The Little Things: 2013

Monday, August 26, 2013

Patio Bar de Tapas [Penang]

Been noticing plenty of check ins, instaphotos and tags here - and finally - I managed to get a glimpse of the infamous Patio Bar de Tapas.

Thus, despite being bloated from dinner, i made a quick pit stop to the most talked about bar in Penang so far to have a look.

This bar has a Spanish influence and is filled with rustic elements to set the most awesome ambience - setting it apart from all the other cafe/bars in Penang.
First step into the bar, and i'm in love.

Since this is a short pit stop, an updated blog post will be up (hopefully soon) to review on their tapas and dine in during my next visit.

Patio entrance.

Specials on board pre-entrance.

Bar counter.

Side staircase leading up to the dining area.

The long urban courtyard with rustic setting and brick walls.

The ambience - unbelievably awesome!

Our only order of the night - and also the best!

Sangria Tinto

- Heard plenty of good reviews on this - a must have

(a mixture of merlot, morning triple sec and citrus)

Ending the post with an edited pic of yours truly.

Love:

-The ambience.

-Sangria!

Not so much:
Limited tables. Be sure to arrive early!

Re-visit:
Re-re-re-re-........visit for sure !

Location:

49F Weld Quay, Georgetown,

Penang Malaysia

Business Hours:

Tuesday to Sunday : 5.30pm till late

Closed on Monday

Contact:

+6012-311 0442

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/patiopenang

View Patio Bar de Tapas in a larger map

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Little by Little [The Legendary Cronut]

The Cronut Legend.

If you are a food lover, you probably have heard of this out of control craze.

source

Cronuts - half croissant, half doughnut.

Pastries, cakes and bread - always been my biggest weakness.
And the combination of both croissant and doughnut might just be the best of both worlds!

Just like the cupcake trend, Cronuts are now the latest crazy trend in the world.
The Cronut™ was introduced to the world on 10th May 2013 by Chef Dominique Ansel.
They are sold in his bakery in New York - Ansel's Soho for $5 per piece.

People are willing to wait in line for hours before the bakery is open just to get a taste of these Cronuts! Insanity!
And there is a 2 per customer limit to ensure that the first customers don't buy out all of them.

The crazy long lines in New York.

source 1

source 2

And to add to this insanity, you could actually buy an official Crolanthropy for $20 to up your Cronuts limit to 4 per person!

Also, buying each shirt contributes to the Food Bank - Which means you get help the needy AND get more Cronuts! Awesome!

-making the world better, one Cronut™ at a time-

source

Taken from the original chef webpage itself, check out below on how a Cronut™ is made:

http://dominiqueansel.com/cronut-101/

The Makings of a Cronut™…
Taking 2 months and more than 10 recipes, Chef Dominique Ansel’s creation is not to be mistaken as simply croissant dough that has been fried. Made with a laminated dough which has been likened to a croissant (but uses a proprietary recipe), the Cronut™ is first proofed and then fried in grapeseed oil at a specific temperature. Once cooked, each Cronut™ is flavored in three ways: 1. rolled in sugar; 2. filled with cream; and 3. topped with glaze. Cronuts™ are made fresh daily, and completely done in house. The entire process takes up to 3 days.

There is only one flavor of Cronut™ every month. The inaugural flavor in May was Rose Vanilla, and for June it is Lemon Maple. In July, we introduce the Blackberry Cronut™.

I am now anxiously awaiting for this craze to reach Malaysia and of course expecting similar long crazy lines!

Feed my cravings guys.
Bring them in! or make some for me? :D

Monday, August 12, 2013

Little by Little [Its Over? Sell Those Memories and Earn Those Bucks!]

Reference

Break ups? Need to move on?

Moving on might be easy for some, but for others.. it might take a while.

And while time is doing what its suppose to do, getting rid of those pesky gifts and memories might just help!

For some that is. No generalization here.

Throwing and giving away those gifts seems like the best alternative.

But wait! Theres a better way, and you could even make serious bucks out of it!

Was flipping through a magazine and found these awesome creative websites. Perfect for getting rid of your pesky gifts!

So tear no more, dispose your baggage (literally) and get those bucks now!!

Also, you could find something for your new love here too! (jewelry, charms, bracelets, engagement/wedding rings - yes rings and etc. )

But of course, buy at your own risk.

