Yes, I know. In my last post, I wrote about my return but I went missing in action again for 3 months.

Guilty as charged! 🙁 But hey, I’m still active on all my social channels – Facebook & Instagram primarily.

Pretty sure you know what I’ve been up to every day as I’ve divulged in my last post, but there’s another side project that recently kept me busy and working round the clock at night.

Read on to find out what they are and also my experience with the team at The Techy Hub! 🙂

This won’t be your typical movie review. The reason why I’m even talking about this movie today is because I’ve always been particularly captivated by Egyptian culture. So here you go, dedicated to ancient Egypt.

Anyone who’s been a long-time reader of my blog would definitely know!

19 year old Jessicat at Universal Studios, Singapore.

I’m not very sure how I acquired this interest in everything related to ancient Egypt and it’s hieroglyphic designs but I think it could’ve possibly grown from constant exposure to my Uncle Mike’s Egyptian-themed living room.

From there, I began to harbour curiosity & fascination at this civilization of wonder that I started to read up several encyclopaedias (yes, I could’ve Googled it but Google’s search engine didn’t exist when I was 10 years old) about the Pyramids of Giza and The Great Sphinx.

Read on for more of my love for Egypt!

That blessed day of the year has come again!

Wow, looking back… how I spent this last year’s as well as this year’s birthday has been a vast difference from my insane party-hard birthdays of my much younger days.

I guess when we grow up, we tend to want to spend our special day in the comfort of our loved ones and enjoying quality conversations… instead of banging it out hard at the clubs/raves. (Save that for the weekends instead! 😛 )

This year, I’m lucky enough to spend it with the love of my life again – for the second time!

Last year, he surprised me to our city’s Helipad to enjoy the wondrous sky-high view and the delicious meal at Heli Lounge Bar.

Just a little throwback before we start with this year’s birthday celebration.

(Terrible low-light photo quality – forgot to bring my camera!)

Moo brought me to enjoy a rather different cuisine for our dinner date this time round.

As we’re so used to the likes of Italian, Arabic, North Indian, American and local food already, we decided to check out what Spanish cuisine has in store for us.

(Do I hear a hola!?) So off we adjourned to Estilo in Publika KL. 

Beautiful, authentic setting.

The view from our seat

The interior decor was a pretty interesting one – it had wooden arches partitioning different sections of the restaurant, with standard dining tables and seats, with the option of sofa seating (like ours!) and a bar-top area with high chairs. 

There’s also the alfresco area – but we’ll get to that later. 

Handpainted Spanish crockery

The waiter who attended to us was anything we’d want a waiter to be: knowledgeable, friendly and polite.

To manage expectations, he explained what the dishes were, its main ingredients and how it will look like – trust me, reading the menu in Spanish proves to be an arduous task!

We appreciated the gesture and placed our orders.

His and hers (for sharing): Chocolate Milkshake & Freshly Squeezed Watermelon Juice.

Yeah, yeah… kids’ drinks. Don’t chide us! We would’ve gotten wine but it was a weekday and since our weekends are usually full of that, we’d thought we’d play it down a little.

Plus, my guilty pleasure has always been fruit juices and anything chocolate/milk based 😀

While waiting for our sumptuous feast to arrive.

We were half worried that we wouldn’t be able to finish all the dishes we ordered. We hear they come in huge portions! 

Table talks. Let the quality conversations ensue!

We were served fluffy house bread and butter as we await our entrées & main course

Berenjenas 

This tapas appetizer had aubergine crisps, chickpea mash and mostillo reduction. We loved how crispy and tasty this was. I’m a huge fan of aubergine so I was naturally thrilled!

Costillas de Cordero

This dish of whole rack baby lamb ribs was flavourful, and very well-done! 

You know how fat lambs usually are, right? But this one was hardly considered fat, in comparison. It was also served with baked potatoes in their skins, homemade french fries and a delicious triple delight of Estilo signature sauces – Mojo Green, Peri Peri & Piquillo.

Go taste them for yourself and find out what they are made of!

We couldn’t decide which was our fave as all three complemented the ribs perfectly. 

