WonderFood Adventure @ 1 Utama Food Street!

Phew, the title's a mouthful. (MOUTHFUL cause this is a food-related post, geddit? No? Okay...)
*cringes*
Anyway, this is a superrrr long entry and it's bombarded with a ton of food photos. You've been warned!
Proceed at your own risk if you're with an empty stomach.

Let's begin with a fun fact.
Did you know...
1 Utama is the WORLD'S 4TH LARGEST MALL?! 
I'm serious! CNN SAID SO!

And since it's so huge, you'd obviously be spoilt for choice when it comes to food (as if you weren't already for shopping, owing to the vast selection of brands 1 Utama houses!)
So the big question: "Where/what to eat?"
Fortunately, 1 Utama has gathered many great eateries together along this place called FoodStreet!

Thanks to 1 Utama and The Butterfly Project Malaysia, I was invited to the WonderFood event (4th - 24th November 2013) along with other bloggers and had the chance to explore many yummy dishes along FoodStreet!

Here's how it works: We each receive a "passport" and get to visit all 15 participating outlets to sample the food they offer. Once there, we earn a chop/stamp to fill up the "passport". Simple, yes?

The back of my passport. These are the 15 participating eateries!

I made some new friends that day and they became part of my food-hunting team, aptly named The Fantastic Four.

Bloggers on a mission: Snoopy, Kelvin, Pancake, Me.

Scroll on for pictures of food in all its glory!!!!


01. Oyster King
We couldn't decide where to start first, but thanks to me, we ended up at Oyster King because I had this sudden craving for O-Chien (Oyster Omelette). I love O-Chien!

The Director, Joan Lee, is seriously the sweetest person!
She patiently explained the differences between Northern and Southern O-Chiens to us and even posed for the camera with me hahaha.

Fyi, Northern O-Chiens are generally crispier and more even, somewhat like a pizza. Southern O-Chiens tend to be crumblier and more scrambled.
They do it Southern style over here at Oyster King.

Here's what we ordered:

Btw, the Garlic Oysters remind me of this scene:

Whaddup White Chicks reference?!

Sorry for digressing, but I think it's amusing :P
Personally, I found every dish to be good, but the O-Chien wins hands down. They don't skimp on the oysters, so that's great! Here's a second serving 'coz it's the bomb diggity!!

Just look at the oysters.. So plump and fat and succulent... 

I shall rate this 5/5! Though I may be slightly biased since I love O-Chien so much.
But hey, only RM 9. Order one yourself!

Oyster King website HERE.


02. SS2 Goreng Pisang
I grew up eating local snacks like these, so you can imagine how happy I was to see this glorious display of golden-brown!

Click on image to enlarge and view names and prices of items.

We ordered:

Ah, reliving my childhood. So crispy and good!
These photos aren't doing real justice to them snacks, but such is my photography skill :(

Maybe you ought to visit their site HERE to view more mouthwatering pictures?


03. Ko Hyang Korean Country Delights
안녕하세요!

Established in KL since 2008, Ko Hyang Korean Country Delights boasts a menu based on authentic Korean home-cooked food. While all 19 mains come with complimentary side dishes such as kimchi & anchovies, you can always opt for something lighter like dessert or soup.

We ordered:

Only our third stop and we were all like:

I.. Can't.. Move......

Hahah. Check out where are their other outlets HERE.


04. I Love Yoo
Yoo tiao! One of the most popular Chinese snacks out there today. Readily available at I Love Yoo at only RM 1.40!

I Love Yoo's known for their porridges and yoo tiao, but really, we couldn't stomach a whole bowl of porridge at that point so we went with something light & easy:

Fun Fact #2!
Are you aware of the history behind the yoo tiao (aka yao zha guai)?
Some say it was inspired by a murder conspiracy dating all the way back to the Song Dynasty.
Read about it on I Love Yoo's website HERE.


05. Eat & Happy Yong Tau Foo
Apparently everything they serve is handmade! Even the noodles :O
Handmade food should taste pretty good, right? Shall try it out the next time I head to 1 Utama.
Was really really too full to try anything from here, so some photos will have to suffice :(
Hahah, my sad smiley totally justifies the name of the shop: "Eat & Happy", meaning "Don't Eat & Don't Happy!" :(

Judging by their displayed menu, the price is okay-okay, not that expensive, yet not that cheap.
Their selection seems rather good though. From fu zhuk to fish paste to tofu... Wah. 

Dry noodles, soupy noodles, curry noodles... Double wahs.


06. Bisou
I believe this pretty place needs no introduction. Everything about it is so... Elegant and charming. And did I mention pretty?!

Cupcakes galore: Buy 5 get 1 free! Woots!

Bisou was kind enough to give every blogger a yummy treat! Even the boxes they use are pretty.

View more of Bisou's pretty desserts HERE.


07. Mr Cendol
It's summer 24/7 here in Malaysia. So what better way to cool off the heat than cendol, eh?
Mr Cendol does not add any preservatives or colouring to their desserts, and you get to decide the amount of sugar being added into your cendol. Talk about customising!

