The Burberry Beauty Collection, KLCC

Who doesn’t know world wide renowned brand Burberry, famous British fashion house with its global iconic portfolio of the trench coat, trademark check pattern and Prorsum horse logo? Luxurious handbags, fashions, fragrances, and fashion accessories are the list of products available from Burberry.

When I received an invitation to participate in a makeover session in conjunction with the Burberry Beauty product line in KLCC few weekends ago, how can I resist? J

Burberry is now adding beauty to its current portfolio of extensive fashion divisions and this is certainly great news for all beauty lovers here in Malaysia. We were also informed that for the first time in fashion, we are ahead of SG as Burberry has not launch their beauty line there yet!

BURBERRY BEAUTY THE COLLECTION

Burberry Beauty is characterized by the timeless features of the trench coat – it is breathable, lightweight and modern, it’s a subtle layer between you and the elements.

Burberry Beauty takes inspiration from the trench coat which is the heartbeat of Burberry. Capturing its functionality, innovation, iconic style and the sentimental, protective connotations from the elements.

‘Burberry Beauty is an effortless, natural expression of the Burberry world and every detail is designed in that mindset. It is the complete complement and expression of the Burberry girl.’ quoted Christopher Bailey (CCO, Burberry)

Burberry Signature Spring Look

 

Overview of the Burberry Beauty counter at KLCC

Fragrance counter is now incorporated with the Burberry Beauty counter

I love this Burberry Sport Fragrance for women. Light and refreshing!

Burberry Beauty showcases natural colors and a wide range of color schemes to cater to each individual’s skin tone.

What impressed me the most was the Sheer Foundation, a luminous fluid foundation with vitamin E to fight signs of ageing and UV filters to protect our skin from the sun. This foundation is based on a hydrating formula to give a luminous subtle and smooth complexion to the skin when applied. Most foundations on the market are oil based but this one feels light and matt, thus giving it a very natural finish without the heaviness of the oil. There is also a Sheer Compact Foundation as well.

The gorgeous natural colors of the Sheer Eye Shadows all beautifully arranged in nature’s shades. I adore the gentleness of the colors as these will remain classic and timeless for a long time to come.

Luscious shades of peaches and pinks to deep reds and plums showcase the Burberry Lip Covers. Moist color stays on even after several hours.

Check out how much thoughts went to designing this lip cover! Elegant designs on the lipstick itself and the packaging to signify the trademark.

Burberry Lip Glow and Lip Definer range to match its Lip Cover colors. I am a big fan of lip gloss and these are just so irresistible! I want one each for all the shades. ;)

There is also an Effortless Mascara available only in black. According to the Product Manager, Ashley, Burberry believes that black is the best color to enhance nature’s given eyelashes. There are also several colored Eye Liners available in dark shades.

To add to the wonderful beauty session, we had our own portrait for remembrance before we were ushered to Chinoz on the Park for an English tea and scones.

Dainty finger sandwiches, smoked salmon, and a scrumptious set of desserts really bring a sense of indulgence to my afternoon!

Buttery scones with cream and jam were such a luxury. Chamomile tea was soothing and mild, adding a sense of satisfaction to the whole affair.       

My favorite dessert was the dark chocolate mousse. It was rich and perfect balance of bitter and sweet with a dollop of cream that really made my day!

The final treat to complete the affair was a token gift bag with Burberry products that was used in my make up session. Truly effortless and inspiring beauty by Burberry!

A big Thank you to the Luxasia Team, Goh Un Lu (Division Gm, Cosmetics & Fragrance), Pink (Senior Product Manager), Ashley (Product Manager) and my make up artist, Christine for all their great work in bringing Burberry Beauty to Malaysia.

Burberry Beauty is now available at KLCC Isetan Counter. Do check it out yourselves… J

Crabby Delights @ Fei Fei Crab Restaurant

One rainy and wet evening, our dear friends took us to go hunting for food and we ended up at Desa Aman Puri, Kepong. We initially wanted to visit Woo Ng Kee Restaurant but it was closed for some reason, hence we ended up at another good find, Fei Fei Crab.

We also saw that this place was visited by Ho Chak! (Local television food show) The restaurant was quite vacant when we arrive but since it was just after the rain, most people were probably too lazy to dine out. Painted bright orange, the restaurant’s environment was certainly cheerful and bright. We dined al fresco because it was quite cool after the rain. The restaurant has two shoplots which has one air conditioned and one al fesco.

