Disclaimer: Opium KL does not deal nor supply Opium in any way, shape or form.

You need to get those somewhere else 😉

Right after its grand opening mid last year, I was invited to the latest establishment along the vibrant Changkat Bukit Bintang, Opium KL.

And no, as mentioned above, it doesn’t supply the illegal substance, contrary to its name.

Located at the corner of the bustling street, its brick walls boast a deep, crimson red hue

with framed modern portraiture of young Chinese maidens.

First impression: Opium KL’s oriental theme and relaxed al-fresco atmosphere

is a sure pull-factor for all patrons and party-goers of the city (especially Caucasian tourists!)

 Eat. Drink. Man. Woman.

Can’t wait to see what this new kid on the block has to offer!

Walking into Opium KL, I was spellbound by such authentic interior decor, perfectly capturing 17th century China within its four walls.

It was complete with the opium pipes, opium chests and other opium equipments, as well as the ‘lounge-bed’ chairs akin to those of opium dens!

 Whoa. No seriously, WHOA. And that’s not even all of it.

Beautiful. Really a work of art in its class! I felt like I was walking into the Forbidden City

or a museum of illegal artifacts.

They offer separate rooms too, for private dining!

 I was ushered to my table upon arriving.

 Beautifully-dressed waitresses began to serve us our soup & appetizers.

Boy, they really look the part too!

Peppery Lamb Soup

I loved this! Two of my favorite ingredients were made out of it – pepper and lamb!

Its combination of lamb cubes, carrots, potatos, spices, coriander and fried shallots worked well as a starter, to warm my tummy up for the courses ahead.

Not too peppery nor spicy too.

Vinegar was given for us to self-sprinkle onto our dish.

You really can’t go wrong with satay. Opium KL nailed it perfectly too.

Assembled with the standard fare of peanut sauce-cucumber-onion-rice cake combo, there was however, one VERY note-worthy thing.

Each skewer contained little to no fats! If you’re a fitness junkie like I am, you’d appreciate that fact just as much as I did. 😉

Check out how water was served here!

Like the way they traditionally drank rice wine back in ancient China,

it was served in a porcelain bowl too.

Took a stroll around the restaurant while waiting  for my drinks and main course to arrive.

Yes, I found the lavatory signs very amusing and creative.

When I got back to the table, voila! It was filled with Opium KL’s signature house cocktails and twisted classics. Let’s take a closer look at them one-by-one, shall we?

5 fragrance mojito

This refreshing concoction comprises rum, lime, mint, 5 spices & soda.

It’s not your average mojito, I’m tellin’ ya. 😉

50 years storm

A bit of an acquired taste, this consists of cognac, sweet vermouth, angostura bitters, peychauds bitters & sugar

 Shanghailander

For the bold whiskey lovers, enjoy this whiskey, smokey whiskey, honey water, ginger & lemon juice combo!

Silk road martini

A simple yet strong pair of Gin or vodka and Noilly Prat – now served with diced caviar too!

Teatrader

Turn up the heat with this frothy shake of rum, grand marnier,

lime juice, orange juice & 5 spiced syrup!

After the cocktail tasting, I stepped outside to take a breather before the main course.

Dusk slowly easing in.

With Sascha, the outlet manager of Opium KL!

P/S: To all single ladies out there, he’s newly single now 😉

Angus Beef Rendang paired with Lotus Leaf Buns

This Angus beef was tender to taste, simmered to perfection with spices, santan, tumeric leaves and kaffir lime leaves.

Tastey and relatively spicy (but bearable!) the beef rendang was definitely worth coming back for.

 

This Penang girl definitely approves!

We were full to the brim and adjourned to the al-fresco deck to have desserts and a few more drinks, we saw that the patio was booked out with Opium KL’s dinner crowd.

Moo and I just before dessert time.

(At that point, little did we know that we would end up officially together!)

Eat. Drink….. Man. Woman!

Cheesy Banana Fritters

Talk about a strong banana boost! Boyfie and I loved this heaps – we almost went for seconds but unfortunately we couldn’t stomach any more food. Who can resist fried banana and aged cheddar, topped with banana ice-cream?

Unless you aren’t a banana fan, but that’s besides the point.

Last but not least – Melon Ice to wash everything down. 😀

Honeydew melon, sago pearls & coconut milk combo was a great end to a fantastic oriental meal

Thank you so much, Sascha and Opium KL for having me tonight – I had a superb feast!

 Click here to check out KLGCC’s new healthy menu or CHIN’s Stylish Chinese Cuisine, here.

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For more info on Opium KL, get in touch with them!

