Category Archives: Leisure & Travel

Sahur at Zenith Hotel Putrajaya

Posted in Leisure & Travel, Reviews by

A one-night stay is not enough. I booked a room here because my sister was organising an Iftar get together at her place.

Zenith Hotel Putrajaya is a bit far from shopping complexes. The view from the place is great, and it offers some privacy for visitors. Guests may park in the basement. Just bring your Touch and Go card to the reception for validation. Then it would be free. There’s also another huge open-air parking space in front of the hotel. That would be suitable for non-staying visitors who come for weddings or the Ramadan buffet.

I booked a Deluxe Twin room through Agoda for RM 291.27 per night, including tax and fees. It comes with breakfast for 2 and access to its facilities. Since it is Ramadan, breakfast is converted to sahur for muslim travellers. I added another RM38 for my daughter’s sahur fee.

The room was spacious. I was beginning to think that maybe it was an upgrade because it definitely looked different from the pictures I saw. The lake view was majestic as I could see the pink masjid from afar. I really liked that there’s a specific tap for drinking water in the room.

My least favourite feature of the room was the bathroom. It was separated from the sleeping area by a glass window. Although there are additional blinds, I still felt exposed while showering. Of course, this is a great thing if I am staying alone. I could soak in the bathtub and watch TV in the bedroom through the glass. However, when you have kids of an older age, you do feel a bit self-conscious. I could peek at my kids in the bedroom through the blinds. They probably could do the same if they want to.

So I resorted to showering in the dark. To hopefully reduce the silhouette effect that comes through the blinds.

Room services are available. The menu seems good.

Sahur starts at 430AM. The buffet is last served at 530AM, but guests are welcome to continue their meals until Fajar prayers. I did not take any pictures of the spread (because it is just too early for photos), but the options are great. I thought it was acceptable. I had a decent nasi lemak, a cup of strong latte, pastries, yoghurt, and juice. My daughter had noodles, cereal and juice. It was a nice sahur session.

We checked out by 11 am, as we do not want to get caught up in traffic heading towards Melaka. It was a partial experience as I did not check out their gym and pool. Perhaps later, when there is more time.

6 days off

Posted in Everyday Life, Food and Drinks by

Melaka was very fortunate to have 6 days off work during the Chinese New Year celebration. I did not have to think about work for 6 days, and what a blissful week it was. Furthermore, the 1st of Ramadan also falls in this same week, and I thought it was great for the kids to have 4 Ramadan days at home. No school, nothing.

I made caramel pudding.

Tanghulu.

Brownies.

6 days off

It is only a matter of time for me to have the courage to try to make cinnamon rolls. I have saved a few recipes on Instagram. I just need that ounce of energy to do it.

Craving asam pedas in Muar

Posted in Food and Drinks, Places to Eat by

I was not a fan of asam pedas. Until I had my MIL’s asam pedas. The visuals of her dish are mouth-watering with its bright red colour, but it is not spicy at all. Since then, I have discovered asam pedas tetel and other proteins in asam pedas. I tried making asam pedas, but the balance seems to be off. You need a good mix of chilli and tamarind paste.

Before Ramadan, my father was craving for a particular asam pedas in MUAR. It was Asam Pedas Kak Yah, located near Masjid Jamek Nurul Iman Parit Bakar. The journey was an hour’s drive from our house. We ordered 2 portions of mayong, 2 portions of pari, 1 portion of vegetable, 2 portions of telur dadar, 4 plates of rice and 4 drinks. The total amounted to a reasonable RM80.

We reached there just after 11am. The crowd had not arrived, so we were able to have our meals peacefully. Overall, it was a great lunch.

The morning before KKOM-ing

Posted in Everyday Life, Food and Drinks by

I had to substitute a colleague at Klinik Komuniti the other day. Klinik Komuniti (KKOM) has odd working hours of 12noon till 9pm. There is no lunch break, but there is an hour break during Maghrib at 645pm-745pm. It is usually manned by a medical doctor, a medical assistant, a registered nurse, a pharmacy assistant and a health assistant. KKOM was established as a means to provide services for minor ailments, wound dressing and emergency situations outside office hours for areas at the periphery of the main town.

I honestly think that KKOM is already out of touch.

We have plenty of GP services sprouting in these areas, providing care out of office hours. Some clinics even open 23 hours. The government should look into providing incentives for shared care between the GP and KK. Of course, cost is an issue, which is why patients still prefer going to KKOM. However, this is where the thinkers need to reconsider the said options. Furthermore, people are treating KKOM as a retail pharmacist. Some would straight up request paracetamol or mmt as standby meds at home.

Enough of that.

I am usually prepared on days I have to go to KKOM. Meaning I would arrange for certain errands to be done in the morning, like going for longer brisk walks or to the bank. This time I wasn’t. I have quite forgotten my own schedule. Hence, I find myself undecided on whether to go for a walk or stay inside with my kettlebell. Then, should I go for mamak or just have toast at home? Should I watch a TV series or do online CPD? Brunch with asam laksa maggi or go for a bite at Aeon. My decisions led to this.

  • kettlebell at home
  • toast and hot coffee at home
  • online CPD to collect enough points for my APC renewal
  • a bite at AEON

I had a lovely brunch of Beef Stroganoff Pasta and GIGI Coffee. Lucky me, GIGI was having a promotion. All drinks were priced at RM6.90. I ordered an Iced Pecan Latte. It tasted awesome.

Earl Grey Tea Cake with Lemon Glaze

Posted in Everyday Life, Food and Drinks by

I rarely bake. I am not a good cook either. My first exposure to Earl Grey flavoured cake was from the Japanese Konbini (コンビニ) FamilyMart. What I had back then was a really good Earl Grey rolled cake.

I tried to find local bakers who could recreate the cake, but to no avail. Hence, I have been scrolling through Instagram, searching for easy-to-follow recipes for the cake. I found and saved a few reels. I managed to bake one today. The taste was OK. Perhaps I should find a recipe that infuses the tea flavour into the cake rather than just incorporating the tea leaves. It is because after the lemon glaze, it felt more like a lemon cake instead of a tea cake. Nevertheless, it was still delicious. I hope to send some to my MIL next week. She seems to like lemon-flavoured cake.

I am hoping to try making some cinnamon rolls or a chocolate cake in the many months to come. Maybe something in purple since BTS is coming to Kuala Lumpur in December. Baking is about precision. If you follow the steps to the dots, it is fail-proof. Sometimes, I lack patience. Which is why, for amateurs, it is best done when you have the time. It calms you down as you go through the recipe meticulously, and just let your thoughts sink into the process. As a bonus, if it turns out fine, you get to feed your family with delicious home-baked goods, which would probably cost me RM30 if I decide to buy them from a baker.

I did my baking just after I did my laundry and cleaning of one particular windowsill. The latter was on my to-do list since my last birthday. While waiting for another load to finish in the dryer, I decided to bake this cake. It took me at least a good 30 minutes for me to assemble the ingredients and go through the process. I was slightly frantic when the recipe asked for the oven to be preheated to 370. My oven only had numbers till 280. I then realised that it was in Fahrenheit instead of Celsius. Silly me.

The cake was finally done just after I had my lunch of rice with chicken curry.