We made sure to make space in our stomachs for the main event… *drumroll*

It’s finally here! The glorious, glorious Paella Estilo 

Strictly for sharing! Unless well, you have an appetite of an entire starving population.

I’ve only eaten Paella once in my life – at a Carlsberg event 2 years ago in La Bodega, Pavilion KL. It was seafood paella and to my best memory, I distinctly remember how delicious and hearty it was.

Moo giving it a good mix before we dug in!

This one surpassed expectations too. With chicken chorizo, chicken & green beans in rich chicken stock, this giant hotplate was certainly a reason to revel in delight.

Largely filling, bursting with flavour and yummy to every bite, I’m glad moo’s first time with Paella was a good experience!

Don’t forget a selfie with the Paella!

 As expected, we weren’t able to finish the entire portion.

We ended up packing the remaining away for brunch the next day. Moo excused himself to wash his hands – at this point, I was thinking to myself, “Wash hands? For? We didn’t even eat with our hands – full on cutlery till the end!”

But as he returned with a smirk on his face, I knew he was up to something. 

Thanks dearest!!

You never cease to surprise me!

Right from the lovely bouquet of pink roses delivered to my office desk this morning to this enjoyable birthday dinner date.

Thank you for the tiramisu birthday cake surprise. Time to make a wish!

Here’s to many more birthdays with you.

We decided to catch a breather and headed to the alfresco area for some fresh air – also to finish up our drinks and dessert.

So full to the brim! 

T’was a lovely end to an awesome dinner date

Our view of Estilo, from the alfresco area.

For the awesome dinner, surprise bouquet at my office this morning and for making my birthday a memorable one yet again, I owe it to you.

Thanks a bunch, moo!

Now, just wait and see what I have up my sleeve for your birthday this time round.

 Also, thumbs up to Estilo for making our night and my birthday one to remember.

Viva la Espana! 

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For reservations and more details on this restaurant:

Check out their website at: www.estilo.com.my

LIKE them on Facebook at: fb.com/estilo.my

Call them at their contact number: +603-62039883

Drop by this address: 

Estilo Tapas Bar & Charcoal Grill
No 34, Level G2 Block C5,
Publika Solaris Dutamas,
Jln Dutamas 1,
50480, Kuala Lumpur

Opening hours: Monday – Sunday (11am – 1am)

Having bad skin and a not-so-perfect complexion (read: dreaded scars!), I try my very best to ensure I pamper my face with the necessary, corrective facial treatments once a month.

Not that my post-acne scars are entirely reversible, that is. 🙁

But hey, that’s the least I could do to lighten the marks.

 Sunday night regime

Seeing that I have used Cellnique’s professional care + B.liv products for a good 5 years now,  I was thrilled when Cellnique delivered a wonderful gift to my doorstep.

It was their 5-pack Intensive Hydro Repair Biological Masque! 

Pic credits: Angeline Tang

Now, this is no ordinary mask. Certainly unlike the ones I’ve received and reviewed before.

Why? We’ll see in a bit.

UNBOXING 

Pic credits: Angeline Tang

1 box contains five sheets of masques all sealed up.

When I tore open the packet, the masque was clearly luxuriously moist!

A result of being soaked in copious amounts of their special formula and concentrated essence. 

 Once I’ve placed the mask on my face, there was still so much more to massage onto my neck and shoulders. How generous! 😀

Each sheet consists of 3 different layers – of which two, would have to be peeled off.

It works as a protective layer and of course, to retain its moisture and hold its shape.

Only the middle layer is placed onto your face

This hydrating and soothing biological masque sliped on with ease, to bring the concentrated essence and hydrating benefits to overstressed and dehydrated the skin.

It contains a unique formulation of Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrergy and Syn-Hycan that helps skin achieve maximum hydration and revitalizes the complexion, while Faex and Snail Mucin provide immediate comfort by cooling, calming and restoring the skin.

All dried up after my skin has absorbed its goodness! 😀

As a result, we get to reap all these benefits just by applying the masque once a week!
• Immediate comfort
• Cooling, calming and restored the skin
• Skin emerges infinitely regenerated
• Achieves maximum skin hydration and revitalizes the complexion

 No need to wash it off! 😀

As the Cellnique Intensive Hydro Repair Biological Masque’s main ingredients are Snail Mucin & Hyaluronic Acid, I could already see visible results quite rapidly.

