“Ahoy! Here we are, at none other than my spectacular bivouac!”

Well, this might be the possible territorial exclamation by our amiable and distinguished Captain Gump (✿◠‿◠)Yeah, as hinted, this round of gastronomical radar had led us to Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., that secured a spacious lot at Citta Mall, a friendly neighbourhood of Ara Damansara. It’s a family-friendly seafood chain that features sumptuous oceanic banquet at its best, as well as American cuisine that whet your palate gratifyingly within the cozy environment that embarks on a fishing-boat-themed setting.There is even a colorful children playground set adjacently to keep the kids occupied and safe so the parents could enjoy the food worry-free.Pretty interesting concept here- flip the signage on the board STOP FORREST STOP, when you want to place your order or whenever you need assistance from the staff, and RUN FORREST RUN, should you prefer some privacy. Various rustic curios and memorabilia from the movie Forrest Gump was seen adorning the restaurant interior. It brings back the vintage of the American good old days with the motley of nostalgic bric-a-brac of any US army camper.The menu is extensive, showcasing wide selection of great options including fresh fish, salads, ribs, seafood and much more! We were very much anticipating the seafood especially shrimp feast and so, we kicked off the session by relishing in the appetizers like……….PEAR AND BERRY SALAD (MYR 30.90)

Fresh greens with charbroiled chicken, strawberries, pears and glazed pecans, all tossed together with raspberry vinaigrette and topped it with feta cheese.It’s so fruity and fresh! That’s the immediate response I uttered upon savouring it.  Being not quite a salad person I am usually, this awe was actually kinda unexpected as the salubrious plate really came up well with the berries and fruity dressing. I love the sweetness from the fruit, especially the crisp pear, nutty bites as well as the delighting raspberry vinaigrette. Couldn’t help and I nearly going to ask for a second helping, haha. Delish! For the conscientious, bask in this perfectly done ‘berry-licious’ salad- definitely my kind of thing, slurps!SHRIMPER’S NET CATCH (MYR 32.90- 300G / MYR 63.90- 600G)

Touted as their best Peel ‘n’ Eat shrimp, juicy prawns are served on a fictional printed newspaper, resembling the era of the Cold War, faithful to the movie. Guest can choose from Bubba garlic spice or secret recipe Cajun spice, and diners are bound to hook on for more.……………… and 

BUBBA’S FAR OUT DIP & SHRIMP MAYAN SALSA (MYR 38.90) Chilled shrimp, cilantro, tomatoes, avocadoes, onions an chillies, all ‘shook’ up in a cocktail mixer and served with lots of tortilla chips and bubba’s far out dip for appetizing dipping.I’ve never really enjoy cold shrimp, but Bubba Gump has convinced me since then! Good job ranger! =)Each shrimp is thoroughly mixed with the salsa gusto in the cocktail shaker, oh yes, they use cocktail shaker! ^_^Now we come to the Bubba’s

Shrimp Special! 

SHRIMPER’S HEAVEN (MYR 49.90)

Love shrimp? Then this one is perfectly created for you!

Hand breaded coconut shrimp, garlic shrimp, fried shrimp, tempura shrimp with fries and of course, great dipppin’ sauces with tangy Asian, Cajun marmalade and zesty cocktail!The coconut batter is quite special as it adds some sweetness to the shrimp, just that it could be tad oily to my liking withal it's uber crispy! Apart from that, the garlic shrimp tastes stellar, and hence, my fav pick And what’s up for Forest’s Favourite then?

Let’s wait not more and sink your teeth into the tender-licious ribs!BBQ BEEF BACK RIBS (MYR 46.90- REGULAR / MYR 66.90- LARGE)

Slow roasted baby beef ribs, served with fries and coleslaw. The meat is very juicy and succulently done till you could easily fork it off from the bones, it’s already good by itself even though we skipped the sauce, hmmmm……… simply luscious!Certainly poised as a tight rival to other ribs-centric restaurants, if not better, slurps!BOURBON STREET CATCH OF THE DAY (MYR 38.90)

Charbroiled Cajun spiced catch of the day with bourbon street sauce and shrimp, served over mashed potatoes. The fish was really fresh and nicely herbed, and goes well with the tad creamy gravy. Not forgetting the fantastically grilled prawns that are simply addictive! Love the slight smokiness and spice, thumbs up!Perfect interlude- Let’s welcome the Bubba Gump Cheer! New hand shaken cocktails
to spice up your seafood indulgence accompanied by the energetic performance by the lively FORREST runners!WATERMELON MARGARITA (MYR 23.50)

Jose cuervo tequila, orange liquer, cranberry juice, watermelon and sweet N sour.Love the salted rim, nyummmm......ORANGE MARGARITA (MYR 23.50)

Sauza tequila, red orange liquer, cranberry juice and sweet N sour. Love this concoction more than the former, personal preference by the way.Isn’t that one of its kind? Indeed living up to the sheer spirit of the well-known vigorous Bubba Gump! Also, for an extra charge, diners could take this shaker glass home to share with your like-minded compatriot too (=

And last but not least, end the fete on a high note with this vibrant fluorescent glass, wow!

