Hokano - Must Try!!

Thursday, November 24, 2011 by Audrey
I have to say...although I've been working in Damansara Uptown for more than a year now, when it comes to eating places there aren't that many choices, especially for cheap and tasty food. Most tasty foods don't come cheap in that area, and sadly cheap foods are not all that tasty. *Sigh* 

Yet, there are still a few 'gems' that we can find every now and then - all thanks to some savvy colleagues who are more familiar with the area than me! Case in point, Hokano restaurant...tucked away quietly just a few shops away from the Maybank in Damansara Uptown, Hokano serves REALLY good Japanese food at quite affordable prices (considering how expensive Japanese food can be!). Let's move on to some photos. Heh!

Forgot to take photos of the restaurant itself, but the set up is quite simple and unassuming....so much so that one might think the food is not up to par coz it doesn't look chic or posh like most Japanese restaurants. DO NOT let that fool you!


I came here with some colleagues for a farewell lunch with another colleague. We've read good reviews about the place in some blogs, so we'd decided to try it out =) Started off with some Ocha (green tea). Quite thick but not overwhelming...me likes! I think I'm becoming a sucker for most things green tea...hahaha!


Then our food arrived! Hokano has some really cool lunch sets so I ordered this: The Sashimi lunch set. How AWESOME is this??? There's ample cuts of sashimi, rice, chawanmushi, miso soup, salad, a small appetizer and cuts of fruit! And all these for only - wait for it - RM23.50! 


Close up on my sashimi...I've not been a big fan of sashimi before, but recently I've come to acquire a liking for it. These delicious cuts really are scrumptious. The white fish is a little on the thick side, but so fresh that all is forgiven when you bite into it when dipped with a bit of soy sauce and wasabi. It all just melts into your mouth like butter....MMMMMM! My favorite is still the long slice of salmon belly in the front here...smooth and silky, I wish there were more instead of just one slice!


Some other highlights of my meal. I'm assuming this is the appetizer for the day, but this small plate of stir-fried brinjals really packs a punch. Goes down REALLY well with the rice (which, by the way I finished the whole thing...I know, carbs are evil but these carbs are so good I can't stop. LOL!) and the texture was JUST right; not too soggy or too hard *grins*


Ah yes, another favorite of mine! This is also a recent acquired liking...chawanmushi! I've never given thought to it before....it was like normal steamed egg with some pieces of meat inside, but now I've come to appreciate the slight hint of smokiness; the creaminess of the egg that can only be acquired with lots of skill (it's SO easy to oversteam egg 'custards' like this). Plus, the marinated pieces of meat hidden inside are just nicely done and made a nice 'surprise' when you reach the bottom of the cup.


 
Some other photos of my colleagues' orders...this is the Salmon Teriyaki set (RM21.90). Also comes with the same sides.

I really like this glossiness of the well done salmon belly. Look at the sheer size of it! Think I might just try this set the next time I'm there...heh!


The Saba Surioyaki set (RM17.50). Same sides too =)


Was told this is a type of mackerel, but look at that crispy skin! Yummers!


Of course, one can always choose from the a la carte menu there but the lunch sets are really quite worth the buck if you like the selections that they offer =) Hokano also offers other kinds of Japanese fare like sushi, noodles, and rice dishes...it's definitely a must try!
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The Drive

Friday, November 18, 2011 by Audrey
I have an...affinity with ghost 'stuff', if you can call it that. While I'm not a big fan of these things, somehow or other I get quite a few opportunities to catch horror movies and the like. Some I'd come to enjoy and appreciate, while some made me cringe and laugh.

Yesterday, however was quite an eye-opener...quite literally too! LOL! I had the chance to catch a friend of mine performing in a play called "The Drive" at The Actor's Studio in Lot 10 (which by the way, was a very cool place to have a performance studio! Loved the rooftop there!) I have to shamefully admit that I didn't really give much thought to the description of the play before I attended the performance. All I knew was my friend is going to be one of the main cast and I'm there to support her :) What I came away with at the end of the performance was a mind-blown, awe-struck experience and the impression that theater in Malaysia can be quite cool with the right people...so much so that I HAD to blog about this ASAP!

