Dirt Cheap Beers of Langkawi!

Well as you know, I just got back from Langkawi and that's right, duty-free baby! And so I decided to go on a beer-tasting spree. Sadly, I only tried 4 brands as I couldn't find a duty-free store that sold more beer varieties.


And to start off; Heineken. I guess this is the baseline right? Who needs a Carlsberg or Tiger in Langkawi when you can get this for only RM2.70! On the beach under the warm Sun, an ice-chilled Heineken is the only other thing you'll ever need ;)










 


Next up is the king of beers? Maybe in the US as its the highest selling beer there; the Budweiser. At RM2.80, I still prefer that ice-chilled Heineken.

I would have killed myself if I didn't try a Hoegaarden in Langkawi. Heck its only RM3.50! A recent check at the local supermarket puts Hoegaarden at a ridiculous RM12.55 per bottle! That's 9 ringgit worth of rubbish tax. What a waste.

Smooth white beer goodness with Curacao orange peel hovering at the bottom of the bottle, distinctive of a Hoegaarden white. Its smoothness can be really tasted if you drink it after having some sharper beers such as Tiger or stouts. Packed 6 of these babies back home to share among friends.












Last but not least, my cousin Andrew recommended I try a Strongbow at RM4.20. And so I did. This had to be the best of the lot. Even though its more apple cider than beer, Strongbow Dry Cider is highly refreshing and a killer drink in taste with also a higher alcohol content of 5.3%. I regret only buying one of these :(



Anyhow, that was the beer portion of my Langkawi trip. Next up, the eateries of Langkawi! Stay tuned!

Frontera Sol of Mexico @ Jaya One

I celebrated my birthday a couple of weeks back and SS treated me to some awesome Mexican stuff. Thanks gal! :) After experiencing a highly satisfying Mexican delight at Las Carretas last month, it was hard to think anything could top that. And was I wrong about that.

Although the atmosphere at Las Carretas excelled at bringing out the best of Mexico, Frontera showed its Mexican passion in its authentic dishes and tequila-infused drinks. Burritos, chipotle, fajitas, chilli con corne, enchiladas, and cheeseburgers are the order with the day together with a variety of margaritas and no less than 6 types of tequilas to choose from!

Dining area is reasonably lit but it could have borrowed more from the Mexican theme as how Las Carretas has done.

You can't go to a Mexican place and not order a margarita. Hence, introducing the Horny Margarita (RM22.95). A weird name for a margarita but besides that, the HM is a real knocker; infused with Sauza Hornitos 100% blue agave tequila and good till the last drop! Frontera supposedly serves the best margaritas in town, and by the taste of the HM alone, I can only conclude that to be true. There are about 4-5 other margaritas to choose from which are pricier than this, which can only mean better.

To start off things, we ordered the Frontera Fiesta Platter (RM34.95) which comprises of (clockwork from top) Stuffed Jalapenos, Habanero Hot Wings, Golden Chicken Tender, and Taquitos de Pollo served with salsa verde, honey mustard, and blue cheese dips. The stuffed jalapenos at Frontera are way spicier than those at Las Carretas and my guess is the seeds are left intact, giving it a real spice kick. Golden chicken tender were some reasonable boneless fried chicken that went very well with the dips, and the famous Taquitos de Pollo are hand-wrapped corn tortillas filled with chicken and then flash fried. A highly recommended starter, especially if you're in groups of 3-4.

Oh wait, I missed one more. Habanero hot wings! Its literally hell on Earth! There's 3 levels of spiciness to choose from but I can only remember the one that mattered.. The spiciest.. The Inferno! I know I know.. It might blow a hole in my tummy or intestines, but how can I leave this place without trying the hottest wings in Malaysia?! And then the moment of truth. After your first bite, you might feel you have this monster under control, but after a while it hits you with all guns ablaze! Frontera's Habanero hot wings is not only damn hot, it taste good as well. I would have eaten my second piece of wing, but I didn't want to order too much water :p Order this with your crazy friends, and watch them cry. Remember.. Inferno!

We also ordered their Chili Cheese Burger (RM22.95) upon the waiter's recommendation. Big, juicy, spicy, and tasteful; a burger that could easily fill 2 tummies, the CCB is topped off with a layer of cheese and the best chili con corne I have tasted in my life! Forget Chili's non-spicy or Wendy's watery version, the chili con corne here is spicy, chunky, and the way a good chili con corne is meant to be. You can also order their chili con corne separately which is served with onions and nachos.

On the house for the birthday boy; chocolate brownie with ice cream :) At this point, I was too full. But what can I say, it was good :)

Lets just say it didn't end there. Although she denies it wholeheartedly, it felt like SS was getting her sweet revenge for me making her down that tequila on her last birthday :p Anyways, with 6 types of tequilas to choose from, here's the Sauza Gold (RM14). Clear and easy going stuff.