MANGO SPARKLER (MYR 13.90)

Mango, lemonade, orange juice and lemon-lime SPECKLED LEMONADE (MYR 13.90)

With Strawberries or Blueberries as your choiceAnd foodies, mustn’t…… mustn’t leave without trying out their homemade desserts!

ALABAMA MUD PIE (MYR 24.90)

Perfect for sharing with cool  layers of chocolate and vanilla ice cream incorporate with chunks of snickers that are separated by ribbon of caramel, topped with chocolate syrup, whipped cream and crunchy peanuts.Literally fell head over heels for this enticing piece of jewel. So toothsome that I decided putting my diet aside and savour it all by myself, hehe *evil grin*Well, as expected, essentially the mud cake was gone within few minutes, albeit we were all full to the brim after the seafood fiesta earlier. Guess it’s true that everyone does have an extra tummy for dessert, don’t you? ^_^KEY LIME PIE (MYR 18.90)

Indeed Mama’s secret recipe- the perfect finish for your meal. So authentically done with the quintessential lime tart taste that never fails to amuse your taste bud piquantly. You could actually mixed it with the whipped cream to mellow down the sourness, but I personally don’t mind tickling my eyes intermittently, you know, when you sampled real sourish grubs, haha.Gosh, reliving the memories in my blog now makes me drooling and started hankering for Bubba Gump’s tempting and mouthwatering chuck again. It’s just the matter of time before seeing my footprint again at Bubba Gump’s camp soon. So remember to try out the promising Berry Salad and Beef Ribs amongst others besides the prawn-inundated recipes that gonna spoil you for more choices.Do check out Bubba Gump’s latest special set dinner menu priced only at MYR 39.90 nett, running from 16th June to 19th July 2015, inclusive of a main course, soup and drink, available across its 3 outlets at The Curve, Sunway Pyramid and Citta Mall.

Cheers for now and Carpe Diem! ❤ℒℴѵℯ❤

Location: G11, Jalan PJU 1a/48, Pju 1a, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia

Contact: +603 7832 4200

Business Hours: Mon – Thurs: 11am – 11pm Fri - Sat: 11pm -12am Sun: 11am –11pm

Website: http://www.bubbagump.com/

The moment we stepped into Old School, it really brings back the bitter-sweet memories during the schooling time. Okay, where were those bitter days? Of course during exam season where we tend to burn the midnight oil for those few hours of paper sitting, hehe. Or, when bumping into your disciplinary teacher out of the blue at the wrong timing (=Fully gussied up in the most conventional classroom that you usually seen at the school, this nostalgic café is equipped with a bright and airy environment, occupying a ground floor space at The School, Jaya One, with another partition reserved for the canteen concept- serving its fundamental schoolhouse theme. Even their main culinary specialty logo are designed in such a way resembling a school badge.Ah, all my childhood tit bites and trinkets

The menu's extensive, all hand-written in the vintage exercise book, ranging from local Asian favourites to Western fusion, with most recipes and sauces are inhouse prepare as they believe that food is as fresh and tasty as it is. Bacon & Egg Croissant - Streaky bacons that are cured and grilled inhouse.Take away available too in the most convenient and hygienic wayHouse brand relish

KUROBUTA BURGER (MYR 29.90)

Finally the finest pork in the world and the most highly priced pork in Japan is making its appearance in town!The meat that is delightfully made into patty, projects both sweet and rich nuance, and a fine firm texture that is already good to be enjoyed on its own without any additional sauce.For those who are unaware, like me, Kurobuta actually means ‘black hog’ in Japanese. It is touted as “kobe beef” of pork, as this rare breed of Berkshire pigs were royal gifts received from Britain and with much Japanese dedication and perfection, the Japanese farmers have brought the art of pig breeding to a whole new level.