The main 'frame' of the story is about these 3 guys on a drive out to hunt for ghosts as fodder for their growing blog readership. On the way, what better way to fuel their imagination than to tell each other ghost stories? And so, we're taken into these stories and boy, they are kind of scary! Yes, even coming from me...the one who had to watch quite a few horror movies (not by choice) and had gotten quite immune to these things. I don't want to spoil the plot so much for those who are planning to catch it so please go and watch it to experience it all.

You'd probably think I am biased because I went there to catch my friend performing....that's true in a way. I was there to just see how good she did in the play, but after it all ended, I admired a lot of the other cast as well....so much talent in the cast! From the goofiness of the three guys, the intensity of the scenes brought on by the characters, the comedic timing breaking the tension at times, to the creepiness in the stories that I can only just say kudos for a job well done!

What really impressed me also was the synchronization of the sound effects and lighting with the timing of the actors...although it is a scripted play, I do think that to synchronize everything down to a T takes quite a bit of effort and LOADS of practice. The  lighting, sound effects and even the songs used during the transitions really made it so believable that for some time, I was immersed into the whole experience. Probably that's what made it quite scary for me...even though the actors are playing characters, but because they're in the flesh and so upclose (I had front row seats) that creepiness just intensifies that much.

At the end of it all, it really was loads of fun to catch awesome plays like these....do catch it if you can! The run of the shows are only until THIS SUNDAY, so go catch it quick! Ticketing information can be found at The Actors' Studio's website here (click) or you can even check out the Facebook page that they created for the play! (click) Here's a preview video of the play in case you're wondering...*grins*




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Real Steel

Monday, October 24, 2011 by Audrey
Hugh Jackman...that alone should be a crowd-puller to watch this movie. The man who immortalized Wolverine (for the guys); the one who melted countless women's hearts in "Kate & Leopold" is now a washed up, has-been boxer who does robot boxing in his latest offering "Real Steel".

Watching the trailer, I had anticipated to catch the movie since it had Hugh Jackman, cool-looking robots (ALMOST reminiscent of "Transformers", though not as high-tech of yet) and subsequent bashing of robots in a brawl that's a little like Iron Man beating the pulp out of those clone-bots! Action, grit, cute lead actor...yup, good combination! And it didn't disappoint *grins*

Initially, I had thought of the movie as a full-on, action-packed movie that pulls the punches from the get go and doesn't require a story. Just have robots kill each other via remote controls by the humans! But it surprised me with a very decent storyline (albeit a little Disney-ish if I do say so myself). 

Hugh Jackman is Charlie Kenton, a guy who tries to make some money via his robots doing robot boxing. Unfortunately, his robots are sort of washed up like he was, and needless to say, they got served very badly (as did he!). Enter his estranged son, Max (played by a very adorable Dakota Goyo) who came into his care when his mom passed. The two make a very unassuming find in the form of an old robot while scouring for parts at a metal junkyard, and find that hey, this little robot might just be something else entirely.



Noisy Boy with his 'handlers'...LOL!


Yup, the story is about family, with a little tearjerker towards the end...but don't let that stop you from catching this movie! It offers loads of action, brawn and flair in the form of the robot fights. Yes, you'll get to watch quite a few robots go head to head WWF-style, only with boxing. From underground fights to the big leagues of a world championship match, "Real Steel" delivers the excitement and atmosphere very well with great use of music, intricate camera work and impressive CG!

Like I mentioned before, the robots are pretty amazing. While not as high-tech as "Transformers", they do a pretty decent job as 'fighters' in place of real humans. Watch out for the scenes with a bot called Noisy Boy...when it first came on, there was an audible gasp seeing how cool it was! And yes, even the main robot Atom, is a joy to watch =) Old and unassuming as it may be, Atom will warm your heart as it takes hit after hit from the opponents. It doesn't speak at all, but it says quite a bit through its movements. Kinda reminds me of Wall-E, but this bot sports a mean punch as well as a few slick dance moves too! *wink*


Charlie teaching Atom how to box...awww!