Being me with itchy fingers, I was wondering how would the Sauza Gold compare to the others. So I decided to try a shot of 1800 Anejo (RM16). If the Sauza Gold tasted lighter and clearer, the 1800 was stronger and richer in taste. Frontera tend to have promotions on their tequila shots which can go as low as RM50 for 6 shots. So do look out for them.

Overall it was an awesome birthday dinner and one that I wont be forgetting anytime soon ;) If I had to compare Frontera to Las Carretas, I would say Las Carretas gets my thumbs up for their ambiance,decor, and superior customer service, whereas Frontera nudges ahead in the dining and drinking department, but both represent excellent Mexican dining destinations in town.

Frontera Sol of Mexico

18-G-2, Blok L, Jaya One

Jalan Universiti

Petaling Jaya

Tel: 03-79588515

Barbican Non-alcoholic Beer

Say what? Non-alcoholic beer? I know I know, for you beer drinkers out there, this is a scam! a rip-off! or a drink for sissies! Well, true or false, lets see whats the fuss all about. Although it has been on shelves for quite a while, I only recently purchased one from the local supermarket with a price of RM 2.90.

Made in Dubai, Barbican contains almost similar ingredients to beer such as malt and hops but importantly lacks the fermentation process that makes traditional alcoholic beers. Barbican also comes in a variety of flavors namely apple, lemon, and raspberry to name a few.

But if you really want to get the taste of beer, I recommend you go with the original as the other fruity flavors taste more like fizzy drinks with barely any hint of beer. Served very cold, it doesn't taste too bad if you can get over the fact that there's no alcohol in it. Not a bad casual drink in a non-drinkers party and I would say its healthier than carbonated drinks, just like regular beer ;)

Las Carretas Restaurant & Bar @ Ampang

Forget Chili's! This is my new favorite Mexican restaurant! How could I have missed it all my life!

I've been wanting to visit this joint for a while now and I finally did. Since it was a special occasion for me and SS, I was quiet eager to give Las Carretas a try, and so we headed to their Ampang outlet.

A slightly dim but colourful atmosphere greets you, Las Carretas' Ampang outlet is comparatively smaller but makes up for it with loads of memorabilia and Mexican-themed artifacts. No corner on the wall were left-untouched and you really get that Mexican feel.

Complimentary nachos! What the.. I had to fork out RM10 for these in Chili's! And they even taste better! Jumbo Margarita (RM27) serves two and is ideal for sharing. But this is by no means child's play. Even though Las Carretas has several other more potent margaritas on offer, I was surprised this one had quite a good kick to it, testament to the quality of tequila used I suppose. Las Carretas also serves a variety of other cocktails, beers, coffees, liquors, and wines at reasonable prices.

One item that caught my eye on the menu was Poppers; deep fried battered Jalapenos stuffed with four types of cheese. Why wouldn't I try it! You could either have 3 pieces (RM9.90) or 6 pieces (RM16.90). It was a perfect starter with hot melting cheese oozing out with each bite. I only wished the Jalapenos were hotter. Habanero version perhaps? :p Crema Campinones (RM9) was one of the best mushroom soups I've tasted with fresh ingredients and chunks of mushrooms giving a flavorful and authentic taste to it.

Main course was Mixed Fajitas (RM30.90). You can choose your fajitas to come with either chicken, beef, prawn, lamb loin, or a mix of chicken and beef. Whichever you choose, you can bet it comes juicy and tender. Together with the other condiments of onions, peppers, tomatoes, salsa, sour cream, guacamole, and cheese rolled into a tortilla, this is another I feel beats Chili's version. Las Carretas also serves a wide variety of steaks and frequently holds offers for high quality meat and seafood on their website.

It was a truly memorable first visit to Las Carretas. Food aside, the best thing we enjoyed had to be their excellent service! From the time we set foot into the restaurant, the friendly and attentive waiters made you feel comfortable and pampered. And if you are celebrating a birthday, you can have one of them wear those huge Mexican hats and play happy birthday on a guitar! Now how cool is that! Las Carretas may not be as famous as Chili's, but if you ever cross paths with them in Ampang, Subang, or Damansara Heights, I can bet you'll get a better Mexican experience.

Las Carretas Restaurant & Bar

22 Persiaran Ampang

Kuala Lumpur 

Tel : 03-42571668

Web : Las Carretas

KK - Bubble Tea

Its the equilavent to mamak shops..

Its the equilavent to milo ais..

Its where young Sabahans go to chill out after school or tuition classes..

Bubble tea is weaven into the childhoods and lifestlye of Sabahan's young as good as how it taste, which is quite good ;) Easyway, Frenz Cafe, and household name Yoyo Cafe are bubble tea outlets that stay alive till the wee hours of the morning serving those drinking delights with other snacks and desserts. Its the "in" place to hang out and meet your friends. Peak hours at Yoyo Cafe for example includes a non-stop bubble tea-making production chain for lines of customers up till the point they run out of pearls!

