Tag Archives: exploring Malacca

Poppy Beauty Hair Spa MITC

Posted in Good Things, Reviews by

Before the Japanese head spa existed, one would need to go to the hairdresser’s looking for a hair wash and head massage. The good ones will give you a complimentary shoulder and back rub as well. I believe it is only recently that these hair spa services have emerged, and it definitely got me excited.

I have tried a hair spa service at one of the shops at Bukit Baru. I did not really enjoy that one. That particular spa included basic facials in its service. It was for 90 minutes, but it felt rushed and agonising. Obviously, I did not come back. Later, I came across Poppy Beauty Hair Spa as I was doing my brisk walking in that area.

I looked up the reviews on Google, and I thought it was worth trying. This particular spa has two branches. One was in Semabok, and the one I went to was at MITC. The one located at MITC was a ladies’ only outlet. I WhatsApped the number I got from their Instagram page and made the earliest booking slot at 1030am. Parking was easy, as it was still too early for the crowd at Mydin to arrive.

Initially, I chose the Classic Hair Spa package. Later, when I arrived at the shop, the therapist showed me other available treatment packages. I added the Scalp Treatment therapy. Thus, I ended up with a hair wash, scalp treatment, and head massage, including the shoulders and arms.

The products they use

Before the session, I was asked to change into this lovely towel and robe. My personal belongings are kept inside the locker. My scalp was examined under a special tool, and obviously, it looked bad. They put a heated eye pad throughout my 2-hour session, relaxing music with minimal talking from the therapist. I liked that the therapist, or is it a beautician, did not give me a running commentary on my wrecked hair and oily scalp. After the treatment, my scalp looked better. The lady suggested that I double cleanse my hair when I shampoo and that I should do it every day, given that my scalp was oily. Now that I have been very active in brisk walking, washing my hair daily has become mandatory. Only that I did not shampoo twice because I thought it would dry my hair. Turns out that I should. While my hair was being blow-dried, I was served a cup of calming lemongrass tea. After all that, my hair glowed over my fat face. Hahaha.

The total cost came up to RM 228. With the impeccable service, I thought it was worth every single penny. I am keen to try their body massage one day. They have other treatment packages too, like the Mother and Daughter hair spa package. That is pretty cute. Will check that one out too.

Snap N Snack – celebrating husband’s birthday

Posted in Food and Drinks, Places to Eat by

Celebrating the birthday of family members is probably one small gesture one could do as a family to appreciate their presence. To honour them as a gift to the family. This is because, despite saying that family is important, our actions may suggest otherwise. We either get caught up in work or prioritise other commitments. Hence, to put aside a small portion of your time to spend at least an hour on a simple meal and a birthday cake suffices in some families.

We did just that for my husband’s birthday. He is a busy man at the workplace and is very committed to his side quest of becoming fit. Probably doing Intermittent Fasting. Or being on a product/medicine that he wants to be discreet about. Either way, agreeing to his own birthday dinner is great. I chose a place close to home called Snap N Snack.

I honestly have to tell you. This may not be the best place to get your fix of Western dishes. However, it does boast an Instagrammable venue with a comfortable vibe for family dinners. The latter being the reason why I opted for this place to have my husband’s birthday celebration. By the way, this year, I gifted him some probiotics. A box of Watson probiotics (+ collagen) and a bottle of GKB Lactobacillus Plantarum. I hope he has (better) guts this year.

At the restaurant, my daughter ordered the mac and cheese. The cheese was on the heavy side and was likely prepared by a young cook, as it was salty. Youngsters nowadays seem to be desensitised to sugar and salt. Fortunately, my kids are able to tell when a particular dish is flavourful due to its original taste or burdened by preservatives. My quesadilla was not on par with what I had before at a different restaurant. Even then, I respect that it is their own recipe, only that it was not to my liking. The birthday man had pasta. I ordered a banana split to substitute for the birthday cake. It was alright. In fact, perhaps the only thing we loved about the place was the ambience, the banana split and the service.

The workers did try their best, including the cook. It was just not up my alley. Thus, I chose not to submit my Google review of this place. I will come later and try other dishes. Maybe then I’d find something I like and be able to give a balanced rating for Snap N Snack.

Kings Green Hotel – a hotel near home offering a lifestyle membership

Posted in Everyday Life, Leisure & Travel, Reviews by

Initially, I booked a hotel in Putrajaya because we had a batch reunion at IOI. However, the venue was changed at the last minute because it felt wrong to be singing your heart out when a friend is in sorrow. Her son was admitted to the hospital and diagnosed with a rare disease that caused multiple episodes of seizures and general body function. Since the new venue seemed a bit far off from what I am used to, I decided to cancel the booking. However, my daughter was already looking forward to a hotel stay that particular weekend, which is why I booked a place in Melaka itself, the Kings Green Hotel.

