Coffee ‘O’ Clock – Burghkin Coffee & Tea

It’s been a while since I saw this cafe on the Grab app. I thought I’d try it after a hectic morning assembling my shoe rack. Plus, it’s some sort of reward for my son who helped to screw all the problematic parts of the frame. Thank goodness for sons!

I ordered a coffee latte for myself, a mocha for my husband and chocolate drinks for my kids. Then I ordered salted egg croissants that my husband seems to like and a few croffles for the kids. Initially, I wanted it to be our tea time spread but it looked too good that we had it as dessert after lunch. The combination of cold beverages with warm pastries is a chef’s kiss.

At the same time, I was watching I Chang’s Youtube videos. I really liked those ‘heart to heart’ videos. They are very insightful. A few weeks ago, they commented on their observations of our multicultural countries and what they’ve learned about it. I like the part when they say Malaysians have an advantage to excel on the international platform because we know how to ‘fit in’ easily given our diverse culture. If only more Malaysians could hear this and take their word for assimilating more with people of other races instead of clinging to people of the same ethnicity. We used to be able to do this in school. I know I did but the picture is very different nowadays. We are somewhat divided.

Perhaps we could only see this interracial interaction in international schools or private education facilities. But then, that is another bubble that we need to address too. The bubble of T20s and the elite.

Recently, I Chang made another video where she and her husband shared how they were burnt out from making all the videos. They are after all making an income from Youtube hence I understand the pressure to create content that people want to watch. One of the gems I got from that video was when a vendor by the name of Danial told the couple that they have good followers because they make good content.

This resonated with me quite a bit.

Indeed, the type of content attracts a certain group of people. So if you want good followers, create good content too. I am a bit behind on my Youtube videos as I am swamped with my tutorials and assignments. There is a lot on my plate at the moment but I am still grounded and motivated.

I should be motivated as I just purchased a new computer. Ha ha ha.

Coffee’O’Clock – CroissxCoffee Melaka

I had a Tabung Haji errand to run one day. Before Mother died, she named me the person who should help sort out her financial matters at Tabung Haji. My sister was the second person in charge. Now after nearly two years have passed, I have managed to settle this matter. Finally. Why two years? Long story. All I needed to bring with me was her death certificate and my own MYKAD with photostat copies of each. I had to fill in one particular form, signed a few papers, thumbprint some sections and just like, the paperwork part is done. Now I have to wait for at least 2 weeks for the money to be transferred into my account. From there, I will divide them with my siblings.

The Tabung Haji branch I went to was situated at Banda Kaba. Knowing that it would take a while to get it sorted, I thought I’d go to this cafe at Melaka Raya. It’s one of those places I discovered via Instagram. I loved that the cafe is easily spotted with its bright orange colour and is located at a place where parking is readily available. Come to think of it, I did go there quite early – somewhat around 9am.

It opens at 830AM and is a Muslim-friendly cafe.

Upon walking in, I was greeted by the smell of fresh coffee and sweet pastry. That is when I knew I would enjoy this experience. Cause if the cafe does not smell coffee, it’s not gonna taste nice. I placed my order at the counter, took a seat upstairs and waited for the servers to send it to me.

There is a variety of beautiful-looking pastries to choose from. The croissants were huge too and you could smell the butter on them. The setup of the place is also very Instagrammable and aesthetic. Only I don’t really know how to pose for a good picture to upload on Instagram.

I look forward to having more cafe adventures in Melaka.

Mamasita Melaka

Run by Malaysians, trained by Mexicans

Muslim friendly – it cannot be certified as fully Halal because the premise sells alcohol. The meat is from a halal source.

I am confident that if the family was to eat there, at the restaurant, it would serve a different energy. It will be very Coco and vibrant. Even then, I tried to recreate a lively spirit at home for this birthday fiesta (Mr Husband’s 38th birthday). I placed some bright-coloured pashmina on the dining table, fairy lights and fake flowers on the dining table. We used paper plates cause I don’t feel like washing up too many dishes after the meal.

I ordered meals from Mamasita through the Grab app for them to be delivered at a scheduled time. I do not think it is possible to eat outside because Mr Husband has a course on that day and he’d be too tired to go out for dinner. (what kind of person does not take leave on their birthday? Oh yeh, my husband). Plus, the weather was terribly hot despite me switching on the air conditioner and the standing fan simultaneously.

The meal was great. I really loved the soft taco guacamole and the beef quesadilla. The lamb was delicious too. In fact, everything was flavourful and the price was to me, reasonable. Other things I ordered are the Margherita Pizza, honey BBQ chicken with Mexican fries, chicken quesadilla, aglio olio spaghetti and soft drinks.

Anyway, Mr Husband did not appear enthusiastic at all. Very lacklustre. Not even close to being platonic. Either because he’s had a long day or he’s just being a moron. If it is because of the latter, he may remain miserable until his next birthday. That is the time when I will make another prayer for him to murah rezeki, dipanjangkan umur and be blessed with good things in life. Allah knows best.

The cake was Red Velvet from Italy Cake House. Specially chosen by the son. My daughter bought him 3 pairs of socks from Mr DIY using my money. The dinner was very quick because there was no TV and it was quite warm in the kitchen. So much for a Mexican atmosphere.

