B.F.F

I have never tried any Philippine cuisine until my colleague brought Adobo Chicken (soy- sauce chicken),yam dessert and sour fish soup to work and let me try when I was on my part-time job.

I hardly come across any Philippine restaurant around my area and was eager to try out once I found out about Laguna - situated nearby Masjid Jamek as RJ and I were both at KLCC area at that time.  After reading some reviews, we went off and search for this place as there were a few dishes that caught my eyes.

We commuted by LRT ( Kelana Jaya line) and stopped by at Masjid Jamek station. It was just a 10 minutes walking distance from the station. We reached the place around 6+ and was greeted with classic Philippine music.

There was this uncle that sang very well!

Laguna was featured in numerous papers and magazine.

Each table has different drawing.

The service was fast and friendly and we went along with their recommendation as we couldn't figure out half of the menu. I only recognize pork sisig and adobo chicken from the menu .( memper-siasui-kan).

The first dish that came over was Pinakbet.

Pinakbet - RM 14

Pinakbet is a Philippine style of stir fry vegetable with shrimp paste (cincalok). It was unlike tha one we usually have, as this has more gravy to it and mild in taste. The shrimp paste didn't overpower the sweetness of the vegetables and I really enjoyed the combination of okra, bittergourd, french beans, carrot, pumpkin and chicken bites. I like how well the mixture of the pumpkin and bittergourd went in this dish.

Kaldereta Chicken was served next.

Kaldereta Chicken RM 16 - regular

Kaldereta chicken was surprisingly light judging from the sauce that was a mix of butter and tomato sauce. It went very well with rice and I like how chunky the bell pepper was. It was the kind of comfort food I was looking for after a long day and I could easily walloped the whole dish by myself.

Pork sisig was another highlight and it was RJ's favourite with him finishing 3/4 of the whole portion.

Pork Sisig RM12

Porl sisig usually consists of pork ears and jowl, boiled, chopped then marinated in a spicy broth-soy-vinegar sauce. It might sounds gross for some of you but it was GOOD! 

We were required to stir in the egg once served. The egg added in extra flavour and made the texture of pork sisig extra smooth. It was a little chewy and savoury, well seasoned with calamansi and chilli peppers. It was more like a snack to me and I thought a beer would go very well with this.

After calming our tummy with all these dishes, we opted for a leche plan.

Leche Plan RM 2.50

It was similar with creme caramel but with the texture creamier and denser. I prefer mine sweeter but this worked well for me after a full meal.

Their plain rice was RM1.50 each.

Walking out from the restaurant, you can see the KL tower! The sky was very clear on that day.

I would highly recommend for those that like Asian food as Laguna gives their dishes an extra twist and very much flavourful. I would suggest to commute by train unless you don't mind paying for car parking. 

If you are commuting by train, all you have to do is walk along Jalan Tun Perak ( passed by Burger King and Chatime) and turned left once you see Jalan Hang Lekiu. You should be able to spot Segi College and the Arena Star hotel on the way. You will have to walk all along the street to the end of Arena Star Hotel and Laguna will be on your left hand side. 

Do commute with a bunch of friends as Masjid Jamek can be a little dark at night!

I hope you guys like this post and comment below if you have any thing to ask.

MJ
xx

Photo credit: TripAdvisor No 3, JLN Gereja,50100 Kuala Lumpur. Contact number: 011-1910 1661

December has been a month of holidays, parties and celebration towards this new year!
So sorry to have neglected this blog for a bit due to finals and a pretty busy few months!!
Moving on, I'd like to share with you all some of my favourite products during the holiday season!

1. SK-II Facial Treatment Essence
I've never purchased any SK-II products because of its price and also because of certain negative reviews about it once you stop using it.
This bottle is a door gift from one of their events that I attended and I figured since I didn't need to pay for it, there should be no harm in trying it just for a month or so right?


For the first few weeks, I apply it every 2-3 days to make sure my skin doesn't rely on it too much and the results have been pretty good. I noticed a slight glow on my skin despite the lack of sleep that I had during those weeks. Even when I've stopped using it for a few weeks, my skin doesn't get worse.  Ever since then, I've continued using this product every few days and I'm quite satisfied with it! One thing that I'm not so fond of is just the scent of it. But overall, this essence is very lightweight and is quickly absorbed into my skin, approximately 3 drops is enough for the entire face.

2. Etude House -Look at my Eyes Jewel Eyeshadow Pigment
I LOVE eye looks that have shimmer on them but so far most of my shimmer eye shadows do not suit my eye type as shimmer does not look too good on puffy Asian eyes.
However, I stumbled upon this product while I was shopping and I bought it immediately after doing some swatches in the shop!
If you have hooded eyes and tanned skin tone like mine, I'd recommend these two shades as it will not look too light or weird on your eyelids.

BE104- This tone is really bright with silver multicoloured shimmer, somehow reminds me of Christmas! This looks really good especially if you apply on the inner corner of your eyes which can really brighten up your eye look.
BR410- This tone is more towards a warm golden pigment shimmer and its really suitable for tanned skin and even for those of you with puffy eyelids who are looking for something shimmery for your eyes!

I've not regretted buying this product and I really love how it looks on my eyelids especially during this holiday season. Since its not exactly powder based, it will last the whole day!


Some Lip Products!

1. Claire Organics Lip Balm
I received this lip balm as a gift during Christmas and the first time I tried it, I fell in love with it immediately! My lips were so chapped previously and after applying this, it was so much more better. If you guys are into homemade organic products, do check out their Facebook page!

