Lie To Me

The First Shop of Coffee Prince is one of my favourite Korean dramas. It is there that I discovered Yoon Eun Hye, and I must say that her performance there as a tomboy is superb, earning her a Best Actress award at the Baeksang Arts Award in 2008. The success of The First Shop of Coffee Prince elevated her stardom in Hallyuwood, and she became one of the most sought after actresses.

Hence, Yoon Eun Hye dramas are always anticipated. In 2009, she starred in My Fair Lady @ Lady Castle, where she acted as an arrogant brat. I did not find that drama engaging at all. This year, she returns to the small screen in Lie To Me. In this drama, Yoon Eun Hye is Gong Ah Jeong, a civil servant, caught in a scandal with chaebol Hyeon Gi Jeon, played by Kang Ji Hwan. P/S : Chaebol - super duper rich families in Korea.

Yoon Eun Hye in a scene in Lie To Me

Source : SBS

Well, after a super tiring week at work, I unwound with Lie To Me this weekend. So what do I think about this drama?

1) The lie involved Gong Ah Jeong telling her friends that she's married. Her friends assume that she's married to Hyeon Gi Jeon and the situation becomes awkward. So at first, it is quite interesting watching how the story will play out.

2) I like Kang Ji Hwan, especially for his cheerful countenance. I feel that he is sort of repressed as a chaebol especially in the first half of the drama. Thankfully, his character opened up after he finds himself falling in love with Gong Ah Jeong.

Kang Ji Hwan looks good as a chaebol
Source : SBS

3) I hate it when Gong Ah Jeong frets. I think that overdoes it and it's annoying. And she frets overly often in the beginning.

4) Contrary to what some netizens think, I don't think that Kang Ji Hwan and Yoon Eun Hye have much chemistry together. I also think they don't look very compatible together. Kang Ji Hwan looks mature for his age, and Yoon Eun Hye looks too young for him. Psst : I used to be a Yoon Eun Hye - Ju Ji Hun shipper. The Goong couple as netizens call them. Till today, I still think that the two look good together. So I may be prejudiced against her and Kang Ji Hwan. ;p

5) I find the last quarter of the drama very draggy. It annoys me that Gong Ah Jeong keeps pushing Hyeon Gi Jeon away when it's so obvious that she is in love with him. Every time he shows affection for her, she has this pained look on her face. It gets tiring to watch after a while.

6) I enjoy the soundtrack, especially a song entitled "Lovin' Ice-Cream". It's the love theme for our protagonists. The song sounds really cheerful and cute. I like the version by Kang Ji Hwan as I thought his voice suits the song. In fact, this drama incorporates lots of songs in the background, many of them my favourite like "Lucky" by Jason Mraz & Colbie Caillat, "You & I Both" by Jason Mraz and "Count on Me" by Bruno Mars. Ok. I just love Jason Mraz and Bruno Mars.

7) I like all of Gong Ah Jeong's handbags in the drama! *Drool* ..... They are all very tasteful and elegant pieces. What would I give to have a few of those bags!!! One particular Louise Quatorze bag in the drama became known as the Yoon Eun Hye bag and sold out like hot cakes!

8) A few of the characters speak Mandarin onscreen because they are interacting with a businessman from Shanghai. Well, I can't help but cringe cause they sound so stilted. Plus, pronunciation and intonation are way out!!!

Well, in short, I was entertained up till episode 12, and then it became a drag. What a pity for drama that had such a lot of potential. Actually it was a pretty sweet romantic story which was botched up towards the end. Still recommended for Yoon Eun Hye & Kang Ji Hwan fans. ;p

Gardenia Delicia Waffles

I heard over the radio the advertisement about a new product from Gardenia - Waffles. I love waffles, especially when they are fresh and hot from the waffle iron.

Hence, I got interested to try them out. It is sold over at GK Supermarket here in Miri, but for RM2.80 per packet. Very expensive cause its original price is only RM1.40.

So since Bro was coming back from KL, I got him to buy some for me.

2 waffles in a packet

Individually packed

Ready to eat

Well, the waffle was rather soft and light. I prefer my waffles to be a bit dense so that it feels like there was substance. There are many flavours, but I only got to try the Classic Cinnamon flavour so far. The waffle tasted of cinnamon. Duh. Lol. I'm not too fond of cinnamon so I can't say that I'm crazy about this waffle.

I suppose they will taste better when toasted and spreaded with butter. However, I couldntt find any butter in the fridge. Oh well, will try them toasted when next I get my hands on them waffles. Lol.

Dinner @ Lok Garden

Lok Garden, a stall at Batu Lintang, Kuching is an old establishment, but somehow, I'd never been there before till now. It was recommended to us by my Mom's friend, and I'd been there twice in the past 2 months.

Recommended

Oyster omelette
It consists of oysters in a thin wafer-like crust, super tasty when dipped in fish sauce. A MUST-ORDER!

Nam Yu Pork
Pork belly is marinated with fermented beancurd, deep-fried and then sliced. I'd have this with cold beer anytime.

Midin in Red Wine
Ferns are stir-fried in red rice wine. It is great to eat this with plain white rice.

Steamed Garoupa
The fish was fresh, and the flesh was very firm and sweet. It was steamed with just ginger strips, salted vegetables and shiitake mushroom bits. Hence, the sweetness of the fish is retained, not overpowered by the ingredients.

Stir-Fried Crab With Egg
Bro liked the crab, but I thought it did not quite hit it.