Luncheon at TWS, Bukit Beruang

Organizing an event after the Raya holidays require determination cause not a lot of people will be in the mood. However, having this luncheon is important as it is a farewell ceremony to a very kind and hardworking Family Medicine Specialist (FMS) at our clinic. At first, I had wanted to wait it out and let someone with more calibre take on the reins and organize the luncheon. Time passed and the silence got more deafening, triggering this anxiety within me to just take the plunge and be in charge.

Good Luck in finding colleagues better than us 😛

At first, we wanted to do the farewell at the clinic but the usual seminar room is already booked for another function. A colleague suggested we bring this outside for a change. I welcomed the idea and soon enough we chose The Windmill Station at Bukit Beruang as our venue. I wanted to make the reservation a few days in advance but the manager told me to make the call again on the day of the event.

I really wanted this to be a luncheon fit for Pinterest. On a budget.

So, I had a few ideas in mind. A decorative table, door gifts and delicious lunch.

Decorative Table

I enlisted the help of my colleague, Erenna who is known as The Decorator. As usual, she makes decorating so easy and I tried my best to be of help by getting some stuff that may be useful for her project. I made a trip to Kaison and got some beautiful trinkets and fairy lights for the table. I was selective in my choices because I wanted things I could reuse later for other social events and even for my own home decor. Erenna helped me to choose some flowers and matching vases to go with it.

Door Gifts

I started very early with my Teacher’s Day gifts by ordering some Indonesian brand coffee, mini spoons and packaging. I thought I could prepare the same for the luncheon. Indeed I spent a few minutes of my night after work putting some love into the labour of assembling this door gift. I also packed some chocolates I got from Langkawi into small packages as an extra touch. I just hope they loved it. I DIYed the frame.

As for the farewell gift, I made the trip to the new IOI City Mall in Putrajaya to get a bag from Sometime for the boss. IOI is huge and I feel it’s a great place to hunt for gifts which are exclusive by our local designers. Will blog about it in a different post.

Delicious Lunch

Everyone gets to order an ala-carte meal with drinks with a budget of less than RM30 per person. On top of the meal, I also bought a cake from my favourite, Italy Bakery. This time I tried something new – Cranberry Chocolate cake. A small one with enough portions for 13 people and extra for the guy on lunch call.

Craving for Nasi Goreng Tomyam

Organizing a social event is fun when people cooperate and you have the money to do so. I am excited to take on further mini-social projects in the near time which include Bridal Room Decor (for Matin), Eid Adha, Aug-Sept birthday party, clinic Open Day, listening party etc. In the meantime, Semester 11 is starting next week. We will see if I have residual social stamina to keep going.

Trying something new – #CoffeeO’Clock

The coffee-drinking culture has somehow evolved over the past few years. There is a growing rivalry with giant chains like Starbucks and Coffee Bean from hipster cafes and local eateries. Perhaps it is due to the rise of KDrama and their Americano. Or maybe we’re all just yawning our way through our daily activities in need of a caffeine boost more regularly. Although Melaka is a small state, it also has its own coffee bubble waiting to be discovered by ….. me. So I am going to call my little coffee exploration project #CoffeeO’Clock.

So far, I have managed to enjoy coffee from a few outlets such as our beloved ZUS Coffee and 434 Kopitiam. My go-to choice is always a coffee latte from ZUS because I find Americano too strong for my taste buds. I was a tad adventurous end of December though and made a visit to Aniss Cafe.

ANISS Cafe

This cafe is located along the AMJ highway. I love the fact that it is easy to find parking and it is not crowded. To be fair, I did go there before lunch hour hence the patrons have not arrived. I ordered a cafe latte, a bowl of Laksa Johor and croffles for dessert. I took my time to devour my meal and felt at ease even though I was alone. The cafe music was pleasant. The aesthetics of the place was so bright, K- Dramaish and welcoming. The Laksa Johor was acceptable but the croffle is super delicious.

TED COFFEE

Earlier this month I had brunch at Ted’s Coffee. Its adverts often pop up on my newsfeed on Facebook. Hence, I was intrigued to give it a try. The interior of the cafe was painted in a very classic black. The place could do with more decorations and timely background music. It was a bit too quiet when I entered the cafe. The walls were empty with not much to look at and so I had to sink my thoughts into my phone. Here, I ordered a cafe latte and a croissant sandwich. I was dying for a croissant because Instagram made me do it. Ha ha ha. The croissant is too simple for cafe standards – it looked like something I could make at home if I had a croissant in the first place. Maybe they could create a special sauce or some form of ‘different’ cheese to go with it. I did not order desserts for this brunch because I was pressing for time. However, looking at their Facebook page, they do seem to have a variety on display.

Ted’s Coffee was mentioned briefly in this Youtube video of mine. It is admittingly quite a boring video. Ha ha ha.

I have searched for quite a few places to try their coffee for a few months to come. Maybe I will go to one every month or so. This is because I am still watching my calories. Despite the subtle body-shaming and sabotage, it is still a consistent effort on my part. Wish me luck.