It is a 4-star boutique hotel situated in town. Check-in time was at 3 pm. Unfortunately, we were told that the next day, the water supply will be cut off by 10 AM due to some pipe work. I was a bit disappointed as that means that our little staycation will be cut short.

After lunch and a Super Mario movie at Aeon Mall, we drove our way to the hotel. I booked a Superior room that has 1 queen bed and 1 single bed. The rate was RM 154.62/night, including taxes and fees. This covers breakfast for 2. I paid an additional RM18 for my daughter’s breakfast. The usual amenities include Wi-Fi, a mini fridge, and beverages. Upon checking in, guests are required to pay a deposit of RM100. I thought it was quite a hefty amount for a deposit. To be honest, not many people carry that much cash around anymore. I transferred the money through their QR code, and I received my deposit back in cash on checking out.

The room was cosy, and most importantly, we saw so many dining promotions for the month of May.

Breakfast starts at 7 AM at the Hibiscus Cafe on the ground floor. The food selection, in my personal opinion, is alright. There’s a good balance between Western and Asian options. Especially with the price tag. If guests demand more, I think that would be out of touch. Having an omelette station and a coffee machine is good enough already. I really enjoyed my simple breakfast.

I saw that there is a pool, and I believe a gymnasium? I did not have enough time to check it out. It seems that the hotel offers a ‘lifestyle membership’ programme where members are eligible for some perks and vouchers. I read about it on their website. I suppose gym-goers would find it interesting, yes?

We enjoyed being in our cosy room a lot. The shower gel and shampoo have this pleasant scent that kind of reminds me of the ones they had at Limetree Hotel in Kuching. It was that nice. Overall, it was a great staycation in the city. We had dinner at Pak Putra Tandoori, which is less than 20 minutes drive away. Now I am browsing for other hotels in Melaka for our future staycation.

15th Wedding Anniversary at Wagyu Melaka

Posted in Food and Drinks, Places to Eat by

Recently, we celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary. Usually, I would be able to arrange a short staycation somewhere, but for 2025, our date fell in the middle of the week. It was difficult to apply for leave as it was also the school holidays. So, the competition for annual leave is fierce.

The best I could come up with is a special dinner. With the kids.

I made a reservation at Wagyu Melaka, located at Kota Laksamana. We can redeem a wagyu stick for our special occasion. Since we were not big eaters, we ordered the RM150 family set meal and a kids’ meal for our daughter. The food was astonishingly good. The taste of the meat came through with minimal flavouring. Just the simple salt and pepper.

Since Mr Husband has already gifted me with an Umrah trip (he paid at least 90% of it), the least I could get him was this gadget I found online. It could translate a foreign language in real-time. I have no idea if it works, but surely it counts for something. Ha ha ha.

Nujum Cafe Melaka

Posted in Food and Drinks, Places to Eat by

Address: Lot 450/451, Bandar Bukit Baru Seksyen 5, 75460 Melaka. Phone: 011-1617 4226

Hours: 

Sunday4–11 pm
MondayClosed
Tuesday4–11 pm
Wednesday4–11 pm
Thursday4–11 pm
Friday4–11 pm
Saturday4–11 pm

The moment it was opened, the kids and I briskly walked over to try it out. Nujum Cafe promoted itself as a place that serves Western cuisine, and I was craving a huge chunk of meat. I would say that the price range is about Medium. It is not as pricey as the high end places like Chef Wan. Nor is it priced like the regular family bistro like Mr SteakHouse.

On our first visit there, I ordered a rib-eye. My kids had the familiar spaghetti and macaroni. We shared a Tiramisu Crepe and 2 bottled sodas from Haus Boom. It tasted like those Cola candies. My steak was just shy of RM100, and my kids’ dishes were roughly in mid RM20s.

The rib-eye was prepared quite well. It was not tough to chew.

Hence, during my subsequent visit there with my husband, I ordered a Sirloin steak. However, that second time around, the meat did not taste as good. Maybe it was a different chef. The tiramisu crepe still tasted fabulous, but I really hoped that they would remove the doily paper underneath the crepe.

Overall, Nujum Cafe provides good food. The atmosphere is also Instagrammable, which is a must nowadays. I look forward to many more meals afterwards.