Prosperous Oct: Salam Aidiladha & Restoran Makanan Sedap, Lintas

Assalamualaikum. 안녕!

Eid al-Adha greetings to all my Muslim sisters & brothers. Let us ponder the true meaning of sacrifice. It's not only about eid sacrifice that symbolized Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his only son, Ismail as an act of submission to Allah's command & Ismail's acceptance to being sacrificed; rather it's more than that. Sacrifice itself represents thousands of meanings.

Last year, I did something I never thought I could be able to handle. Alhamdulillah, up to this moment never once had I regret the decision I made. I don't know what kind of sacrifice I will do this year as I haven't sacrifice any as far as I'm concerned. We'll see about it. Akan buat post mortem hujung tahun; insha Allah.

Anyway, we celebrated the eid at Aunty's in Putatan last year. This year, no open house to attend. So Bunda & I decided to have luncheon at one of the restaurant near home. It's been there for years, many friends recommended the place but I only got the chance to dine just this afternoon. 

Where we had our brunch today. Restoran Masakan Sedap; situated along Jalan Lintas, Luyang. It is somewhere near the Hilltop area. 

Been long recommended by my dearest friend IjaLyn. They were quite surprise when I told them I didn't know the whereabouts of this shop considering it's just 5-minutes driving from my house. 

Breakfast at this restaurant starts at 1030a. 

Doubtful no more. This time JJCM didn't give the small plaque anymore. Instead, they have this huge & easily spotted sticker pasted on the glass near the entrance. 

Cili potong or lada potong as we Sabahan called it. Benda wajib kena served before the orders arrive.

Yeah, I heard u. Tembolok gajah. Perut masing² ada dinosaur this morning. Ni pun nasib baik ndak order sup, ok! I ordered the smallest portion & those are small; according to them. We couldn't finish all the food so we tapau the leftover. Kenyang sampai malam. Alhamdulillah.

The dishes above + 2 bowls of rice + 1 hot drink + 1 cold drink = RM 99.05. My verdict. Clean environment, great service, good food. But I still prefer the Yam Ring served at Thien Thien, Putatan Branch. Their filling is daebak! 

eryantierdabdulkarim

Prosperous Oct: Peppermint Restaurant, Gaya Street

Assalamualaikum. 안녕! 

Last weekend, Bunda & I went to Gaya Street for our weekly brunch session together. As we arrived nearly 11p, parking was rather hard to get. After few rounds looking & still failed; I gave up. So I drove up to Wisma Merdeka (just opposite the street) just to park. If it wasn't for Bunda's craving for kueh tiaw soup at Peppermint, I would rather suggest different place to dine. 

This is one of the many stalls at Gaya Street Sunday market. As its name imply, this market is open only on Sunday. Selling varieties of goods. U can find almost everything here. Just be prepared with ur bargain skills; u will definitely need it at some stalls. 

Our main intention going to this crowded place was to have brunch; therefore we skipped the "ronda² Gaya Street' activity on that day. The weather was rather gloomy; perfect for such activity but I don't have the mood to ronda. Maybe I was too hungry or the hard-to-find parking thingy had eaten up my mood.

Peppermint Restaurant in Gaya Street located just in front the only fountain there; next to RHB Bank & opposite the Affin Bank. The tents set up for the market blocked the entrance view but the fountain would be of perfect landmark to spot the restaurant. However, it is quite easy to locate this restaurant during no-market day due to its bright red colour. 

The restaurant has two other branches besides the one in Gaya Street. The first is in Asia City, just behind the Seri Selera food court & the other at Karamunsing Capital. The one in Asia City is the first among the three. Managed by the father as per Bunda told me. While both the sons managed the other branches. Yeah, Bunda sangat friendly she would ask about those stuffs at restaurant(s) where she is a regular. I called her 'penyibuk' but I recently found it pretty interesting. Well, to have curiosity at stuffs like that. And even dare to ask.

Bunda told me, when Chinese open a restaurant/cafe & later have branches they would never renovate the first restaurant. Regardless how well decorated & adorned the branches are, the pioneer remains the way it is. Maybe other things will be upgraded but definitely not the look. It has something to do with 'feng shui' she said. I don't know if that applied by all Chinese restaurant owner but apparently that was what the Peppermint's owner told Bunda. I somehow see the statement rather true based on my own observation. The first Fook Yuen cafe in Hilltop is one of the example. They have few branches in Kota Kinabalu but the pioneer stays the same. 

The menu. Peppermint practice the 'order & pay at the counter; wait for food to arrive at ur table' concept. 

I must say, most of my friends from outside of Sabah questioned the halal status at every restaurants they see here. They have huge doubt entering a Chinese restaurant(s). Unlike the Sabahans; we grew up to this so-called 'tradition' that as long as there are no porks in the menu, then it is permissible to us. Bila sudah faham apa itu halal, barulah concern dengan isu no porks ni. Better late than ignore langsung kan.