It was like a burst of regeneration to my skin!

You’re advised to cover your eyelids too, of course! 😀

Did you know that snail/slug slime has been used for centuries to speed up cell renewal, thus healing scars more efficiently? My long-time beautician previously recommended snail mucin products to me before too.

So hey, I’m no stranger to snail mucus! 😀

Slime me they way Nickelodeon does!

My favorite thing about this masque? 

The texture felt like second skin to me, literally. The masque was soft, cool, moist and gel-like to touch and its texture was really stretchy, thin and smooth.

INGREDIENTS

Shall we come to the geeky part now? 

Scientifically, for those interested to know, this masque is made of:

Purified Water(Aqua), Aloe Vera (Aloe barbadensis) Leaf Extract, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Cucumber (Cucumis sativus) Fruit Extract, Beta-Glucan, Hydrolyzed Elastin, Tetradecyl Aminobutyroylvalylamino Butyric Urea Trifluoroacetate, Magnesium Chloride, Algae Extract, Polyglucuronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Glyceryl Polymethacrylate, Glycoproteins, Yeast Extract (Faex), Aleuritic Acid, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ammonium Glycyrrhizate, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Chlorphenesin, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, Fragrance.

Pardon the jargon.

In layman’s term however, here’s what the main ingredients are all about:

Hyaluronic Acid

Young, healthy-looking skin contains an abundance of (HA) that locks in moisture. As we get older our bodies produce less and less HA. Skin starts to sag, lose its elasticity and fine lines and wrinkles appear.

The acid is known as the key to the fountain of youth because it helps to keep skin smooth and “plump” through the ability to retain and hold moisture which is the secret to youthful, healthy, vibrant skin.

It holds up to 1,000 times its weight in water. Hyaluronic acid attracts and binds water within the cells of the skin and tissue underneath, literally acting like a sponge to retain a supple, firm skin tone and youthful appearance

Snail Mucin

As mentioned earlier, snail slime provides superior skin cell regeneration and repairing to damaged, aged skin cells and restoring skin to its original healthy condition. 

– Helps promote the natural healing process,
– Reduces scars, removes damaged cells and imperfections
– Nourishes the skin, protects it from free radicals, improves elasticity.
– It also increases density, moisture retention capacity and skin’s firmness and leaves it baby soft and smooth
– It also treats acne, stretch marks, scars and sun damage.

Hydergy

It contains polyglucuronate, whose structure is analogous to hyaluronic acid, to soften and moisturise skin; and vitamins B1, B2, B12, and Niacin, to stimulate ATP production, boost the energy level of the skin and protect it from various forms of stress.

SYN®-HYCAN

This helps to fight sagging skin! 🙂

Hyaluronan (HA) plays an important role in the skin. The excellent moisture-holding property (see DSM’s Hyaluronic Acid BT for topical use) leads to a gel-like framework for collagen, elastin and skin cells. Also important is its ability to act as a filler, which helps provide the skin with mechanical cushioning. 

Fresh hyaluronan and stronger collagen fibrils result in a visible remodeling effect and a firmer skin.

 Two months in!

After about 2 months using this masque, I can testify that my complexion turned visibly clearer & radiant, scars were generally less visible and my skin sure feels more supple! That’s the hydration talking. 😀

Verdict?

This is an excellent masque for hydrating & healing damaged (post-acne/spots/scars) skin or mature (dry/ageing) skin. But if you’re lucky enough to be blessed with normal skin, then by all means, use this masque to maintain your skin’s flawlessness!

Thank you Cellnique, for this wonder of a product! 

The Intensive Hydro Repair Biological Masque is available for the retail price of ONLY RM180 for a pack of five.

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For more information on Cellnique’s masques:
Log on to their official website at: www.cellnique.com
LIKE them on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/cellnique

Sunday came a-calling, and what better way to spend the last day of the weekend than to unwind with some delicious bites in the neighbourhood?

