HoW dO i SPeLL ThE WoRd
my backup blogSurprise! Cake for Kahfi
he wasn’t supposed to get a cake. abang long didn’t get a cake on his 2nd birthday so we should be fair, eh? however, a last minute invitation to a makan-makan led us to order a barney cake from – who else – dubai baker fida.
tada! as usual, i ordered our family favorite, the carrot cake with cream cheese. including this one, i think we’ve ordered about 5 carrot cake already from fida! it was a last minute order, but she managed to pull it off. thanks dear! you’re a super-baker!
and the cake is delicious as always!
as for the barney bit, kahfi still likes thomas & friends (but that was his 1st bday cake) and he already likes ben10 just like big bro (but that’s khaleef’s 5th bday cake) – so i was left with either barney (which kazim also likes hihi), cars, or toy story.
choosing barney was a wise move because the cake turned out so beautiful, because it’s so colorful!
oh, what makan-makan was this?
mr. khairul’s mckk senior, abg faisal’s kid just got accepted into mckk. the proud father wanted to belanja other fellow old boy of mckk at tawasol – mandi rice! also, his daughter’s birthday is on the 29th this month, so they brought a cake to celebrate the occasion.
bday girl sarah with khaleef and nabil
since it was already a makan-makan, with a small gathering of friends, that’s when we decided to get a cake for kahfi and share it with the rest.
best! we got to eat 2 cakes : carrot cake & tiramisu! here’s kak muna, mommy of the birthday girl playing hostess cutting cakes for everyone
oh oh. let this picture speaks for itself. oh, and the part with the ‘toe-print’ was eaten by bapak of the bday boy. oh, the sacrifice dads make… hihi
what’s kahfi doing? see, i told you he’s so naughty!
other than the ‘toe-print’ incident, the ever so naughty bday boy was very occupied with a mission : to pick up every single bit of m&ms around the cake. and he managed to secure one whole line of m&ms even before kak muna cut the cake!
thanks abg faisal (in black) and kak muna for including us in rejoicing your son’s acceptance into the revered school of malay college kuala kangsar. may he emulate his father’s confidence, pleasant sense of humor and warm presence.
carrot cake with cream cheese, anyone?
For Kahfi : Facebook Bday Wishes
don’t mind this entry. this is just for the boys, when they grow up and see what the well-wishers say about them on their birthday as a kiddo.
* * *
thanks everyone!
Kahfi is 2wo
my second son kahfi celebrates his 2nd birthday today. all praise to Allah for bestowing upon us this wonderful delight. kahfi was born in the wee hours of the day, in dubai hospital, dubai, united arab emirates.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KAHFI!
day one
there’s no doubt about it. kahfi is MUCH naughtier than his elder brother when he was this age. he’s stubborn, he’s temperamental, and he’s very demanding. i would say he has a very strong character. he wants what he wants and he wants it NOW.
HOWEVER, this birthday boy has a few feathers on his hat :
-
VERY helpful in putting things back where they belong – like his books, shoes and toys
-
he loves his little brother very much – if he were running while playing and passed by his bro, he would stop and give him a kiss
-
he eats a lot – and not as picky as his brother (or mak! hihi)
-
naps easily – a hot bottle of milk, switch on his favorite show – and a few minutes later – zzz land!
-
…and when he smiles… it melts hearts!
3 months & 5 months
11 months & 1 year old
17 months
19 months
happy birthday to my most comot & cheeky boy, KAHFI. all our love ~ bapak, mak, abang long and baby kazim.
Nasi Dagang @ Eiyda & Nik’s
i don’t really like nasi dagang, but in dubai – far from burger ramly, satay kajang or nasi lemak antarabangsa – any malaysian dish is to die for. also, especially since dubai’s beloved kelantanese couple abe nik and eiyda is hosting!
when they extend an invitation to their house, you know you’re getting a delicious nasi dagang dish. asli. no doubt. kat dubai ni, rumah diorang je bole dapat nasi dagang!
and this time around, i was so excited looking at the yummy delights set on the table : there’s the highly anticipated nasi dagang, there’s my favorite spaghetti, there’s even laksa, and on top of that, bihun sup!
it’s like a malaysian food-fest over at their house!