I saw poster of the chef (surprisingly young!)  and his parents and newspaper write up of the restaurant and its dishes. To be so young and enteprising is such a great thing for this generation!

We were starving; hence we loaded in our orders of veggie, pork, fish, snails (yep…Japanese snails to be exact!) and crabs, of course!

Service was fast & efficient and our veggies, Belachan Baby Sweet Potato Leaves and Eggplant with Anchovies arrived within minutes of ordering. Pungent and spicy, the veggies were decent and devoured within minutes with piping hot rice.

Great Wall Bone was served next. Quite a hilarious name to the dish but I guess it was to signify one long bone of perfectly grilled pork rib. Sigh...this is super lovely. The caramelized pork was dark and meaty with savory melt-in-the-mouth texture. This is quite similar to Char Siew but not as sweet. Nicely charred with sinful flavors, I could have this all to myself! (or maybe two long bones..hahaha)

We also had Cincalok Crispy Fish. Cincalok is a pinkish sauce of fermented fine shrimps in a brine liquid with salty flavors. Born from Melaka, this sauce is a mixture of small shrimps or krill, salt and rice fermented for few days to get its full bodied flavor. Chef did a great job of using this in the crispy fried fish as it was merely a beautiful undertone for the sauce. The Cincalok sauce has lots of onions, long beans and even petai (stinky beans) and the flavors were spicy and interesting. This is perfect for white rice and I doused mine with lots of the sauce.

Japanese Snails with Butter Sauce was a popular dish according to the waitress. Snails may sound exotic but its texture is similar to clams in a way. This variety has a crunchy and chewy texture which is similar to another clam called ‘Bai Top’ shells. The snails were cooked in a very creamy butter sauce with curry leaves and is best eaten piping hot. Once it cooled down, the sauce turned gooey and sticky. I thought it was over creamy as I could taste heavy cream only.

We were recommended their famous flavor of crab called Kam Heong Butter Crab. Apparently, the young chef came up with harmonizing two distinctive flavors of Kam Heong sauce and Creamy Butter sauce together after experimenting based on his customer’s feedbacks. The sauce was quite unique as there are a lot of spices detected with a creamy buttery finish. Spicy and luscious, we had to order fried bread to mop up the luscious sauce. This sauce is strong, slightly spicy and creamy, hence if you prefer to taste sweetness of the crab, order the Honey Lemon Crab! J

Here's a map on the direction to this restaurant.

I would say the young chef is quite creative in his dishes and he prefers strong flavors in his dishes. If you like heavy flavors, this is the place for you. There is also some other specialties such as German Pork Knuckle, Pattaya Style Pork Knuckle, Cincalok Iron Plate Seafood, Italian Mantis Shrimp and many more creative dishes. With more than 10 flavors of crabs, Fei Fei offers some traditional flavors and some really interesting flavors like Coffee Cheese, Honey Lemon and Creamy Corn as well.

If you are up for an adventure, do try this as most of these dishes are quite unique in its own way. No price available as my friend paid for this meal.

Restaurant Fei Fei Crab
No 7-A Jalan Desa 2/7
Desa Aman Puri
52100 Kepong
Kuala Lumpur
  
Contact Number: 016-237 3794 (Mr. Tan)

Lunch Hours: 1100 am - 2.45 pm

Dinner Hours: 5.00 pm - 11.00pm

Closed Every Tuesday

Serdang Ong Duck Restaurant, Dengkil

During lunch one day, my friend took me to this newly open duck rice place in Dengkil. The name of the restaurant states Serdang, hence I am assuming this is a branch of the famous duck rice in Serdang.

Simple to honest fare, we put in our order quickly for a duck Wan Tan noodle and duck rice.

Iced Barley, soup & pickled chilies waiting patiently for our main fare.

I had the Duck Breast with Wan Tan Noodles. Yum! Despite that is was duck breast, the meat was smooth, moist and flavorful. The best part of all? The slightly crispy skin…was very tasty and lovely! Noodles were al dente and really showcase the duck.

Rice was fluffy and quite aromatic. Tambah nasi please…

My friend had the duck with rice. The duck jus was really good to douse the rice to add extra flavors. Chili sauce was also a good addition to boost up more flavors.

When I feel something is really nice, I cannot resist adding one more picture of it! Look at the golden brown crispy skin of the duck…so lovely!

They also have other dishes available like steamed Soong fish head, minced meat tofu, salted egg tofu, steamed salted fish minced meat and others.

