The Courtyard Garden Restaurant, Damansara Heights

Working in Damansara Heights is very challenging when come to foods. It's even worst if ones staying back to work overtime. There is nothing to eat for dinner. If you are sick with the foods at the food courts located at the various office buildings like HP, UOA and etc, you got to drive out to Sri Hartamas, Segambut or Section 17 for lunch.

To try something new, me and my fellow colleagues went to The Courtyard Garden Restaurant located at Lorong Dungun, Damansara Heights for lunch. It was a bungalow house turned into a restaurant.

They serve fusion foods with added local twist, suitable for business lunches. The restaurant offers a warm and cozy ambient.

For lunch sets, the prices are ranging from RM16++ to RM30++ per person. The set includes an ice lemon tea and a dessert.

We ordered the following menus:



#1 Indian-styled Lamb with Rice



#2 Terriyaki Chicken



#3 Beef Noodle




#4 Nasi Lemak



#5 Fried Fish with Rice



Address:
The Courtyard Garden Restaurant
10, Lorong Dungun, Damansara Heights
50490 Kuala Lumpur
Resv: 03-2093 9331

Big Apple Donuts at Tesco Puchong

For all the donuts lovers out there, you can now buy your favorite Big Apple Donuts at Tesco Puchong.






No need to drive all the way to 1-U, Subang Parade or Mid Valley.







With a cup of hot Nescafe on a rainy Monday, life is just great! A day that I do not need to think about office works.

By the way, I could not understand why I spent RM 11.50 on half dozen donuts. It's just a donuts anyway =)

My Day...

I did a terrible thing last night after shutting down my laptop. I broke my laptop LCD panel when I wanted to close it. T__T






I closed it too hard and I should have stopped closing it when I heard the cracking sound. Wanted to call up the HP service center to ask how much it costs to get it fixed. I know that it not worth repairing but I am trying to save some moneys okay.






Luckily, I still can tightened it back to it's original condition. But, looks like I can't close it forever edi. As long as I still can online, it's not a problem at all.




I slept around 2 a.m. this morning (could not sleep after the above incident) and managed to reach my office around 9.20 a.m. after having breakfast at my regular kopitiam in Bangsar. I was on leave the day before and it took me almost two hours to clear my incoming emails, wtf.

After responding to a few 'important' emails, me and my colleagues went out at 12.10 p.m. to Lau Heong Seafood restaurant at Bandar Baru Sentul to have our lunch. There are two floors i.e. ground floor (no air-cond) and 1st floor (with air-conditioning). I went to the toilet to 'pee' and my colleagues taking care the menu. I didn't ask what they have ordered. One thing for sure, always ask for the specialties. Can't go wrong, right?

We ordered a few of their specialties like 'Chu Sau' (Pork Hand) and fried chicken wings (4 pairs). The Chu Sau dish is not very big as we asked for a reasonable portion for 8 persons. It came with a curry gravy.





Below is the squids and prawns on hot plate. It's taste like a nonya-styled cooking. I think this is a regular menu on the customers' order list as almost all the tables have this dish.





Chicken wings... Taste? Average only.





Another seafood dish: 'LaLa'



We have two other dishes actually i.e. a deep-fried vegi and stingray (Sezhuan-styled sauce). No photos cos it came out late and I was busy eating at that time mah. The total bill is less than RM150.00. Now, see if you can read the captain's hand writing and guessing the dishes' prices.





And if you want to know the location, click on the below map to enlarge. The shop is in the green circle.




Me and my colleagues reached the office around 2 something. Once I reached my workstation, I forgot that I left my door access card and cabinet keys inside my car. I got to go down to the car to get my card and keys. I bumped into Grace at the lobby as she walked out from a lift. She went to my office building to see her 'good fren'... hah hah. (Good fren means Doctor).


Later in the evening, not sure why, my colleague, Catherine, is not feeling well. She felt very dizzy and looked terrible. We are suspecting that she got foods poisoning. But the rest of us are alright. She wanted to ask her cousin to come to the office (with a friend) to bring her and drive her car back to Taman Midah. She was worried to left her Myvi at Pusat Bandar Damansara's parking overnight.

However, her cousin can only come after finishing some works. So, me and my other colleague, Kim, decided to bring her home. We left the office around 7 p.m. I drove her car, she showed the way with Kim on his car.