*pictures are from google – was too excited to snap any food pictures!
* * *
the makan-makan was actually to celebrate their children’s birthdays – 7 year old arieq, and 3 year old syarafina, who is as cute as a button!
this is khaleef with syarafina. so cute! amacam eiyda, bole? hihi.
the hostess eiyda (black tudung) preparing to cut the second cake for her only son, arieq who turned 7. khaleef was not in the picture because merajuk. after the kiddos sang happy birthday, he was the one who blew out all the candles! when everyone teased him, he nearly cried, merajuk and refused to be in any of the pictures!
bapak-bapak orang bergosip : abg affandy, abg zaim, mr. khairul, abg mahadi, abe nik on the couch, abe janggut ni tak kenal nama la, next is abg nazli, and abg botak ni pun tak perasan nama/rupa
me me me, kak riri, kak rozi with kak syida on the couch, kak su & kak ina : the babies are super cute! indeed makan-makan like this strengthen bonds of friendship as we gather over good food and loud laughters and noisy chattering!
* * *
thanks abe nik and eiyda for having us. it was a lovely lunch and we left with full tummy! tambah banyak kali tu! well, we don’t know how long will it be until the next nasi dagang!
Frozen Yoghurt : Yogen Früz vs Pinkberry
last weekend we went on a froyo frenzy!
froyo – the cute nick for ‘frozen yoghurt’, is a a frozen dessert made from, or containing yogurt or other dairy products. it is slightly more tart, rich in taste than ice cream, as well as lower in fat (due to the use of milk instead of cream).
see the magic word – LOW fat! hihi.
it was a froyo frenzy time for the family because we went to mirdiff city center and ate frozen yoghurt at one kiosk, went jalan-jalan, and then stopped by another frozen yoghurt place. ‘yogen fruz’ first, and then to ‘pinkberry’.
* * *
the ‘yogen fruz’ kiosk that we went to was very white, very cute. blue font with the signature smiley ‘ü’ in pink is difficult to ignore!
‘yogen fruz’ was founded by a couple of teenage canadian brothers, who started the company using money loaned from their dad. now it’s an international frozen yoghurt brand with hundreds of branches worldwide.
here they offer only two frozen yoghurt flavors – original and chocolate. choose from non-fat, low-fat and no-sugar-added.
the staff was very friendly. he explained the types of frozen yoghurt we could choose from, and gave few recommendations. i think he read my mind when he asked whether i wanted something sour – memang pun! hihi.
maybe he had a lot of female customers asking for the sour frozen yoghurt.
okay in yogen fruz, there’s ‘mix it’, and ‘top it’.
‘mix it’ – mix your frozen yoghurt with a choice of raspberry, blackberries, banana, kiwi, peaches, watermelon, mango – the list goes on! this is their signature frozen yoghurt – mixing it with fresh fruits.
choose a few fruits, and they’ll blend the frozen yoghurt with the fruit – ice blended concept, but with frozen yoghurt.
‘top it’ – toppings like sliced almond, cereal, grated chocolate, shredded coconut, fruity cheerios are all for your choosings. this is the usual fare – a swirl of frozen yoghurt and a sprinkle of toppings right on top.
we went for ‘mix it’. since we’re trying for the first time, we took the cheapest – which was 18dhs. we got a swirl of frozen yoghurt in a small cup, with a choice of only one fruit.
since i wanted something sour, the staff recommended mixing the frozen yoghurt with raspberry. so, white original-flavor yoghurt mixed with red raspberry – pink, sour, raspberry-flavoured frozen yoghurt!
the taste? let’s just say that if you want something low-fat, deliciously SOUR and cold – this is the super-perfect dessert. sedap sangat! mr. khairul and i were already talking about a second visit, and maybe next time we’ll mix it with kiwi jadi hijau or mango jadi kuning!
my only complain was that the portion is too little for something so delicious…
* * *
after a round of walk around mirdiff city center, we found another frozen yoghurt place called ‘pinkberry’. we went crazy and decided to stop again for a cup!