MrCendol's known for cendol (duh!), but they also offer other dishes like Nasi Lemak, Laksa and Mee Rebus if you're up for something more filling.

Click HERE to check out Mr Cendol's full menu.


08. Seaweed Club
Looks like sushi, but it's not sushi!
So what is it?
It's like popiah, but it's not popiah! It's popiah with a flair!

These popiahs come in 5 flavours: Original, Tuna, Spicy, Wasabi and Vegetarian and retail for RM 6 per roll. Order 2 rolls and you'll get a free drink!

May I add that the Genmai Green Tea they serve is wickedly good and flavourful. It's also supposed to be good for you since it's loaded with antioxidants and various health benefits. Drink up!


09. Pao Xiang Bak Kut Teh
ONE WORD: AMAZING.

The restaurant is extremely spacious! There's even an outdoor area for smokers or al-fresco dining lovers!

For those who know me personally, you'll know it's very unusual for me to like Bak Kut Teh. I'm too picky when it comes to pork. But Pao Xiang is a whole new story. I absolutely love the String-Tied BKT!

Pao Xiang prepares their BKT in such a way that it's not as oily compared to other restaurants. Order yoo tiaos and some rice if you're hungry. Don't forget a pot of tea to complement the porky meal! :D

Here's another reason as to why Pao Xiang is awesome: They have free wifi. 

'Nuff said.

Find out where is the branch nearest to you now! Click HERE! BKT lovers rejoice!

Goes without saying that this is NON-HALAL.

10. Vivo American Pizza & Panini
Our tenth stop! Did you notice the sudden change from Eastern cuisine to Western? Haha.

As a student, I think this would be quite a good spot to rush assignments (If you're not so picky about studying under yellow tungsten lighting.)

Reasons are:
a. Free wifi.
b. Comfy.
c. Food.

The waitron recommended some of their best-sellers to us:

Time for more dessert! Another one of their must-orders.

The next photo is dedicated to all my chocoholic readers out there:

Oooooooh!!! Look at that ooey-gooey chocolatey goodness oozing out omggggg!!!! 

Geez, I'm craving for chocolates now -.-
Check out Vivo's full menu HERE.


11. BBQ Chicken
It's not Barbeque, it's BBQ! Best of the Best Quality!
BBQ Chicken originated from Korea back in September 1995, and since then, it has grown to become the #1 franchised brand in Korea.
Within just 4 years after its existence, BBQ opened its 1000th outlet in Korea, followed by the world's first (and only!) Chicken University in 2000!!

Besides the fact that they have free wifi, here are more things you should know about BBQ Chicken:

• 100% Olive Oil
  BBQ Chicken is the first brand in the world to use 100% Olive Oil imported from Europe for frying! This is superb news for you health-conscious people.
• 100% Fresh
  BBQ Chicken uses fresh chickens as opposed to frozen ones!
• Special Marinating Process
  BBQ Chickens are marinated in 30 types of natural spices for 12-15 hours to ensure chickens have fully absorbed the flavours of the different spices. 12-15 hours! 

Hah, we can finally eat fried chicken without feeling so guilty :P
Website HERE.


12. Molten Lava
Sweet tooth? Fret not, Molten Lava to the rescue!

Located just opposite Cold Storage, this cafe serves a wide variety of sugary snacks. Most people just order churros, but you can order other stuff like macarons as well.

Ever wondered how churros are made?

Looks like an albino worm, AHHAHAHHA.

I've never tried churros prior to this event, so pictures are a must!
How I ate my very first churro:

1. Hmm okay.
2. Whuuuuut? This is what a churro looks like? Looks like angmoh yoo tiao HAHAHHA.
3. *bites*
4. YUMZ!


13. Ninja Joe

Oink oink! Ninja Joe has been around for quite some time and is based on an original Japanese quick-serve concept. 

The thing that makes them different from many other fast food chains here in Malaysia is that they serve PORK BURGERS.

Their famous Hikkori BBQ Pork Burger: quarter pounder pork patty with 2 slices of crispy bacon and some vege, drizzled with BBQ sauce and mayo! Yummy yummy in my tummy!

An unnecessary #selfie with Ninja Joe's signature burger:

Hit 'LIKE' on Ninja Joe's FaceBook page HERE!
NON-HALAL. 


14. FoodBox

We reached FoodBox at maybe about 4.10pm? They didn't allow us to sample their food anymore :(

Still thought it might be useful to snap some pics.

You know, so people can get a rough idea of the place (:

Click image to enlarge.

FoodBox is NON-HALAL.


15. LAMMEEYA
Same as #14, didn't manage to try due to time constraint, but I do know that they have free wifi! (Yes, I popped in just to ask :P)

LAMMEEYA's specialty is the Lam Mee.
Visit their FaceBook page HERE.
Note that LAMMEEYA is NON-HALAL.

