Mandarin Oriental Charity Run

• 11 December 2016
• Taman Botani Kepong (FRIM)
• Flagged off at 7.45a.m. for 9 km (inclusive of 5 km trail)

• Price – RM65.00
• Race Pack – T-Shirt and registration bib
• Goodies – Medal, 1 banana, 1 apple, 1 mineral water, 1 juice, vouchers, chocolates, towel

This charity run was organised by Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Kuala Lumpur. We were entertained by 2 radio DJs and did Body Combat exercises as a warm-up by one of the instructors from Celebrity Fitness. We were supposed to be flagged off at 7.30am but the organiser only flagged us off at 7.45am.

Our Body Combat exercises as warm-up

WWF mascot

The park was also open to other runners, i.e. for those who have their morning jog. We also saw senior citizens doing tai chi in the park.

After going through the park, we were asked to run into the jungle and to the start of the trail run. It was like OMG!!! Extremely steep hill and all the runners were basically walking. There was no way I could run up that hill, with lots of stones, uneven pathway and holes. Since I do not have trail shoes, I decided to walk and enjoyed the jungle trail.

It was hill after hill. We climbed 200 metres high. When we were up at the peak, we saw the lake at the park. It was so far. Then, it was downhill. No portable toilets and there were 2 water stations, serving mineral water.

Upon arrival, we were given our medal and goodies bag. All of us were so excited as there the organiser was so generous in giving us so many goodies. We even went over to the Red Bull car to have our imported energy drink from Belgium and got ourselves 100+ isotonic drinks.

Our goodies

For the first time, we decided to stay back and waited for the lucky draw as there were not many runners and perhaps, we could stand a chance to win something. We were close, unfortunately none of us won. The prices were so good, 3 days 2 nights stay at the Mandarin Oriental Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Tokyo, Guangzhou, dinner vouchers, spas, a year subscription of the running magazines, hamper for baby products.

I had to go up on stage to collect 3 days 2 nights stay at the Mandarin Oriental Tokyo for my sister-in-law’s colleague. She was the lucky one who passed me the registration bib and won the prize.

Check out the pictures below:-

Bon Ga, Korean Restaurant – 3 December 2016

So again, we decided on Korean BBQ at Solaris to celebrate Suet May’s birthday.

This restaurant is on the 2^nd floor of a corner building at Jalan Solaris 3 and its air conditioned, unlike the restaurants on the ground floor, which are mostly open air.

Entrance to the restaurant

We were served with the Korean starter dishes. There were so many varieties to choose from compared to the other Korean restaurants that I previously visited at Solaris. You will have so many starters to sample from; kimchi, tofu egg, seaweed, peanuts with anchovies in sweet sauce, beans sprout, and the list goes on. Surprisingly, they also served us tofu soup (to be shared) as a starter dish.

Dakjumuluk (Korean side dishes) RM29.00. And I thought they were supposed to be free......

First time I experienced soup given as a starter dish, it was just normal tofu soup. Tasted very similar to Kimchi soup but less of the spicy taste 

We ordered our meat; i.e. pork, chicken and beef. The waiter will cook the meat in front of you and thereafter, other meats that you order will be cooked at a separate table.   

BBQ Jummuleok RM70.00. Beef is the most expensive meat on the menu

Moksal (pork chop) RM58.00

Hangjungsal (sliced pork) RM33.00

Gochujang chicken (marinated and glazed with spicy Korean fermented chilie paste) RM32.00

Jummuleok (beef) RM70.00

Dang Jang Jjigae (fermented soya bean paste soup) RM23.00. We thought from the picture in the menu, it was kimchi soup but when it came, the owner told us it's not kimchi soup. However, it tasted very nice, not spicy and there were a bit of seafood inside the soup. 

Haemulpajeon (Korena egg pancake) RM38.00. The omelette tasted very simple but is huge, equivalent to 8 slices of pizza 

Dak Kalguksu (Chicken Noodle Soup) RM25.00. This serving is huge and is enough for 3 pax. Tasted ordinary with more veggies inside than  chicken.

The service in this restaurant, in terms of serving your food and drinks, was fast. The price will depend on what you order. That night itself, there were 5 adults and 2 kids and the bill came up to RM475.75 (including 4 bottles of big bottled beer at RM25 per bottle, surcharge of 10% and GST of 6%); an average of RM95.15 per adult. I think the price is ok considering the starter dishes that were given out.

The ambiance of the restaurant is simple. If you want free parking around the shop lots, be prepared to go there early or do a few rounds before finding parking, unless you park inside the building nearby.