Special mention should be given to the actors as well. Hugh Jackman's performance as a reluctant father and doesn't-think-before-he-acts persona plays off Dakota Goyo's kid-who-lacks-a-father-figure-in-his-life character really well. While Goyo can be a bit annoying at times, their banter with each other is hilarious, especially at a scene where Atom faces off another robot at "The Zoo". Evangeline Lilly is also very cool as Bailey, the love interest of Charlie and nerdy girl-next-door. The chemistry between Jackman and Lilly is palpable, which says a lot given that it's a family-oriented film *wink*

"Real Steel" is quite an enjoyable watch...give this a go if you like robots, boxing or just looking for a feel-good movie that - quite literally - packs a punch =) If you can, watch it in 2D. No, not the 3D one where you wear the glasses...the 2D version as mentioned in some bigger cinemas is actually a high-definition version of the movie! *grins*
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In Perfect Harmony

Tuesday, October 18, 2011 by Audrey
I first heard of "In Perfect Harmony" (IPH) from my friend, Freida, who told me that she will be performing in it as one of the ensemble. Of course, I was delighted for her and told her that I would support her by going to see her performance =) All I know of the Dama Orchestra at the time was that it was an organization that does a lot of Chinese music and musicals. And from what I've read in the promo material for IPH, it's a musical journey from the 70's to the present.  I figured, it MIGHT not be my cup of tea, but meh...I'm there to see my friend perform anyways, so why not? 

And so, I bought a ticket and went in without much thought into how they're going to gel everything together. But boy, was I in for a very pleasant surprise! IPH was AMAZING!

Okay, first things first....due to my 'overestimation' of time, traffic and my own kooky sense of direction, I was late for the show(!!!!! Epic fail) and missed out on the opening number as well as a couple of songs after that. To make it worse, my seat was right smack in the middle...about 4 rows from the stage! LOL! It was seriously hard to get there and I thought my seat was taken by someone else. Didn't want to make a scene since I was late myself, the usher kindly let me sit at an empty seat further up so that I could at least watch the show. During the intermission however, they found out that my seat wasn't actually taken (it's only my blur self who can't see. LOL!), so I went and got my money's worth in the second Act. YAYY!

Patrick Teoh & Douglas Lim! Heart their performances (Photo credit: The Star)


There is no real 'story' in IPH...rather, we were treated to a lovely amalgamation of songs from the 70's up until the present. And instead of just international songs from the West, there are also a mixture of Malay, Chinese, Hindi and even a popular Korean song thrown in! As we go through memory lane, we are guided by a wonderful narration of none other than the legendary Patrick Teoh! Seriously, it's one thing to listen to him on the radio or on television....but to hear him live it's astounding! The flow of words, his diction, intonation....I want to learn English speaking with him! *grins* Anyways, all gushing aside, the narration inserts lovely bits of trivia and facts in the particular era...as well as some well-injected puns and digs at some of the funny things that happen in our country at the time. Big, big kudos to the playwrights for their great sense of humour!


Also amazing was the performance of Douglas Lim who plays a DJ that introduces the songs in the musical through his 'radio shows'....his lines coupled with his perfect comedic timing are superb! Never failed to generate laughs whenever he comes on *grins*

There were also guest artistes that come to perform at the different dates of the show. When I went, Sean Ghazi was the guest artiste, and he did not disappoint with his smooth crooning of "Lagenda" and the ever famous Theresa Teng's song! Yes, he sang in Chinese! And it was with good diction too...how cool is that??! 


The 3 lead singers...loved their voices! (Photo credit: The Star)

As for the songs itself, they were splendidly done! The Dama Orchestra did not disappoint with their world class musicians behind the music, and the lead singers (consisting of Tan Soo Suan, Chang Fang Chyi and Tria Aziz) were AMAZING! Each singer brought their own style and flavor to the songs (Fang Chyi brings a soulful, jazz-y feel; Soo Suan has an AMAZING range and classical tone; while Tria blows me away with her strong and heartfelt voice!), which is pretty impressive seeing that the songs are very well-known songs throughout the decades! Just to name a few, "Lagenda", "I Will Always Love You", "Dancing Queen", "Getaran Jiwa", "YMCA" are some of the timeless classics you will hear in the musical. Popular music now would be like "Bad Romance", "Thriller", "You Raise Me Up" and "Gemilang"! I recognize a lot of Chinese songs too, but I don't know how to write them here...LOL! 

