Paddington House of Pancakes @ Hartamas Shopping Centre and Where the Customer is Always Right

Everyone has bad days.

The past 48 hours were a culmination of several irritants which by themselves, wouldn’t have been worse than mosquito bites, but together, became cancerous to my usually pleasant demeanor.

1.

VIPs. On the road, these guys are escorted by police outriders who shoo away the irrelevant, ordinary, unimportant people to create a path, somewhat like the parting of the Red Sea, so that the sparkling, polished, heavily tinted cars carrying their precious cargo can make their way through the clear roads to their destinations, and be damned about the other folk whose lives don’t matter.

I was leaving Sri Hartamas and having a pleasant drive towards the City Centre and was approaching a fork, the left leading to Sungai Buloh/Shah Alam, and the right leading to my chosen destination. Suddenly, I was ambushed by a police outrider who forced me to move to the extreme left lane (i.e. to Sg Buloh) without giving a damn about the fact that there were no U-turns on a major highway.

Mr VIP sir, is my life that unimportant? Am I that dispensable?


2.

I had internet problems and called the service provider’s customer service.

12 midnite

Me: My DSL light is not showing. I can’t connect to the internet.

Customer Service: We’ve taken note of your complaint. Please turn off your modem and turn it on again in 15 minutes after we’ve reset your port. If the problem still persists, please call us back. Have a nice day.

8.30am

Me: I still can’t connect to the internet.

Customer Service: Yes, according to the report, your DSL light is blinking.

Me: No, my DSL light is not even showing. Please amend your report.

Customer Service: OK, will do. Please hold, I’ll connect you to a technician.

(telephone music…sound of sea and waves)

Customer Service: I’m sorry. All our technicians are currently busy. I’ll have one of them call you soon.

Me: When?

Customer Service: In 2 or 3 minutes.

10.00am

Me: Your technician hasn’t called back. I still can’t connect to the internet.

Customer Service: I’ll have a look at your report. Yes, your report says that your DSL light is blinking.

Me: No, I already told you guys that my DSL light is not showing. PLEASE amend your report.

Customer Service: OK. Haha. I guess the previous person didn’t amend the report. I’ll do it now. And hang on, I’ll connect you to the technician.

(telephone music again)

Customer Service: Sorry, they’re all busy. I’ll get one of them to call you back soon.

Me: Can you ask them to get back to me in the next hour please? It’s urgent. (I need to blog)

6.00pm

Me: Your technician hasn’t called me. What does it take to get your technician to call me? My internet connection is still down.

Customer Service: Hang on, I’ll have to look at your report. Uh huh, the report says that your DSL light is blinking.

Me: For the fourth time today, my DSL LIGHT IS NOT BLINKING. IT’S NOT EVEN SHOWING. AND WHY ISN’T YOUR TECHNICIAN RETURNING MY CALL? IS HE PLANNING ON CALLING ME IN THE NEXT DECADE OR SO, AT LEAST?

Customer Service: Hang on, I’ll connect you to our technician.

(background music to calm nerves, sound of birds chirping and sunshine everywhere)

Customer Service: I’m sorry, I can’t get through to the technician. Is it okay if I get him to return your call?

Me: NO, IT'S NOT OKAY. I WANT TO SPEAK TO YOUR TECHNICIAN NOW. YOU CAN’T GET HIM TO RETURN MY CALL, BECAUSE HE WON’T.

Customer Service: Yes, he will.

Me: When? At midnight when I’m fast asleep?

Customer Service: No, before that.

8.00pm

Customer Service: We’ve just reset your port. Can you try to connect now?

Me: No. I’m not at home. Besides, resetting my port didn’t help the last time.

Customer Service: Well, when you’re at home, do try to connect, and if you can’t, please call us.

The next day, at 12 noon

(ting tong – house bell sounds)

Technician at my doorstep: I’m here to look at your modem. According to your report, your DSL light is blinking and you’re not able to connect to the internet.

Me: Sigh. My DSL light is not showing at all.

Technician: Then why didn’t you say so? If your DSL light is not showing, your modem is fried. You’ll have to get a new modem. I’ll need you to sign this report to verify that I’ve visited you to attend to your problems. Have a nice day!


