave when I was a teenager. It's like an insight to preparing yourself for heels!

 My first pair of expensive heels and then more...

When I first started working, earning a miserable salary doesn't help when you've got so many bills to pay. I can't even think of buying a pair of expensive heels. All I could afford was probably in a range of RM50 a pair. Then, in 2009 that's when I bought my first pair of branded heels. It was a pair of Nine West grey 3&1/2 inch-heel-sandal which I got for a steal at under RM200. After that, it was no looking back.

But I've also been wasting money buying ridiculous shoes like the 4-inch-heeled black pumps from Aldo which had a wooden heel that can probably kill a snatch thief if I were to throw this at him. It's nice to oggle at but it's killing my feet. Actually there are reasons why I splurged so much on pretty shoes.

1. It's a serious MOOD-BOOSTER. You feel good when your feet looks good! Did you know that when the neurotransmitter dopamine is released while trying these pretty shoes, it provides a feel-good high, similar to taking a drug! "The dopamine increases until you swipe your credit card." Tadaa... and for me, I just ignore the guilt that crept in after that. 

2. HEIGHT = POWER "Like most animals, we're wired to associate height with power," says Helen Fisher, PhD, professor of anthropology at Rutgers University. "High heels can literally raise your status because you're taller when you wear them." Hmm... I think it's a half-truth because people are intimidated by people who are taller but that doesn't mean I have better status.  

3. SEXY Why does women look more sexy in stilettos? Don't you feel that feet are always associated with sex and it's more erotic if someone turns up in really sexy stilettoes? Well, when a woman wears high-heels, it lifts her butts and arches her back. That contributes to a sexy poise.

Actually, I do envy people who are not-so-tall (politically correct) because they can wear 4-inch-heels and they don't look like giants. But when I wear a pair of 3-inch-heels, I am very tall and to make matters worse, my girlfriends would not want to stand beside me! And therefore, I have always been buying so many shoes but I rarely wear them. I was clearing my shoe cabinet today and I found that I have some shoes to give away and about 10 pairs to throw due to peeling and spoilt heels.

 

All these shoes are size 38(EU) or 7(US). Some of them I've worn a few times and some only once and the problem I had with these shoes is that it's a tad too small for my feet. One lesson learnt while buying shoes at cold temperatures - your feet tend to be a little smaller. I plan to give these all away and it ached my heart to part with them. And so if anyone who is interested to have them, you can always let me know and we'll see if we can find the right time to meet so that you can have these. 

See, I'm such a sucker for shoes! And I'm such a spendrift too for buying these shoes and not be able to fully utilise them. I think at this moment, I have 30 pairs? Probably one pair for each day of the month? Hehe... I am still longing for the day I own a pair of Louboutins!

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Culinary Month @ Club Med Cherating

This is something new to me. I've never visited a resort that offers a culinary experience such as one that was organised by Club Med Cherating when I was at the resort last month. Culinary month in Club Med Cherating is not all about pilling on food. It's about savouring and learning to cook Club Med's signature dishes. During this month, guests staying at the resort would get to taste Club Med's signature culinary specialities and at the same time, they get to learn how to cook from the Club Med expert chefs and also visiting chefs.

Part of the reason why Club Med is my preferred choice of holiday is due to its all-inclusive-package which includes all these delightful cuisines and choices. The dishes served at the Mutiara Restaurant in Club Med Cherating was appetising, appealing and of quality. Some of them looked as if I was dining at a fine-dining restaurant. From Italian to Korean, your choice of food here is endless. Having good food coupled with a good holiday experience is utmost important to me and I'm glad the resort is able to offer that.

 Sushi Making Demonstration & Competition

I was a little excited when I saw the parent/children sushi roll making competition. The kids are so cute and I told Sue Lynn that I would like to borrow one of these kids for the competition! Haha... The chef firstly demonstrate how to roll a sushi and then shortly after that, the children get their hands at work and start rolling their sushi.