The ensemble is not to be pushed aside as mere backup vocals though! True to their title, everybody worked really in harmony and as a team....and almost everyone had their moments / solo parts to sing, which I think is SO cool since most musicals usually focus on the main cast! I would say the energy radiating from the whole cast is very infectious....if in the beginning, one would be kinda reserved and not feeling the jive, by the end of it all, that same person would have been standing on his / her feet to give a standing ovation or at the very least clapping as hard as one can! It's really, really something to watch =)

The stage sets were quite cool too! Though not as complicated and grand as "The Secret Life of Nora", they also employ the clever use of two curved stairs to suit the scenes that they are portraying, and it's quite fun to watch...especially during a certain Hindi song that will make you giggle and sing along at the same time! 


Me with Tria (far right) and Freida (far left)....YAYY!

 In short, IPH is a well worth your money spent....you will be taken back in time and forget all your worries for a good 2 hours while the cast entertains you with their cool dance moves, harmonious voices and witty narration! And as it ends, you'll even feel like you don't want it to end because it was SO. MUCH. FUN! *grins* IPH is still running now, and as I hear they are extending their shows to the 24th and 25th as well! So, go grab your tickets now before they are sold out! The show that I went to was a full house, and I've heard that some even went more than once....that's how good it was =) 
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The Secret Life of Nora

Monday, October 17, 2011 by Audrey
I managed to catch this new musical production by Enfiniti on the 14th...and I'm glad I did because when it was first announced that they would do a musical based on the '60s era and it's regarding spies, all I could think about was James Bond. And I didn't like the James Bond franchise, no matter how hot the actors are...LOL!

But as time passed by, little bits and pieces of promo materials were published by Enfiniti and it got me interested in catching it, so I bought a ticket and didn't regret it =) "The Secret Life Of Nora" (TSLON) is very grand, to say the least....no expense is spared on the stage sets, props and costumes to make the experience memorable. And while there are misses every now and then, I would say TSLON is quite a cool production....Kudos to Enfiniti for their hard work!

TSLON tells the story of Nora (played by Datin Seri Tiara Jacquelina), a showgirl who is being recruited as a female spy to infiltrate a new entertainment company run by a Mr. J (played by Aznil Nawawi). She is trained by a renowned female spy trainer, Roger Foss (played by Ryan Silverman) and as the story goes, she goes into the 'spy scene' in just a matter of 3 weeks. Did she succeed? Well, you'd have to watch it to enjoy the whole experience yourself *wink*





Most of the main cast in TSLON
Loved the cast in TSLON....Tiara Jacquelina is GORGEOUS (as always) and she fits the role  of Nora very well. Watch out for the scene where she undergoes training with Roger...her expressions of being overwhelmed followed by her enthusiasm in the training is awesome to watch! Ryan Silverman as Roger Foss is also spot on! When he first appears on stage, audible gasps can be heard around me as he cuts a really dashing figure in a shiny and glamorous suit *wink*

But, the show won't be a success without the help of the AMAZING supporting cast =) Special mention should be made to Adibah Noor (oh gosh, I love her acting!) for her turn as Khatijah, Nora's best friend / manager...her witty comebacks and one-liners are just hilarious with her fun character!


Amazing stage set!
The other aspect that I love about the musical is the stage sets! As I said before, no expense was spared, so there's the cool, gadget-filled Agent Farouk's(played by Tony Eusoff...also spectacular in his turn!) home, the pretty setting of Nora's changing room, as well as the over-the-top-but-oh-so-amazing set of Mr. J's building...all this put up on their main stage prop thingy which on the outside, looks like the frame that they use in construction sites, but flip it over and you get a different scene. Flip another side over, there's yet another setting! Genius! 


