[FOOD REVIEW] Absolute Thai @ KSL City Mall, Johor Bahru.

Sa-Waa-Dee-Kha! I am not a big fan of Thai cuisine. But I love Thai food - the variety of ingredients, the array of flavours and colours, the dynamic combinations.  And if you tried Absolute Thai, you will agree with me that they serve the best Thai food in town. Ma Cherie Johor Bloggers are honored to be invited to a food review at Absolute Thai, KSL City Mall. The girls were all hyped up when we first got the invitation. Everyone was all ready for the big feast and the awaiting spiciness.

Absolute Thai has a total of fourteen branches spread across Klang Valley and Johor, with three of them located in Johor - KSL City, Johor Premium Outlets and Mall of Medini. They serve reasonable authentic Thai cuisine in a chic and modern interior.

The central theme of wood and brick accented with borders of black and red is preserved throughout its outlets, as is the mix of vintage and modern artwork that adorns its walls.

Thai Mango Salad with Crispy Catfish RM15.90

If you want to know a little about Thai cuisine and what makes it so engaging, start with this salad!

The manager of Absolute Thai, Wei Wei showed us how the Thais eat this dish. Crush the crispy catfish into small pieces and mix with the crunchy mango. This salad will blow you away with its tastebud-awakening flavors. It is fruity, sweet, sour and salty! I love the crunchiness of the fresh mango.

Thai Fish Cake (4 Pieces) RM9.90

Thai Fish Cakes are a common street food in Thailand.

The fish cakes are served with Thai sweet chili sauce and chopped cucumber. They aren't battered, which I find allows for more of the fresh taste of the fish, spices, and herbs to come through. It was a little too spicy for me to handle. I had to drink a whole glass of water to relieve the spiciness. (Hey wait, this is still an appetizer!)

Pineapple Fried Rice with Prawns RM16.90

Another signature dish of Thailand, beautifully served in a carved-out pineapple.

Look at the crunchy cashew nuts, chicken floss and the mouth-watering big prawns on top of it. Not to mention the juicy pineapple, onions and generous amount of sweet raisins in the fried rice. Puurrrrfect.

Tom Yam Soup 

served in clear base or red based

for  4 persons

chicken RM38.90

seafood RM42.90

The highlight of the night - hot and sour tom yam with seafood, the classic Thai soup. Don't be deceived by the clear broth. it definitely tastes spicier than that! Never judge a book by its cover, eh? ;) It is best enjoyed accompanied by white rice. Packed with fragrant Thai herbs and spices, first drink of it and it awakened my senses and set my tongue alive. And I was left with a very pleasant heat in my mouth. The fish is also fresh plus my favourite mushrooms. Wow. I love it!

The fiery looking red tom yam is actually less spicy than the clear based tom yam! Wei Wei explained to us that coconut milk is added in the red based tom yam, which explains the slightly sweeter broth.

All the Ma Cherie ladies love the tom yam! :D

Stir-fried Bean Curb with Hot Basil Leaves RM12.90

Stir fried bean curd served with ground peanuts in sweet and sour sauce. A good side dish to go with the tom yam. Best served hot!

Sizzling Ming Prawns with Tamarind Sauce RM38.90

Just so you know, Tamarind sauce is also known as sweet and sour sauce. The prawns are really huge and delicious. Hmm slightly overpriced, perhaps?

Drinks of the day

Cool down after meals with a sip of Thai style cold drinks.

From the left: Muay Thai Punch RM12

Lemongrass Juice RM8

Thai Iced Coffee RM9

Thai Iced Tea RM9

Thai Iced Coffee and Thai Iced Tea look like the famous Sarawak three layer tea. Absolute Thai uses only tea leaves and coffee powder imported from Thailand to ensure the quality of the drinks!

Mango with Sticky Rice RM11.90

First thing comes to my mind when talking about Thai food - so how could I miss this? Sticky rice paired with sweet coconut milk topping and cool mango slices is a refreshing pairing to spicy Thai meal. Must-try! 

