TRISTUPE.COM: Festivities

Showing posts with label Festivities. Show all posts

Thursday, January 30, 2014

Gong Xi Fa Cai 2014

Wishing all of you a healthy and prosperous year of the horse 2014.

龍馬精神

(May you have the spirit of the Horse and Dragon - Fast and Courageous)

From all of us at home

Selamat Hari Raya Haji

To all my friends celebrating Raya Haji, have a good celebration. To the rest, have a good break. If you are driving back to hometown or back home, drive safe. Blog write up will be back tomorrow.

Selamat Hari Jadi Malaysia

Today is the 50th Year of Malaysia formation.

Have a Good one Malaysia. I love you forever and always.

From all of us that call you home.

As I stare blankly over the past 5 minutes. And counting. What does Merdeka mean to you? Do we as a nation, as Malaysian, share the same hope and thoughts? For the future of our children and our children's children?

I am still staring blankly.

I am not sure what to write. My view may be misconstrued as racist if I continue. I am born a Malaysian. Right where the (now) Tune Hotel is at Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman. Right where City Centre is (as GHKL is a bit off centre lah). My wife ancestors are Portugese that has set foot in Melaka nearly as long as Alfonso d'Alberquque has landed. I am 4th generation Malaysian Chinese. We both call Malaysia our home. Our Kampung is in Malaysia. Not in Portugal. Not in China.

But why are we still asked to go back to "our country"? We are in OUR country.

Why are we blamed for the recent General Election (GE13) vote swings? Aren't we voting as...Malaysians?

Are we not paying taxes?

Or contributing to building the country?

Or protecting Her from inside and outside (bad) people trying to destroy it?

Are we really Merdeka?

I am still staring blankly. This will be the toughest blog entry yet.

Have a good Merdeka. May the parade tomorrow shows we are really embracing our diversities and differences and not just tolerating it.

Don't let the real Merdeka fly away.

Press Release Old Town White Coffee Raya Open House

OLDTOWN White Coffee to host Hari Raya Open House

Kuala Lumpur, August 6, 2013

In conjunction with the Hari Raya festive season, OLDTOWN White Coffee will be hosting its inaugural Hari Raya Open House for the public on 24 August 2013 from 11AM to 3PM at its outlet in Bandar Baru Bangi.

OLDTOWN expects to play host to about 2,000 people from the community in Bangi, including approximately 100 children from three orphanages namely Rumah Amal Cahaya Tengku Ampuan Rahimah (RACTAR), Yayasan Sunbeams Home and Yayasan Chow Kit who are invited as special guests. Guests at the open house can expect to savour some of OLDTOWN’s Hari Raya specials. They can also enjoy and participate in an exciting outdoor carnival atmosphere of fun, games and exciting contest for children and adults alike, as well as stage performances that will make this festivity a delightful experience. Guests can look forward to a special performance by Malaysia’s sought-after talent Hunny Madu.

Photo from Oldtown White Coffee

In celebrating this joyous occasion, the less fortunate will also be remembered by OLDTOWN through its CSR arm, OLDTOWN Children Care Fund (OCAF), which will be handing out Duit Raya to the children present at the open house.

OLDTOWN’s Chairman Datuk Ahmed Tasir said he looks forward to meet and greet with the community in Bangi and he welcomes every Malaysian to join in this fun-filled event. “This is OLDTOWN’s first open house and we would like to make this event special and as exciting as possible for everyone,” said Datuk Tasir.

OLDTOWN White Coffee akan menganjurkan Rumah Terbuka Hari Raya

Kuala Lumpur, 6^hbOgos, 2013

Bersempena dengan musim perayaan Hari Raya yang bakal menjelang, OLDTOWN White Coffee akan menjadi tuan rumah kepada majlis Rumah Terbuka Hari Raya yang julung kali dianjurkan dan akan dibuka kepada orang ramai pada 24^hbOgos 2013 ini jam 11 pagi sehingga 3 petang di rangkaian kedainya di Bandar Baru Bangi.