3.

I picked up The Star at 7.30 in the morning only to see the headlines stating that four of the giant bookstores were not going to carry Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows on their bookshelves in protest of the fact that a couple of hypermarkets were selling the book at a much lower price.

Firstly, O great booksellers, I was already intending to pay a visit to your bookstore to purchase the book at the recommended retail price of RM109.90 as I’m a pretty much a lazy person who values her comfort above everything else, and rubbing shoulders with five hundred other people at the hypermarket wasn’t my idea of fun on a Saturday morning.

Instead, arrogance and a sense of self-pity prevailed and a full page ad was taken out by these bookstores. Me, I’m not loyal, you see. If you’re not selling the book, I’m not standing by your side. I’ll just get the book at Borders.

Be reminded of what happened 10 years ago when a huge hypermarket landed on our shores and decided to sell Milo at a much lower price. The local retailers were furious and refused to carry Milo in their shops, protesting against the manufacturer. What they realised later was that water would always find its natural source, and customers would always look for alternatives. The hypermarket which carried Milo at a loss didn’t end up losing; the local retailers wised up and life went on.

Later that morning, I found a tiny bookstore in Bangsar which carried the book at RM69.90. I had a pleasant chat with the lady at the counter, and we both laughed at the big boys. I even managed to get a copy of The Edge there, so all was well.


4.

We were in the mood for pancakes, so we hopped over to Paddington House of Pancakes in Hartamas Shopping Centre for a quick bite. It started out rather promising; the place was awash with sunlight, the white gleaming tabletops a welcome sight to us, 3 starving girls. Paddington was having an offer: Ladies Have It Lucky! Lucky Ladies Get A Dessert Pannekoek With Cinnamon And Sugar At Only RM5.00++ With Any Savoury Pancake Meal.

We were all having savoury pancake meals, and we sure felt lucky, so two of us ordered the RM5 dessert pancake. No problems there.

Although the Dollar Buckwheat Bruschetta was nice (and certainly, it would be sinful to go wrong with something so simple!), I thought the Fried Pancake filled with Spicy Minced Mexican Beef was rather appalling. The pancake was stuffed with a simple minced beef mix, and the entire dish lacked flavour. Salt was my best friend for the duration of the meal.

Then the trouble started.

We requested for our dessert pancakes to be served. The waitress came back and told us that the offer was one pancake for one bill, so she would have to split our bill into two. I asked if they were charging the same price. She said yes. Okay, no problems there, we figured.

A couple of minutes later, the waitress turned up again and said that her manager said that they couldn’t split the bill into two. And the offer was still the same. One offer per bill. I looked at the sign and sure enough it was a matter of interpretation. What irked me was that we weren’t informed about it earlier, when they were taking our orders that we were only entitled to ONE pancake. What further upset me was that the promotional sign was deliberately misleading. At first glance, it is easy to interpret it as one dessert pancake with one savoury pancake meal. The straw that broke the camel’s back was the fact that the manager was not interested in coming to our table to explain the situation to us and instead sent his pawn to defend the fort.

I was tired of all the lame explanations and cancelled the dessert orders completely.

The manager’s attempt to save the establishment RM5++ has only caused the loss of further business. And a loss of goodwill for the restaurant.

It doesn’t take a marketing person to figure that out.

Intermission: Happy Birthday, Ecstatic Eeyore!!

"May you live to be a hundred and may the last voice you hear be ours."

With best wishes from those who care,
The Makan Club.

Chinese New Year Potluck Party

Great chefs ought to be celebrated, even if they are only one-dish wonders. So it was a pity, when I had the pleasure of attending a potluck party during Chinese New Year, that so many wanted to hide behind the shroud of anonymity. Fear of impending fame, perhaps? Unable to cope with orders? Just plain shy? :-) So as a sign of respect to my friends, I shall merely display the photographs without attributing the dishes to the respective chefs.

Firstly, the obligatory yue sang. I must have displayed so many pictures of yue sang on this blog, and my only defense is that I'm a big fan of yue sang despite the exorbitant prices attached to it. Nine hands pulverised the various ingredients, with possibly too much strength, as bits of crackers and vegetables flew all over the table.