Water Chestnut in Coconut Milk Topped with Jack fruits RM7.90

I enjoy admiring the small reddish jewels in it. A refreshing way to end the meal. :D

It was a great evening full of laughter. After all, it's who you eat with that matters the most. :) A big thanks to my Ma Cherie girls for the accompany for the night. Thank you Wei Wei for your kind explanation throughout the food tasting session! 

So next time when you are looking for authentic Thai food in JB, you know where to go. ;)

Absolute Thai (KSL City Mall Branch)

Lot LG-22A, Level LG,

KSL City,

33, Jalan Seladang,

Taman Abad,

80250 Johor Bahru,

Johor.

Google Map:  https://goo.gl/maps/YkqCE

Tel: 07-289 0052

Operating Day: Monday to Sunday

Operating Hour: 11:30am - 9:30pm

No pork, no lard, no Halal cert

Email: absolutethaiksl@seacuisine.com.my

Website: http://www.absolutethai.com.my/

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/AbsoluteThai

Special Deal: Great Groupon Deal on Absolute Thai, KSL

Deal to steal! What are you waiting for?

Till then!
Eunice :)

[FASHION OOTD] #1 Let's get vintage

Vintage is people being nostalgic about the time or era that they didn't grow up in. We like to turn back the hands of time and revisit the past, the era our mom grew up in, borrow from our mother's or grandmother's wardrobe and put those elements together and wear it today. We love to rediscover the forgotten trends.

And I particularly love it when the piece of clothing has a story or memory attached to it.

I have never seen myself as a fashion blogger, I mean, there are so many great fashion blogs out there! However, I totally agree that every girl should dress up because it makes you feel good and it gives you confidence! Somehow, how you dress really does make a difference in how you feel, and thus how you act. It is not about expensive clothes. It is not about vanity. What you choose to wear tells a story about you, and shows respect for those with whom you are meeting.  Don’t overlook the power of a good first impression! So today I bravely going to do my first fashion post to challenge myself with something new. They say we have to get comfortable with being outside of our comfort zone, because that's the only way we grow. Agree? :) And also to encourage all the girls to dress up and find the unique beauty in you! Girls of all kinds can be beautiful – from the thin, plus-sized, short to very tall. We are all beautiful in our own way. :)

Courtesy of the kind sponsor from Happy2u :D

Blue lace dress - Farenheit 88

Soft Pink High Heels - Payless

Wine Red Hollywood Bowler Hat - Happy2u (here)

Chanel Inspired Small Quilted Bag - Happy2u (here)

Europe Fashion Snake Stripes Necklace - Happy2u (here)

ASOS Inspired Cat Ears Watch - Happy2u (here)

Korean Torch Ring - Happy2u (here)

Makeup using 3CE Jumbo Lip Crayon #Bohemian Pink from Skincandy.co (here)

Photographer: Dear Carinn!

Location: Just Want Coffee The Factory 30

It was an evening spent with my girls chilling in a cafe. So I picked my blue lace dress which I have wanted to wear for long and matched with my wine red bowler hat. I absolutely love this bowler hat as it is amazingly versatile I can match it with almost anything! And probably to cover my black roots too. :P This time I use my bowler hat to create a vintage look together with the lace details on my dress, oh did I say that I love laces? :) Laces add some femininity to my look today, and the short sexy dress adds a modern twist to it. And what's a vintage look without dress adorned by laces, am I right? :) Not forgetting the classic gold colour that you will find on vintage clothing, so you can notice some gold on my watch, ring and the gold chain strap on the quilted bag. Because I was doing the shooting at JWC The Factory which is actually a refurbished factory with steel wired gates and roller shutter, I pair my dress with a snake stripes necklace to create a little wild look. For shoes, I choose a modern high heels to complete the modern vintage look. You don’t have to give up your current style to enjoy vintage clothing. Many vintage items can easily blend in with your current fashion choices!