‘pinkberry’ is another cute hang-out. the walls are transparent except for green polka-dots along the eye-level. the chairs were also green and white, and the place decorated with green plants. really funky yet greeny – i like it!
did i tell you that i LOVE the chairs? i would love to have these at my home! and look at the huge white vase-thingy in the middle of the cafe? total cuteness! if you notice, the flooring is also gorgeous. little beads of batu sungai – memang lawa sangat.
the whole look of the place gives the illusion and feel of enjoying your cup of frozen yoghurt at a very fancy green garden!
‘pinkberry’ is another international brand, and offers 3-4 flavor of frozen yoghurt. pick a cup-size, pick your toppings – and you’re good to go!
you can also get ‘fruit parfait’ and smoothies from pinkberry.
well, the standard toppings of any frozen yoghurt stand i guess – choices of colorful fruits, or others like nuts, cookies and cereal. gummibears too!
one topping caught my eye – pomogrenate seeds. wah. but too exotic to put in my yoghurt on the first try! maybe next time lah! hihi.
as usual, we picked the cheapest at 22dhs (well, 12dhs is the cheapest actually but that’s JUST the yoghurt without any toppings). this one comes with a tall swirl of white, original frozen yoghurt, with a choice of 4 toppings.
mr. khairul picked strawberry, kiwi and 2 portions of mango. lovely!
the taste? what’s not to love – frozen yoghurt, nice. fresh fruits, nice. i like that it’s NOT that sweet, just fresh taste combined with sweetness of mango, sour strawberry and delicious kiwi.
sedap lah! and i don’t need to tell you how my boys LOVE frozen yoghurt…
* * *
back in malaysia, i’ve tried froyo at tutti frutti, also an international brandname. i went to the ttdi branch. a very frun experience because you get to MAKE your own combo of froyo-toppings. click here for my review.
let’s compare and contrast, shall we? between tutti fruti, yogen fruz and pinkberry!
yogen fruz :
- only 2 flavors of froyo – original and chocolate
- cheapest is 16dhs
- small portion
- can only choose one topping (more toppings, more expensive)
- signature froyo is ‘MIX IT’ – blend froyo with your choice of fruit
- delicious!
pinkberry :
- 4 flavors of froyo – original, chocolate, promagrenate and something i can’t remember
- cheapest is 22dhs with toppings (w/o is 12dhs)
- big portion
- can choose 4 toppings
- delicious!
tutti frutti :
- TONS of flavors, and they change every now and then – original, vanilla, chocolate, honey dew, lychee – the list is endless!
- self-service – you press for your own froyo, you take the spoon and pick your own toppings and even chocolate syrup
- cheapest is… take less, pay less – because you only pay for what you take. after you take, you weigh and pay according to the weight
- so portion is up to you!
- delicious, because it’s YOUR own froyo + toppings creation!
if you ask me, my fav between the three is tutti frutti – because it has so many different flavors of frozen yoghurt, and you can take as many flavors as you want. just take a little bit of everything so that it won’t be too heavy (since you pay for its weight).
but the point is – frozen yoghurt memang sangat sedap! and bak kata my adik bongsu – tak muak!
* * *
all i can say is, if you LOVE ice-cream and had never tried frozen yoghurt, you better do so! you’ll love this one, and probably would change to froyo entirely! frozen yoghurt is after all, said to be a healthier choice than ice-cream!
there’s one more froyo spot that we noticed in mirdiff city center with a funny name – ‘snog’! definitely trying that one next!
Rock Concert, Anyone? Guns N’ Roses?
at the time of writing, mr. khairul is probably banging his head to the tune of ‘knockin on heaven’s door’ at yas arena, abu dhabi. yeap, guns n’ roses in concert tonight!
for weeks, all i can hear from his notebook were clips upon clips of guns n roses videos on youtube. he was so excited about it, especially since he had seen the guys in action while in the states, almost 8-9 years ago. he would hum, sing (badly, i must add! hihi) and oh no – make guitar-playing action with his fingers.
yes, this is a father of three. sheesh.
never knew i had married a mat rock!
me, i’m more of a theatre kind of person. suka sangat tengok teater. the first big theatre show that i watched was way back in 1995 – the staging of shakespeare’s ‘twelfth night’ by the instant cafe theatre at carcosa seri negara. click here for my theatre tales.