OLDTOWN menjangka akan menjadi tuan rumah kepada kira-kira 2,000 penduduk dari kawasan Bangi, termasuk 100 orang kanak-kanak daripada tiga buah rumah anak yatim iaitu Rumah Amal Cahaya Tengku Ampuan Rahimah (RACTAR), Yayasan Sunbeams Home dan Yayasan Chow Kit yang akan diundang sebagai tetamu istimewa. Para pengunjung akan dihiburkan dengan pelbagai aktiviti menarik dalam suasana karnival yang menyeronokkan. Aktiviti-aktiviti menarik yang disediakan termasuklah pertandingan yang boleh disertai oleh kanak-kanak dan juga orang dewasa dan persembahan hiburan yang akan menjadikan sambutan perayaan ini satu pengalaman yang indah. Pengunjung juga akan dapat menyaksikan persembahan istimewa daripada artis pujaan ramai, Hunny Madu.

Photo from Oldtown White Coffee

Dalam meraikan acara yang meriah ini, mereka yang kurang bernasib baik juga tidak dilupakan oleh OLDTOWN, menerusi bahagian Tanggungjawab Sosial Korperatnya, OLDTOWN Children Care Fund (OCAF) yang akan menyampaikan Duit Raya kepada kanak-kanak yang hadir ke rumah terbuka tersebut.

Pengerusi OLDTOWN, Datuk Ahmed Tasir berkata beliau tidak sabar untuk bertemu dan beramah mesra dengan penduduk daripada kawasan Bangi dan beliau turut mengalu-alukan kedatangan setiap warga Malaysia ke majlis yang penuh dengan kemeriahan ini. “Ia merupakan rumah terbuka OLDTOWN yang pertama dan kami ingin menjadikannya sebagai majlis yang paling istimewa dan paling menyeronokkan untuk setiap orang,” kata Datuk Tasir.

Old Town White Coffee Facebook page : www.facebook.com/OldTownWhiteCoffeeMalaysia

Salam Hari Raya 2013

MyDulang @ OldTown White Coffee

With Puasa month coming and in Malaysia, the Buka Puasa is a big thing, sometimes it is bigger than the religious obligation of fasting. Many would spend a lot of money buying food to break fast. From the like of Pasar Ramadhan where food hygiene is often (for me) a question mark to the upscale hotel buffet that can cost a family of four hundreds of ringgit. Such opulence is unseen and unknown until as recent as 8 years ago. With more disposable income and parents of family working, the pattern has shifted from buying instead of cooking at home.
So what do we do?
Once in a while i get invited for food testing and restaurant opening. I often look forward to this opportunity as I seldom eat out because of my eating habit. I see these invites as a chance to see what is normally served out there and their value for money.

Old Town White Coffee was founded in 1999 and started off as a 3-in-1 drink manufacturer. In 2005, the cafe-style or "kopitiam" style chain took off and to date, there are no less than 200 outlets throughout Malaysia and the region.
Starting from July 8, 2013 and in conjunction with the Muslim fasting month of Ramadhan, Old Town White Coffee has prepared a set menu for those that will be breaking fast starting next week (expected to be July 10, 2013).
My approach to this food review, apart from introducing what Old Town White Coffee has, is to look from the health perspective and perhaps, offer some changes or improvement to us as consumers.

How it all started for OldTown

MyDulang
The concept of a wooden platter or tray used for dining purpose, filled with dishes and shared among family member is the concept of MyDulang @ OldTown. It is designed and inspired by the old home feel of Buka Puasa back in the Kampung for some of the folks growing up with this concept.

MyDulang - The Concept

Presented in two choices of Individual Dulang or Family Dulang, it is priced rather well at RM16.90 and RM39.90 respectively.

Image from Old Town White Coffee - The above is the Family Dulang

How consistent is the photo above to what was shown to us blogger? I would say it was almost spot on (apart from the Ice Kacang shown below that has melted as i arrived late after work)

What was shared with the bloggers - the Family Dulang

For RM39.90, you will get all that is shown above which consist of:

· Rendang Chicken/ Rendang Beef

· Curry chicken with potato

· Chicken Satay with Satay Sauce

· Fried Lekor

· Cucumber strips

· Egg Skin strips

· Cooked Long Bean

· Kangkung Sambal Hae bee (dried shrimp)

· Nasi Kunyit

· Sambal Sotong

· Lekor Chilli Sauce

· Belacan Chilli

· 4 Beverages: 2x Rose Nata Selasih + 2x OldTown White Coffee/ OldTown Teh Tarik

· 2 Desserts: 2x OldTown Ice Kacang with Rose Syrup/ 2x OldTown Ice Kacang with Gula Melaka (Add a scoop

of ice cream for RM 1)

The choices of Rendang, Drinks (Coffee or Tea) and Ice Kacang

The Individual Dulang were consistent between what was shown in the promotional photo below and what was shown to us blogger.