2. Kiko Smart Lipstick -Shade 914 Amaranth
If you are ever in the UK, Buy This Brand!! Their products are super affordable without compromising too much on the quality. I have three shades and this is the shade I've been using during the holidays. Will do a swatch review on the other two shades soon!

3. Maybelline Bold Matte - Shade Mat6
One thing I like about their matte lipstick is that it does not make my lips dry despite having a matte effect. This product is really smooth and moisturizing so if you girls are looking for a more affordable and moisturizing product, go for this!

Here's to the start of this new year!

xx
Carmen!

The trees provide some shades if you prefer to sit outside.

Small yet comfy place.

You can chill here and play board games with your friends.

The coffee here was a little too acidic for my taste but was good enough. I preferred the latte over long black that they served over here. The mocha was rich in texture but lack of the chocolate-y taste that I'm looking forward to.

They offered a series of Christmas drinks selection this month including After 8 and peppermint mocha. I opted for the toffee nut latte and the combination was interesting but had an artificial after taste, probably because of the toffee nut flavoring.

Long Black  RM5.00

Toffee Nut Latte RM 8

Mocha RM 8

Latte RM7

Moving on to their dessert, I would say they served pretty good chocolate lava cake and millie crepe cake and the best of of all, the price is much cheaper as compared to other cafes. The apple pie was moist and paired well with the ice cream but I would prefer it with a little more apple fillings. Not complaining with the price I'm paying though.

Apple Pie with Ice Cream - Forgot about the price, should be within RM10

Glasshouse warmed up their pastries before they served which was a plus point! However the doughnut was disappointing as it was stale and very dry after it was warmed up.

Two Face Doughnut RM 3.50

I would say their chocolate lava cake is one of their best dessert and I ordered it every single time. The gooey flowing lava never seems to disappoint!

Chocolate Lava Cake with Ice Cream RM6.50

Look at that!

Besides that, their millie crepe cake was moist and the crepe was very thin. I really like their green tea passion as they added in a little passion fruit jam in between the cream which made the flavor pop.
Their oreo millie crepe cake was pretty good too! ( I don't have the picture of it).

Green Tea Passion Millie Crepe RM 10

Pastries- wise, what I tried was so-so. The giant curry puff had a weird curry taste as if it didn't corporate well enough with the filling. The chicken mince puff was slightly better, but a tad dry. I have yet to try their sandwiches but I can see that there's a handful of people that ordered it during our visits.

Chicken Mince Puff  RM 4.50

How it looks like inside!

Giant Curry Puff  RM 5

All in all, I would say that Glasshouse is worth the try especially their chocolate lava cake!
If you are an outsides, do go after to the guardhouse to ask for a visitor card before entry (no need to write names, you just need to get a pass and leave your driving license maybe?)

Tell me how do you like this place at the comments below!

WHAT YOU NEED
- Dish soap/ shampoo, olive oil, a bowl and paper towels!

You can use dish or hand soap that is antibacterial to remove any bacteria and dirt on your brush. The olive oil is to condition the bristles on the brushes to prevent them from drying out. I usually mix two parts of dish soap to one part of olive oil to prevent my brushes from being too oily after washing.

Once you've gathered your ingredients and dirty brushes, we can begin!


1. Mix both ingredients into the bowl and stir it.
2. Start with your smallest brush, dip just the bristle into the mixture, then swirl the brush onto your palm to work out the dirt in your brush. I usually clean my powder and foundation brush the last.
3. Rinse your brush under your tap water to release out the dirt and cleansing mixture. Make sure the water that you squeeze out from the brush is clear after you've rinse it with water.
4. Use a cloth or paper towel to squeeze out the water from your brush and make sure to reshape your brush as you dry it. Dry it as much as possible with paper towels before you air-dry them.
Lay your brushes on a paper towel and leave it to dry overnight.
Elevate the end of your brushes to let the water flow out of your brushes. This will prevent the water from flowing into the brush which might loosen the bristles and cause them to fall out in future.

I'd recommend washing them every week if its for personal use. I personally wash them right after each use especially when I use it on other people to make sure it is hygienic.
I hope this this post helps to start getting you into the habit of cleaning your brushes more often!

xx Carmen

Whipping up a sweet treat can be a piece of cake now even by using a rice cooker only! (pun intended)

Instructions

The cake mix I bought includes batter mix and icing mix.

Pork Leg Rice RM 10

Close Up

Seafood Tom Yum Fried Rice RM10

No need to hunt for the seafood.

Pad Thai RM 8

Their pad thai was crunchy and refreshing, but a little tangy for my liking.
The noodles tasted similar to chinese longevity noodles and the texture was a little gooey. Not something that I expected but it was worth a try.

Pork and Chicken Skewer  RM 3 per stick

Ruay Street served their skewers and barbecues a tad too charred, but nonetheless, they done well with their marinate as it was packed with flavors and served well with the condiments.

Pork Neck RM 8

Their pork neck was even better as it was juicy and sweet. An excellence combination-Thai style char siew.

Pork spring rolls RM6

Tako RM 5 / Thai Iced Coffee RM5

If you wants some sweet treat after the meal, you can try out their tako. It was identical with kuih pelita but better.The cooling coconut and jelly will soothe the heaty, spicy food you took.

They no longer served Red Ruby which happened to be my favourite.

Thai Iced Tea RM 5

 Both of the beverages were sweet and milky.I personally preferred their iced coffee over iced tea as it served with more aroma and fragrant.

All in all, Ruay Street served very decent Thai street food at an affordable price. They even served mookata too!

Will update more on it after I tried it out so stay tuned!