And then, there was the homecooked siew yoke (roasted pork). I ought to emphasise here that everything that night was cooked by the various individuals or their family members, and I can't resist a good homecooked meal in this era of cheap takeaways and easily accessible food at every lorong and longkang. The siew yoke was a sight to behold...layers of lean meat with fat and a nice crispy skin. Needless to say, it was the first plate to be wiped clean.


The mixed vegetables (loh hon chai), made of different types of mushrooms, chinese cabbage, black fungus, lily bulbs, tung fun (glass noodles), fatt choy (dried black sea moss) and fried foo chuk (beancurd sheets), was very popular.

One of the guys brought stewed duck. According to him, he had double boiled the stew for a few hours. The meat was tender and falling off the bones.

The pie tee is something everyone looks forward to as it is different from the usual nyonya recipe. The shell was perfect; not too thick that it would be hard to bite, and not too thin that it would crumble whilst one were taking a bite. The filling was unusual. It reminded me of chicken pie as it had a creamy base with cubed chicken pieces together with mixed vegetables and ham slices in it.

There was also a baked chicken dish which I brought, but unfortunately, I forgot to take pictures of it.

All of the above dishes were served with fluffy chicken rice and steamed chicken. Very healthy indeed!!

Okay...I'll be taking orders now... :-)

Meme: 5 Things You Don't Know About Me

I've been tagged by Jason and cookies_cream, where, as the title of this post clearly states, I'm required to list out 5 things you don't know about me.

Before I start off, I must vehemently state here that I do lead a normal life outside of cyberspace.

Almost normal. Other than the 50 fish I killed, accidentally of course, in 1999. There wasn't enough oxygen in my tank. Duh... Anyway, 5 things, you say?

One. I have obsessive-compulsive disorder, characterised by a compulsion to constantly straighten things. They say that in the 14th and 15th century, people who experienced this syndrome were possessed by the devil. Incidentally, in the early days of ignorance, people who were left-handed were also thought to be satanic. I guess I've been dealt a double whammy. Thanks a lot for the genes, mum and dad!! Two. I was first paid for my artwork when I was 14. I am still paid pittance for it. Three. My claim to fame was when I was in the selections for the national women's chess team and lost to the national chess champion at that time, Audrey Wong, and subsequently I went into depression and my game went downhill from then on. My only consolation is that I met a lot of cute boys in the neighbouring school who were all members of the chess club. Four. I'm a girl who loves receiving flowers but not chocolates. I still have chocolates in my fridge from 2 years ago. No, there are no worms. Five. I cry at funerals, weddings and the movies. The one time I didn't cry was when I watched The Red Kebaya. How to be moved by a Mat Salleh trying to speak malay?

Well, whaddaya know, I just listed out 5 things! Unfortunately, I can't tag anyone else coz practically everyone I know has been tagged, so let's not lose any sleep over this and have a margarita on me (send me the bill) to celebrate my first meme. Cheers!

Gong Xi Fa Cai!

Wishing you abundant blessings, bucketsful of love, endless plates of siew yoke and good health this New Year.

Humpday Ramblings

I Cried Because I Had No Shoes, Until I Met A Man Who Had No Feet

Joanne Choo from A Cut Above with her midas touch is the only person I allow to cut my hair.

This morning, I decided to blow dry my long curls by wrapping sections of my hair around a round brush. To my dismay, my attempt to unwrap one section failed. No amount of tugging and pulling did any good as I stared at my reflection, comical as it may appear, with a hairbrush hanging tightly to one section of my head. Panicking, I ran to the bathroom and applied a large amount of shampoo and conditioner to loosen its hold. That didn't work either. I contemplated taking time off from work to run to Joanne Choo to have my problem rectified, but the idea of walking in Midvalley with a hairbrush in my head seemed too ridiculous.

There was only one thing that I could do. I picked up a gleaming pair of scissors, and with tears dripping down my face....

....I snipped off that entire section of hair.