Its quite surprising how a simple milky drink with chewy pearls and fruits could create a subculture around it as how bubble tea has done with Kota Kinabalu..

KK - Monsopiad & Tamu

On the third day, we visit two places in KK of cultural significance. First up is the Monsopiad Cultural Village in Penampang. Similar to Sarawak's Cultural Village in Damai albeit smaller, the village aims to introduce tourists and modern locals alike to the way of life and traditions of Sabah's various tribes.

There are many activities to be done here. Besides watching a collection of tribal dances put together by their dances and percussionists, and walking through replicas of bamboo and wooden structures of their everyday society, one can also take part in darting using those long bamboo sticks, walking on bamboo stilts, and sampling a very special local delicacy. More on that later ;)

There is also this "a bit spooky" HOUSE OF SKULLS!

Anyways, back to the delicacy; its served with either tomato salsa, guacamole, or sour cream.. Yea right, dream on!.. You hold it!.. You bite it!.. You chew it!.. All while you can feel it wiggling and squirming on your tongue!

These sago worms or locally known as "butod" is a delicacy among the indigenous and its best eaten while its alive. I know I know, its Fear Factor all over again for those faint at heart. But I told myself before I boarded the flight to KK, if I ever crossed paths with one of these, its going to end up in my stomach! That dare was just what I needed to get over the initial hesitation.

Be mindful these things pack quite a bit of muscle. They can bite your fingers. But its more like a very sharp pinch :) All you need to do is hold it firmly by its neck and bite if from behind, and the rest is history. Surprisingly, there wasn't anything disgusting to mention about its taste. It was fairly neutral with the juicy interior mirroring a mixture of oil and coconut water :)

Now your turn!

Whats a snack if you don't down it with some alcohol. Rice wine is as popular in Sabah as it is in Sarawak and many other Southeast Asian countries. Made from glutinous rice, its variations depends on yeast and added ingredients used. The first distillation produces Lihing; the sweeter and generally accepted version of Sabah's rice wine. Its alcohol content varies between 15 and 20 percent. The second distillation produces Talak; a clearly stronger and neutral tasting liquor with up to 40 percent in alcohol. A type of tree bark is then added to make Sikat; a more flavorful version of Talak.

Without getting ourselves too drunk, we head to the nearest "pasar tamu" in town. Tamu is a bit different from your typical market as the products sold here are directly from the fishermen, farmers, and forest gatherers of places possibly far away inland. They showcase their products here on the Thursday and Friday of every week. Items here tends to be fresher and cheaper, and certain items like "butod" can't be found anywhere else but here :)

The Midnight Milo

Burning the late night oil?
What do you do when your average Milo doesn't cut it?
Well, just add some ethanol power!

The Midnight Milo

4 teaspoons Milo
2 teaspoons milk powder/evaporated milk
1 shot Baileys Mint Chocolate
3 shots water
ice cubes

Finnegan's @ Midvalley

Time to clear the backlog closet! My first visit to Finnegan's Irish Pub & Restaurant..


I don't know why, but I've always liked anything and everything Irish.. The green Irish countryside, Irish pubs, Irish ales, Irish bagpipes, Braveheart, Roy Keane, Irish tap dance, The Corrs, Irish accent, and Irish girls.. ;)


I must have been Irish in one of my past lives :)


At the time of my visit, Finnegan's were having their Kilkenny Promotion; RM23 for 1 pint. I ain't a beer drinker, but what the hell right? With my shallow knowledge of beer-drinking, Ill describe Kilkenny Irish Ale as a rich, creamy and generally smooth variety.


Calamari & Onion Rings (RM12) as appetizers; hot and crispy, accompanied with a pleasant tartar sauce.


If everyday could be filled with a bit of Finnegan's, the world would be a better place :) So lets eat, drink, dance and cheers to all things that's great on this wonderful planet we call home!

Finnegan's Irish Pub & Restaurant

Mid Valley Megamall

G(e)003 Lingkaran Syed Putra

59200 Kuala Lumpur

Get Directions

03-2284-8157

Laundry @ The Curve

After dinner at The Apartment, we decided to have a drink before heading back home. Laundry looks like your typical loud-music, dark ambiance, skimpy-waitress-serving, cocktail-laden club/bar.

Among the highlights of the orders were Pearl's Peach Margarita

And my very own Sunset at the Curve

Both drinks were not bad, but nothing great either. I would recommend La Bodega in Bangsar Village for their strong and flavorful cocktails combined with their very laid back, cosy and shadowy ambiance =)




Pearl was very happy after finishing her drink =)

Laundry Bar

Lot G75 & 76, Ground Floor, Western Courtyard
The Curve, No. 6 PJU 7/3
Mutiara Damansara, 47800 Petaling Jaya
03-77281715