And I would like to clear things up too. Here, despite of Chinese being the owner all the workers are Muslims. Including the tukang masak. IF u still have slight feeling of doubt about dining then DO NOT ENTER. I won't be responsible for ur guilty conscience, ok. Go find other restaurant that has the halal sign to clear ur doubt. Peppermint acquired the halal status therefore sila jangan ragu² makan di sini. 

It is a restaurant that served Vietnam-inspired menu. Sangat healthy diet...they indeed use very little oil in their food. 

"We go to the air-conditioned area, I cannot dine near the counter area...too hot. Lain if we're in Korea, sejuk". *giggles*

Fuh! Bunda being snobbish Sabahan once in a while. Padahal baru jadi avid fan of Kdrama, belum jejak lagi tu. Melampau ok!

Aduyai pun this restaurant! Receipt still using the $ sign. No wonder Bunda pun tripping tourist bagai. Mostly the food price here is in the range of what seen in the picture above. The cost of cold drink has increase from the last time we dined here. It used to be RM 2.50 only. 

Sedap; as always! Never let me down. I had my most favourite nasi ayam (steamed) & nescafe tarik ping for brunch. Kenyang sampai malam!

eryantierdabdulkarim

Prosperous Oct: Suang Tain Seafood & Double Six Monument

Assalamualaikum. 안녕! 

A good friend from Kolumpor came to Kota Kinabalu last week. She arrived early on Fri morning & straight away drove to Kundasang. Therefore we didn't get to meet until her last night here. 

I always feel guilty towards friends who came visiting during time as such. No semester break means no holiday for moi. And I am only available to entertain them after late in the evening. Sebab cafe pun tutup jam 730p, gedebak gedebuk the earliest dapat jumpa around 830p. 

That's why selalu bagitau awal² to those who came & want to meet me; time is limited for me to entertain them because I have more time during the semester break. Masalah problem is, selalu aku berjalan tengok tempat orang pun during those free time. Lagipun tambang murah bukan rely on my free time pun kan. Ndak kan juga suruh diorang jangan beli tiket time promo semata² si Sengal ni ndak da banyak masa mau melayan 'tetamu'. 

Met Nat!

I met dear Nat on her last night here in KK.  Luckily sempat jumpa else memang merajuk lah makcik ni kan. Few months before she purchase the ticket, she text me just to know my whereabouts during the date she plans to come. Aku siap2 bagitau timing dia datang macam ndak berapa ngam since semester just started & chances to lepak lama memang sangat tipis. Nasiblah kawan sorang ni memahami...and dia pun datang bertiga so ndak lah aku rasa guilty habis.She requested for seafood dinner. And so seafood it is! Brought her & her boyfriend to Suang Tain Seafood, Seri Selera. One of the two places in Kota Kinabalu where the family & I would come if we crave for seafood. Sometimes we go to Gayang Seafood, Tuaran but due to its location...we rarely go there. Gayang is a little bit too far from the city but the food there tasted as good as in Suang Tain. Fresh seafood & reasonable price.

My favourite dish. Siput Tarik. Used the toothpick to take out the isi. Nat isn't as adventurous as her friend. She refused to try even I forced her. I ordered the smallest portion that is RM 15.00 per dish. 

This is called Sayur Sabah masak belacan. Memang everytime makan sini, the family will order this. It looks like sayur manis but sayur sabah has more crispy stems than the latter. 

Order dishes we ordered were Barramundi in Three Flavours, Omelette Garlic, Salted Egg Crab & Fried Calamari. 

Was too occupied chitchatting with Nat...I forgot to take picture of those dishes. Looking at this picture makes me drool! Lapar instantly. Dasar perut ada gajah! By the way, total expenses for all these including drinks for us there was RM 124.50. That was super cheap considering Nat paid RM 50.00 for a lobster at Pasar Filipin the night before. I NO longer favour the pasar these day...they charged super ridiculous price regardless u're local or not. Sama mat2 minah2 putih lagilah ke langit mahal ok! And the pasar isn't as hygienic as it used to be. Dulu suka makan sana sebab bau laut, bau ikan, bunyi hingar bingai orang berjual di pasar...now, simpan jaklah hasrat untuk enjoyed all those things, Bie. Unbearably kotoq & crowded.

After dinner, Nat asked me about the Double Six monument in Sembulan. Located near Harbour City & Sutera Harbour Resort. Since it was still early, we proceeded to the monument area. Mainly to show them; the monument that commemorate one of Sabah's most memorable yet painful incident in history. This is the very place where the plane crashed in 6 June 1976. Hence the name; Double Six.

The monument is built to perpetuate the memory of several Sabah leaders who lost their lives in the Double Six Tragedy. 

The crashed killed everyone on board including the Chief Minister at that time; Tun Fuad Stephen. Reason that lies behind the crash remained uncertain up till now. There was allegations of foul play due to the political state at that time but preliminary investigation indicated overloading was one of the factors. 