Log on to their official website: www.OpiumKL.com

LIKE them on Facebook: fb.com/opiumkl

Join them on Instagram: instagram.com/opiumkualalumpur

For reservations/dine-in:

Call them at this contact number: 03-2142 5670

Drop by at this address: 50 Changkat Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Gong Xi! Gong Xi!

I know it’s pretty early for Chinese New Year wishes but hey, Guinness Malaysia kick-started the festivities as early as mid-January – and so will I! Talk about being excited, eh? Woots!

 Awesome festive decor that greeted me inside.

Tonight, we welcome the Year of the Goat in a bold and auspicious manner this festive season with GUINNESS®, Malaysia’s favourite stout.

Bringing the tradition back this year, brands and media (We are, after all like family & friends in the industry, right?) gather together  and partake in a ‘reunion dinner’ feast signifying longevity, harmony, peace, happiness, and prosperity for the year ahead.

In marking this auspicious time of year, GUINNESS® has teamed up with the Grand Imperial Group of restaurants to create a special GUINNESS® banquet menu, available at all 6 Grand Imperial restaurants across Malaysia.

I’ve personally been to a Grand Imperial restaurant before, for a friend’s wedding.

The food there? Top-notch, if I do say so myself.

 Festive decor fills the air in Grand Imperial, Bangsar Shopping Centre

Love all things festive!

Guinness’ media & VIP Chinese New Year dinner began with a speed Chinese calligraphy performance by a dear friend Haze.

So proud of her! Keep doing the artsy things you do, girl.

I had no idea you could write in Chinese! Okay, now I feel a tad inadequate. LOL

 Can anybody tell me what this means? 🙁

I assume it says Happy Chinese New Year?

 Guinness directors stamping a traditional Chinese seal, to complete the work of art.

 Official picture. Fantastic how everyone is dressed so aptly to suit the occasion!

Of course, I made sure I looked the part too.

Wore a Cheongsam top with a high waisted skirt and bright pink heels.

If you’re wondering why my Cheongsam top doesn’t look like a Cheongsam top, it was because my Mandarin collar’s button decided to snap a mere 3 hours before the event. 🙁 Drats.

 Let the Guinness festivities begin!

 With my mates, ready to celebrate CNY – Guinness style!

 But first let me take a selfie 😉 Bryna & I.

A brew rich, full, and flavoursome, GUINNESS® is the perfect beer to savour throughout the holiday period, accompanying good food and good times with friends and family.

Typically, Chinese New Year feasts are synonymous with a round table x red cloth combination. Here are my round table mates with fellow bloggers & media!

For our dining pleasure, 8 sumptuous courses are paired with GUINNESS® stout served in different ways to complement and bring out the full flavours of each dish, providing a tantalising sensation for the tastebuds befitting the spirit of prosperity and celebration of the New Year festivities.

With no surprise, let me introduce the starter of every Chinese New Year dinner!

 Yee Sang with Silver Fish!

 Toss it as high as you can for prosperity, longeivity & auspiciousness!

 Us ravaging the Yee Sang. Louuuu ahhhhh!!! 😀

Next up – Braised Bird’s Nest with Fresh Crab Meat.

I was so glad it wasn’t Shark Fin’s Soup!

It’s great that more and more restaurants are supporting the cause of shark-saving.

The soup was delicious and hearty! I finished it in a jiffy.

While waiting for the next dish to arrive, my fellow blogger buddies took the chance to catch up and of course, take selfies. 😉

The next dish that arrived was another popular dish in Chinese dinner banquets.

I apologize in advance to all my Muslim readers, as this is a non-halal dish.

Roasted Whole Suckling Pig.

Admittedly, while I’m not much of a pork-fan myself, my mates at the table loved it to bits. It’s crispy skin was much talked about.

Less man more share, eh? It’s a good thing I’m not eating it – more for you guys to savour! 😀 😀

Random selfie while everyone else gobbles down the piglet.

Accessories by The Wild Things. I’m also wearing their inspired Pandora charm bracelet.

You can’t see it in this picture but let’s see if you can spot it in the rest of my pictures!

P/S: Look them up for beautiful handmade fashion pieces.

The next dish made me a very happy girl.

Yup – Jessicat loves her fish!

Traditional Style Steamed Golden Pomfret

This is absolute love! I devoured this like a starved cat. LOL

As usual, pair everything with a glass of Guinness!

What came as the next meal certainly made an impression.

You may not notice it now but…

 Fresh Water King Prawn in Casserole

What’s so special and impressive about this dish, you ask?

