Obviously, when u have something like a restaurant name and then followed by its location/branch,you know that this has to be good since its probably the nth outlet branch..the business is probably doing good that they have decided to expand it..then again, i could be wrong..but for this restaurant, it holds true.. Forgive me for my lack of understanding of the Tamil language but doesnt Paandi means...nevermind~..lets head on down to the food review!..

For this article, i'd like to classify banana leaf into two categories: the complete banana leaf and the simple banana leaf..sounds complex? Well, typically banana leaf dishes come in these two variants (i think you'd agree with me, let me explain). The one seen here happens to be the complete variant. For obvious reasons, the banana leaf dish here consists of the full course; you have the normal 3 vege side-dish (typically you'd have cucumber-pineapple-chilli in vinegar, vege cooked with dhal and some curry vege..oh, this wan has a fourth side-dish ie. stir fried vege), 3 different dipping sauce, for the crispies; typically you have papadums (but this one gives dried chilli and chips as well), then there are little extras such as a choice of traditional soups (mooru -seen as white soup i

n the collage and rasam - slightly yellowish clear soup), optional deep fried vege (such as ladies finger and bittergourd) and meats (Curry chicken/mutton/fish or fried chicken/fish)...AND of course all of these go with RICE! We must have rice.. Lastly, for the sweet toothed, there are traditional indian desserts and cakes to savor..it is that COMPLETE!

So, you might be wondering, whats does simple consist of? Well, the one i'd classify simple consist of rice with a choice of curry gravy to go with it, the 3 vege side-dish that i mentioned, pappadums and a choice of meat (chicken/fish/mutton). It is the most basic of how a banana leaf can get.. if you were to compare the complex and the simple banana leaf, if think the complex one has way more stuff to get delighted with..but then again, never underestimate the simple one too, cos i noe of one that is just as great; simple but perfect..an article on the simple banana leaf is coming soon..till then, happy eating..p/s: i was showing this to my VP the other day and he commented that the corner lot sells even better Banana leaf..the name? Devi's corner..need to check that one next!

Nice? this is coming next...the Banana falls (Pisang waterfalls) aka Longkang Besar (Big Drain) is one of my many memorable trips i have had..Combining good company, a relatively simple hiking trail, nice exquisite forests and a giant longkang (drain), this place is a must visit for all.. Our hiking team seemed satisfied that day and so was our photography crew; for me, i couldn't be any happier..

This time around, two of our pro photographers; Wonderboy and Yellowbanana came along, which made this whole trip a photo shooting frenzy overkill hyper flash ultra modeling kinda outing.. We were practically modelling the whole journey through..felt as though we were stars, celeb or some supermodel or something..Now, youve gotta be really impressed with their shots, their skills are great..But there is also the external factor (the awesomeness factor) that this place is just full of scenic shots just begging for a picture perfect to be taken..couple it with a lil creativity and some remote flashes..wualahh~..As a beginner in photography, i knew that very day, i had to get a external flash A.S.A.P


So, for those that do not know Pisang falls that well, it is that fall which is "located near the highway lahh, dat wan with the big big drain wan"..for me, i'd conveniently call it the twin falls cos its my first time seeing one (as at now, i dont whtr its a twin fall anymore), located somewhere along the Karak Highway, in the region of Gombak. , its like, who would have known that such a nice lil waterfall exist near a major highway which connects East and West of Malaysia..



Well, after writing few articles now (damn, this is my 105th), ive noticed something..i dont tell my viewers the location places..Talking about location, coincidentally my cousins and i were chilling out at desa park just the other day and one of them asked for directions to Quadro..one of my elder guy cousins then replied, staring blankly at the ceiling, "you turn left and right..there is this road, take that!"..Everyone broke into laughter..typical guy or how a guy's brain work.. So, i wont go to the specifics but here's wat i can tell you - follow the sign that leads to Muzium Orang Asli when youre somewhere in the Kepong region.. and if you got that right, you're about 95% there already.. the rest, do your homework..

Back to Pisang, i would say that this place has a rather wide range of biodiversity (not as much as Gunung Datuk which still tops my lists)..I can give you a few examples: Gabunta(anyone watches Naruto?), the huge frog(<--see pic) guards the two tunnels of this place..then, there are numerous occasions of us seeing paw like prints, i hope they are not tigers'..There are alot of fishes at the waterfall and we even saw the Raja Brooke (the famed gigantic Malaysian butterfly..).. Then, there was this rape case that was going on here; and we bumped into the police during our hike who were hunting down the culprit (oh ya, this has nothing to do with biodiversity..lari topic)

I still remember having my first Crème brûlée at Tang Lin club in Spore..I still remembered saying "How come they didnt have this in Malaysia?".."they do!" i was told..i kept quiet..i was very young that time..then, came other mind blowing desserts..desserts that were on fire!!.. a second blow of culture shock for lil coconut (the first being a naked gwailo in the toilet by the pool)..It was awesome (i dont mean the gwailo, i meant the dessert).. Still burning whilst served, i thought to myself "How am i gonna eat this?"..As the fire went off, i dug my fork into the cake and grabbed a bite of what i'd call heaven =)

Well, its been a while since that memorable day; i still remember every moment clearly. Every time i see desserts on the menu now, i would smirk at myself.. In today's article, i'd like to introduce two flaming desserts i find truly interesting; the Bombe Alaska (top left pic) and crêpe suzette (bottom left pic) found in the menus of Victoria's Station..I know, VS is famous for its steaks but why intro ppl something they already know..i bet most ppl din bother to look at the desserts section ;) from here, i think you know where im heading..i'd say: go try it if you havent right? yup..thats right..

Describing the dessert and seeing pictures is half the story, eating the dessert is one part, experiencing how it is made is another..I wont say that the Bombe Alaska and Crepe here in VS is the best (at least not as good as in Tang Lin's) but its worth it!..Basically, the Bombe Alaska dish consists of a fruit and ice cream core followed by a cake layer and some cream finishing.. A lil rum+fire gives this this a wow factor and a burnt cream outer texture..The crepe suzette on the other hand isnt as ganas as the bombe alaska but, it involves alot of flames in the making as well..If i were really to break it down to lay man's term, i'd describe the dish as just pancake with orange sauce..Something which isnt a big deal if you put it that way but watching is being prepared IS!!..Anyway, do consider that these dishes take about 15 minutes to prepare, the former being slightly longer since it involves whipping cream and chilling b4 served (ps: although there is fire involved, the desserts are very much cold rather than hot)..