This trademark pork and the thoroughbred status can only be certified by the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. Unlike the run-of-the-mill pigs which are usually confined to its pigsties, this Kagoshima pigs are allowed to roam in the open, hence resulting in a more balanced inter-muscular fats, which explains the high level of marbling in kurobuta meat.OLD SCHOOL PORK SHOULDER (MYR 24.90)

An enjoyable slab of thickly cut pork shoulder that comes with a fair bit of fatty layers to moist up the overall palate. Nevertheless, I enjoy the leaner meat more for they are grilled just nice and really flavourful. Pair with the chutney sauce if you want to but I prefer to enjoy it as it is BBQ PORK RIBS (MYR 34.90)

Prime cut is purposely chosen for a more pleasurable enjoyment and the ribs are precisely barbequed till tender and moist. Meat is thoroughly flavoured with house special marinade that you could actually skip any sauce but still taste fantastic. Glad that the ribs here are not overly smothered in heavy sauces for that would have overwhelmed the porky original taste. ASSORTED HUNGARIAN MANGALICA PORK SAUSAGE (MYR 22.90 -3 PCS)

Simplicity at its best- with three different flavours of premium Hungarian pork sausages.

Heartily chewy and toothsome, and I prefer the one with spiced flavor amongst the three for the extra herb kick.

Jo etvagyat!OLD SCHOOL NASI LEMAK (MYR 29.90)

With deep fried ‘nam yu’ pork, pork rendang, roasted pork served alongside the usual nasi lemak condiments and some pork cracklings on top too! Indeed the perfect all-in-one plate for porcine lovers!Devilishly gratifying, the Holy Grail for pork enthusiasts; forget about diet at the moment, or you could opt for sharing purpose if that helps in lessening some guilt, hehe.After a round of scrumptious pork repast from Japanese flair to Hungarian style, finally we could wash down the throat with these uber refreshing fresh juices and healthy too! No sugar is added but only the salubrious honey (=BITTERGOURD WITH PINEAPPLE (MYR 6.80)

It’s very cooling and surprisingly, goes well pineapple.CUCUMBER, CELERY AND LEMON JUICE (MYR 7.90)

An equally soothing thirst-quencher to temporarily level down the meatiness. After the so-called quick detox interlude, don’t miss the restaurant's own rendition of caffeinated ice cream.

OLD SCHOOL AFFOGATO (MYR 9.90)

Staying true to its Asian roots, the coffee used here is those locally brewed coffee that we fondly known, and essentially partnered with a dollop of vanilla ice creams and some Oreo crumbles. Compared to Southern American beans, this local coffee kicks it up a notch with more fruity aroma for a smoother palate. Still wondering what’s more porky dishes instored here? Find out more at Old School and keep abreast at their page for more updates. Classroom is now adjourned till the next session of titillating your taste bud further.

Cheers for now and Carpe Diem! ❤ℒℴѵℯ❤OLD SCHOOL | IT’S PORK | IT’S GOOD!Location: 100-G.035, The School, Block J, Jaya One, No 72A, Jalan Universiti, 46200 Petaling Jaya

Contact: +603 8066 6966

Business Hours: Mon - Sun: 10am - 10pm

Website: https://www.facebook.com/Oldschool.pork

Of late, we have seen numerous thematic cafés mushrooming up every now and then, especially in the brisk locality of Klang Valley. From beauty & vafé to the common ones; dessert café, now we have a place built ideally and most appealing to those who enjoy spending some silent moment with books. And the oasis for bookworm is residing at Merce & Muse, situated just across the street of Taylor’s College of Subang Jaya.As implied by its Italian names, this little humble café embrace the patrons around SS15 with its books and coffee or tea concept, providing a cozy avenue for city folks or students to indulge in some personal time soothingly while accompanied by great beverages and decent grubs.And for your info, Merce & Muse aims tapping the niche market with its fully vegetarian menu. It is a family-run business, managed by Ms Chear who seek to create a calming place away from the hustle and bustle of city life and whom I suppose is a tea lover too, swith its largely tea leaves choices offered in their chalkish menu.The surrounding is indeed calming with melodious instrumental tunes being played at the background. One of the staff cheekily told me that some of the regulars often come here to enjoy the Zen ambiance and tend to dooze off easily, and I happened to see one myself during that visit, hehe.PASSION FRUIT (MYR 12)

Citrusy ice blended passion fruit without any sugar, therefore, you get to relish in the freshness and natural taste of the fruit tartness, which I really enjoyed.SECRET OF LIFE (MYR 12)

Named as secret, we are a bit curious about the ingredients and were told there are no fixed ingredients as it changes daily. But one thing for sure, dragon fruit and lychee are part of it! (I know, it’s pretty obvious, haha). Having said so, I would have enjoyed this beverage more if they are much sweeter, perhaps some smidgens of honey would help, which otherwise tad bland from the melting crushed ice.MOCHA (MYR 10)