Not too long ago, I received an invitation for a food tasting/review session at Nooks by Baker Dave, a cosy restaurant tucked at a delightful corner in Plaza Damas 3, Hartamas.

Naturally, I brought along my better half to experience the afternoon with me.

Arrived at Nooks in less than 10 minutes; locating it wasn’t a problem at all! 

I was half prepared to get lost in the carpark or run into difficulty searching for Nooks.

But the moment I exited the carpark, it was Nook’s right in front of me!

Strategic spot, may I add? 🙂

Love how they used crates as a table and exposed planks for its façade.

The exterior already gave me a warm and inviting feeling. 

 Saw this signage at the door. What a way to be prepared and make us feel welcome! 🙂

The moment you enter, you will definitely not miss a display of cupcakes greeting you at the front door. They’re all so beautifully and creatively decorated! 

Adorable, no?

Baker Dave himself, as the name suggests, is a baker by profession.

He specializes in customized 3D cakes for birthdays, weddings or any special occasions. I am definitely going to order my birthday cake from him this year – you will see why at the end of this post! 😛

The interior by Nooks by Baker Dave was filled with colour, quirkiness and bright hues!

I immediately felt comfortable as I took my seat, as there were many different kinds of seating to fit the varied preferences of their patrons.

 Can’t say how much I LOVE LOVE LOVE their simple, colourful decor  & shelves!

 If I wasn’t conducting a food review of the entire menu,

this comfy armchair will definitely be my spot!

We were first served with a cold glass of Honey Lime Juice.

This reminds me of the ones my family used to make for me back home.

Nostalgia, nostalgia…

Honey Lime Juice

Their homemade drink also includes he use of rock sugar & sliced lime.

Good for sore throats & relieves headaches, that’s for sure!

Next, we were served an appetizer that I recognize, from being served all the canapés whilst at events. It’s not in the menu, mind you!

Maybe Baker Dave was in a good mood that afternoon. 😛

Carrot & Cucumber sticks dipped in honey mustard!

 Served in a wine glass, interesting concept!

My kind of a healthy snack – aka yummy rabbit food LOL

Once we were done with the appetizers and got more or less settled in, Baker Dave made his appearance and welcomed us with a little opening speech. 

Nooks by Baker Dave features a full menu of moderately priced comfort food of breakfast, sandwiches, pasta, rice, and brewed coffee, along with cakes and buns that are baked from scratch.

 Baker Dave thanking us for making our way here and

explained a little about the concept behind the food & pastries they serve.

He also shared that all items are prepared, baked and cooked at the premise itself.

The fusion food here are all inspired by travel and mom’s home-cooked food, with his own very special twist. 

The fact that we were going to review the full menu, made Baker Dave thought of serving us a smaller portion of every meal first, and then flashing out all the meals in its actual size when we were done with it.

I found this to be a fantastic idea, with a foresight that we would be full to the brim and unable to finish our meals, had he give us the full size instead.

 First, we reviewed the Nooks Breakfast.

Nooks Breakfast (actual size)

This had two Eggrolls with Turkey Ham, Cheese, Chicken Sausage + a slice of toasted bread of the day with butter & jam.

All breads and buns are baked in the kitchen and alternated between wholemeal, black sesame, wholemeal flaxseed and multigrain and contain wholesome wholemeal flour without additives and preservatives.

Being a very breakfast person, I enjoyed this simple yet hearty breakfast meal a lot!

Next was also a breakfast meal. Two adorable ‘burger’ buns!

It was the Nooks Duo!

Tuna Mayo & Scrambled Egg on two soft buns with cucumber & tomato

Soft fluffy buns with sesame seeds on top – who could resist? 😀

The stuffing was so tasty – when asked which was my favourite, I couldn’t choose!

We’re done with the breakfast meals!

That’s buddies Jen & Max with the boyfie and I, along with Baker Dave himself.

It’s time for our lunch meals. Prepare your stomachs! 

 This isn’t any ordinary carbonara…

Nooks Spicy Carbonara!

I’m glad the level of spiciness wasn’t too extreme for me. 

This is perfect for anyone who fancies a little extra ‘boomz’ in their meals.