Betty sings her solo...so pretty!
What's a musical without us talking about the songs right? For TSLON, there are mostly original songs written for the musical. While some songs are really lovely (my favorite was Betty's solo), it kinda feels like they're not that memorable enough. Probably it's because the songs are too 'diverse'...as with most musicals I've seen, the songs become memorable because they are often kinda similar in tone / melodies throughout the show. If I had to compare (which I do!), PGLM  follows this musical 'formula' for songs, and they really do work to create memorable songs that stick in your head after the show! With TSLON however, it felt like they were trying to fit in so many things together that the songs don't really gel with each other. Some of the songs' lyrics are also so jam-packed it's hard to pick up what they're trying to sing about in the song!

Another thing that I find that's a little jarring is the singing...while I loved the supporting casts' voices (especially Stephanie van Driesen, who plays Betty...her velvety voice is so soothing and beautiful!), I can't help but say this: me thinks Tiara's voice as the lead leaves much to be desired. While she can sing, her range and depth doesn't seem to measure up to her co-stars, especially since she's the lead and she sings quite a lot through out the show. Pity really =( Also, I feel that Ryan Silverman's voice and range are not utilized as much as they should. The songs which he sang in doesn't really showcase his strong voice =( 


Mr. J and Nora in a scene...quite hilarious!
Character development for some of the characters (like Betty or even Mr. J) did not happen too...which is a little disappointing as I find their characters pretty interesting. Also, I felt that Act 2 was a little too rushed in the pace....the pace was so good for Act 1 where they took the time to introduce the characters and all, but as they moved on to Act 2, it somehow felt like they realized they have run out of time, so let's just patch things up quickly. Throw in some big fireworks, big bangs, and voila! Unfortunately, that didn't quite do it for me...

Yes, I guess I've probably mentioned too many cons compared to pros here, but all in all I DID really enjoy the musical. There were many laughs to be had, especially from Mr. J - the OTT villain who is also adorable with his funny lisp - and Khatijah; many grand scenes that take your breath away; and even a magic trick or two up the actors' sleeves!

For a local production, it is great to see that there are so many talented people and the arts industry in Malaysia is slowly emerging and polishing itself to be the best it can be. As grandiose as it was, there is definitely still room for improvement....=) Good job though to Enfiniti for venturing out and bringing some original stories and flair to the local scene!

They are extending the shows from 20th - 22nd, so if you can still score some tickets, do go catch it! It's quite fun, especially if you've not seen a musical before =)


Photo credits: Enfiniti Vision Media
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Temple Grandin

Tuesday, October 11, 2011 by Audrey
I 'stumbled' upon this movie when I saw my sister watching it the other day and was intrigued when she told me that Claire Danes was in it, and she is portraying a lady who is autistic. Yes, I watched these movies to see how the actors / actresses play a difficult role...don't we all? But, as the movie progresses along, what caught my attention was not just Claire Danes' acting, but the whole story about a woman who is just brilliant at what she does, and yet is always ostracized by society because she is different. 

This movie is based on the real life of Temple Grandin, a high-functioning autistic woman who works in animal science (and has a PhD to prove it!) and her struggles in coping with our 'normal' society, from her school days to eventually her degrees in animal science and how she influenced humane slaughterhouses. It is really fascinating to see the world from her eyes as she really does see things so differently....some are very literal, while her attention to details and visuals are astounding. The film also talks about her 'quirks' like not liking touches or hugs from other people and how she copes with it. Watch out for a scene where she finds an alternative to being soothed and calmed...while a little eccentric, the effect on her just makes you go, 'Wow!'

While at times some of the things portrayed is kind of stereotypical of the autism spectrum, kudos should also be given to the film makers in their interpretation of Temple's thought process. Thoughts can be so abstract at times, not to mention coming from someone who doesn't really get the puns and sayings thrown at them...and the film makers did a great job in not making it look ridiculous. Rather, it's quite artistic with a little sense of humour injected into it. One has to watch it to believe it!