*All photos are filtered to create the desired vintage feeling*

Maybe you will think that a sexy red lips would go well with my outfit but I love the soft pink lady look that the 3CE Jumbo Lip Crayon has created! It also tones down a little of my look. You can read my thoughts about this lip crayon here. :)

As you can see, most of my accessories are from Happy2u.cc! Happy2u.cc is an online shop selling many beautiful shoes, bags and accessories with affordable prices. Their service is fast and their staffs are really friendly so you can check them out! :)

Happy2u official website: http://www.happy2u.cc/

Happy2u Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/happy2u.cc

Dressing with confidence is more than wearing the latest fashion trend, it’s about feeling good about what you’re wearing. So cheers to all my readers! Let your personality shine through your style and let's all look fabulous together! You deserve to look your best at all times. I am still learning so do let me know how's my outfit! Should I do ootd more often? I would love to hear from you! :)

Have a great day!

Eunice xoxo
p/s: Hype me on lookbook if you love my outfit! :)

It's time to bloom and prosper ft. Ma Chérie - the Inkyfingers from Johor

It was yet another lazy Saturday morning where she just wanted to stay in bed and curl up in her bed sheets.

Her workload was overwhelming – files were piling up in her tray and even though she worked long hours she kept getting further behind. So many things to do but so little time. The whole situation seemed out of control and she started to feel pretty depressed. What are the dreams that she had been chasing after? Where are they now? The burning passion that she used to have, was slowly fading away without her noticing. She felt confused and lost. She took a deep breathe in.

Sigh.

Still curling up in her bed sheets, she took a look out through the window. And she was stunned.

Source (bluerose99.blogspot.com): google image

It was a profusely flowering Tecoma tree. She rubbed her eyes, thinking that she must be dreaming. It was like Sakura trees in Japan! After months of drought, Pink Tecoma finally came in a full bloom in Johor. This was a rare scene in Malaysia! On both up and down the same road and on other adjacent roads too, other Tecoma trees were also in full blossom. The fallen withering flowers turned stretches of roads and pavements into a bright and pink carpet.

It delighted everyone in town and warmed their hearts that their city can be so beautiful. The trees were a beautiful addition to the local landscape. People were happily jumping with joy, welcoming this beautiful sight, taking pictures and sharing them on social medias. 

She knew it's time for her to do something. The beautiful scene in front of her eyes resonates with her inner self, as a blogger in this land. After being lost and blogging alone for so long, she saw a ray of light at the end of the dark tunnel. It's time to bloom and prosper. Just look at the Tecoma flowers. Although it has short life span, but throughout its life it shines its beauty to the world. This was when she realised that:

''In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years." 
- Abraham Lincoln

Swiftly she got out of her bed and turned on her laptop - if someone's supposed to take this first step - she would be the one. Even in a small town like JB, she believes she can, together with her team, produce good and quality blogs. As the Pink Tecoma resembles the Cherry Blossom flower, she decided to name themselves Ma Chérie. It means my precious/my darling (a way of calling your loved ones) in French. Just like the flowers, they wish to have a unique and distinctive existence. Something precious, to all Johoreans.

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‪#‎MacherieJB‬ ‪#‎InkyfingersJB

‬ Ma Chérie- the Inkyfingers from Johor

So this was how we got our inspiration for our group name: Ma Chérie! (pronounced as " Ma Share Ri ") :D We are a group of eleven Johor girls who are passionate in blogging. I wasn't the girl in the story above, but I feel so thankful that I am being brought into this big family. All thanks to:

Kim - the founder of this group;

Audrey - the designer behind our lovely group logo;

Eryn - for the beautiful story written for Ma Chérie;

Ler - for all the advice given regarding IT stuffs;

Jennifer - our professional make up artist;

Carinn - for bringing me into this group;

Princess and Cece - the lovely sisters who are forever helpful;

Edlyn - the cute youngest sister in the group; and

Sherlyn - the doctor wannabe, just like me!