The coffee is decent, lovely served with a rosetta latte art. Comes with decadent chocolaty accentuates by the coffee aroma. KUNMING GREEN TEA (MYR 8- cup/ MYR 14-pot)

Ah ha, my favourite green tea is making appearance at this Oriental hued café. Somewhat different from my usual Japanese matcha, this Chinese roasted tea has a greener leafy appearance, almost lime-green after infused and does looks refreshing too. It greets your palate with subtleness of the green tea with a slight hint of seaweed taste. MUSHROOM SPAGHETTI IN GINGER SAUCE (MYR 10)

Hot dishes can be quite limited over here. One of them is this mushroom spaghetti, healthily served with minimal garnishment. Ardent health-conscious people would appreciate it more than anyone else for its lighter nearly plain flavour that solely depends on the julienned carrot sweetness and juices from the pressed gingers and bit of mushroom taste.So if you’re up for a vegetarian café-hopping, do drop by and try out the new experience of yours.

Cheers for now and Carpe Diem!
❤ℒℴѵℯ❤

Location: No 12, 1st Floor, Jalan SS15/8, 47500 Subang Jaya, Selangor

Contact: +603 5612 2904

Business Hours: 11am-11pm

Website: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Merce-Muse/407403086094882

You would need a pair of attentive eyes when locating this café located at one of the rented bungalows along Jalan Gasing, which most of the time tends to go unnoticed. Or another useful landmark would be Bible College of Malaysia that is seen just across the road.

Limited parking area is available at this humble café with as fresco or indoor dining options. It was currently manned by Jeannie, who does both your coffee beverage as well as cooking some delish dishes.The weather was quite gloomy when we dropped by the other day, so indirectly led us into those homey mood. However, do expect only a handful of menu is available as there isn’t much varieties like the usual cafes. As the Oriental-culture implied in its name; Houshuen, there would be an intermix of Chinese-Western fusion, but depending on its daily availability.So for that day, we interestingly paired our Western Coffee with Penang Prawn Mee and Petai Fried Mee. Funny, ice brows raised? Yeah, I know the combination was pretty odd but that’s what available on that day, haha……CARAMEL MACCHIATO (MYR 11)

Double shot of sweetened macchiato for your caffeine fix.FRESH PASSIONFRUIT (MYR 10)

Made freshly from the fruits itself, rather concentrated as no sugar is added hence much enjoyable with its original taste.FRIED PAN MEE WITH PETAI (MYR 12)

Here comes the slightly special highlight here- fried homemade noodles with the pungent beans. Crunchy bites paired with the adequately spiced sit-fried noodle. PRAWN MEE (MYR 10)

Another Penang famous delights but enjoying over here at Petaling Jaya. Soup broth is moderately flavoured with prawns taste, coupled with some fish cake, kangkung and chicken breast meat with some own made sambal paste. It was a pleasant bowl of prawn noodle, but I like it to be thicker in consistency wise, like those richer version in Penang. Another Penangite buddy who tagged along this café also lamented the same. Guess any Penangite would have a tad skewered preference when it comes to Hokkien Mee (Prawn Mee in KL is fondly and widely known as Hokkien Mee back in Penang itself)Overall, whilst the menu here are pretty modest, one could still enjoy the greenery and occasional wind at the backyard. Or visit the tea room that is securing a corner further in the bungalow.

Cheers for now and Carpe Diem! ❤ℒℴѵℯ❤Location: 122, Jalan Gasing, Petaling Jaya, Selangor

Business Hours: 11am- 6pm

Website: https://www.facebook.com/houshuenteahouse

Sawadikapp!

Welcome to Baan 26, a Thai restaurant that has been residing at the happening streets of Changkat Bukit Bintang for over 9 years now. Widely known for trendy nightspots amongst local and tourist, a decent Thai restaurant is the least I expected to have found here. Interestingly!

Nicely decorated with a mix of both chic and aesthetic value in the air-conditioned surrounding, with some artsy ornaments around to spice up the bold reddish hue and warm ambience, are what greeting the guests upon stepping in.Featuring authentic recipes from the humble Thai kitchen, Baan 26’s offerings are indeed full-bodied and satisfying, showcased with a slight modern twist while retaining its original identity as well as the traditional flavours.The day of our visit was not so friendly with the scorching hot weather, and so we immediately went for the thirst- quencher while flipping through the menu to decide on which items we should highlight later.