We managed to reached Taman Midah around 8 p.m. While on our way back to the office, we saw 4 cages containing chickens stranded at the Pandan roundabout. Very funny!! We are joking whether we should go down and catch a few chickens.





Kim could not had dinner with me because he need to rush to his in-laws' house. So, I got to 'ta-bau' a fried rice for my dinner and reached home around 10 something.




I'm off again on Friday as I got something to do as well. I decided to make chicken soup using a slow cooker. It will be ready by tomorrow lunch time ^_^

MYTH: Broccoli juice helps patient beat bladder cancer

From a forwarded email:


This is interesting and well there's no harm in trying. Broccoli is good for health anyway.

A cancer patient credits his morning glass of broccoli juice with halting the disease.
Ray Wiseman's claim has prompted more research into the vegetable's healing powers.

Doctors told Mr Wiseman they did not expect him to survive, when they diagnosed him five years ago.


Green magic: Ray Wiseman with his wife Joan

But scans show that his cancer has stopped spreading - vastly improving his chances of a recovery.

The grandfather, 79, puts his health down to the tumbler of broccoli juice that his wife prepares for him each day.

Mr Wiseman, who lives in Braunstone, Leicestershire, said: 'I take this juice every day. I know it's done me good.

'I suppose it would be the same for everybody.'

His wife Joan, 72, started giving him the juice after a friend told her about the healing benefits of green vegetables.

For each half-tumbler dose she combines a head of broccoli with some apples and carrots to improve the taste.

She said: 'We believe my husband's incredible luck is down to broccoli. I hope our experience can help other cancer sufferers.

'The juice is a mess to make but it's something we have been happy to clear up. He now just takes it as second nature.

'If anybody else's husband is suffering from cancer and they are not getting on too well, it could help them.'

Scientists from Cancer Research UK have asked her for the recipe, to further study the vegetable's benefits.

Recent medical studies have highlighted the possible cancer-beating powers of broccoli. British scientists at the Institute of Food Research found that men who ate one daily portion had altered patterns of gene activity in their prostates, suggesting that the chemicals in the vegetable might be able to reduce the risk of prostate cancer.

According to a report published in the British Journal of Cancer in 2006, natural chemicals found in certain vegetables, such as broccoli-cauliflower and cabbage, can enhance DNA repair in cells, which could help stop them becoming cancerous.

A spokesman for Cancer Research UK said: 'There's a lot of research that's focused on broccoli and the healing properties that the vegetable contains. 'If taken, broccoli needs to be with a healthy diet that is high in all fruit and vegetables. This can also reduce the chances of developing cancer..'

Around 10,000 are diagnosed with bladder cancer every year in the UK . It is the fifth most common form of the disease and affects more men than women.

A member of the cabbage family, broccoli is rich in vitamin C and has properties that boost the human immune systems that fight viruses, bacteria and cancer. Studies have found that boiling broccoli can reduce its anti-cancer compounds, but steaming and microwaving do not.

________________________________________________________________________________________________
Dr Veronica TAY
Assistant Director/Associate Consultant < Student Health Centre, 3 Second Hospital Avenue , Level 3. Singapore 168937.
Health Promotion Board |( (65) 6435 3703 | 6 (65) 6438 7166| Visit us at http://www.hpb.gov.sg

---

Cheaper Fuel Prices - How about the foods prices?

I wanted to make a stop a petrol station to fill up the petrol while on my way to the office this morning. With roughly 1/8 petrol left in the tank, I decided to refill it after the office hours. I managed to drive to Pantai Seafood at Kampung Kayu Ara to have lunch with my colleagues and back to office as well.... pheww!!! Trust me, you don't want your car to stall at the roadside just because your car has running out of petrol. I've experienced it before. Few months back, my car was stalled on one of the lanes at the LDP highway near MBB Pusat Bandar Puchong. I was on my way to the petrol station on that Saturday morning to make a refill. But I failed to make it +___+ It caused a huge massive jam. Luckily, my friend was working nearby on that day. So he got to help to buy some petrol for me lah... heh heh.

Back to my story. Around 6.00pm, my colleague got an email saying that the G had announced the reduced fuel prices. I went to the Bernama website to check it out and it was true enough.

So, good timing huh. But I was sweating while on my way back to home. I got to drive "gently" and go slow like a turtle to conserve the remaining petrol. With the school holiday, there were no jams on my usual routes. Damn lucky right?


