Birthday Lamb Cutlets @ Carlos Steakhouse

it was my 34th birthday so I was gonna eat whatever I want! and I want lamb chops!

celebrated my 34th birthday with delicious juicy lamb chops at one of the many makan places along the marina near our place dubai marina. it really is walking distance from our place!

 

alhamdulillah. 34 and I’m so *rich* with these cheeky boys plus that one big boy that I love so much. thank you Allah, for all your blessings.

 

we went to itallian restaurant ‘carlos steakhouse’, situated across the marina from dorra bay apartment building.

 

it was during really hot humid summer when we went, so not smart to dine outside. but when winter comes, this place should be nice to hang out at – with the view of beautifully-lit tourist boats passing by the marina.

 

there are a few restaurants along the marina. you can even spot joggers along this walkway. during winter, it’s a really nice place to have a nice stroll. no cars, no traffic, no noise. just walking along peaceful stream of the marina.

 

view of the marina and overhead bridge from inside carlos steakhouse

 

* * *

 

this was complimentary. best kan! instead of plain bread dip in olive oil, at carlos restaurant they serve this freshly baked, delicious garlic bread as starter. the boys loved it!

 

the butter container is cute too!

 

my birthday lamb cutlets!

 

birthday yummy for the birthday girl : ‘costolette de agnello con pesto’ which was translated in the menu as ‘bbq lamb cutlet marinated in pesto’. pesto is basically this green paste made from fresh basil leaves, garlic, pine nuts in olive oil and cheese. sound SO good. and yes, the result is this delicious taste of juicy soft lamb. not too salty, not too bland. what a yummy birthday meal!

I would come again for this!

 

assorted veggies on my plate

 

these steamed marinated assorted veggies were served together with my lamb pesto. it’s REALLY good.

after all of my western dishes experiences, this is by far THE BEST most yummy veggies (that accompanied a steak/chicken dish) I’ve ever eaten. I really wanted to ask the chef how was the veggies marinated and most importantly in WHAT? to make it taste so delicious!

the veggies were so soft and well-steamed – not overcooked or too soggy – it was perfect. the taste seeps through the veggies, and each one contributes different taste and texture to the whole dish – the sweet potato, the soft zuchinni, crunchy brocolli – loved it!

 

we ordered cheese pizza for the boys. cheese. on pizza. what’s not to love! khairul had his own steak but it was not HIS birthday so no picture of his dish. haha. besides, he said he was quite disappointed with the beef steak. and since I had a yummy time enjoying MY birthday dish, I’ll leave it at that.

 

* * *

 

that day I also received one of the biggest surprises ever – a wonderfully *shiny* birthday present that I will cherish forever, and ever – and insyaAllah will pass on to my future daughter!

I can say that this surprise tops it all along with 1) the sweet surprise when he showed up at the airport right before I left for melbourne with a huge bouquet of white roses after only 3 dates and less than a month of knowing each other, and 2) when he gave me my beloved burberry a week after I delivered kahfi in dubai.

love you always honey cookiedough!

2wo Cheesecakes for My 34th Birthday

celebrated my birthday with TWO cakes. diet, what diet?

the first cake was all my doing, but the 2nd cake was NOT my fault!

 

 

I turned 34 on 24th june. that very morning I made my own baked cheesecake with blueberry topping. very comot and the base was crumbly – but homemade is always the best!

that night after work, mr. khairul came home with the sweetest birthday treat (he didn’t know I had already baked my own birthday cake haha) – my fav red velvet cheesecake from the cheesecake factory!

*big hug* thanks honey!

 

 

so there I was, 34 years old already, enjoying very cheesy, very delicious treats. a whole tray of blueberry cheesecake, and a slice of red velvet cheesecake factory cheesecake.

yummy. happy birthday to me!

Get Lost in Dubai Mirror Maze @ Creek Park

mirror maze is FUN!

you’re looking for your son, and see you see him straight in front of you. you walk towards him, but you bumped your head. it’s a mirror. you turned left, saw him again, and face another bump. a mirror again. you turned the other way and finally found a way forward. then you realised you need to walk with your hands dangling in front of you to feel for a mirror.

your eyes are deceiving you in the ‘mirror maze’ – you have to depend only on your sense of touch!

and you laugh all the way.

FUN!