Well… let’s just say, size DOES MATTER. 😉

 It was a big as my head… and mind you, I don’t have a tiny head.

Everyone was amazed at how sizable these King Prawns were.

What have they been feeding on? WOW. Two thumbs up!

The next dish looks vegetarian but it’s actually not.  Enter:

 Braised Sliced Abalone with Black Moss and Dried Oyster

I enjoy the way Grand Imperial finds ways to surprise us with their menu.

When this dish first arrived, only the meats & vegetable portion came. We were wondering what dish this is supposed to be? As most restaurants, if not all, served their claypot rice in one giant bowl with the the rest of the ingredients.

A minute later, the claypot rice came! All in individual bowls, portioned perfectly.

 Claypot Rice with Chinese Sausage (Lap Cheong) & Dried Meat – Hong Kong Style

Like we did tonight, diners will experience GUINNESS® in ways in which they may not have tried before, unlocking the complex flavour profiles of the bold beer.

Surprisingly refreshing when served at sub-zero temperatures, moving to full and rich when served warm, the GUINNESS® Master Brewers and team of Grand Imperial chefs have painstakingly matched each course and serving style to create the perfect pairing.

My cute little bowl.

Hopped over to the next table to have a Guinness toast with my fellow blogger pals!

 I was really stuffed but hey, don’t we all have an extra stomach for dessert? 😉

We were served not one, but two desserts!

 Chilled Fresh Mango Puree with Sago & Pomelo.

 This was such a refreshing dessert!

It was smooth, sweet and bursting with the prominent taste of fresh mangoes!

Please sir, may I have some more? 😛

Deep Fried Nian Gao & Sweet Potato Pastries

I enjoyed the sweet potato pastries so much!

The pastry melted in my mouth upon contact and the aroma of sweet potato was an absolute delight.

Gong Xi Fa Chai to all!

You’ve made us extra happy (and extra prosperous LOL) & beyond satisfied tonight.

Tonight’s CNY dinner was definitely crafted to perfection.

As you can clearly see, each dish has been designed not only to match and enhance the accompanying GUINNESS®, but is imbued with meaning and tradition, symbolising longevity, harmony, peace, prosperity, and happiness in the coming year.

Thank you for having me, dear Guinness Malaysia & Grand Imperial!

You’ve set the bar high and made the first of many CNY feasts to come a pleasurable one.

Click on here where I visited the House of Guinness, the Phat Barrels in Publika KL.

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For more information on Guinness Malaysia & Grand Imperial Group of Restaurants:

Look them up on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/guinnessmalaysia

If you’re keen to celebrate your Chinese New Year reunion dinner with your friends, family or even with your colleagues for a company dinner, my CNY dinner tonight is called the Special Guinness New Year Banquet Menu and is priced at RM1888 nett.

Enjoy! And Gong Hei Fatt Choi to you and you and you! 😀

Remember when I said I was going to celebrate my birthday during the entire month of July?

Well I wasn't joking. I actually did.

But this year's celebrations will be slightly different. In fact, very different. I didn't want to throw a huge party and get drop dead drunk with my mates like I do every year. If you've been following me, you'll probably remember my mentioning that I have my personal reasons for why and that I will only announce it two years later from now.

Trust me, you'll be in for a shock as to why, when I finally reveal the reason. Haha!

Anyway, here's the cake I was surprised with the weekend right before my birthday!

Such a beautifully decorated cake, no? 

Thanks for the effort and the thoughts, mother dearest 

While my weekend of a be-early/pre-birthday celebration in Penang went perfectly well, I wasn't at all excited nor counting the minutes to my actual birthday on the 1st of July when I was back in Kuala Lumpur.

Ironically, I was busy doing some work when the clock struck midnight Like clockwork, the overwhelming surge of birthday wishes via calls, texts and social media swept me by storm  

And that's when the excitement began to grow on me.

Waking up the next morning with more than 70 people sending me their birthday greetings!

What a wonderful thing to wake up to. Love you guys, thank you 

Reached the office and the post man came just in time as I walked through the door.

It was a birthday card full of cats! Thank you so much, you know who you are 

I spent my birthday in office doing work LOL. The 1st of July 2013 happened to fall on a weekday – a Monday, even more so! 

Didn't look like I had much of a choice, but I didn't mind going to work and spending my birthday with my workmates anyway. They're a fun bunch! 

I had expected the Monday to pass just like any other regular day, but my boss and colleagues took the time to take me out for lunch at Friendscino Restaurant and Bar. 

Our set lunch came with an awesome spread of salad, fruits and soup.