i watched a lot of theatre during my college years (zaman bujang hihi), circa 1997 – 2002, i even caught a few theatre performances while in melbourne. after marriage with kiddos, we had to find time to drop them at my aunt’s place to be able to watch a decent show!
i have yet to catch any theatre show here in dubai, which is a shame because dubai is such a cultural place. also, it’s kinda frowned-upon if you bring 3 boys – all under the age of 5 – to a shakespeare’s play!
concert?
small gigs featuring so-called real rap groups tu biase lah masa remaja dulu. haha. yo! yo! and small showcases at planet hollywood with anuar zain, innuendo, VE – yes – but the only big concert i’ve been to was that ‘tangan’ concert in genting – remember the concert, anyone? the big concert featured many big names including sheila majid, backstreet boys, innuendo, anuar zain, and also my beloved group of all time; boyz II men. man, that was a heckuva concert. just look at the line-up!
(thanks honey, for the memories – boyz II men LIVE!)
so which ones do you prefer? CONCERT or THEATER SHOWS? *wink*
* * *
mr. khairul went along with 4 other dudes from dubai, and meeting up with another 10-15 dudes from abu dhabi. semua bapak-bapak budak.
rock punya pasal! *enjoice*!
Nasi Padang @ Sari Nusa, Dubai
indonesian food is the closest thing to malay food here in dubai. we’ve tried betawi restaurant not too long ago, and now, ‘sari nusa’, carrying the tag, ‘the best indonesian cuisine’. were they right on the mark? a mysterious ‘foodie’ dropped a comment the posting on betawi restaurant and suggested we try this place.
located in satwa, it’s in the same row as ‘noodle bowl’, a popular chinese restaurant among malaysians – why? one of its chef is a malaysian from ipoh, perak! read my review on ‘noodle bowl’ here.
it’s bold, red signage ‘SARI NUSA’ will be hard to miss. however, it’s located along the main road, so it’s hard to find a parking space right in front or opposite. so just make your way to the back of the building for more parking space.
* * *
comparatively speaking, it’s way more spacious than betawi restaurant. for us with a stroller and 2 boisterous boys, it was certainly more comfortable. there were no curtains, so it was very bright inside –but i love it! though i wonder how hot it can go during the summer days…
there were large lovely paintings of kampung scenes (village) with tha paddy fields, wooden houses and fishermen. there were also green plants at the corners and a big tv up on the wall.
overall, a clean, comfy family-friendly place to eat in.
* * *
the food at betawi restaurant is delicious, but sari nusa actually provided the real nasi padang.
well, nasi padang is actually steamed rice, served with a few different dishes (lauk). while the nasi padang at betawi do come with a few different lauk, but the choice stops there. you can’t choose your lauk. it comes in a set on a plate, with the steamed rice. sedap, tapi takde pilihan.
at sari nusa?
but in sari nusa – well, you need only look at the menu to see how many lauk they offer! and this is just the first page. now THIS is what they call nasi padang – steamed rice with a LOT of different lauk which we can choose from.
well, actually we don’t need to look at the menu. like any typical nasi bungkus stall or restaurant in malaysia, the lauk or dishes were all lined up in metal containers at one side of the restaurant. we only need to pick up a plate, scoop some rice and add whatever lauk that takes our fancy.
choose from an assortment of spicy gravy (which they call gulai), many types of chicken, fish or beef dishes and fried foodstuff too like pergedil – potato nugget – fried mashed potato with vege in flour.
for malaysians in dubai who miss nasi bungkus, these lauk are heaven-sent!
one tip – if you come in groups or even a pair, it’s cheaper to scoop some lauk and put separately in a bowl or plate, rather than taking a lauk in your own personal plate with the rice. sharing is caring, ok! hihi.
finally this was what mr. khairul scooped for us – everything looked so inviting, and taste as delicious! the right amount of spice, the right amount of taste.
this is ayam rendang. normally i dislike eating rendang with plain rice. i mean, i LOVE our malay rendang with lemang and such, but not with rice. but the indonesian rendang is slightly different in taste, and texture as well. it’s like a thick ayam masak merah. delicious!
this is gulai ayam. the gravy is not thick – a little spicy, a little sweet. just nice.