 

 

* * *

 

 

this ‘mirror maze’ is inside dubai creek park, gate 1. when you enter, you’ll see the big signage ‘children’s park’ – you are in the right place. head on to the dolphinarium building, and the mirror maze is right next door.

it’s aed 25 for adult, and aed 15 for kids. personally kids would enjoy it so much more, finding their way around the mirror maze looking for their brothers – great laughs!

 

 

before entering, we’re given plastic gloves to prevent visitors from smudging all the mirrors while they find their way out and about. furthermore, when there are smudges on the mirrors, it affects the  illusion of space in the ‘mirror image’.

there is only one size so my little kazim has to use adult-size gloves.

 

 

dubai ‘mirror maze’ has over 100 mirrors in a straightforward path, so you’ll never have to worry about getting lost.

once you pay for the entrance, you can get out take a rest, and get back in.

 

 

entrance

 

* * *

 

 

the bright light changes color every now and then which did make us a bit dizzy! a song in arabic went blaring over the speaker.

 

* * *

 

once out of the dizzying ‘mirror maze’, we got some fresh air playing football in the lovely park. 

Father’s Day Dinner @ Vietnamese ‘Hanoi’, JLT

it was father’s day, and on a special day like this we usually get something like a fat juicy steak. however, this penang boy mr. khairul with a kampung taste wanted something asian. something simple yet delicious. something that reminds him of home.

we looked for something simple like kuey teow soup or noodle soup – and found a nice vietnamese restaurant called ‘hanoi’. by the end of our visit there, it has become one of the best place to get soupy dishes in dubai – vietnam style!

 

 

* * *

 

the first thing I noticed when I walked into ‘hanoi’ were the trees! fake trees of course, but a lovely addition nonetheless. it blends well with the color scheme of orange and green. simply loved it!

 

walls are adorned with random pictures of vietnamese makcik in vietnam setting that brings out that asian feel. simple, random, but it works! the bench-seats are comfy and gives that homey, relaxing feel too. overall a family-friendly cozy place to enjoy delicious soupy dish!

 

the ‘open’ bar – juice bar, that is.

 

simply love the color scheme! ceria!

 

* * *

 

the menu is quite extensive within the soup domain – written in vietnamese, with translation. everything looks good, really. there are mainly 4 types of noodle available :

• pho – rice noodle
• mien – glass noodle
• bun – rice vermicelli noodle
• mi – egg noodle

 

the celebrated guy – the father – bapak – mr. khairul’s choice : pho dac biet : ‘hanoi special pho’ (pho = rice noodles aka kuey teow) with meatballs. delicious. really. just like the plain kuey teow soup you get at RnR tapah. instantly a favorite with him, and me too!

 

stuff for the soupy dish that i won't even consider adding because I just like my soup to be plain. so tolak ke khairul hihi

 

my 'mi vit tiem' - braised five-spice duck noodle.

 

my noodle with the duck is super delicious. imagine eating this big bowl of hot delight in a cool winter’s night? perfect! makan panas-panas time sejuk-sejuk winter sure da bom!

unlike mr. khairul’s soup dish with ‘pho’ or rice noodles, mine was with ‘mi’ – egg noodles. I really prefer the rice noodles because it’s my favorite noodle of all but this ‘braised five-spice duck’ dish is delicious enough to eat with any type of noodle.

the duck is tender, and because it’s in a soup dish, it’s not as dry as the other duck dishes I’ve ever tasted before. hoisin sauce is available on the table so it was just a delicious dish to enjoy. huge portion of noodle, a lot of duck to munch and the soup is tasty.

altogether a highly-recommended dish. the next time I order this dish, I’m requesting them to change it to rice noodle!

 

my eldest boy khaleef absolutely LOVE anything soupy so he totally enjoyed his kuey teow soup, a dish ordered from the list in the kids’ menu. I’m glad to note that the portion is huge even for a kids’ meal. delicious, enough for two. A plus!

 

seriously, this is the first time I’m using metal chopsticks. pardon me for getting a little over-excited. there’s a certain feel of authenticity when you enjoy chinese/japanese/vietnamese food using chopsticks. somehow it tastes better! haha.