We agreed both noodle and rice was lovely with the scrumptious duck. Whole duck is priced at RM43 and half portion at RM22. Our dishes are between RM4 to RM6, depending on what you order. They do have roast chicken as well.

I have been back here twice since this meal. There are not many places to eat in Dengkil but this one is a sure winner for duck!

Serdang Duck Ong Restaurant

18, Jalan Deluxe 4,

Pusat Perdagangan Deluxe

43800, Dengkil, Selangor

Tel: 012 663 2628, 016 685 0715, 016 355 1399

Heritage Village Aman Suria: Penang Nyonya Food

It was a beautiful Sunday and my family decided to check out this restaurant in Aman Suria for our Sunday brunch. Of course, coming from a Nyonya heritage from Penang, I am an avid fan of Nyonya cuisine. I grew up with the cuisine as my mom would make these dishes for us all the time. When I heard Heritage Village was serving authentic Nyonya cuisine, I had to check it out myself…J

As soon as we sat down on one of the few vacant tables, more people started to walk in. The customers seem to be a loyal fan of this place as they were immediately greeted by the owner, Edmund who seems to know some of them by names. This is certainly a good sign! I love places where service is personal and friendly.

One can opt for dining al fesco or air conditioned. Décor is elegant and simple in earthy tones. Old fashion marble table tops and stools gave the whole ambience an upgraded ‘kopitiam’ feel. Gorgeous posters of its menu were neatly allocated all over the restaurant.

The house menu features the history of the food in the restaurant. Heritage Village family recipes spanned over 3 generations from its founder’s family, Madam Molly Khoo. The restaurant specialized in perfecting their Nasi Lemak or Coconut Rice through a special blend of different rice grains mixed with fresh coconut milk.

Call me silly but I adore visual menus! Somehow, the beautiful photos just seem to make me want to order everything. It also helps to assist customers on identifying the dishes if one is not familiar with this cuisine.

We ordered a 3 Layer Iced Tea (RM4.90) consisting of a layer each of Gula Melaka, milk, and tea. This icy cold tea was dulcet. All the layers seem to harmonized well and really adds a deep luscious dimension to iced tea. One is not enough!

Honey Serai Tea (RM 3.90) was simply refreshing and lovely. A hint of lemongrass undertone with honey served icy cold certainly perks up my Sunday brunch.

When I saw that they serve Acar Fish, I had to order this. My mom makes it when a certain fish is available and I would just polish up bowls of white rice with this fish and its gravy alone.

Heritage Nasi Lemak with Acar Fish (RM9.90) was such a steal! There is a lovely whole fish fried crisp and pickled in its lovely tumeric and vinegar sauce with lots of shredded ginger and chili. Simply out-of-this-world when paired with fragrant fluffy coconut rice, sambal sauce and crispy peanuts with anchovies. The taste was delicate and well balanced. We feedback to the owner for more sauce please…J

We selected another Nasi Lemak with Chicken Rendang (RM 7.90). The chicken rending was super scrumptious. Cooked till tender and thicken, the sauce was rich and full bodied with spices and coconut milk. We wiped the plate clean for the sauce. I could polish of the rice alone with the luscious sauce.

Another must-have dish from Penang is char koay teow. Heritage Char Koay Teow is quite good (RM7.90). Subtle hint of wok hei, the koay teow was nicely seasoned with juicy prawns, plenty of crunchy beansprouts and ‘kau choi’.

A good secret to Nyonya cuisine is Sambal Belachan. The one here is lethal and delicious. Beautifully pounded, the color is gorgeous and the taste is superb.

One of my favorite Nyonya dish is Otak Otak. One can really showcase Peranakan skills with this fish mousse. The flavors are complex from all the spices and herbs utilized to make this a well balanced dish.

Heritage makes a magnificient Otak Otak (RM5.50)! Well spiced and wrapped with kadok leaves and banana leaves, this steamed mousse has chunky pieces of fish and was wonderfully aromatic and addictive. Portion is huge for its price and the flavors and texture were perfect. As I was writing this, I am already ordering some from Heritage for an upcoming party of mine!

The Otak Otak was so divine that we cannot resist putting in an order of Otak Otak Toast (RM5.90). Check out the beautiful colors of Otak Otak with crisp cucumber slices sandwiched between toasted bread. Sigh…this is so addictive for me.

Another renowned Penang dish is asam laksa. Heritage Asam Laksa (RM6.90) is amazing. Full of flavors of the tamarind and spices, the fish broth is savory and piquant. I love this unpretentious noodle with its condiments and ‘har ko’ sauce.