Part of the restaurant

Looks more like a Japanese restaurant. Must reserve a private room

  

The details of the restaurant:

Bon Ga Korean Restaurant   

No.2-2, 2-3. 3A-2 Block E

Jalan Solaris 3

Mont’ Kiara

50480 Kuala Lumpur  

Tel: 03-6204 0012

Opens daily from 12pm to 10pm

O&S Coffee Shop

If you are craving for Penang hawker food, head to O&S coffee shop at Paramount Garden. For those of you who live in Klang Valley, you will be very familiar with this coffee shop. It has been open for a very long time (under different names and owners) but has managed to survive until today.

My parents love this place so much, and have been buying from the same hawkers since the 80s.  The hawkers know my parents very well and now I’m buying from them too.

This coffee shop is at a corner of the Paramount shops. You won’t miss it. They serve all types of hawker food; chicken rice, wan tan mee, char kuey teow, assam laksa, prawn noodles, chee cheong fun, etc.  Basically anything and everything you want except for Mee Jawa (that was recently closed as the uncle decided to retire for good). 

So what is good? Everything is good here. Here are some of my favourites:-

Siew Yoke Fun (Roast Pork Rice) – RM10.00 for roast pork and RM1.50 for rice. The roast pork is super crunchy and tasty. I always take away and surprisingly when eating much later at 3.30pm, it’s still very crunchy. It comes with dark soya sauce for the roast pork and chili sauce.  A must to have.

Seafood noodles – RM6.00. I know the lady who cooks this, so well that she always gives me more soup, more lalas, sotong (squids), fish and 3 prawns. The soup is definitely a bit salty with MSG but the mixture of seafood in the soup goes well with the noodles. This is my favourite food here.

Assam Laksa – RM6.90. The most important thing about Assam Laksa is the soup. Once you take away this, your whole car smells of Assam Laksa. The soup is so rich and full of fish for you. Normally other hawker stores are pretty stingy with the fish, but not this store as it gives you as much fish as you could ask for.

Goreng Pisang (Banana Fritters), Fried Potatoes, Fried “Nee Ko” – RM1.00 each. The price is on the high side but still lots of people love these fried items.  This hawker uses good bananas and makes sure that they're sweet. He fries it to perfection and it's super crunchy. Be there early to get his fried food as it will run out pretty early; especially the fried bananas.

Chee Cheong Fun (Penang style) – RM2.40 @ 1 Chee Cheong Fun costs RM1.20. This is Penang style Chee Cheong Fun with only the “Ha Ko”, i.e. prawn paste, mixed with chili sauce and topped with sesame and fried onions. The paste is very creamy and salty. Not sure why my dad loves this so much and he will "clean his plate".   

Nyonya kuih – RM6.90 for 3 packets. The nyonya kuih came to the hawker store quite recently. This man said he starts selling at 6.30am and most of the time, the ang ku will run out before lunch. I managed to buy some ang ku this time round, together with white flour peanut ball (so difficult to get these days) and onde onde (gula Melaka, i.e. brown liquid sugar inside the little flour ball covered with desiccated coconut).

Other hawkers' stores below:-

I wouldn't say this is Penang hawker food. A variety for the customers to choose.

 Inside and outside of the coffee shop, only ceiling fan. Guaranteed to sweat............Be prepared!!

The price for the hawkers' food is reasonable. You can't compare with the price in Penang, which is much cheaper than PJ and KL. Of course, the downside is the portion that they serve you in Penang is smaller. If you are going to O & S for lunch, make sure you go there early, about 11.30am as it gets extremely crowded by 12.30pm and you will have to share a table with strangers. Some hawkers will run out of food by 1.30pm. Also, be there early to get a parking space. Parking is horrible and you may have to go a few rounds.  

  

The details of the coffee shop:

O&S Restaurant   

39, Jalan 20/14

Taman Paramount

46300 Petaling Jaya

Selangor Darul Ehsan

Opens daily but closed twice a month (either Tuesday or Wednesday)

Unable to tell you when they close as it’s been set by the boss with other bosses around the coffee shops in Paramount.   

Just right opposite the coffee shop, there are an elderly couple selling "mua chi", flour cakes dipped into crushed peanuts and desserts. The dessert van will be there on every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. 

A mixed "mua chi" will only costs you RM5.00. There are original, black sesame, lycee and pandan flavours.

 

The red bean dessert

The dessert van

Menu of the desserts and the prices. My favourite green beans always not available as there is no demand for it. The sales person claimed that they only cooked the green bean on Saturday, but not always Saturday.