Not Recommended

Seafood Thick Soup
No seafood detected, only surimi sticks, and too starchy for my liking.

Stir-fried Cangkuk Manis with Egg
The leaves were a bit tough to the bite, and not torn thoroughly as the leaves taste better when they are totally smashed up. It was also a bit too watery.

That night, we ate in the open air, so it was rather dim and we could not really see very well what we were eating. Our table was also too small to fit all the dishes that we ordered as they were dished one after another. So we had to keep adjusting the plates to fit everything. Hence, if you're looking to eat in comfort, this may not be the place for you. Still, business here is very good, and it may be quite difficult to secure a table after 7.00 p.m.

Next time in Kuching, do drop by Lok Garden for the seafood, especially the oyster omelette.

Shiseido Zen

I'd finally found the perfume I like. And I did it by accident.

My friend asked me which brand of compact powder I used. So I disclosed that I had been a faithful Shiseido cosmetics user for many years. I brought her over to the Shiseido counter where I sat waiting for her while the promoter fussed over her. She was a new girl which I'd seen working there for the first time.

After a while, T****, whom I'd always bought my products from, reported for work. As soon as she put away her bags and stuff, she picked up a square bottle from the counter and started to spray it on herself.

"It smells like medicated oil," I told her. In response, she sprayed the perfume on me.

"It's my favourite," she said. "You should try it. It's got therapeutic properties."

As the scent developed with time, I find myself falling in love with it. To me, it is a rather bold and exotic scent which made gme feel totally feminine.

At the first spritz, I could catch a sharp citrusy scent which later on gave way to a sweeter floral and fruity scent, and finally settled into a fresh and musky aroma.

I loved it! I sprayed some on a tester strip and found myself smelling it over and over again. Before long, I made up my mind. I had to buy myself a bottle.

So, I finally decided to get the smallest bottle lest I get bored. A 30ml EDP cost RM189.00.

http://www.my.shiseido.com/zen/

And this is the very first bottle of perfume that I've bought for myself. ;)

Kolo Mee @ Bishop Gate

Min Joo Cafe used to be located at a very old corner shop at the junction of Bishop Gate and Carpenter Street. It is very popular with Kuchingites, testified by the fact that the small cafe is always packed and also by the willingness of patrons to wait a long time for their kolo mee. The vendor was also known for being unfriendly, but people still flocked there all the same.

I had not gone to Min Joo for years! When I went there this weekend, I found that the corner shop was closed. I went to check and found that they'd moved next door. There was no sign, but I recognised the man behind the stainless steel cooker.

It was only 7.30 a.m., but it was already full. There was a folded plastic table and some stacked plastic chairs, so we were told to set up our own table along the corridor outside the shop.

Then, I had wanted to place my order but was told brusquely that "Everything here is automatic!" So I sat down, and waited. And waited. And waited. About 30 minutes later, someone came to take my order. Then I waited. And waited. It was only 30 minutes later that my noodles arrived.

Kolo Mee, RM3.80

What makes the noodles here popular is the use of malt vinegar to flavour the noodles, resulting in not only distinctively fragrant but also slightly tangy. They are also quite generous with the ingredients, as there were char siu, blanched pork slices, minced pork, fishballs and fish cake garnishing the noodles. Thankfully, it was all well-worth the long wait!

Another popular dish here is the offal soup. One could have their soup customised, i.e. request for specific items in the soup. I asked for one with "everything" in it.

Offal Soup, RM7.00

So there were liver, kidney, tripe, intestines, tongue, minced pork, pork belly, meat balls, fish cakes, salted vegetables and seaweed in the umami soup.

Soon people started hovering around, waiting to snap up our table when we finished.

The food aside, eating here certainly wasn't quite pleasurable at all. The service sucked. The ambience sucked. Still, people would put up with it all, just to consume these delectable bowls of noodles and soup. Oh, why??

Dinner @ Lok Thian Kuching

What a great weekend! It's not a norm for me to be in Kuching when it's not school holidays. I felt like I needed a short break, after 6 weeks of craziness at school. Hence, I decided to come home for the weekend. Many of my relatives were here this weekend too, for the occasion of my cousin's wedding and it was sure great to catch up with them.

Well, I did not make it back in time to witness the wedding ceremony, but I attended the wedding banquet at Lok Thian, one of the oldest and most renowned Chinese restaurants in Kuching. Of the many dishes that were served that night, my favourite were the Roasted Suckling Pig, and the Mango Mochi.

Roasted Suckling Pig

The meat was cut into neat slices, and they were tender and tastily marinated. The skin was trimmed of fat and were very crispy. The suckling pig was served with a dark sweet sauce.

The head made the dish looked rather barbaric. Many left them uneaten, but some of my uncles loved to chew on the tender cheeks.

Mango Mochi

The skin was so soft that it was difficult to handle the dumplings. That was why they were served in tiny foil cups. Inside each ball was whipped cream and fresh mango dices. I thought the combination was rather unique. The mango gave the mochi a very refreshing taste. What a great end to the meal.

Congratulations to my cousin, YTH and his new wife S****. Wishing you happiness for all your lives.

Durians Galore

My last trip home coincided with the durian season.

Durians looking like maces

More durians

Hence I stuffed myself silly with those creamy, fleshy and custardy fruit.

Pale-coloured, rich & creamy

A beautiful shade of golden yellow

These fruits came from Uncle's orchard somewhere at the Santubong area. His durian trees yielded RM20,000 worth of fruits this season. Wow.