WOOHOO OKAY. We're done with all 15 eateries!!

Here's a recap for quick referencing, so that it's easier for you to satisfy your cravings for certain authentic local street dishes :P
No more travelling all the way to Penang or Malacca in the name of food!

LG Promenade:
SS2 Goreng Pisang
Ninja Joe
Seaweed Club
I Love Yoo!
Eat & Happy Yong Tau Foo
Oyster King
Bisou
Mr Cendol
Pao Xiang Bak Kut Teh
Ko Hyang Korean Country Delights

LG Highstreet: 
LAMMEEYA
BBQ Chicken
Food Box
Vivo American Pizza and Panini
Molten Lava

Also, as part of the WonderFood event, they were offering free manicures and airbrush tattooing sessions!

Being the kiasu person I am, of course take advantage lah! 

See her face. Imba concentration!

Jeng jeng jeng! Masterpiece.

In other news, I FINALLY GOT TO MEET BLOGGER TAMMY LIM from Plusizekitten!
Everyone calls her Mamasan... So okay! Thank you Mamasan for looking after us *hugs*

I think I may have scared her off a little bit in the LEFT photo.. Hahah.

Next up, a #camwhore moment with Snoopy!

Girls ma hor. Snap snap snap photos~

The peeps at 1 Utama were veeeery nice and gave us all doorgifts! Tqtqtq :D

A Christmassy pillow, a candy cane striped towel, a power bank (which I'll most definitely use a lot) and a ONECARD!!

A collage of me + gifts!

What is ONECARD?

ONECARD is 1 Utama's official privilege card. You earn 1 UPoint for every RM 1 spent at ONECARD participating outlets! Once you've accumulated enough UPoints, you can redeem them and spend the points like cash by paying for instant purchases, meals, services and entertainment.

ONECARD can also be used as a prepaid parking ticket! Not only is it hassle-free, it's eco-friendly,too! Go green!! ONECARD members gain exclusive entry to members-only parking at ONECARD Preferred Parking and Platinum Parking areas at even cheaper parking rates!

Pssst, ONECARD comes in 3 different designs!!


Useful links:
- www.1utama.com.my
- www.onecard.com.my
- www.facebook.com/1Utama


Once again, big thanks to 1 Utama and The Butterfly Project Malaysia for having me!
Really enjoyed this event. It's like a jalan jalan, cari makan thing, but with aircond! :P

Thumbs up!

x

Lily Cafe @ Seksyen19 PJ.

While waiting for my 8y/o brother to finish his Creative Writing holiday workshop program over at PJ Speech & Drama Centre, I decided to take a stroll around the area since there wasn't anything to do (apart from camwhoring, hence the photo above). And I chanced upon this place called Lily Cafe.

Looks quite alright from the outside. Plus, it was 10 in the morning and not many restaurants were opened. So... I decided to have my breakfast there. 

It's spacious and airy (something I really appreciate!), unlike BurgerLab.

BurgerLab can be plain stressful at times: the tables are arranged so close to one another that it tends to get slightly claustrophobic for some, and eavesdropping on others is totally inevitable.

Anyway, back to Lily Cafe. They've obviously put in effort to make the place as Christmassy as possible. No harm in that! Being festive is always a plus in my book.

On to the menu!
Here are some snapshots of their menu to give you a rough estimate of the prices.

I found the tea section rather amusing hahahah. "Love of Peace", "Pretty Woman", "Smoke Get in Your Eyes"...
All that screams bad translation.
See the full menu HERE. 

Ordered their Pasta Cabonara with Bacon (MYR19.90) and a regular Banana Honey Smoothie (MYR6.80).

The dish turned out to be huuuge. In terms of portion size, totally worth your RM19.90. What's more important, is that they don't skimp on the ingredients.
Look at all the stuff they add! Such generous amount of carrot slices, mushrooms, bacon bits, cheese..
Even oil. In fact, they've added waaay too much oil for my liking. The pasta was overly wet and got soggy very soon.
If you're a fan of oil-drenched reasonably priced dishes, this is for you :P

As for the drink, it was okay. Nothing too bad, and nothing too wow. Just your average banana honey smoothie.


You know what?
Here's something that really annoyed the hell out of me: THE MANY INSECTS FLYING ABOUT IN THE RESTAURANT. Jeez, I couldn't enjoy my meal properly without having to wave my hands about like an absolute lunatic. They should close all the windows and doors! Grr. So irritating.

But on the plus side, the waitrons were super nice to me. They're nice people.
Also, the cafe has wifi! Places without wifi = meh. I need my wifi. All eateries ought to provide free wifi to customers.


Contact LilyCafe at:
- https://www.facebook.com/lilycafe888
- 1 Jalan 19/29, Seksyen 19, 46300 Petaling Jaya, Malaysia
- +60379603148


*JENG JENG JENG*
Thank you for scrolling through my post, here's your reward. More pictures of me!
Please ignore the crappy quality. All #selfies in this post were taken using my Acer laptop webcam T.T

x