Thus, be sure to read up on tons of reviews and feedbacks!

ps-Most of the websites has stories and blogs on their items, which makes it way more interesting to buy or sell!

Check them out :

http://exboyfriendjewelry.com/

http://www.neverlikeditanyway.com/

http://idonowidont.com/home

http://www.thedivorceesale.com/

http://thedivorcesaleoutlet.com/

Saturday, August 10, 2013

Black House Zakka [Penang]

Am always excited over new cafes in town!

This new cafe was previously only a store, selling ..well...basically everything!
Pillows, wooden furnitures, frames, decorative items, accessories, appliances, etc...

Now, it is a cafe (started ~2 months ago), a nail salon and a get anything you want here store!
Also, it is perfectly named - Zakka (in Japanese it means 'many things')

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From wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zakka
(I hope wikipedia is accurate on this one! - but not to worry, i confirmed it with the shop owner too !)

Zakka (from the Japanese 'zak-ka'（雑貨）or 'many things') is a fashion and design phenomenon that has spread from Japanthroughout Asia. The term refers to everything and anything that improves your home, life and appearance. It is often based on household items from the West that are regarded as kitsch in their countries of origin, but it can also be Japanese goods, mainly from the fifties, sixties, and seventies. Zakka can also be contemporary handicraft.

Zakka has also been described as "the art of seeing the savvy in the ordinary and mundane".
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Let the tour begin!

The entrance.

Matching the theme of the cafe's name - Black.

Strictly no shoes allowed.

Zakka de Secret Kitchen.

Day to day menu change! So you actually have to be there to find out the specialties of the day!

And, if you love organizing private dining events, you found the right place!

Just name your preferred time, dishes and drinks...

And you've got yourself a superb personalized private dining experience!

Decorations in Zakka - Spot the colored tickets.

If you're as old as i am and from Malaysia, you will probably remember these legendary bus tickets!

Old times! You flew by so quick!

Tag lines on the wall.

Me - Trying hard.

The nail salon.

Love the photo frame arrangements!

For sale - Books, toys, etc for kids.

A huge collection of cool and retro stuff!

All for sale as long as it has a price tag.

More....

and more!!

Oh and thats me.. slipping in between pictures.

The dining area.

Its not huge, but super cozy!

Love!

Drinks.

Plum juice and green tea

Mussaka

(A vegetarian and pumpkin base dish)

So good it is a must try! Thumbs up!!

And it looks super cute too!

Big boss.

Perfect for a breakfast for 2.

Squid ink pasta.

My first squid ink pasta - made an awesome first impression on me.

Must try no. 2!

Last but not least...Carbonara with crunchy ham strips!

Love:

- Mussaka!

- Cool and retro stuff for sale!

Not so much:

Limited tables. Be sure to call to reserve a space!

Re-visit:

Yes

Location:

6E, Arratoon Road,

10050 Penang

Business Hours:

Daily: 12.30pm - 7.00 pm
Closed on Tuesdays

View Larger Map

Friday, August 2, 2013

Little by Little [Social Media Flat Icons]

Hello August !!
Welcoming the first August in my blog!

Came across these social media flat icons on Pinterest.
Find it weirdly interesting as i test my 'social media' exposures.

How many of these social media icons can you relate to ?

Pic reference: http://fribly.com/2013/07/12/40-social-media-flat-icons/ utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Fribly+%28Fribly%29

Pic reference: http://blog.karachicorner.com/2013/03/100-flat-icons-for-graphic-designers/

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Deluxcious [Penang]

Luxurious and Delicious !

If this is how they got their name, they are certainly living it up! Cause the place and food is magnificent!

This place is not only a restaurant, but also a spa salon, bar and heritage hotel.

Had our team lunch here and we went for the buffet.
The buffet was rather different as you need to order it from the menu ala-carte style.

The portions are quite small, which is good (except for the spaghetti - serving good for 2-3);
My piece of advice - if you want to try out all the dishes, go in big groups. You don't want to be ONLY munching down a bowl of spaghetti throughout the buffet!

But not to worry, you still get your average style scoop all you want appetizers, soup and desserts.

The only downside - there was no ice cream for the lunch buffet. Available only for dinner buffet.