We want others to recognise us as a community, which brings you the latest trends and the fastest and  most accurate information - be it food, beauty, travel or fashion - we have them all! Everyone of us is like a flower ready to bloom and charm the world. We work together as colleagues, help each other like friends, and love each other like family. When I was still new to the group, I was clueless about everything. However, I received so much of help and even though I never say them out, I feel so touched deep inside. I have learned so much since the beginning. Of course there are times when some of us were caught up in work and there never seems to be enough time. But with helping hands from the other members, we overcome all of these obstacles and grow stronger.

Blogging is our interest, our passion, our dream. We are not going to give up just because of our busy work schedule. We strive to achieve the seemingly impossible work-life balance, because we know that we have YOU - our loyal readers who will continuously show your love and support. We are the Inkyfingers from Johor, "Inky" depicts writing; and "fingers" are what we use to do our work - that we type to produce blog posts for our dearest readers!

Support us by clicking 'like' on Ma Chérie JohorBloggers Facebook page!

We share posts daily!
p/s: Ma Chérie first project coming up soon! A fun and mysterious one.
So you've got to like and follow us to know more about it! :)

A million thanks to all my readers, for your kind words, your support and for believing in me. Thank you for spending your time to read through my words, even if this is the first time you are visiting my blog. Thank you to my blogger friends, blogging has never been this fun before. I never know I can do this much in such a short time, and I know I wouldn't achieve them without all of you. And it is amazing how all of us are working towards the same dream now. You are the courage for me to run a little faster, dream a little bigger.

Dear readers, I hope you are living the life of your dream too! :)

''Dare to dream.''

Love all of you!

Eunice, xoxo

[FOOD REVIEW] Ramadhan Buffet @ The Grand GEM Restaurant, Grand Blue Wave Hotel, Johor Bahru

It's that time of the year again - Ramadhan is finally here! I would like to give all the Muslims my sincerest best wishes for this Holy Month of Ramadhan. May all your hopes and prayers be realized. :) I am sure many are looking forward to food hunting at the bazaar, but here I am offering you another option - Ramadhan buffet at The Grand GEM Restaurant, Grand Blue Wave Hotel!

The Grand GEM - House of Fine Indian Cuisine

Again thanks to the extended invitation of Tony Johor Kaki, Ma Cherie Johor Bloggers were invited to this food review. What an honour! Oh, not to mention we also met Peggy Loh of My Johor Stories on that day! I always admire her blogging style. She is a journalist of New Straits Times, which makes her a good story teller. I really respect both of them as they are really good bloggers and they are my motivation to create better blog posts! Check out their awesome blogs as well. :)

The Grand GEM is an elegant, fine dining restaurant serving authentic Indian food for the past 17 years inspired by India's rich culinary culture. Their menu presents the perfect fusion of illustrious Indian cuisine and today's taste trends, using only the finest spices and freshest ingredients.

The Grand GEM welcomes you with luxurious interior to promise you an unforgettable dining experience.

In conjunction with Hari Raya, they will be having buffet dinner for one month prior to Hari Raya in July with varieties of dishes prepared by their professional chefs from different parts of India.

The cutleries used in serving the dishes add to the feeling of dining in India.

The Grand GEM's buffet has three different menus which will be rotated so that diners can experience different dishes at each visit. We sampled just a small selection of recommended dishes from the three menus on that night.

Chicken vada

We started off with chicken vada. It is made of minced chicken meat, onion and chilli padi. Vadas are usually doughnut-shaped but no, these are not the sweet doughnut. Be ready for the hot spicy spikes as you chew!

Onion Pakoda

The onion fritters is another starter that will set your mouth on fire! The spices are put at the right amount to give you a moderate spicy kick. However, I really loved how crispy this onion fritters is yet at the same time retain the juiciness of onions. Mr Thiaga, the manager of The Grand GEM told us that the best way to enjoy pakoda is to use our hands!