To avoid repeating the stalled vehicle experience, I drove to the nearest petrol station to make a refuel just now.


Some say, it was a gimmick and a sign of desperation. So much interesting news for the past few days huh. You read this and this, thanks God it's Friday. Funny right. But I don't give them a fuck lah.

I think if they could not float and adjust the fuel prices on daily basis according to the market price, they should at least adjust it on a weekly basis. Correct?

With the cheaper fuel prices now, do you think those 'taukehs' will reduce their foods prices as well? I don't think so lar. Ordered big one (50 sen more expensive than before) also not filing, wtf.

My Liquors Collection

I am supposed to finish up an assignment called the "Power of Influence" from one of the recent training provided by my Company by the end of this week. Basically, I need to write on how to apply those theories learned and put it in practice. Just don't have the right mode to do lah. @_@

Anyway, I want to blog about my liquors collection... heh heh


Hennesy V.S.O.P Cognac

Everyone is familiar with this liquor (40% alcohol in volume). You can almost find it at every Chinese wedding dinner. It's made up of a complex blend which reveals honeyed fruit flavors, scents of cleves and cinnamon spice.

Apart from drinking straight or add a little water or a few ice cubes, we can also make cocktails out of it.

Here is the famous one and I think is easier to make, Hennesy Moscow:
i. 3/4 oz Hennesy
ii. 1 slice of lemon
iii. White sugar
iv. Ice cubes




Absolut Vodka

This vodka is originated from southern Sweden with 40% alcohol in volume. We have to mix this spirit in order to enjoy the drink, cocktails style!!!

This is my mix:
i. Ice cubes
ii. Absolute Vodka
iii. Flavor agent = Whisky or Honey
iv. Filler = Cola / cranberry or raspberry juice / lemon juice / lemonade
v. Garnish = we can ignore this.. hah hah

Any volunteer want to taste the above mix? [Disclaimer: Drink at your own risk.]




Patrizi's Moscato D'Asti Wine

This is a wine style, low in alcohol, fruity and aromatic wine. Alcohol in volume is only 5.5%. It's looks like a sparkling wine.

Serving suggestion: to serve with Chinese or Japanese light and delicate cuisines including steamboat, seafood, starters, etc with chilled temperature. [Psst: Please remember to ask me to bring this along when we are going out for the next dinner. I am more than happy to open it.]

Note: I have just found out from the label that it was distributed by one of my former Companies where I had worked only for a month. But I couldn't recall whether it was bought before or after I have joined the Company. Hmmnn.. if I had knew it earlier I will......




Ricard's Partis

French's famous liquor, they called it as Partis. It's comes with 45% alcohol in volume and best served by adding 5 parts of water and 1 part of Richard, plus a few ice cubes. Very simple serving right?




Chivas Regal 12 Years Old Whisky

It has a renowned smoothness, a honeyed and fruit taste whisky. There are many ways to serve Chivas Regal 12, for the very simple ones:

i. Drink straight or add a little water or a few ice cubes.
ii. Mix with Coke and ice cubes.
iii. For the more complicated one, create your own cocktails by adding kiwi juice, lemon juice, lychee juice... bla bla bla. ^_^




Dewar's 12 Years Old Whisky

Dewar's 12 is rich and honeyed on the tongue and uses only 12 years old Scotch whiskies in its production. I bought two bottles during a promotion in May 2007.

Same serving like Chivas Regal.




Benedictine

I bought the Dom's Benedictine recently, two bottles to be exact. Benedictine (40% alcohol in vomue) is made up of 27 plants and spices which come from the four corners of the globe. Angelica, hyssop, juniper, myrrh, saffron, aloe, arnica, cinnamon…(the rest are closely guarded secret!) give Benedictine its unique flavour.

This is a healthy drink right? And we can make cocktails or mix it with fruit juices as well. The simple cocktail mix:
i. 1/5 Benedictine
ii. 4/5 Tonic or Soda
iii. A touch of lemon juice
iv. Ice cubes

Not only that, we can mix it in our Chinese cuisines like steamed prawns or chicken, stir-fried kailan with pork, etc. [Psst: I am hungry now]




The below looks familiar to you?




Yes, candies with Benedictine.



I still having the candies at home. I will bring it along for the next outing.