this is sayur nangka. this is my first time ever eating this dish. i’m really not a fan of fruit-turn-savoury-lauk like pajeri nenas, or sayur betik but this is really good.
pergedil (potato nugget?) and sambal hijau. don’t be a hero and lump a whole lot of that spicy sambal with your rice. you’ll be pumping the whole niagara falls into your throat – the green sambal is super spicy, but that’s what makes it such an appetizing condiment.
for drinks, we had my favorite drink cincau – which was disappointingly too sweet! khaleef ordered orange juice which tasted like any other regular orange juice. verdict – should’ve just settled for bottled plain water instead!
overall, i would say that my lunching experience at sari nusa was A plus! the lauk was fresh even though it’s pre-cooked, the ambiance was comfy and bright, the space large enough for kahfi to run around, the staff friendly and the price affordable and so worth it.
betawi restaurant offers one dish set of nasi padang comprise of steamed rice and a few lauk on a plate. delicious, but you have no choice over the lauk. so for a real taste of nasi padang with a much wider choice in lauk, i suggest you try sari nusa instead.
we would definitely come again!
Expats in Dubai, Register ID Already?
i don’t have an ID card, and the due date is 31st december!
people, if you’re over 15 year old living in dubai – pay attention. go to a typing center, pre-register, wait for sms, and complete your registration – you got yourself an ID. so far i only have a health card (excellent for getting free/cheap service at government clinics/hospitals).
click here for list of any 700 typing centers around the country.
however, interestingly enough, EIDA (emirates identity authority) revealed that :
- by july 2010, around 6 million expats have not registered (gile ramai!)
- all probably could not be registered by 31st december due date (termasuk la aku kot hihi)
- *most* emiratis had already registered (you mean, you can’t get your own ppl to register?)
- no decision yet to take action against those who have not yet registered
hmm.
HOW : anyway, registration for ID seemed simple enough – in two steps :
- do a pre-registration process at any certified typing center (fill in application form, scan documents & pay fee)
- receive appointment via sms to complete registration at EIDA centers (fingerprinting, photographing & signature)
so basically you got to pre-register, then wait for an appointment to complete the registration. your card will be couriered to you within a month. tapi banyak kerja kan kena pergi 2 tempat.
WHAT DO YOU NEED? for us residents and expats in dubai, prepare these items :
- original valid passport.
- valid residency permit.
- only for children below 15 years old: colored passport-size photo with light blue background.
- registration fees: AED 100 per year.
- service fees: AED 70.
EXTRA : important notes :
- registration fees of children below 15 (all nationalities) is AED 50 in addition to AED 70 as service fees.
- the customer is not required to attend to the typing center himself, (so mr. khairul can register for me here) but he/she must visit the registration center him/herself to finalize ID registration procedures (photographing + fingerprinting).
- people over 15 must bring the typing center receipt together with the original passport.
- the customer must wear the official uniform of his/her homeland (so baju melayu and baju kurung?)
more on this featured in gulfnews, click here. also, this straightforward clear-cut Q&A on ID, click here.
on the other hand, it’s stated in gulfnews that, “for those expatriates who have obtained the ID card, there is little need to produce it as most government services do not require it.”
hmm. any malaysians in dubai dah buat ID?
Exotic Names of Khaleef’s Classmates
just got a memo on the ‘parent consultation day’ for end of term. parents were given the date, and specific time to meet the teacher. the kids were divided into slots, and we have to come at a specific hour of our kid’s slot.
along with the memo is a list of students in khaleef’s class, so that parents can see which slot their kid is in. i ran through the list and had fun reading the names of khaleef’s classmates, and trying to pronounce them right.
oh my, look at their beautifully exotic names!