 

this is ‘goi cuon’ or ‘fresh summer rolls’

 

the worst-tasting popiah i've ever eaten!!!

but wait – before you decide to take my word for it, consider that a) I don't really like popiah basah, or unfried spring roll like this; b) i don't like prawn, and c) i hate the taste of cilantro, and d) I don’t like disproportionate food (eg: more filling than the percentage of pastry in a pie bla bla) – tapi gatal nak makan just to try. amik ko. sohun pun ade dlm tu.

but mr. khairul likes it. fresh. unik. so you guys might like it too. just not my cuppa tea.

 

thanks for being a great bapak to my boys. funny, yet responsible. playful, yet strict. the boys look up to you to make them the man they’re going to be. a good role model, peacemaker and a coach. love always!

 

* * *

 

‘hanoi’ is situated at JLT (jumeirah lake towers) cluster C. you’ll see the italian café ‘o pasta’ and walk down. you’ll see a pizza place, so walk further. soon you’ll see an unassuming place called ‘hanoi’. sit back and enjoy sipping your hot soup with yummy noodle.

 

save this spot for me when winter comes! to my fellow malaysians, kalau nak merasa kuey teow soup ala-ala RnR tapah, moh la ke ‘hanoi’!

‘Selamat Pagi 1 Malaysia’ : My In-Laws Speak about Big School English Programmes

it’s always exciting to see someone you know appear on TV, what more if the people are closely related to you. so naturally, it was a big deal for my mr. khairul, knowing his big little brother and sister would be appearing on LIVE tv.

it was last may, and my bro-in-law khairul adzha or K and sis-in-law tina were invited to appear on ‘Selamat Pagi 1 Malaysia’ or ‘good morning malaysia’, a morning talk-show aired on RTM TV1 channel, over the education slot.

personally, I was more interested to know the goings-on behind the camera in a LIVE tv production, and whether they yell ‘action’! haha. was it nerve-wrecking for the siblings? or a surprisingly fun experience?

 

the friendly ‘Selamat Pagi 1 Malaysia’ team, Wan Aliazar and Tazneem Faisal with my bro-in-law K and sis-in-law tina

 

they were there to promote the Big School English Programme which is specially designed to facilitate learning of the english language among children from the age of 4 focusing on FUN LEARNING METHODOLOGY.

learning english should be fun, and in the words of my khaleef : ‘easy breezy lemon squeasy’!

the 20-minute talk on ‘Selamat Pagi 1 Malaysia’ also discussed an expansion plan to cater for individuals interested in english education; be it opening their own education centers (using the modules prepared by the Big School Education Group), or to enhance their own communication skills in english.

the modules were designed based on four criteria : effective communication skills, language proficiency, professional interpersonal skills, and character enhancement.

 

 

 

RTM has been helpful in opening doors to many bumiputera companies to reach target market through comm media. knowing RTM’s stance, they took the opportunity to explain how the Big School Education can benefit the nation, especially the bumiputeras through their corporate social responsibility project.

this community service project is a partnership with MCOBA (malay college old boys assoc), aimed at providing english education to underprivileged urban children in a fun environment outside of school, as well as teacher-training to unemployed graduates. it’s called ‘MCOBA English Enrichment Community Centre (MEECC)’.

visit their facebook page for more information on MEECC.

 

 

now back to the LIVE show! what tina learned from her LIVE interview on RTM Selamat Pagi 1 Malaysia :

• know your product well will definitely ensure a smooth Q&A
• before the show starts, a personnel would brief them about the kind of questions to expect from the TV hosts
• nevertheless, they should be ready during the LIVE recording, for unexpected questions that might somehow relate to their product
• the role of the TV host is extremely important to anchor a tv talk-show, especially one recorded LIVE – humility and professionalism are helpful traits to be able to make the guests feel welcome, at ease and less nervous
• RTM tv hosts were friendly and made them feel relaxed

 

 

from what I watched, there were few moments with playful banters between the hosts and K and tina that help lightened the mood. this made the show less rigid (well, we know how RTM can be in the past, right? haha), and viewers can relate more to what they’re saying.

knowing mr. khairul as a good public speaker, I was not surprised to watch his brother and sister being a natural like him, when speaking on TV. a lot of room for improvements to be more eloquent but considering they don’t do this often – not bad, not bad at all!