LEMON APPLE MINT (MYR 16)

Simply cooling!WATERMELON JUICE (MYR 11)Love the bouncy bites of these seafood appetizers

PRAWN CAKE (MYR 32- 4pcs)

Greeting the palates with soft patty within and crispy on the outside. Generously made into a springy doughnut-like shape and each mouthful bite is a joyful one. Something inventive and uncommon from the usual fish cake. Nevertheless, my vote still goes for the Prawn Cakes by Café 9 which boasts a better indepth flavor, nyum nyum……Ah, my favourite basil plate is here!

BASIL LEAFFRIED RICE WITH SHRIMP (MYR 28)

Juicy and succulent prawns are fragrantly fried with rice till the must-have ‘wok-hei’ pre-requisite is achieved. Would be great if more basil leaves are used to live up to its basil-themed dish. Nevertheless, I still enjoy it pretty much.PUCUK PAKU WITH BELACAN (MYR 24)

Savoury and crisp stems of pucuk paku served crunchy with dried shrimps crumbles and chili. A toothsome dish to whet the palate indeed.PINEAPPLE LEMON CHICKEN (MYR 25)

Tender chicken cutlet deep fried and dished up in a a sweet and savory gravy in the hollowed pineapple as the bowl.CLEAR TOM YAM WITH PRAWN/ SEAFOOD SOUP( MYR 36)

An appetizing flair with spiciness en route much later.

Assorted fresh seafood such as huge prawns, mushroom, chicken meat, squids and fish are all flavourfully cooked in the piquant and spiced clear broth of tom yam. Goes well with a bowl of white rice but not for people who have a mild tongue, so do get yourself with some water ready by the side (=THAI PINEAPPLE FRIED RICE WITH SHRIMP (MYR 25)

Love how the pineapple rice is fluffily fried with each grain of rice is thoroughly enveloped with spice and flavor, moistened up by juicy bites of citrusy pineapples dices and the nutty kick of cashew nuts.THAI MANGO SALAD WITH CRISPY CAT FISH (MYR25)

Sour and spicy interlude!

I was hoping to sink my teeth in a decent portion of the fried cat fish rather than in the flaky crackling forms though…………

Combination of spicy mixture of unripe mangoes, onions,dried shrimps and chili. I. I find that the crispy catfish a little bit salty but it does have a light and fluffy texture. The cat fish is blend and deep fried.LIME & CHILI STEAMED FISH (MYR 55- Seabass/ MYR 45- Tilapia)

It’s a salubrious dish that is highly recommended.

Bounteous piece of sea bass that is freshly steamed with sour and spicy relish, simply served heartily with chopped garlic and chili padi.CENDOL AND SAGO WITH GULA MELAKA (MYR 10)

A rather hit-and-miss case here, where the crushed ice is too big for a slurpy enjoyment, and the sticky sago that tends to coagulate together doesn’t help either. However, the fact that the gula Melaka is served separately in a ceramic is most welcomed as diners get to adjust to their preferred level of sweetness.WATER CHESTNUT WITH COCONUT MILK RED RUBIES (MYR11)

Would never fail to have this quintessential pick in every Thai dining. Indulgently served in chilled coconut milk topped off with cutesy red rubies made of water chestnut, accompanied by tangy jackfruit slices.MANGO STICKY RICE (MYR 17)

Signature dessert plate from the Thai region. Love the warm glutinous rice bite that is perfectly paired with the thick coconut cream that injected some light coconut brininess to the nosh.COCONUT SHAKE (MYR 16) as the perfect sweet ending!

It’s very fragrant and original as you could really taste each and everything little bites of the blended coconut. But I would be happier if the fibrous desiccants are either finely blended or properly sieved through for a better palate. Taste wise, no complain and it’s good.Baan 26 Thai can be located just a few minutes’ walk away from the hawker-food central, Jalan Alor, and further down the road is the famous Jalan Bukit Bintang with its myriad of dining, shopping and entertainment options. So have an enjoyable feast and relaxing stroll along the road and continue to enrich your gastronomic journey yummily as you might not know what you would stumble upon after the next junction. Best food are usually quite hidden till it’s target-locked by adventurous foodies (=

Cheers for now and Carpe Diem! ❤ℒℴѵℯ❤

Location: No 26, Jalan Changkat Bukit Bintang, Bukit Bintang, 50200 Kuala Lumpur

Contact: +603 2142 8878

Business Hours: Mon – Sun 12pm – 3pm (lunch), 6pm - 12:30am;

Sun & Public Holidays 3pm - 12:30am

Website: http://baan26.com/