- Ethan Mark Dennis Mendonca
- Lyon Andres Dabu Tadeo
- Aanya Jyotsna Jaiswal
- Zoha Farooq
- Iwo Labeeb Skalski
- Hiba Hassan Abdelmoniem
- Zairylle Keille Alcantara Mendoza
- Alyssa Chantelle Dsouza
- Muhammad Nihal Siddiqui
- Farhat Elahi
…and a few more! from the list, i can truly say, khaleef’s name is one of the shortest – ‘Khaleef Khairul’. the other one short name would be ‘Alya Wafi’ – cute je kan.
i wish i knew which country they’re from…
also, it seems that little miss ‘nur ain sakina’ (i once wrote that i notice this name among khaleef’s classmates, and thought she must be a malaysian) is in the same slot as khaleef. she’s the only one whose name ‘sounds’ malaysian! or maybe a singaporean, huh? hihi. too bad her name wasn’t printed with her dad’s. mane tau, mr. khairul kenal bapaknye.
anyway, since we’re in the same slot, i am hoping to bump into her parents this coming saturday during the ‘parent consultation day’. yes, call me beria-ia or what – but here in dubai, i’m excited to meet another malaysian parents, especially since their kid is in the same class as my son.
last time we had afza and aida’s daughter alya schooling here – but they left dubai for good last year. we also had fairus’s girl tini schooling here – but she also left for good few months back. then there’s fida’s daughter fatin amily – but she changed to a school closer to home! isk isk.
that’s why i’m really looking forward to meet another malaysian family whose kid goes to the same school AND class as mine! it’s just that sometimes there are malaysians who don’t even want to smile back when we see them…
but i’ll save THAT topic for another posting, yah? *wink*
Ladurée Paris in Dubai : Double-Deck Macaron
people, laduree is highly overrated!
yes, i’m talking about THE laduree cafe originated from paris, said to have the best macarons in the world, the creator of the double-decker macaron, that people patiently go in long lines for – yes, THAT laduree!
one bite, and i was like – so?
this is for those biskut kati-fan like me might not know ‘laduree’ and it’s very famous macaroons ye. hihi. i myself JUST found out about this craze over these cute colorful macaroons.
what’s all the fuss about?
- first, is it macaRON, or macaROON? well, macaron is french, and macaroon is english. thank you. ok. you may proceed. hihi
- secondly, what’s LADUREE?
ladurée is a luxury cake and pastries brand based in paris, france. it is known as the inventor of the double-decker macaron, fifteen thousand of which are sold every day. they are considered the best macaron shop in the world.
in 1862, this french dude created this bakery. it’s a tea salon, pastry shop, restaurant, chocolate shop and an ice cream parlor – all rolled in one.
ladurée’s rise to fame came in 1930 when they had the original idea of the double-decker, sticking two macaron shells together with a creamy ganache (it’s a glaze, icing or filling for pastries made from chocolate and cream) as filling.
~ wikipedia
however in 1993 the holder group took over. the holder family also owns the PAUL bakery chain in france. a friend mentioned that paul cafe sells cheaper macaroons. check it out! there’s one branch right here in dubai marina. click here for my review.
the original, and certainly most famous laduree is in paris, on the champs-elysées, a prestigious spot, one of the famous streets in the world.
* * *
we went to the one and only laduree branch in uae; in dubai mall.
the pastel green exterior is unmistakably laduree. the chairs and tables exudes a certain class. and yes – very french indeed, with the beautiful upholstery.
the inside of the cafe is even more breathtaking – not so much for the interior but more so because of the colorful macaroons in lines at the counter. there’s only ONE picture here (one that i sempat amik!), because taking photographs inside the shop was NOT ALLOWED! ceh.
but i did see this secluded section inside the cafe which looked so elegant, like it’s taken straight from a french royalty’s sitting room. purple walls, plush sofa, fancy lamps on the wall – it’s so beautiful!
even from outside looking in, i was like a little girl yang teringin nak makan kek comel sedap but could not afford! hihi.
* a note of thanks to mr. khairul because he can afford to layan his wife’s whims and fancies!
but seriously, speaking of ‘not being able to afford’ – let me just plainly say that laduree’s macaroons are VERY expensive! i was semi-stunned (semi je because trying to look like dah biase tengok biskut mahal hahaha) when i looked at the price tag on the fancy boxes.
yes, there were these really beautiful fancy boxes lined up against the display glass – maybe gift boxes to put the macaroons. and the price?
i first saw a gorgeous box tagged 235dhs. then 380dhs! ulp. biskut apa harga sampai 380dhs! i couldn’t believe my eyes. i quickly scanned the line for the cheapest quote, and i found a tiny box to fit only 4 macaroons. the price? a whopping 74dhs. that’s about RM65 a box. with only 4 freaking macaroons!