That marked the beginning of the worst day of the month. I had encounters with bad drivers, traffic jams and made wrong judgements.

In a moment of self-pity, I let out my frustrations on a friend, only to find out that my friend was going through something 10 times worse. I felt like an idiot.

I guess I have to be thankful that I still have 90% of my hair on my head.

Disneyland, California

I'm back in Malaysia, but an unknown stomach illness has caused turmoil in my life and prevented me from eating all the lovely nasi lemak, char koay teow and thosai that has been beckoning...calling my name....Lemongrasssssss.....Alas! Until I recover, bear with me as I entertain you with tales of my vacation in the US.

On 1/1/07, we went to Disneyland. I've been to Disneyland before, but the child in me gets the thrills and the shivers, just thinking of meeting Snow White in Fantasyland. I attribute this excitement to The Mickey Mouse Show which I used to watch as a kid (which kinda gives you an idea about which generation I belong to!).

To those who are planning on visiting Disneyland in California, I recommend the 1st of January as it is less crowded due to the large number of people choosing to visit the Rose Bowl Parade in Pasadena and an equally large number of people choosing to stay at home to watch the Rose Bowl game.

I have a VERY strong aversion to rollercoasters, the level of which gets increasingly higher as I grow older. My first taste of rollercoasters was in 1997 in the West Edmonton Mall in Edmonton, Canada. The mall houses the world's largest indoor triple loop rollercoaster. Having never experienced a rollercoaster before, and seeing the excitement in so many other faces, I decided to go on that ride, alone, in a moment of insanity. After that ride, I swore off rollercoasters.

On my first trip to Disneyland, I must have suffered memory loss, and I accompanied Tim on the Space Mountain ride, a high energy twist and turn ride in blackness and neon coloured surroundings.

The same memory loss affected me again on this trip. When I saw the unbelievably short queue at the Matterhorn, I did the macho thing again and went on that ride. It was fast, but having experienced the triple loop before, I merely closed my eyes and screamed all the way until the ride ended and I walked off on legs of jelly.

The Indiana Jones Adventure ride was as promised; I was thrown around like a raggedy doll on a bumpy jeep. It reminded me of Tim's driving.

Surprisingly, I was beginning to enjoy these thrills.

But when I saw Splash Mountain, I knew it had to end. I wasn't ready for a 52-foot, 45-degree, 40-mile-per-hour plunge. I abandoned Tim.

Not everything was fast-paced. In typical Disney style, a lot of the attractions were cute and creative as displayed by the following photos.

Also, when in Disneyland, don't forget to try the funnel cake.

In the diffused light of twilight, as the sun set, Disneyland turned into a fairyland...

We ended our day in Disneyland by watching the Christmas Parade. We had front-row seats...on the pavement! Only in Disneyland.

Solvang, California

Note: This post is not related to Malaysian food. Writings on Malaysian food will resume when I am back from my vacation.

If you want to get a tourist disorientated when he visits the U.S., introduce him to Solvang. Sol-what?

A two-hour drive from LA led us to the quaint town of Solvang located in the Santa Ynez Valley in Santa Barbara county.

Be prepared to be greeted by the sight of windmills, yes, windmills, upon arriving at Solvang.

Solvang is a small town consisting of a cluster of delightful shops offering antiques, european handicrafts, bakeries and restaurants, and of course, windmills.

When in Solvang, try one of their delicacies - aebleskiver. Aebleskivers are Danish "pancakes" but instead of the flat pancakes we are all used to, the aebleskiver is round. It is usually eaten with raspberry jam and powdered sugar drizzled on top. We went to The Solvang Restaurant for several servings of aebleskiver, and a note of warning, there is a lunchtime queue, so go early!

The Solvang Restaurant

1672 Copenhagen Dr.Solvang, CA, 93463
Phone: (805) 688-4645 - Or - (800)-654-0541

Christmas 2006

Note: This post is not related to Malaysian food. Writings on Malaysian food will resume when I am back from my vacation.

I've always enjoyed spending Christmas in Los Angeles with family. Christmas eve is spent reverently at church, and on Christmas day, we tear open the pile of gifts lying beneath the Christmas tree. Once we are done with the unwrapping, we end up with two big bags - one with all our gifts, and the other, our contribution to paper recycling.