Deliciously rich like Carbonaras should be, this dish has its own spicy cream sauce paired with chicken ham & shitake mushroom, cheese and oh that yummy egg yolk. Sure to perk you up.

If you thought that was unique, our next lunch meal was a rarer find!

Nooks Sesame Vegetarian Chicken Pasta

Vegetarian Chicken, Carrot, Shitake Mushroom, Sweet Pease in Roasted Sesame Sauce

For my vegetarian readers, you’re in luck! 

Nooks also features a vegetarian pasta meal with soy/tofu made to look like chicken slices.

Despite not being vegetarian, I truly enjoyed this dish. The roasted sesame sauce paired perfectly with sliced carrots, shitake mushrooms and sweet peas was so fragrant – definitely giving this meal a good bang for your buck.

 The next meal serves to appease local Malaysian palates.

Nooks Rendang Chicken with Rice

This meals takes the cake, with its freshly prepared homemade spices blended to make the perfect chicken rendang with rice served with sunny side up egg.

It was certainly spicy for me, looks like i have to level up! 😛

Needless to say, it wasn’t spicy for him at all!

Speaking of unique dishes, check this one out.

Ever heard of pumpkin cooked in chicken curry? 

 Nooks Pumpkin Chicken Curry with Hardboiled Eggs & Rice

I’ve never tasted something quite like that before.

Their golden pumpkin was gloriously simmered with homemade Belacan curry and tender chicken breast. One of my faves right here!

Our final meal was a huge burger. 

By then, moo and I were already so satiated with the rest of their mouthwatering bites that we were BOTH unable to finish ONE burger!

 Nooks Signature Burger

Being all for non-processed food, I’m so glad that everything is homemade/prepared in-house!  Even their burger’s chicken patty was!

Drizzled with barbeque sauce, with a slice of cheddar cheese, tomatoes, lettuce and mayo sandwiched with two wholemeal buns, this burger was, safe to say one of the ‘healthier’ versions of burgers. (Fries? What fries?) 😛

Check out the burgers I had a while back in SS15 here if you are interested in more burgers.

Baker Dave had me a cup of flat white too. Yay!

How could I ever say no to my fave cuppa? 

Their cuppa was roasted by Lighthouse coffee roasters, and boasts a medium bodied blend of Central American & African coffees.

Def loving its caramel-like sweetness with a hint of nutty attributes!

 We were ushered to the alfresco area for some mingling and

chit-chatting with Baker Dave and the rest of his guests.

 The team prepared some cute props too! We had fun with that, haha!

Just when we thought that concludes our afternoon soiree, Baker Dave placed two notoriously sinful looking desserts.

My, my… would you take a look at those goodies! 

Left: Ultimate Chocolate | Right: Mango Cheesecake

Triple layers of dark chocolate mousse, chocolate fudge & chocolate cake

Creamy cheese with Belgium mango puree

I cannot express how smitten I am with both these delicacies. They were to die for!

The Ultimate Chocolate consisted of triple layers of dark chocolate mousse, chocolate fudge and chocolate cake. It was so soft and rich, and every bite melted in my mouth.

Now… this was the cake that I was referring to, in the beginning of this review that I wanted for my birthday! 😉

 The Mango Cheesecake was so soft and creamy, with strong hints of its Belgium mango puree. The mango tasted so rich and moderately sweet, almost reminding me of durian!

 Just as our wonderful gastronomic arvo came to an end,

Baker Dave again, surprised us with two gift-wrapped presents!

Inside, were bumblebee cupcakes, a ceramic speaker-mug which amplifies music playing from your phone, and almond biscotties.

Looks like Santa came early, disguised as a baker this year! 😀

 Thank you, Baker Dave, your team of chefs and PR/Events rep buddy Jen,

who made our afternoon a fun one to remember.

We definitely had a ball of a time!

Can’t wait to be back real soon. 🙂

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For more information or book a seat/order a cake by Nooks by Baker Dave:

LIKE them on Facebook: Nooks byBakerDave

FOLLOW them on Instagram: @NooksbyBakerDave

Contact them on the phone: +603-62117686

Drop by their address: Plaza Damas 3, Jalan Sri Hartamas 1, Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

(Opening hours: 8am – 7pm)