then i saw a display card on the counter-top – actually it’s 11dhs for one macaroon. yang mahal tu sebab we pay for the fancy box la tu. since i really, really, really want to try a macaroon from this uber-famous boutique patisserie laduree from paris (sila baca dengan nada orang french bercakap hihi) so we went ahead and bought 4 macaroons.
tada!
this is our humble plate of macaroons! we took chocolate, pistachio, vanilla and caramel. as always, khaleef wanted strawberry, but since it’s our first time, we decided to stick to the boring, normal, popular choices (according to the laduree staff).
(click here for more macaron flavors!)
kelakar je tengok biskut kecik 11dhs sebijik ni.
by the way, it’s not like us to just splurge on unnecessarily expensive food or stuff okay. don’t think that we’re reckless with money and willing to spend 44dhs just for 4 little biscuits! this is definitely a one-time only; something crazy that i wanted to do since i’ve heard so much about the macaroons from laduree paris.
well, at least now i know that it’s JUST A BIG HOOPLA! to me, at least.
it’s SO expensive, but it tastes SO normal. bukan tak sedap, tapi sedap dia tu biase je. (mesti peminat-peminat laduree will brand me so uncultured! haha) let’s face it. it’s just biscuits stuck together with a gell-like cream in the middle!
well, sure the macaron cookies kinda melts in your mouth, light and airy – but still the cream can be too sweet even – for me, the cream overwhelms the taste of the macaroons, that it disrupts my whole laduree macaroon experience!
i guess it’s just like someone who really wants to buy an LV bag, when even a less expensive coach will do. or go to fatburger for their very expensive cheeseburger, when you can get a cheaper, but equally delicious cheeseburger at burger king.
it’s all in the brand, established since 1862!
(and maybe it’s just SO classy and posh to say that you love to eat macaroons at laduree! kalau kata suka macaroons from bluebell bakery or kedai kek seri cempaka ke macam tak kelas la kan. hihi.)
khaleef, my sweet-tooth cookie monster was of course visibly excited seeing the little macaroons. but i’m sure he was confused as to why mak only give him one pinch of the cookie at a time! hihi.
* * *
oh, for those who were just like me before – amende macaroon ni – macaroons are essentially cookies. biscuits. english (or it american) macaroons has coconuts (i would LOVE to try the one dipped in chocolate). macaron, on the other hand is french and now mostly consists of two macaroon cookies glued together by a cream filling in the middle.
so the thing that made laduree so famous was they’re the one who invented the double-decker macaroons.
* * *
for drinks, i ordered hot chocolate.
now, when you hear ‘hot chocolate’, what do you imagine? well, a tall glass (or in starbucks, a mug) of hot chocolate, foamy on top and sometimes they decorate by drawing nice patterns on the foam with chocolate syrup, i think.
but what did i get from laduree?
my hot chocolate in laduree turned out to be LITERALLY melted chocolate in a cup. i mean like, really pure, thick, bittersweet melted chocolate. it’s like, you take a big bar of choc cadbury or van houten, melt it in a pot, and then drink it. i felt like sipping a drink from the movie ‘chocolat’!
one sip and it totally filled your throat with this congealed bittersweet feel!
my question is – what REALLY is ‘hot chocolate’? isn’t it a hot drink made by putting chocolate powder in hot water? so what’s with the melted chocolate? it’s supposed to be called ‘drinking chocolate’ instead – a drink made with ‘melted chocolate shavings’!
i totally could not finish it. khaleef pun tak suka. so pekat, and so pahit. so mr. khairul emptied the cup, my knight in shining armour to the rescue. hihi. and this, is after he finishes a whole cup of cappuccino!
overrated or not – i would like to thank mr. khairul for this laduree experience! once is enough to taste this sweet little delights from paris. and now i know. let’s just say that macaroon or macaron will no soon be in my list of favorite biscuit, or favorite dessert!
i don’t think we’ll be coming again anytime soon, but for the rest of you – give it a try. hey, those tiny macaroons didn’t last THIS long for nothing you know!