This year was no different. The family knows that I have an unnatural obsession with snowmen, so I got my usual dosage of snowman gifts. I also received a bunch of iPod accessories for which I'm very thankful!



Christmas lunch consisted of a Malaysian spread of mutton mysore and other accompaniments. There were some non-Malaysians among us, so the Malaysian meal was a treat for them. For me, the meal was certainly comfort food! I admit, I do have a weakness for Malaysian food. The aroma of spices, the waft of belacan and other olfactory imagery get me excited.


There were, of course, the requisite Christmas cookies baked lovingly by Dennis. :-)



A blessed Christmas to one and all.

Barcelona Restaurant and Wine Bar

Note: This post is not related to Malaysian food. Writings on Malaysian food will resume when I am back from my vacation.

Even when I'm away from home, it's hard not to get excited about the food I've enjoyed abroad. We were introduced to this great restaurant located in SoNo (South Norwalk), Connecticut. We had arrived at close to 9.00pm on a weeknight and the restaurant and bar were packed.

Having eaten all kinds of burgers and hotdogs, we were in the mood for something different. The affable waiter offered us a menu consisting of two pages of a variety of tapas. We were spoilt for choice, but eventually ended up deciding on:



Gambas al Ajilio - sauteed shrimp with garlic and sherry

Chicken chorizo

Ceviche - shrimp, red snapper,calamari, cilantro, peppers, lime juice and tomato

Grilled hangar steak

Albondigas - meatballs in tomato sauce

Porcini - crusted chicken

*Note: My apologies for the photographs! The place had a nice atmosphere, lit by candlelight and fairy lights, and I didn't want to spoil it with my camera flash. Imagination is a wonderful tool, and I encourage you to use it right now. :-)

Everything was downed with white wine sangria, the perfect complement to our tapas meal!

The meal was delicious and the company was excellent. Dinner came up to US$100 (with tips) for three.

Barcelona Wine Bar
22 Elizabeth Street
SoNo, CT 06854
Ph: 203-9138844
F: 203-2991417

Winter in New York

Note: This post is not related to Malaysian food. Writings on Malaysian food will resume when I am back from my vacation.

I had packed my bags anticipating a very cold winter. Someone up there sure has a sense of humour; the thick winter jacket which is still stored in my suitcase will not need any drycleaning this year.

New York, despite not having any snowfall so far, is still dressed to the nines for Christmas. If one isn't in the mood for Christmas yet, a visit to the ice skating rink at the Rockefeller Centre will definitely do the trick.

We spent a day at the Guggenheim Museum. When one has read so much about the Guggenheim, it is only natural to be disappointed to see the exterior covered in scaffolding. Apparently, the structure has been plagued by surface cracks since its opening in 1959, and in 2005, 12 layers of paint were removed to allow for an analysis of the building's surface. We, nevertheless, plundered along (of course lah...I had never done so much walking in my life) and were relieved to find the interior still in good condition. There was an exhibition on Spanish paintings from El Greco to Picasso featuring the works of Francisco de Goya, Joan Miro, Salvador Dali and of course El Greco and Pablo Picasso. I (I don't say "we", because we both have differing opinions on among others, Dali) found my introduction to surrealism particularly enlightening. Cubism, on the other hand, is something I shall leave to the art afficionados to debate. :-)

Another museum of interest is the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA). So you either love it or hate it. I did enjoy the New Photography exhibition especially the works of Barbara Probst. There were also some particularly moving photographs depicting death, or rather, the act of dying e.g. the final moments before the firing squad. And I enjoyed the tiramisu in Cafe 2 in the Museum. :-)



There is so much energy in Times Square. Street artists at every corner. Wannabe-rappers selling their homerecorded wares. Screaming teenagers wanting to be part of the latest MTV recording. Stretch limos. Roasted chestnuts.


Central Park is bleak and desolate in the winter. But nannies and mothers still stroll in the park, prams in tow. Horse-drawn carriages still make their way through the park. Life does go on like normal.


And of course, the shopping's great. :-)