Some of the food we had

My baked John Dory fish

Some of us. Thanks for the celebratory lunch, dear boss!! 

Makeshift birthday cake.

 We had a warm chocolate brownie to end our session! 

Back in office, the colleagues ordered Dominos Pizza for an early dinner.

Oh dear… looks lke it was really an indulgence for me. I had to declare today a Cheat Day!

In fact, the weekend before my birthday, and my actual birthday aren't my only Cheat Days.

The whole of July was practically a Cheat Month LOL! Hey, I didn't mind at all  Cue the cupcakes! Haha.

So there you have it, Episode One of my birthday celebration.

The last I checked my drafts, there are five parts altogether. Stay tuned for Episode Two! 

So this is it, eh? The final week of the year 2012.

The beginning of the week was a rather quiet one. 

Spent the time alternating back and forth with my family in Ipoh and Penang!

Did some hiking up Bukit Bangkong in Tanah Hitam

Nature at its best 

As Christmas eve & Christmas day has always been a family affair, I spent it with my family! 

Christmas 2012 blog post – here

The Christmas cake that mom decorated 

Played host again. Took my Aussiemate, Shane, around Georgetown, Penang!

Since he was craving to try some of Penang's best Nasi Kandar, where else would I take him but Nasi Kandar Line Clear along Penang Road? 

Shane & I at Nasi Kandar Line Clear (with the mamak guy)

They had Nasi Briyani! I was over the moon.

Usually, I wouldn't eat Nasi Kandar because I don't eat white rice. But since Nasi Briyani was an alternative, I jumped straight for a nice steamy hot plate of Nasi Kandar with some chicken 

As Konzy and Shane included 2 Giant Tiger Prawns (a specialty of the store!) each, as well as chicken & vegetables in their Nasi Kandar, their bill came up to almost RM30! Mine was only RM8 LOL

My night was spent at Chin's Stylish Chinese Cuisine, a lavish, posh fine-dining restaurant above the sea at QE II (Queen Elizabeth II) 

Lovely! It was splashed with several, varied influences from around the world! 

Chin's serves authentic Sze Chuan, Hunan, Mongolian and Northern Beijing cuisine, but it is certainly not your typical Chinese restaurant, as you can probably tell by the ambience and modern interior design

I'm can't wait to share this place with you, (especially my Chinese readers!) as I will be reviewing Chin's CNY menu, perfect for reunion dinners.

Amazing hand-painted ceramic plates on all the dining tables of Chin's! 

I caught up with some friends over a delightful herbal tea – Fairy Blossom – to be exact. 

It was smoky and had a light floral taste to it. 

Perfect alternative to some of the more commercial types of tea that we see almost everywhere.

After a wonderful week in Penang & Ipoh, it was time to head back to the big city.

I invited mom & kakak to stay with me in KL for the weekend 

As mom has always wanted to visit the i-City in Shah Alam for herself and kakak had always dreamed of sight-seeing KL city, especially the Petronas Twin Towers + KL Tower, I decided that I was going to make it happen for them 

Kakak & I were overlooking the entire KL city + its suburbs on the observation deck of KL Tower 

She was thrilled, completely dumbfounded and left in awe by how KL city looks from up above

No words could describe the joy on my face, upon seeing her euphoric gestures and expressions.

A lil selca-time while she enthuses over the sights of KL with the built-in binoculars

Clearly, I love her very much. My Indonesian maid who has been with me for 20 years.

Over two decades, she has become like another mother of mine and she deserved this weekend among everything else in my capacity to make her happy.

My actual mother, on the other hand, has often expressed her fascination of i-City and how she would love to be there in person to admire the wondrous lights with her very own eyes.

And her wish was my command 

She was mesmerized by the ethereal neon, laser and LED lights surrounding i-City

A full day was spent with them, bringing them around like tourists haha!

The very next day, I took them to the PETRONAS Twin Towers for lunch and some more sight-seeing.

KLCC bracing the storm clouds looming around the city

We decided to eat at the Signature Food Court at Suria KLCC as it had heaps more choices!

It was my first time dining there.

I had the Smoked Norweigian Salmon sandwich with alfafa sprouts and hardboiled egg

and a marble cheesecake.

The former was delicious and hearty but the latter was rather dry and had an unpleasant crumbly texture.

Photo-taking of the twin-towers soon ensured & they went back to Penang soon after.

Today was a rather relaxed Sunday with Konzy!

Dinner at Sakae Sushi

We spent the afternoon running some errands, shopping, reading, eating kebabs, doing groceries, getting a massage, listening to live band/live vocal music, sipping on chocolate drinks at The Obroma Lounge & lots of talking 

Sounds like a typical lazy Sunday, ain't it?