Masala Papaddam

Most of the dishes are listed with traditional names, but their knowledgeable staff are more than ready to explain and recommend their signature dishes. In case you are wondering, 

Masala = spice mix, 

Papaddam =  an Indian flatbread often crisped by deep-frying or grilling. 

Mint/ Pudina Sauce

Eat the papaddam with the mint sauce. Basically it goes well with every dish on that night.

Mixed Grill Platter

Four varieties of marinated and moist meats! A very colourful dish to look at. The Grand GEM does not merely concentrate on the taste of their food, but places equal importance on how it is presented! I liked the white one marinated in cashew nut paste the most. The chicken is really tender and tasty. Love it!

Naan Bread

What's an Indian meal without naan! My favourite dish of all. There are three different curries to choose from: Chettinad Chicken Curry, Mutton Dalcha and Bhuna Gosh (Mutton).

I don't normally eat mutton because I am fear of the distinctive flavour of it. But I bravely gave a try and I must say that - I never know mutton can be this good!

Briyani Rice

If you are a rice person, try this Briyani rice and you will fall in love with it. These long grains of fragrant Basmathi rice tastes good even on its own. How can you go wrong with this one?

Fusion Fried Rice

.......or you would prefer this fried rice! Also using the Basmathi rice, but it tastes saltier compared to the Briyani Rice because there are a lot of fried ikan bilis in it, just like our local Nasi Goreng Kampung!

Broccoli with mushrooms

The surprise of the dish is the cheese slices and cashew on top of it. A very simple dish suitable for the vegetarian. :)

Vegetarian Burgers

Another dish for the vegetarians! How thoughtful of them. :D

Romalli Roti

We were all feeling full by then. But here comes the most interesting part of the night - the live cooking session! I enjoyed looking at the chefs tossing the flat dough.

 Then, the dough was cooked on an upside down wok sprinkled with salt water.

And here it is! The piping hot and delicious Romalli Roti.

Drinks of the day

From the left: Watermelon Juice, Mango Lassi, Green Apple Juice

We ordered fruit juices to quench our thirst after all the spicy food. My recommendation would definitely be the Mango Lassi in the middle. It is a blend of yogurt, water and mango pulp, with ground pistachio nuts sprinkled on top. It is smooth, creamy and absolutely heavenly. Love it so much!

Gulab Jamun and Kesari

Craving for something sweet?

To round the meal off, we had two special desserts - Gulab Jamun (left) and Kesari (right).

Gulab Jamun is a traditional Indian dessert with spongy milky balls soaked in rose scented syrup. 

Whereas Kesari  is a sweet semolina pudding flavoured with ghee and cardamom. It has the melt in mouth texture topped with nuts and raisins. Each spoonful is a sure heavenly bliss. I was like the katak di bawah tempurung as I enjoyed these new dessert. :P

The Ramadhan Buffet is priced at RM70 per person. 

Hotel Guest & Advance Reservation will get a 35% discount.

Corporate Group Bookings will get a 35% Discount + 5% discount if reservation made before 3rd July 2014.

You don't need to travel all the way to India to taste its delicious offering of food as for one can get it all at The Grand GEM. So hurry up call them for reservation! :D

The Grand GEM (at ground floor of the Grand BlueWave Hotel)

No 9R, Jalan Bukit Meldrum, 

80300, Johor Bahru,

Johor.

Google Map: http://goo.gl/maps/43nnw

Tel: 07-2210717

Email: enquiry@gemsgroup.com.my

Buffet Hours: 

Dinner only (and only during Ramadan)

No pork, no lard, no Halal cert

 *Products used in cooking are all HALAL certified. 

*All Meat (Mutton) and Poultry are from HALAL certified suppliers

*Alcoholic  beverages will not be sold and served during this Holy Month

Gentle reminder: Remember to get your parking ticket endorsed! :)

Official website: http://www.gemsgroup.com.my/

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/thegrandgem

Ending the post with my ootn :)

Have a blessed Ramadhan! :)

Signing off,

Eunice.