 

* * *

 

Khairul Adzha Anwar, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

 

Module Writer and Senior Executive of HR, Training & Module Development unit

 

interestingly enough, this is not tina’s first TV appearance. she has appeared on TV once before over Astro Awani channel, also in promoting the Big School English Programmes. anyhow, to her the RTM tv talk was still very special as she was alongside big bro K!

“..jadi lagi comfortable, coz we know we both would have each other’s backs!” they can finish each other’s sentences!

 

* * *

 

this was tina’s first tv appearance – LIVE at Astro Awani on February 26, in Bisnes Awani segment with host cerenna manickam. she appeared alongside one of the trainers of Big School English Programme.

 

 

tina said the experience being on the talk over at Astro Awani was different than in RTM. they were only given 8 minutes, so whatever message they want to put out there must be concise and comprehensive.

since they were featured in the ‘business awani’ segment, the talk focused more on entrepreneurship opportunity that Big School Education can offer. business talk, basically!

done partly in english, unlike in RTM’s ‘Selamat Pagi 1 Malaysia’ which is full BM. to me give my sis-in-law tina english or bahasa melayu, she was able to deliver effectively and to the point. she doesn’t appear to be nervous, as if she’s been doing this many times. she’s a natural!

 

* * *

 

 

to reps from TV or radio stations who might be reading this, the Big School Education team is always eager to honor invites to appear on TV or radio to spread their message especially about their community service project that will certainly benefit the nation. bring it on!

the Big School English Programme might benefit you! to find out more, visit BIG education facebook page. click here.

Juicy Grilled Chicken : Dar Al-Mandi & Madhbi @ Al-Barsha

we have many favorite mandi restaurants – tawasol, maraheb, bait al-mandi; but once a while we decided to try new mandi-rice places, and that’s how we ended up eating mandi rice at ‘dar al-mandi & madhbi at al-barsha. (that’s a lot of ‘mandi’ in one sentence! yah, I’m an addict!)

 

 

* * *

 

we decided to try out mandi restaurant closer to home, so we tried 'dar al-mandi & madhbi' at al-barsha, situated behind mall of emirates, near armada hotel.

 

the most minimalist mandi restaurant that I’ve been to – judging from the number of seats and small space for the majlees (place to sit down cross-legged).

 

this is our view from the majlees. there’s a curtain separating us from the seating area. just a small space. funny fact : the restaurant owner/staff changed the channel of the TV to korean drama series all of a sudden. diorang ingat kitorang korean ke hape? haha.

 

the majlees in ‘dar al-mandi & madhbi’ is the smallest majlees I’ve seen in any mandi restaurant, which usually has more than one majlees. it could probably fit less than a few adult. they even use parts of the majlees to store can drinks. nevertheless, we were the only ones using the majlees, so it was reasonably comfy.

 

the menu has the usual fare of a mandi restaurant – chicken or meat mandi, madhbi rice and such.

 

ok, I don’t know whether we came on a particular day where the cook forgot to put salt in the soup, or this ‘dar al-mandi & madhbi' restaurant is particularly health-conscious – but the soup is very bland. it’s got the taste and spices but BLAND. so no fret, we just add in some salt, and voila – an acceptably tasty soup after all.

 

 

* * *

 

the texture of the mandi rice is soft, but what struck me most is the usage of too much cardamon (if I’m not mistaken) which I don’t really like. me no likey but mr. khairul loves the extra spice!

 

now the grilled CHICKEN that comes with the mandi rice is seriously one of the best grilled chicken I’ve ever tasted! fresh and hot. deliciously juicy, tender meat, well-marinated – completely mouth-watering! I may not prefer the mandi rice itself, but I could come again to dar al-mandi & madhbi JUST to have this grilled chicken!

 

the meat was quite disappointing mandi-meat fan mr. khairul. for the first time, we ate meat mandi that’s a bit tasteless. the texture is good enough – the meat ‘melted’ from the bones, but it needs a sprinkle of salt to make it tasty. healthy cooking kot, kurangkan garam dalam masakan!

 

where’s my favorite jerjer leaf?

 

 

healthy cooking or not, apparently there’s lack of salt in the soup and meat. nevertheless, I would give a thumbs up to the grilled chicken! now if only I could take the mandi rice from ‘bait al-mandi’, and eat it with the grilled chicken from ‘dar al-mandi & madhbi’? perfect.