Another famous dish from the Peranakan family is Jiu Hu Char (RM12.90). This dish used to be a great testament for Nyonyas’ knife skills as all the ingredients need to be shredded finely as per mom. Jicama or sengkuang, carrots, mushrooms and most important, dried cuttlefish are essential ingredients to this dish. Heritage makes a fabulous Jiu Hu Char equivalent to my mom’s. Warm, sweet and savory, eat this with fresh lettuce and some of its lethal sambal. A perfect match made in heaven…J

I have to confess, I absolutely do not like durian…J. When my family ordered the Durian Cendol (RM7.90), I almost weep because I cannot stand the smell…hehehe. Needless to say, I didn’t try this but my family gave it thumbs up for quality of its ingredients!

Instead, I tried the virgin version Chendol (RM4.90). Large red kidney beans, slivers of green homemade chendol, fresh coconut milk and luscious Gula Melaka topped on shaved ice was heavenly refreshing. After all the strong flavor dishes, this dessert really cleanses my palate. I adore this virgin version. Can’t wait to go back and try the ABC too!

My verdict? Simplicity at its best and there is a great variety of dishes such as Assam Fish, Pong Teh Chicken, Curry Kapitan that I cannot wait to try. There are plenty of hawker dishes from simple Koay Teow Soup, Chee Cheong Fun to Curry Mee, Lam Mee and Hokkien Prawn Mee. They also serve half boiled eggs and toast and various light snacks such as Yam Cake and Lorbak. Authentic desserts like Pulut Hitam to Durian Bubur Cha Cha are also available.

Heritage Village offers a great variety of homemade Nyonya dishes and there is a bit of something for everyone. Owner, Edmund is a nice chap and he really brings a touch of personal feeling to the restaurant. Bring your family here to enjoy it for yourselves. I am coming back for sure!

Heritage Village Nyonya Food

D-G-31, Jalan PJU 1/45,

Aman Suria, 47301 Petaling Jaya,

Selangor Darul Ehsan

Tel: 03 7880 8891

Business Hours: 7 days a week from 8.00am to 10.30pm

* Halal

The Deli, Mi Casa All Suites and Hotel

I discovered a hidden gem! Innocent and elegant, The Deli certainly deserves more credit than it’s conventional name. This is no ordinary deli for sure with it’s scrumptious gourmet sandwiches to its luscious soups and gorgeous desserts.

Thanks to Mi Casa and April Yim for the invitation to check out the newly open deli in the hotel itself. I was told that The Deli is helmed by the same chef from Cilantro, Chef Takashi Kimura. No wonder the food shouts quality and wholesomeness. Chef Takashi is famous for French cooking with Japanese influence in his menu at Cilantro and has served many royalties and dignitaries over the years. He also believes in using local ingredients to achieve the best out of his dishes.

The saying ‘Never judge a book by it’s cover!” certainly applies here. Understated décor and elegant environment really makes one feel comfortable and relax to enjoy a sublime meal without being overdressed.

The simple chalk board features a modest menu with affordable prices. Perfect precision skills from Chef Takashi really shows in his selection of the menu which consists of light salads and soups, gourmet sandwiches and a few main dishes with gorgeous in house desserts made from the chef himself!

There is usually Pasta of the Day listed to showcase the fresh ingredients available for that day. Guess what? Illy coffee (my favorite) is served here! J

Various condiments such as ketchup, chili, mustard, pepper and even vinegar to accompany the menu. Whats life without condiments to spice it up?

The Deli offers fruit juice in bottles from Australia, soft drinks, and a wide selection of coffee and tea. I had the cranberry and apple and both were excellent with fruity flavors and natural sweetness.

Others had orange and iced coffee which looked really good as well.

First dish to impress me was the Caesar Salad. Fresh and crispy Romaine lettuce, crunchy croutons, crisp bacon, generous amount of finely shaved parmesan cheese and the piece de resistant, a perfectly poached egg all harmonized brilliantly together! As soon as the poached egg burst, the glorious golden yolk coats all the ingredients slightly, making the salad smooth and earthy with the saltiness of the cheese and Caesar dressing counter balancing the taste. Something so humble and yet so satisfying!

When I heard they served French Onion Soup, I glee with joy! My absolute favorite soup and this is a must order for me when I see it. Usually made from beef stock, the onion soup here is made from chicken stock to cater to non-beef eaters. When the soup arrived, everyone commented that the soup was really fragrant. Covered by a layer of baguette with gooey melted cheese, everyone decided to have an order on their own...hahaha. The soup was bursting with caramelized soft onions and brings an earthiness to my soul.