Another thing that I really like is the side story of how Temple designed a system that is more efficient and humane for slaughterhouses to dip and lead the cattle to slaughter. Her insight into animal welfare is amazing, especially so because her autism enables her to view things so differently from a normal human. One of her greatest lines that I respect reads:

"I think using animals for food is an ethical thing to do, but we've got to do it right. We've got to give those animals a decent life and we've got to give them a painless death. We owe the animals respect."


Claire Danes with the realTemple Grandin!

Of course, special mention needs to be given to Claire Danes who portrays Temple so realistically you can't really recognize her until someone mentions to you that it's Claire Danes. Definitely not just a pretty face as she earns award nominations for her portrayal of Temple...and yet it's funny that it takes a movie like this to let people know that she is a serious actress instead of being taken seriously from the get go. All because she was blessed with good genes! Life is as such, isn't it? Anyway, I digress...

All in all, "Temple Grandin" is a must watch. Don't think that it'll be showing in cinemas here, so if you're smart you'll know where to look. *wink* This movie also got me Googling for Temple and the work that she does for animal science and autism. Really liked one of her speeches in TED regarding different kinds of minds...check it out if you can!


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Bali Trip - Barong Dance, "Turtle Island", Spa & Jimbaran Seafood

Thursday, September 29, 2011 by Audrey
Day 4 starts the earliest as we covered a lot of ground...heh! We left the hotel at about 8.00 am to head to a cultural center for a performance of the Barong Dance!

The cultural center which we went to. It was packed, as usual....Peter said there are about 6 cultural centers in this part of Bali alone, and they are almost always packed with visitors every day! How cool is that for tourism in Bali?


The bored-looking musicians waiting for the performance to start...I don't know if it's really because they were bored of playing the same thing over and over again every day, or it's just being bored of waiting to start performing. Either way, it's a big turn off to see their faces like that because they're right in front of the audience! Pfft!


The photo on the left is the whole stage and backdrop...cool isn't it? And when the performance started, it was quite interesting to hear the traditional music and stories of Bali. The Barong dance is basically about the fight between good and evil that are represented by the Barong and Rangda respectively. It's a bit long to share the story, and quite hard to explain unless seen in its entirety, so if you're in Bali, go catch a performance! While not as entertaining as say, a movie or any other musicals we have here, it's quite fun to see the antics of the actors (who can be hilarious) as well as the costumes and props that they use to portray the Barong and Rangda.

My favorite actor of the whole cast...he really portrayed the monkey to the T! Granted, he had the monkey mask on, but his mannerisms and what not make us forget that he is an actor playing a monkey! (Yes, that's how good he was)


The whole cast taking a bow after the performance =)


We had lunch after that...we had some local fare again (nasi campur!) but silly me forgot to take photos. LOL! After that we headed to Nusa Dua where we were greeted with the sights of this! Yup, this is the place where water sports are big. Now thinking back, I wish I had tried this parasailing instead of the Turtle Island tour thingy....oh wait, I'm getting ahead of myself! We were told by Peter that he would bring us to go see the fishes in the sea via a boat with a glass bottom earlier on, so I was quite stoked....until we reached here. Even then, I was still a bit psyched coz I thought there would really be fishes and we're heading out further into sea, away from the sports fanatics. Little did I know -_-"



We had paid for the fishes sighting as well as a visit to their "Turtle Island". Old naive me thought it's a natural island where turtles hang out...until the boat captain took us to this place! Let's not mention that the fish sighting thingy was a complete disaster...the water was so murky it's hard to see anything, and because there were so many friggin' boats going up and down they scared off all the fishes. *sigh* This is what happens when there is TOO much tourists...and we are being some of them! LOL! 

Okay, back to the Turtle Island thingy...it's actually a small patch of land which was cordoned off to have cages and tanks which contain many turtles and other animals for the tourists to look and take photos of. It was a terrible experience for me to say the least.

Case in point: This huge pretty turtle kept trying to get back into the cool waters, but the guides kept dragging it back by the front fins to the hot sand because there are tourists wanting to have a look at the turtle. And these guides kept pushing us to take photos with it! I felt so SO sorry for the turtle...but can't really do much =(

Again, same thing here...see the pretty baby turtle? I didn't want to touch it coz there were people picking them up every few mins from the tank to take photos. Bleh, I felt like a hypocrite typing this out. Suffice to say, while I am smiling, inside it's very disheartening to see the turtles like that.



