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5J Iberico De Bellota Gold Label Jamon @ Curious Kitchen

Comments (1) Food, Food, Drinks & Desserts

Andrew whatsapped me to pop over to Curious Kitchen for an Iberico-tasting event.
I said i could, but would be late cos I was busy smashing a deadline.
He sent me close-ups of shiny sliced ham and said he’d keep sending them till i appeared.

My response: Dude… evil!!

I wish i could have gone early cos he presented a session on 5J Iberico De Bellota Gold Label Jamon and i love nerding out to new info, especially in relation to my interests. And quality food is one of them!

Despite regularly feasting on Iberico at Curious Kitchen (i’m so fortunate it’s in my neighbourhood!), i had no clue there are different Iberico classifications.

(1) Iberico de Bellota = Free-ranging Iberico fed on mostly grass and acorns

(2) Iberico Cebo de Campo = Free-ranging Iberico fed on mix of cereals, grass and acorns

(3) Iberico Cebo = commercially-reared Iberico

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La Maison Rémy Martin Kuala Lumpur

Comments (0) Events, Events, Party & Festivals

For the first time in South East Asia, Rémy Martin hosted La Maison (The House of) Rémy Martin in Kuala Lumpur, with its previous La Maison events taking place in cities like London, Shanghai, and Moscow.

La Maison Rémy Martin is a lifestyle pop-up event welcoming guests to dive into sensorial and interactive cognac experiences including lifestyle masterclasses and workshops led by some of the most talented craftsmen and experts from the best bars in Malaysia.

“Malaysia’s cocktail scene has exploded in the last few years and is now one of the fastest-growing markets in the region. It’s therefore no surprise that Malaysia was chosen as the first country in Southeast Asia to launch La Maison Rémy Martin” said Tyrel Ball, General Manager of Rémy Cointreau Malaysia.

“Kuala Lumpur’s diversity creates the perfect vibrant city for La Maison Rémy Martin as we invite younger consumers to discover their potential talents, while also gaining an appreciation of Remy Martin cognac.”

The experiential pop‐up was officiated on 1st July by Rémy Martin’s Cellar Master Baptiste Loiseau and composed of a series of gatherings and curated experiences across six days. I was fortunate to be invited for the first and second day, and opted for the second-day session so i could have more fun with my gang after hours!

Thank you to May from Rémy Cointreau, and Shantini for ALYFE Group for always having me in mind! And hearts. I know you girls love meeee

But first. Hair. ?
Thank you to Centro Hair Salon for keeping my tresses in check.

From entrance to end, the La Maison Rémy Martin pop-up constructed in Zebra Square KL was a maze of immersive installations for us to journey through, each unveiling a different and carefully curated experience.

The brand heritage voyage included learning the cognac making process of distillation, blending and ageing.

For three centuries, Rémy Martin has been driven to capture the heart of Cognac via its family legacy, exclusive selection of grapes that make up the heart and soul of cognac, the inimitable know-how of the cellar masters and the brand’s signature style based on harmony. The fruit of the prestigious regions of Grande and Petite Champagne holds outstanding ageing potential in the form of Rémy Martin cognac.

I’d say we too hold outstanding ageing potential. ?

Opulence revealed during the XO tasting session hosted by the Rémy Martin International Brand Ambassador.
We experienced a sensorial tasting journey featuring a table of ingredients which represented the aromas and flavours of XO.

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Judged a Nespresso Barista Competition

Comments (0) Events, Events, Party & Festivals, Featured Post

In the middle of June, i was one of three judges alongside Loshini John, Brand Manager for Nespresso Malaysia, and Jason Loo, Malaysia Barista Champion for three alternate years and Top 7 at the World Barista Championship 2017; for a mini barista competition held at the Nespresso Pop-Up in Pavilion KL.

The #BaristaCreations Competition rounds consisted of:

Round 1: 4x Participants
Create one Mocktail Recipe.
Judging Criteria: Taste, Aesthetic, Creativity on usage of ingredients.

Round 2: 3x Participants –
To make a Nespresso drink using ingredients that people in other parts of the world use to make coffee like cinnamon, cardamom, gula melaka, edible flowers, mint, etc.

Round 3 FINALE: 2x Participants
Create latte art using milk foam and stencil on two drinks.
Plan, design and form stencil.
Judging Criteria: Texture & taste, latte art creativity, rationale.

While the contestants worked on their drinks during rounds, i sat cute and played being a big kid in the children’s corner of the pop-up. While having more coffee. I was definitely on a coffee high that day!

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Discover a Milky World with Nespresso Aeroccino Milk Frother

Comments (0) Business, Tech & Gadgets, Gadgets

I love elements that complement each other – whether it be ideas, concepts, human connection, other forms of beings – the list is endless! This is reflected aesthetically in my space, as I tend to group objects and gadgets according to form and function.