I just cannot resist showing off the baguette soaked with onion soup and topped with melted Gruyere cheese. The taste was divine and luscious. It was lighter compared to other onion soups I had but the taste was top notch. For me, this is what I call comfort food at its best!

We also had the pasta of the day, Lamb Shank Fettuccine. Simple and no frill, this pasta is delicious. Lamb shank braised till tender and wonderfully savory, this pasta cooked al dente is rich and comforting.

One can choose Ciabatta, Baguette or Wholemeal for all the sandwiches served here. Grilled Beef on Ciabatta came highly recommended for beef lovers. This beef lover contested that this is certainly a beautiful sandwich. Juicy grilled beef pieces were cooked perfectly medium, topped with fresh greens and divine caramelized onions, served with beef jus and French fries on the side. I just love the beef jus soaking up the bread and making it full of beefy goodness!

Salmon Gravlax with Baguette was average for me. Salty and creamy, the salmon gravlax was well cured and topped with fresh watercress and a creamy sauce. I must say the French fries were really good as we polish off all the plates of fries with every sandwich effortlessly.

Another favorite of mine is the Chicken Patè on Wholemeal. Somehow, the chunky pate really stands out for me. Well seasoned and generously thick cut of pate, snuggly wrapped between crunchy pickles and greens, I like this a lot. Most Patès are over salted but I think Chef Takashi did a great job with this one!

Despite being full to the max, Grilled Mushrooms on Ciabatta appeared and looked so tempting. We were amazed again on the perfectly poached egg! Once the egg popped, the orange liquid yolk flowed over the grilled mushrooms like golden lava. I only took a small bite but it was enough to savor the smokiness and rich flavors of the combination.


Every dish was really a class on its own! High quality ingredients and simplicity of the preparation really brings out the magnificent flavors of the dishes.


Just when I thought I could not eat anymore, out came desserts. There is always room for desserts…J!

We were treated to four flavors of Swiss Rolls made by the chef himself. These Swiss Rolls was gigantic in size and loaded with lots of cream beautifully coated on the inside.

Vanilla Swiss Roll with Fruits was a myriad of colors. Fluffy vanilla sponge with fresh cream and mixed chopped fruits was light and creamy.

Chocolate Swiss Roll was my favorite among the four. Dark, bittersweet and luscious, I adore the complex flavors of the chocolate.

Caramel Swiss Roll was the most aromatic one among the Swiss rolls. Deep intense caramel scent was heavenly to the nostrils. Beautifully caramelized, the fluffy roll with its caramel cream was a hit among all of us.

Green Tea Swiss Roll with Azuki paste was a sight to behold. Gorgeously green, the flavor was really a harmonious yin and yang with the thick red bean paste.

Homemade Ice Creams were greeted by us with great excitement. The beautiful pastel colors of the ice creams were acknowledged quickly by our cameras before we dived right into the tasting part! I simply adore the chocolate, caramel and strawberry. Cacao used in the chocolate was deep and lovely. Caramel had the same aromatic scent as the roll. Normally, I am not a fan of strawberry but this one had a beautiful natural flavor of strawberry. Pistachio was average for me as I did not really taste much of it. Maybe the other three had stronger flavors?

I haven’t had a French Pithivier since my college days. When I found out that it’s available here, I begged for an order of this!

Warmed puff pastry encasing moist almond paste and served with cold Vanilla ice cream had me singing for joy. This one was beautifully made and I love the speckled vanilla in the ice cream.

The highest peak of desserts was the Apple Tart Galette with Vanilla Ice Cream. Everyone was surprise at how scrumptious this brittle galette tasted. The texture was a brittle and chewy delight with a caramel undertone and the ice cream went perfectly with it. This is a must order and I am going to have one all by myself the next time I dine here!


Food here is unpretentious and basic but quality goodness at its best! Chef Takashi really goes back to fundamental importance of a good deli with fresh wholesome ingredients and enhancing the quality through simplicity of cooking. Well valued for the ambience and quality, The Deli should not be taken lightly! A beautiful and relax place for lunch or afternoon tea…

The Deli

Mi Casa All Suites and Hotels

368-B, Jalan Tun Razak

50400 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Tel: +603 2179 8000
Fax: +603 2161 1186
Réservations Tel: +603 2179 8111

Business Hours: 11am – 7pm daily except Sundays