Introducing Subak!

“Built on the fringes of the natural virgin jungles of Bukit Lanjan, Subak is a sanctuary that promises diners a culinary journey of fine food and personalised service.”

It came as such a surprise that all these while, there is such a beautiful venue 10 minutes away from where I live, and I didn’t even know about it! Thanks to Desmond who was going over for a site recce and treated us to dinner. I fell head over heels in love with this place. It’s cozy, rather private and not too humid. It makes a good venue of choice for private functions.

The menu is not extensive but it has a good mix of Western and Asian dishes. Desmond ordered the Ala Subak’s Soto Ayam (RM12). A rather generous portion for a soup.

I tried the Subak’s NZ Lamb Shank Masala (RM40). The lamb shank was a disappointment. You know how sometimes you can’t finish your food,  so you keep it overnight and then the next day when you reheat the meat, it becomes a little tough, chewy and dry. The meat tasted like that. The Masala sauce, however, was really yummy especially when paired with the sweet potato mash. I felt the Masala could do with a little more spiciness.

Bernard had Barbecued Beef Ribs. It was ggooodd… the ribs were succulent, tender and tasty!

Subak is a great place to unwind if you’re looking for a quick escape from the daily rush. Just beware of the mosquitoes and remind the staffs to light the mosquito coils.

Where to eat: Subak, Lot 3213, Jalan Pencala Indah, Bukit Lanjan, 60000, Kuala Lumpur.

This afternoon, I had to make a trip to Palace of Golden Horses (POGH) for a wedding seminar hosted by Tourism Malaysia. As I approached the junction leading to the hotel, cars began to come to a standstill due to traffic congestion. It’s been 2 1/2 years since my brother passed away and it felt like a light year’s ago since I took this route.

I hardly go down this road anyway, at least not anymore, mainly because it’s the route I had to take twice a day, everyday when my brother was doing his industrial training at POGH. Those days, I would complain everytime we got stuck in the jam. I would complain about how much time we were wasting being stuck in the jam. I would grumble about the early morning shifts that interrupted my sleep. Traffic was always a two-way b*tch, congested all the way down heading to Sungai Besi and congested all the way up to KL when I had to drive back after dropping him off. The shift would end around 4:30pm and it was the busiest time of the day for me but  I had to work my schedule around so that I could pick him up on time. Of course, we would talk and chit chat, gossip and laugh about corny friends and scandalous celebrities, of family and colleagues and generally about anything that crossed our minds. Then there were times that I would ask him to just take the car and drive himself there because I was just too lazy to drive him to work.

If I could turn back time, I would have complained less and told you feel just how proud I was that you were always punctual to work.

If I could turn back time, I would have told you every morning and every afternoon or just about anytime that we were stuck in the jam, that I really enjoyed our brother-sister bonding time in the car.

If I could turn back time, I would have woken up earlier everyday just so that we could have breakfast together before sending you to work instead of having you to gobble up breakfast in the car.

If I could turn back time, I would have been more verbally supportive, knowing just how much you really enjoyed working in the hospitality industry.

If I could turn back time, I wished I didn’t make you feel like you were such a hassle, because you weren’t.

If I could turn back time, I would have made the effort to visit your workplace instead of losing my patience if I had to wait just a little longer in the car because you were held up with work.

If I could turn back time, I would have told you just how much I learned from you and just how much you have given to the world; your family, your friends and the people who knew you. You always looked up to me as the elder sister who excelled at everything, and that perhaps humbled you into believing that you are not good enough.

If I could turn back time, I would have slowed down, have an afternoon tea at the outlets where you were working. I would have been a difficult customer on purpose, then go home and laugh ourselves silly.

If I could turn back time, I would have taken more pictures of you with all your funny expressions when we had so much idle time in the car, then perhaps we would have more of you to remember.

If I could turn back time …

I sat in the car and wiped my tears away. I’ve reached my destination. I pulled myself together and walked down the majestic hallway of POGH. That’s the thing about regrets. You can ponder about so many things and wished you had done them differently. But you can never turn back time.

I’m so glad that we’re finally in the final stages of finalising the wedding details of Kam Soon and Wendy *Notice just how many times I stressed ‘final’* The theme is inspired by the old-charmed world of Shanghai bund in the 40′s – 50′s but without the sexy and glitzy western influence so present in that era. The theme takes on a more classic chinoiserie interpretation with gold, red and shades of pink as the colour theme.

Photos for collage are taken from various sources namely The Knot.com, Style Me Pretty, Dama Orchestra

Just last week, I revised the sketch for guest table centrepieces for hotel’s reference and will be meeting up with Justin of Mandarin Oriental again this coming Thursday to finalise the banqueting details.

I simply can’t wait for the big day!

I got really excited when I first received these images from Debra! It’s not easy to locate beautiful venues that are not too commercialised  yet suitable for intimate functions such as weddings and private parties.

Pantai Hill is located approximately 15km away from Seremban. Don’t be deceived by the name though, as this hill has absolutely no relevance to a ‘pantai’ or even a view of any ‘pantai’ for that matter. It might be a little far fetched for city folks within the Klang Valley unless you are looking for something off the beaten track. It makes perfect venue for a barbecue party and bonding weekend with family and friends or simply an excuse to retreat into the arms of nature.

For overseas couples or those looking for an authentic Malaysian-style venue, Di Sini is definitely a fitting location for a destination wedding with its lush ecological confines of a tropical jungle and orchard. You and your guests can leisure away at the nearby waterfall, bird-watch or go jungle-trekking.

For more details, please contact us!

Photos courtesy of Debra of Acadia Card.

It is a fun and provocative advocate by Shanghai Tang to liberate men from wearing ties.

In short, it is a by-invitation only Club with the goal to promote elegant Chinese-inspired style for men. Instead of the traditional necktie, the mandarin collar is a modern, elegant and formal alternative. I always find men in mandarin collar tuxedos (also known as the Mao jacket or nehru jackets) to exude that authoritative charisma and manly confidence associative with successful, powerful men.

What’s more interesting is that Shanghai Tang’s Mandarin Collar Society actually have a manifesto (and a really cheeky one):