Indivdual Dulang

Again, short of the melted Ais Kacang and the bigger Dulang that was used, the content and consistency was there on what was presented to us.

What was shown

The Individual Dulang is at RM16.90 and it consists of:

· Rendang Chicken/ Rendang Beef

· Chicken Satay with Satay Sauce

· Fried Lekor

· Cucumber strips

· Egg Skin strips

· Cooked Long Bean

· Kangkung Sambal Hae bee

· Nasi Kunyit

· Lekor Chili Sauce

· Belacan Chilli

· 1 Beverage: Rose Nata Selasih/ OldTown White Coffee/ OldTown Teh Tarik

· 1 Dessert: OldTown Ice Kacang with Rose Syrup/ Ice Kacang with Gula Melaka (Add a scoop of ice cream for RM 1)

Offers the same mechanism as Family Dulang. You get to choose your drinks and dessert

Now, why am i stressing so much about consistency? As OldTown is a huge franchise, the challenge here is consistency for all the outlet. So far it was good!

The Tasting

Contrary to popular beliefs, I do eat. While my eating habit has changed dramatically and drastically, I still have to eat to survive. What really changed is being selective of my food and this is where my review of MyDulang will set it apart compared to how other foodies may approach it. So, bear with me. To start with, I ordered the Individual Dulang with Beef Rendang and Ais Kacang served with Gula Melaka. I did not had the chance to change my drink to Coffee black as it was already served when I arrived. No issues about that as I ordered a cup of cold water.

MyDulang

I decided to eat with my hands - not because I was trying to impress others that were present, but it was to feel if the food were oily. Things I do for health!

Digging in

The Nasi Kunyit was really fragrant. I can see that they take pride in preparing this and it was not as oily as I thought it will be. Often, it is easy to overdo the rice with butter or margarine, but this one was really subtle. There were minimal residue of oil on my fingers on first impression.

Nasi Kunyit

Luckily my fingernails were clean (and short) ;)

I observed Rebecca and noticed that she finished the rice. This is something rare as she is not a fan of carb. This goes to show how good the Nasi Kunyit was, even to the pickiest foodie.

Hmmm...

The Individual Dulang is really sufficient for two person if you are not a big eater. Ladies might want to take note and share the portion out. There is enough of cucumbers, boiled long beans and sambal kangkung hae bee (or dried shrimp) to feed two person. I finished off these three vegetable dishes as there were good as they are.

Jemput Makan

The beef rendang was of expected quality typical of OldTown. If you have been eating here, you will notice that the sambal served at the restaurant is on the sweet side. It is also not as spicy which is suitable for most Malaysians. I must commend that the portion of Beef Rendang served to me were all lean beef and it was not fat.
Did someone tell them I am coming?
The coconut smell and taste of the rendang was unmistakeably there. If you like the wetter variety of Rendang, this could be for you. The serving was sufficient for me. It was not as oily as some rendang I've encountered that literally swim in fats. This is good from my personal point of view.
Next up was the Sate. It is served only in Chicken variant and most of us that has eaten sate outside would be very wary of how the sate is made. Many out there, unless you eat from specific sate restaurant, has a section of skin or fat in the middle - that is how they skim on the lean meat and gives you something you wouldn't want. Obviously, I took the more careful approach and instead of ONE bite, I took two bites off the sate to verify the middle section.

OK! Pass!

