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Mitsubishi Electric L4 Grande – Large French Door Refrigerator
Apr 8th
I don’t usually attend product events but when I do, it is because I hold genuine interest in the product. I am actually planning to get a new refrigerator soon so when Mitsubishi Electric invited me as one of the bloggers for their L4 Grande event, I thought, why not? But before we dive into the nitty-gritty specifications of the L4 Grande, just know that it is a large and luxurious French door refrigerator designed to meet the needs of the modern consumers. These needs are answered with the five main features of the L4 Grande – Big Capacity, Easy to Use, Tasty & Healthy, Energy Efficiency and Luxury Design.
For the unitiated, sporting a French door means that the fridge is not separated by a middle mullion or frame. I did not know about this until it was explained during the product briefing. Anyway, this design serves more than just being pretty and all, as there is more than meets the eye.
Besides being a stylish innovation, the main advantage of French door is its practicality providing more spacious compartments. The conventional fridge would have difficulty in storing wide items like long trays and platters but you will be unlikely to face this problem if you have a French door style refrigerator. The handle’s design is well thought of too – the space between the handle and the door is about 3cm wide and should be more than enough for the average person to have a comfortable grip.
The cross-cultural ingredients that make delightful Malaysian food
Nov 6th
One of the joys of visiting Malaysia is taking in the mix of cultural influences that has shaped the country. Colourful Hindu shrines, mosques and Chinese temples jostle for our attention in the space of just a few hundred metres and these influences have helped to create some truly delightful cuisines that are unique to Malaysia.
Here is an overview of the three main Malaysian cuisines but to really understand them you just have to try them. There are some classic dishes described and some recommendations for the best places to try them but if you follow your nose, keep your eyes peeled for restaurant vouchers and your ears open for where the locals are heading then you should not go far wrong.
Classic Malay cuisine
Aromatic blends of chilli, lemon grass, pandan leaves, daun kesum (laksa leaf), turmeric and bunga kantan (wild ginger) are just some of the spices ground up and sautéed to create the mouth-watering rempahs (spice pastes) that form the basis of many Malay dishes.
Look out for ayam goreng kunyit (deep fried chicken marinated in a base of turmeric and other spices), ikan asam pedas (fish stew flavoured with tamarind, chili, tomatoes, okra and daun kesum), rendang (a spicy meat stew – originating from Indonesia), curry laksa (a coconut-based curry sauce) and sambal sotong (squid cooked in a sambal-based sauce made from chillies, shallots, garlic, stewed tomatoes, tamarind paste and a shrimp paste known as belacan).
- Where to try Malay cuisine:
- Di Atas Sungai (Penang)
- Ibunda (KL)
- Kafe Bawang Merah (Selangor)
Mamak cuisine
The large ethnic Indian population in Malaysia means there are subtle twists on classic Indian dishes that have appeared throughout the country. Whilst South Indian dishes abound so do those that are the result of Indian Muslims adapting their dishes to local surroundings and these are known as Mamak cuisine.
A great culinary experience can be had at buffet-style Mamak eateries called nasi kandar which adopt the Indonesian nasi padang concept of charging you for only what you have eaten. You can expect fluffy white rice, a variety of succulent, spicy curries and a selection of breads, papadums and pickles.
- Where to try Mamak cuisine:
- Haji Shariff Cendol (Negeri Sembilan)
- Madam Kwan Midvalley Megamall (KL)
- Restoran SS2 Murni (Selangor)
Visiting Toy Story Land & Flights of Fantasy Parade @ Hong Kong Disneyland
May 7th
** This post is a continuation to my Hong Kong Disneyland trip.
Since the weather forecast predicted there will be rain with occasional thunder in the second day of our trip, we anticipated the worst of not being able to see the Flights of Fantasy Parade as well as visiting Toy Story Land. But to our pleasant surprise, the weather was only cloudy in the morning then sunny with clear blue skies for the rest of the day.
This is the shuttle bus I mentioned previously. We hopped on to get to Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel for our breakfast at the Victorian themed Enchanted Garden Restaurant which starts at 9.30am.
A Magical Weekend at Hong Kong Disneyland – Attractions, Rides, Shows and Food
May 1st
Last weekend was a magical one because I got to spend it with my dear wife in Hong Kong Disneyland. It was our second visit together to Hong Kong and I think it is incredible that we had entered Disneyland three times – all in the span of less than a year. This time, we had the opportunity to visit the new Toy Story Land (more on the upcoming post) as well as catching the Flights of Fantasy Parade which we missed during our last visit.
That being said, we still have not thoroughly explored Hong Kong Disneyland, get on all the rides and watch all the shows they have. So you can imagine how huge the theme park is and there are just too many things to see and do. I will recommend at least a two days tour if you are serious to fully enjoy Hong Kong Disneyland.
As soon as we reached Chek Lap Kok International Airport, we took a taxi to Disneyland’s Hollywood Hotel where we were staying to meet up with our personal tour guides. The taxi ride (~HKD137) was recommended by the airport staff as the cheapest and fastest way to Disneyland, as compared to taking the MRT and Airport Express or bus.