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Val just got me those cats on the right, saying it’s us. Meow!

The best things come in pairs 😉

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I also just received an Aeroccino milk frother which I never knew existed… to further extend the abilities of my Nespresso machine!

Now I can combine freshly frothed almond milk with my coffee at home with incredible ease and speed!

Milk coffee isn’t a novel concept by any stretch of the imagination, but it’s not something one can easily make at home by just splashing in a dash of milk. There’s a major difference when it’s heated up to the right temperature and frothed wonderfully (with zero effort on my part).

Where once I was only indulging in milk coffee outside at meetings, now I’m constantly using the frother to include almond milk to smoothen up my afternoon cuppa. It’s such a fun and nifty gadget to use, and pretty small so it doesn’t take up much countertop space.

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I start off by pouring some almond milk into the Aeroccino milk frother.

Inside, there are some embossed markings showing the minimum or maximum amount I have to pour in.

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Then I just pop the lid on, press the button once and let it run for a minute.

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Milk looks way more enticing when it’s frothed!

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Premier Facial @ Astute Clinic

Comments (1) Featured Block Post, Spa + Wellness, Spiritual, Health & Develop

Facials fall to the lower rung of my priority list when i’m busy… and i feel sorry for my poor facial treatments peeps who constantly remind me to go for my monthly apps to no avail!

I’ve been going to Astute Clinic since last year and adore all its elements – the space, vibe, treatments, team, and their professionalism. [Disclaimer: I’m sponsored by them, but trust that i went through a few options before effortlessly making my decision.]

It’s a state-of-the-art aesthetic clinic dedicated to providing forefront medical services not typically found in other centres in Malaysia. Established and helmed by aesthetic specialist Dr. Jason Yip, clients get to experience Astute Clinic’s unique approach to holistic skincare within the comforts of DC Mall. Convenience to park and head straight up via the elevator helps a lot as well!

Dr. Jason and his team are extremely warm, professional and likeable. You’ll get what i mean when you go to him for a consultation, which i did for my first appointment so he could study my skin and provide a personal evaluation.

I recall being a little self-conscious when he peered closely at my facial skin. Dr. Jason was gently forthright in his feedback, with my main takeaway being him saying my skin is ruddy.

Ruddy!?

Ruddy is a word i remember picking up from Enid Blyton books.
Ruddy is NOT a word i’d like to continue being used to describe my facial skin…

It’s so easy to push aside little inflammations or discolourations cos make up covers up imbalanced skin tones, but age(ing) and surrounding factors (pollution, weather, stress, etc.) will only amplify this ruddiness i don’t notice cos it happens gradually across time.

His skin, of course, looked amazingly smooth and blemish-free. Like a baby’s bottom. Just realised i’m connecting his face to a backside, but this is a compliment in the best way possible! *I* want my skin to look like a baby’s backside!

Astute Clinic has all these treatments that intrigue me like the Ultra Lift for an eye-lift (i have such deep laugh lines at my eyes now ahhhh!!!), and the Skin Perfector for uneven skin tone and hyperpigmentation. Other ppl might be more interested in treatments to reduce veins or brighten skin.

But first things first, i had to work on my general skin health and go back to basics with regular facials.
Cue my responsibility to get myself there routinely.

The clinic has received recognition for their facials from the 2018 Harper’s BAZAAR Spa Awards, and Jelita Anugerah Belai Diri.

So far, i’ve been going for their best-selling medical facial – the Astute Premier Facial – which utilises proprietary serums combined with sophisticated hi-tech equipment to clear congested skin, remove dead skin cells and impurities, restore moisture and hydration, even out skin tone, minimise pores, promote healing and improve skin texture.

I just went for another facial yesterday and caught myself off guard while brushing my teeth this morning. The results are so obvious that i ended up admiring the radiant difference it made to my skin.

Steps for Astute Premier Facial:
step 1 – Double Cleanse
step 2 – Hydrodermabrasion
step 3 – Ultrasound Scrub
step 4 – Antioxidant Serum
step 5 – Deep Hydration Mask

First step, Double Cleanse, has Emily (my regular therapist) cleaning my skin with to remove all dirt, oil, makeup and impurities.

Step 2, Hydrodermabrasion (Aqua), uses an exfoliation machine that gently sucks at my skin via a ‘vacuum tip’. It’s a very satisfying sensation cos the sucking sound allows me to envision all the blackheads, sebum and debris being efficiently removed! This tip also gently removes dead skin cells, stimulates collagen, and gives skin a smooth texture. Cleansing the pores has anti-inflammatory and antibiotic effects that allow for better penetration of moisture and nutrients to come after!

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