PHEW! No fats! The sate sauce (peanut base) were sweet and not as spicy as you would had expected. There is minimal oil (or unseen oil layer) on the gravy. Perhaps the whole concept of reduced oil is also an operational decision, as it takes more effort to wash off oily dishes and it will also overload the existing grease/oil trap in the F&B outlet. Perhaps?
For me, it is all good. I can eat this without feeling very guilty (I skipped my run for this). Lastly the Ice Kacang. You see, I (used to) have sweet tooth. I took a bite (or two) of this and I must say that the Gula Melaka used were real (because some melts brown sugar and call it Gula Melaka) but a bit diluted. Palm Sugar is actually good sugar as it contains other minerals in it, which explained the darker color. I would say to go easy on desert like these and really, share them out like I did. But of course, if you really want to eat it, go ahead, after all, once in a while is ok, I guess.

The Fight To Resist

Value For Money?
Some might argue that the price for the served sets were on the high-side. It could be if you are comparing to the typical Pasar Ramadhan where an usual serving of anything is about RM5. However, how many of you, honestly, stop at buying ONE item for breaking of fast? Typically, someone would spend close to RM15/outing and that is considering the food were prepared hours before breaking fast and most looked better than it actually taste.
MyDulang @ OldTown White Coffee (this is not hard sell) is priced correctly in my opinion. The amount of food served commensurate with the price. Shared between two person, it is actually pretty affordable for a meal in an air-conditioned restaurant with free Wi-fi.
The Family Dulang comes with more servings (both chicken and beef) and with extra drinks. While it is recommended for 2 to 3 person, I see a fourth person sitting down and share the servings. They key to breaking fast, again, is moderation. A body that has been deprived of food and liquid deserves to be treated with respect and do so by eating sensibly. Smaller portion shared between friends and family brings more joy that sitting down gorging down and regretting later.
Calorie wise, I estimated the Individual Dulang to run up close to 1,200kcal. This is due to the drink and dessert (estimated at 180kcal and 250kcal each, with balance calories from the main dishes). If you can find ways to share this, it will be a less guilty option.
The biggest challenge, in my opinion is the ability of OldTown to churn these out consistently. Nothing is more crucial than this as many of us know and experienced that photos are often decieving and can be a let-down when the real food were served. Let's hope the QA and QC will be good!
Lastly...

OLDTOWN White Coffee will be giving away complimentary RM5 voucher with each MyDulang set and an exclusive OLDTWON Duit Sampul (Green Pack) for every customer who spends RM20 and above on a single receipt from 1^st July 2013 to 31^stJuly 2013.

RM5 Voucher and Raya Green Packet awaits you

MyDulang @OLDTOWN will be served from 11AM daily at all OLDTOWN outlets and priced at RM16.90 for the Individual Dulang Set and RM39.90 for the Family Dulang Set.

Merry Christmas And Happy New Year

We all survived the End Of Day (yes, it's so lame) last week and tomorrow, we celebrate Christmas. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you for the wonderful 2012 (in this blog). I believe I've not missed a posting except during major festivities, weekends or falling sick!
Me and my lovely family would love to wish all of you readers a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. We wish that your years to come will be filled with much health and everything you wanted (but go easy on those burgers ya).

As the year draw to an end, the next few following days will be more of me wrapping up the year by revamping the blog layout. As you can see, or noticed, there are a few tabs at the top of the blog and my intention is to segregate my postings according to topic of interest for easy searching. I might not be able to "wrap everything up" by end of the year, and it will be work in progress (WIP) mostly.

More good stuff coming up soon

Now, be nice, Santa will visit tonight and I hope you will all receive your gifts of health and vitality!

Happy Deepavali To All Hindu Friends

The Lims' are wishing all their Hindu friends a Happy Deepavali and a much blessed celebration.

We faces adversity everyday in our life. Some of us have to fight for a meal to put on the table and most of us would not have any idea what they have go through to do that.
I see it as an auspicious sign and a blessing that my birthday falls on the same day this year. I want to dedicate today to the woman that has given birth to me. I am starting to believe that a birthday belongs to mother, for they had given birth to you. Thank you Ma.
Have a blessed one, all of you, my Hindu brothers and sisters.

Salam Aidilfitri From TriStupe.com

Wishing all my Muslim friends Salam Aidilfitri. Maaf Zahir dan Batin.

Have a good celebration and remember to drive safely.

For those not celebrating, have a good holiday.