(Photo taken whilst at i-City Shah Alam btw)

Oh and.. my seven days included my latest craze over the adorable Mon Shu girl by Karl Lagerfeld for Shu Uemura's Holiday 2012 collection.

Amazing how two giants in the fashion & beauty world collaborate to produce this dark, iconic, illustrated girl

Mon Shu and I. 

2012's coming to an end. Have you done up your new year resolutions yet?

I've already started on some of them!  

Don't need to wait for a new year to embark on personal goals & reforming habits!

Have a great end to 2012 and welcome 2013 with open arms! 

I'd like to share an original quote of mine which goes, "Don't fret the future, live for the moment and never look back". How true is that?

I've lived by this principle ever since I've got it inscribed onto my body. It made me a more carefree person in life.

Maybe it will help you too?

Much love,

Jessicat

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The Sunday Times is a weekly series; published every Sunday night to recap the highlights of my week, capture what piques my interest and to briefly highlight my recommendations for to-go and to-eat places!

Some of the photos in this edition are posted instantly on my Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr & Facebook

Do follow to get instant updates and pretty photos of the sights & sounds all around me!

Early this year, when le boyfie told me his thoughts of a Playboy Party for his birthday, I thought he was joking.

But it turned out that we *actually* got round to doing it!

So guess what arrived in the mail a few months later?

A black double-breasted jacket and bright red cravat

A pair of Playboy bunny ears, collar and cuffs

So that was it… let's geddit on! 😀 😀 

It was good to know that most of our guests turned up as such awesome sports as well.

The boys came all suited  & vested up and the girls came in bunny outfits!

The birthday boy and I 

Pimping, Alex?

LOL Allow me to quote him –

"There will never be a good photo when Alex is around"

The birthday boy's mother & sister came too – check out more bunny girls!!

Woohoo 

T'was awesome that le boyfie's mom came all the way to Melbourne to join us for the celebration!

She decorated the tables and bought a Chocolate Mud cake too. Yummy 

Nice!

Dinner at Minh Xuong Chinese restaurant along Russell Street was amazing.

There was so much food on the table, everyone ordered something different and we shared amongst ourselves. We had Wanton Noodles, Barbequed Pork Ribs, Black Pepper Beef Slices served with Rice, Claypot Glass Noodles, Chinese style Fried Rice, Soft Shell Crabs and more!

They were all very reasonably priced & delicious. Best part is, the restaurant was BYO all alcohol!

Gettin' a lil red after all those glasses

I loved the food and the ambience. Would certainly go back again (if we weren't kicked out!)

Okay fine, we weren't kicked out… but here's what happened –

As the signage did say BYO all alcohol, we maximized that to our advantage.

Only thing was, if you had known our gang, you would also know the copious amounts of alcohol that follows. So we brought bottles after bottles of various types of whiskey, bourbon, vodka, gin, beer, cider and more.

Just as we were leaving after 3 hours of dinner + drinks, the restaurant reprimanded us in a typical FOB accent

"TOO MANEE DRINKS.

TOO NOISHY.

NO MORE NESH TIME!!"

But if it wasn't for all of us, the restaurant wouldn't have made AUD$300+ in one night.

So, suck it up & be thankful mister.

After dinner, the gang of suited up guys and bunny girls roamed the streets of the Melbourne CBD and eventually ended up hailing a taxi because it started to rain.

At Transport in Federation Square

We randomly decided to go karaoke but decided against it and went clubbing instead.

Wootwoot it was fun being all over town! From Russell Street to Federation Square to Docklands to Southbank!

Photos above credited to Grant! 🙂

The occasion was merry and crazy! Wrapping up the night was messy though.

Most of us were tipsy and the whole gang split up into a few small groups but managed to reunite and ending up disappearing and reappearing again. It was mad! 

By the end of the night, lotsa people regurgitated and passed out after all the insanity.

Some of us! Couldn't find the rest of them at the time of this photo

Another good night in the city with my love and my mates. 

Also, my days in Melbourne are numbered once again. In 3 days, I will be back on the Malaysian soil 🙁

Nothing wrong with Malaysia, I love Malaysia to bits but Australia had already left it's mark on me ever since I first left in July. My friends, my other half, my extended family, the culture and the lifestyle here has grown into me.

It's no wonder why my heart lies in Melbourne 

Don't cry, Jess. Don't cry.

Happy Birthday once again Konzylove 

I hope you liked my surprise, presents and had fun during the celebration! Love you always