After that, it was our turn, the guests without Kids! Haha... I was so excited to make my own sushi roll and I can't wait how it turn out to be. I felt like a kid all over again. Well, it turn out that I was a little greedy and my sushi was a little fat too! Hehe... The whole activity was really enjoyable because after that, you get to eat your own sushi roll.

   

Chef Alexandre Beaulieu, who runs "We Cater For You" in London is the guest chef at Club Med Cherating for the culinary month. I first met him at this restaurant, La Vie En Rose at Jalan Raja Chulan, KL and this would be my 2nd time meeting him here in CM Cherating. The media had a chance to have an interview with the guest chef and also the Executive Chef of CM Cherating, Chef Ibrahim from Turkey. 

We had a good time asking Chef Alex some questions. I remembered when one of the media asked him to use a word to describe himself, he replied "Mr. Bean". He told us that he has heard guests commenting that he looks like Mr. Bean a few times and he has even been asked if he is him?!!

What Chef Alex loved most about being a chef is that he is able to interact with the customers, and to share the culinary expertise and experience with his clients. He also told us that when he was very young, his grandparents used to own a restaurant until they passed away. His philosophy towards cooking is truly simple. It's all about simple cusines that tastes great using traditional recipes. The 1st dish he has ever cooked was when he was young and he secretly cooked a caramel when his parents were out.

Did you know that the most important utensil to him is the spoon? There's a little pocket on his left sleeve where it's meant for the spoon! It's for trying dishes, of course!

   

 Chef Alex will be at the restaurant during dinner time to cook.

During the 2 nights there, I was able to try the creations or specialty dishes that was meant for the culinary month.  The 1st night, Chef Alex made a foie gras dish with pears. It's a simple dish but it tasted good as the pears were complimenting the foie gras really well. On my 2nd night, he cooked a dish with snails (escargots) and it was paired with a garlic sauce with chives.

 

During this month, the guests also get to learn from the guest chef from the cooking demonstrations. On one of the days, Chef Alex demonstrated the right way to do a fruits flambeed using rum. I finally understand how it can be done without burning my kitchen or even my eyebrows. It was a eye-opening experience but it was also informative as we can ask questions on the spot so that we know the right way of doing it. I'm not sure if my mom would approve me of doing this at her kitchen but I guess I could always give it a try whenever she's out of the house. *cheeky mode

 

I truly enjoyed myself during the Culinary Month at Club Med Cherating. I felt that it was not only a holiday for me, it was also a time where I can learn something and put it into good use. Of course I have to have a picture with the chef! It's good to know that Chef Alex is really humble and friendly, though he's a french! heheh...

It's not just a holiday at Club Med, it's a total experience.

For more info, please log on to www.clubmed.com.my and you can check out my previous posts.

Life is Delicious @ Club Med Cherating - here.

In Love Again @ Club Med Cherating - here.

Relax & Tone Your Body @ Club Med Cherating - here.

New Tree Top Adventure @ Club Med Cherating - here.

Maiden Visit to Club Med Bali Indonesia - here.

Things I did at Club Med Bali - here.

Club Med Spa @ Bali - here.

The Worthy Book

Have you heard about the Worthy Book? If you're into instant great deals all year long for food & drinks, you're worthy of this book! This Worthy Book Special Edition 2012-2013 is something you would like to have if you're sick of calling and making reservations for deals you've bought on group buying websites. These vouchers are to be used instantly at the outlet and they are valid through 31st March 2013 except for a few outlets (Shogun, Saisaki, Subway, Mochi Sweets, Bee Cheng Hiang, Meet Fresh & Share Tea).

It has a menu page that categorize the food by the types of cuisine. The restaurants or outlet featured are of the medium price range. There are a few of those that I would like to try - Hanare, Brotzeit and Ninja Joe! And there are some that I have always frequent such as Subway, Toast Box and Mochi Sweets. These outlets are all giving some good deals!