Welcoming the Dragon

Image of Dragon in Cupcake taken from Kanthaa Retnam. Dragon in Cupcake is Nanthini Retnam's creation. Image used with permission. Chinese New Year Greeting is TriStupe's Creation.

Petronas CNY 2012 TV Commercial

Every year nearing festivities, we a Malaysian always look forward to the Petronas TVC From the days of the late maestro Yasmin Ahmad (as director for the TVC) until the today - Petronas has never failed to showcase something that will bind all of us as Malaysian together. Similarly, I was brought up not to forget my roots. As a Malaysian of Chinese descendant, the Lunar New Year or Chinese New Year hold a very special place in my heart and mind, for that is the occasion where we will cherish what we have and strive to get more of what all of us are brought up to believe - Family.
“The TVC is meant to celebrate not just the Year of the Dragon, but the spirit of perseverance, adaptability and determination as captured in each of the stories it depicts. This energy is something that should inspire us all as we navigate through the challenges we face in life,” said PETRONAS’ Senior General Manager of Group Corporate Affairs Division Dato Mohammad Medan Abdullah.
Petronas TVC for 2012 hits it right in the bull's eye. Titled "Coming Home", it touches on six separate lives in six different countries - away from the family. The TVC was launched on January 17, 2012 and a group of media personnel were given the first glimpse of the TVC.

Datuk Mohamad Medan Abdullah officiating the Chinese New Year Campaign

The launching saw a good mixture of members of the media that ranges from mainstream media (MSM) to social media (such as bloggers). A simple yet meaningful tossing of the Yee Sang to mark the launching was in the agenda and looking at what was served, i kind of wished i was there!

After the launching of the event, all those that attended the event were ushered to the KLCC yard for the first lion dance show of the year!

With KLCC in the background, the acrobatic dancer were there to impress with their skills and performances. Judging from the crowd in the photo above, I am pretty sure many would had enjoyed and in awe of the stunts shown.

Together with the launching of the Chinese New Year Campaign is a Photography Contest themed "Reimaging Energy", in collaboration with Leica Camera AG. With prizes ranging from RM288 to RM2,000, the contest sure looked like it will attract entrants to submit their creative photos or even interpreting the theme of the photo contest in their own best possible photographs. The contest is open for all Malaysians and you may submit as many photographs as you like taken using mobile, point and shoot, and dSLR. The closing date is February 12, 2012. More details could be obtained at the Facebook Apps page where the rules, regulation and submission for the photographs will be done.
They say there is no bigger pleasure apart from winning the prizes from any photography contest than to have the winning photo being exhibited for public viewing. So, if you are just a casual photographer or someone that does it for hobby, even if you are a full time photographer, this is an opportunity to showcase our talent and win some money.
I have submitted my entry on my understanding of the theme and it shows a dragon, guarding the entrance of a temple. Remember to VOTE for me (if my photo/s is/are deserving!). Look out for the photo below in the Gallery!

The “Coming Home” TVC will air from 17^th January until 6^thFebruary 2012. For more exciting surprises, the public may visit PETRONAS’ YouTube page. Meanwhile, this is the TVC that you should see, and find in you, the spirit of perseverance, adaptability and determination.

Merry Christmas

Taken Online

Here to wishing all of you a good Christmas and May all of you be blessed with good health and prosperity.

Dongzhi Festival Winter Solstice

Dongzhi meant the extreme of winter. It is also known as the "Chinese Christmas". While the significant of Dongzhi has nothing to do with religious celebration. The significant of this is that the sunshine will be at the weakest and the daylight, shortest, hence amplifying the extreme of winter. Basically, it signifies the the changes and balance - that we will be a year older. Traditional and culturally, this festival provides an excuse for family to get together to make glutinous rice ball or tong yuan. The stickiness of the rice ball symbolically represent a family that will "stick together", at least for another year until the next celebration. For whatever that it really does signify, as the Chinese (including we Malaysian Chinese) will find all reasons and excuse for a get together.
This year, however, only has my mum in my home making them. My sisters is too busy to be present and my dad is not fit to drive at night and through the heavy traffic. Nonetheless, they are on our mind and lets hope the family does stick together. Often, we can make time for other less important things and i hope next year, all, if not most, will be together for this activity.
Here are some photos taken. The kids clearly has more fun shaping the balls.