Real reason for the crash remains a mystery & the original report on the incidents remain classified. Ask the locals who live in those days...and u will find few interesting answers regarding this issue. Thirty-seven years since it happened but the memories & anything related to that incident remain vividly in their box of minds.

List of victims of the crash tragedy. 

The crashed killed everyone on board including the Chief Minister at that time; Tun Fuad Stephen. Reason that lies behind the crash remained uncertain up till now. There was allegations of foul play due to the political state at that time but preliminary investigation indicated overloading was one of the factors. Real reason for the crash remains a mystery & the original report on the incidents remain classified.

Ask the locals who live in those days...and u will find few interesting answers regarding this issue. Thirty-seven years since it happened but the memories & anything related to that incident remain vividly in their box of mind. 

The Double Six Monument area used to be deserted & abandoned. The area is crowd out with grasses & no one seems to care about it. Cukup syarat, tugu itu berdiri di situ. Until few years ago, it was upgraded into a public park. Improvement works were carried out. And the outcome are the jogging track & Grace Point Food Court. Barulah sekarang nampak hidup kawasan Double Six ni. 

In the evening; specially weekend memang ramai family lepak & spend time together here. Since we already had our dinner, we skipped the idea for a second round at the food court. There are lots choices of food to choose here. U can find Javanese, Indian, Western & even local dishes. And I fix my craving for Korean food here!! All Korean restaurants in KK are non-halal but this lot here. Makan bibimbap dengan senang hati albeit rasa yang ndak sama. Lagi mau demand kan... I sent Nat & her friend to their hotel after touring around Double Six. They have early flight to catch the next morning hence they need to be back early for last minute packing. I'm glad that she enjoyed her four days holiday here. Despite me not being able to host her. 

So if any of u reader(s) who wish to come to Kota Kinabalu, do holla me. Specially kawan bloggers yang hanya borak through comments. Ndak dapat bawa berjalan, at least boleh lepak2 for some tea tarik session kan.

eryantierdabdulkarim

Prosperous Mac: Dinner Date

Assalamualaikum. Annyeong.

Ok let's skip the JB-Singapore trip entry. Another entry to conclude the trip. Poyo. 

My Seoul Ladies Trip 2012 photobook album arrived days before the weekend getaway. Perfect way to tune my mood prior the holiday. As usual, hasil PhotoBook Malaysia never disappoint me. Cakap melangit padahal baru beli dua biji photobook dari sana. Tu pun atas ehsan mydeal.com yang buat offer.

Gigih gila aku edit & fikir idea for the layouts. Refused to used the ready-made layout available in the website; downloadable lagi. Kunun tripping creative...luckily aku buat ni masa semester break. More time to squeeze the brain untuk cari idea. Sekali ndak perasan stamp di postcard on the album cover; stamp Britain. Aduyai!

Grateful indeed!

One of the many unforgettable moments in my life. My first ladies trip in my thirty years of living. Praying for more to come in the future. Ouh woot! Seoul, Juni aku datang lagi. 

Another ladies trip gitu; this time aku trip jadi guide. Hanguk baru berpatah² boleh kau converse Bie...ada hati jadi guide oii. That we will see whether the trip menjadi or ndak. Trial & error lah kan, kalau ndak try bila lagi tau setakat mana kemampuan diri sendiri. Gitu?

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On another story; I had dinner with the friends last Sat evening. This time poyo dinner di G Cafe, Gaya Hotel. Nasiblah Groupon ada offer voucher murah. It was a weekend steamboat buffet dinner. For the seven of us, we only paid less than RM200! Berbaloi². Food was great; expect apa kan kalau harga murah macam tu. Downside was the choice of drink. Included in the voucher hanyalah plain water. Not even sirap provided tau. If mau order juice or soft/hot drink; sila bayar extra. 

Memang pesta makan. After a week consuming only breads & buns; it was time for me to revenge. ChEAT Day! Ndak kan seksa perut jak kerja, consume itu ndak boleh...consume ini ndak boleh. Karang perut merajuk, datang pula lawatan si Gastrik.

My beloved niece & nephew. Emma (L) & Nathan (R).

Dedicated dads. While the mommies busy steamboat-ing, they took care of the anak². 

Steamboat-ing & camwhoring must synchronize. No? Janji makanan semua sudah siap campak². Loving ur baby-T lah Ms G! So pink-ish & so Bugis bau dia. Hahaha.

Emma Grace with Yours Truly. Pinjam anak orang perkara biasa jak kalau aku.

Ahli majlis minus Emma's parents. Once in a while; we gathered to unwind the stress at work. Sambil makan, jamu perut...lepak²...chitchat berita terkini. Including the recent Sulu invasion here in Sabah. 

My deepest condolence to the family who lost their family members in the battle. Rest in peace to those National Heroes who died protecting this country. Jasa anda dikenang sampai bila². Terima kasih!

eryantierdabdulkarim