More turtles at the place...

They even have reptiles too...and again, this was put on me so suddenly I had no time to freak out. But then, after the snake was on my shoulders I saw that its mouth was taped loosely...enough for it to breathe with the tongue, but not loose enough to open the mouth and bite, so it was of some consolation. Yet, the snake felt hot to the touch! Yes, that's how hot it was, and the poor snake was passed around to almost every tourist passing by. 


Other exotic animals in their enclosures. This was the only place where I didn't really have fun at, but it was quite an eye opener to see as well the downside of having too many tourists. I don't recommend the Turtle Island tour, but if you would like to try anyways, be forewarned...it's pricey and not really worth the money.



After an exhausting time there, Peter told us that there's a good spa in Kuta area where we can get a one and a half hour's spa at a really cheap rate, so we jumped at it again! This was the name of the spa!


It's quite the pretty building, with a rather eccentric and colorful roof =) 


The inside of the reception area...prettily decorated too! It was really invigorating and relaxing to have all the tension massaged out of your system, followed by a body scrub and milk bath after! I think I'm starting to get why people love going for massages and spas....too bad the rates in Malaysia are so high! 


After the amazing spa experience, we headed to Jimbaran for dinner! Look at the whole stretch! This whole beach stretch housed many restaurants...all serving seafood with a great view of the sea.


THIS was the view we were presented with when we sat down! How awesome is this??


We were asked to go and choose our choice of food for dinner, so me and my sis went to check it out. No, we didn't have lobster (though I SO wish we did! LOL!) but the cook was nice enough to let us have a look at this gorgeous specimen!


After choosing the seafood and how we would like it to be prepared, we waited for the food to arrive, and enjoyed some snacks like boiled peanuts and grilled corn! There was actually a vendor with a small kiosk selling these, so we grabbed some....they were yummy! Peanuts by the seaside are amazing =) Wash that down with some Teh botol, it's bliss!



Oh yes, we even spotted a couple doing a photoshoot for their wedding photos....I wonder what it feels like for them to be doing their poses while so many people looked on. It would be super intimidating for me though...hehe!


And then our food arrived! Since it was our very last day in Bali, we all decided we'd be a little bit more indulgent than usual and had a huge feast...we had prawns (BBQ-ed and served with a spicy and sour Indonesian sauce! Yum!!), fried calamari, (also super yum!)


water spinach (this was complimentary with the fish that we ordered below, but it was good too! The sambal was superb), mussels (also BBQ-ed and served with another spicy sauce)


Grilled fish - we were told this fish is native to Bali only - that is basted with a sweet sauce (also super yum! It's very fresh, and the meat goes very well with the sauce!) and last but not least, grilled calamari =) Yes, I know I've probably put on 3kg just looking at the food now, but it's SO worth it! Jimbaran seafood is a must have when you're in Bali =)


 
And yes, we also managed to catch the sun setting in Jimbaran...picturesque is all I can say!



We had our dinner at this place...Bali Sea Cafe. Lovely place, but be prepared to fork out quite a lot as the price for the food here is very steep. Kind of like dining in a posh restaurant in Malaysia, but the quality of the food and the view pretty much make it worthwhile =)


 
After dinner, we were still not that satisfied yet...I still crave for bakso one more time, so on our way to the hotel, we bought another pack of bakso for supper. Heh! This was from yet another stall (the pasar malam was closed that day so we couldn't try the food again from last night =( ). Not as nice as the day before's, but satisfied the craving for bakso. YAY!



And that is all for my AMAZING trip to Bali! The next morning we headed to the airport SUPER early (think 6am early!) and this is what I caught. As we headed back home to the busy-ness that is KL and Malaysia, I will look back on this trip and reminisce about this lovely, peaceful island that has touched so many hearts. Here's to hoping I will make it there again in the future for more adventures =)
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