If you like Japanese food, they have quite a number of participating outlets like Santouka ramen which are offering vouchers of free side dishes. There are a total of 57 participating outlets and over 275 vouchers offering absolutely free meals, Buy 1 Free 1 deals, free upsize, 50% off, and many more. Every outlet featured also come with a short review and the address with their operation hours. I also like that they provide information such as price range and also if the outlet is Halal or otherwise. The vouchers are easy to identify and navigate. So if you love deals, you'll love this book.

Worthy Book is available at all major bookstores (MPH, Popular, Times, Borders, Kinokuniya) and also selected myNEWS.com outlets in Klang Valley at RM29.90. If you are really interested NOW,  you can also check out their FB page & website at www.facebook.com/worthybook and www.worthybook.my

Life is delicious @ Club Med Cherating Beach

 

I have been having such a bad day that I really need to be reminded of something nice. Nice means two things to me now - holiday and food. Recently, I was invited to Club Med Cherating Beach to experience their Culinary Month where guests staying at either Cherating Beach or Phuket during this period will not only get to taste it's signature culinary specialties, we also have the opportunity to learn how to cook!

This is really fun! It's a holiday that doesn't take much planning because it's all-inclusive and the GOs (Gentle Organisers) will take care of the activities, it's not too far away as it's only 4 hours drive from KL to Cherating and it's also a holiday where you can indulge in good food and endless cocktails! Need I say more?

There's just so much to do. We spent 3 days and 2 nights at the resort but it felt like we've just arrived yesterday. Sports and food activities filled our days, meeting chefs and learning how to cook during holidays is really something new to me. I'll show you what we've learnt in the next post but first, let me show you what you can do at Club Med Cherating Beach.

 The rooms have a rustic charm, a forest living atmosphere but with a traquil sea view.

If sailing is not your thing, join the daily aerobic at the pool, a dip or even a swim.

 

Cherating punch, Monkey juice, Gin fizz or a Bloody Mary. Have a drink on me!

Good food is a feature here, from western to korean, fancy and simple. Have a pick!

 

The bar is open, from morning to night. You can have a coffee or a gin and tonic! 

This is where I over-used the line "let me buy you a drink!"

 

If drinking is your thing, join a cocktail-making class. Make one yourself, like a pro!

The sun is too hot, I need to chill. Here's the lounge, have a drink and save the day!

Do something. Play a game. I like the archery so much, I couldn't stay away.
Don't mess with me or I'll plant an arrow on your forehead.

Sue Lynn was brave. She tried to swing but I on the other hand, had too much drinks.
You want to get on these wires, you can't even have a sip of alcohol. 

Wanna be a Spiderman in action? You can too when you swing from tree to tree.
The tree top activity is utmost popular here. You have gotta try it!

I didn't drink as much as you would have imagined. Just a modest 10 glasses a day.

There's just so much to do, see and to experience at Club Med Cherating. This is just an introduction to the resort through the simplest way. I have a list as long as my arm to keep you company for the next few coming posts. It's all about good food, good company and good fun! So stay tuned!

My previous post on Club Med Cherating Beach here.

www.clubmed.com.my

Orange, orange!

This is my new acquisition. In fact it's my first football jersey. I love the colours, and I also love Robin Van Persie. The funny thing is, the sizes in Europe are all so big and I need to buy it from kid's sizes. If you want to know how much is this jersey, it's actually 70 Euros. Oh well, there's always a first. And you'll know which team I support for Euro 2012.

Holland - het winnende team!! Robin Van Persie... Ik vind je leuk!!

Recently, I've also discovered how difficult it is to run on sand. Training at the beach is no easy feat as the sand adds to the friction when running. But it does feel better running at 10°C compared to running at 30°C on a beach in the morning. After almost 5km, I felt like I've lost my legs and my hands were freezing. It is an experience.

This year, I've signed up for a few runs. Coming up, I'll still be running 10km for Standard Chartered KL Marathon and Adidas King of The Road. Then I'll run 7km for NTV Feel Good Run and the ultimate is the debut 21km run in Nov for Penang Bridge Run. Therefore, I really need to run more during these few months to prepare myself. If I can overcome that, I'll run the Standard Chartered Singapore Half Marathon as well.

Wish me luck!