Spa Review: ELYSYLE Spa, Wisma Elken, Kuala Lumpur

Father's Day is just around the corner (15th June this year), so if you're still looking for a special gift for your dad, I have a great idea right here for you - why not treat him to a pampering spa treatment? And my blog readers can enjoy a special discount for the whole month of June - read on for more details! :)

ELYSYLE Spa is world-class fusion spa that combines Eastern and Western elements in its setting, ambience and therapies. It is located in the 10,000 square feet penthouse of Wisma Elken.

We were recently invited to ELYSYLE Spa to try out a couple of their treatments. Upon arrival, we were pleased to find that a car parking space has been reserved for us right in front of the building, as parking is pretty limited around here. Once you are inside the building, you are transported to a tranquil surrounding, almost forgetting that we are still right here in bustling KL!  Before the start of our treatment, we were brought to the seating area to enjoy a welcome drink and some cookies.

Tranquil environment

Our therapists then leads us to the VIP suites, which is equipped with resting lounge, private shower, jacuzzi, toilet and is suitable for couples who want to enjoy their treatments together. Our treatment starts off with a complimentary foot bath and scrub to refresh our tired feet. Then, we experienced one of their signature treatments, the energizing stone spa that adopts the proven traditional yet natural therapeutic approach of using natural gemstones to re-energise the body from within.

Stone spas are becoming very famous and available in every corner of Japan due to their numerous health benefits including emission of FIRs and negative ions, and the relaxing warm heat. Our bodies naturally produce FIRs, a natural energy the body uses to heal, repair and balance itself, however production of FIRs decrease as we age or when our body undergoes external or internal stress like exposure to environmental toxins, injury or stress, resulting in an increased susceptibility to illnesses. 

The combination of negative ions and FIRs emitted from a stone spa provides many benefits to the skin, aids dieting, alleviates back and shoulder pains, boosts the immune system and helps reduce allergies, constipation and chronic conditions like rheumatism and arthritis.

ELYSYLE houses Malaysia’s first ever stone spa, and have chosen to use 3 of Japan’s most popular ore (natural rock) and gemstones, each offering differing positive health benefits to the body. Your therapist can advise you on the best option after consulting you on your health concerns. A 40-minute session in the stone spa definitely made us feel revitalized and perhaps lighter from the major sweat out. :D 

After our stone spa treatment, we were served some juice, cold water and jelly, which we were advised to finish to rehydrate our bodies. Then, we enjoyed a 60-min rejuvenating deep tissue massage - our massage therapist worked their magic with slow, firm strokes. Felt so good!

Overall, we had a wonderful and relaxing afternoon being pampered at ELYSYLE Spa, thank you!

A 60-min massage (choose from Original Swiss, pure aromatherapy, deep tissue, or shiatsu) costs RM188++ while 90-min massage is RM238++. ELYSYLE energizing stone spa costs RM78++ for 40 minutes. For the month of June 2014, Baby Sumo readers can enjoy 40% off stone spa treatments. Simply quote/mention "babysumo" while making your reservations to enjoy this discount.



Opening times: Tue – Sat : 10:30am – 07:30pm; Sun / PH : 10:30am – 05:30pm; Mondays closed.

Location: ELYSYLE Spa, Lot 1-3, Penthouse, Wisma Elken, Batu 5, Jalan Kelang Lama,
58000 Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia

Tel: +603-7785 1111

GPS Coordinates: 3.085419, 101.670860

Website: http://www.elysylespa.com.my/elysyle-spa.html



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Recipe: Vietnamese Prawns Stir-Fried with Lemongrass & Chilli (Tôm riem xo voi)

My boy's latest food love are prawns. For example, whenever we go for char koay teow, he would ask for all the prawns on the plate. The other day, I cooked Vietnamese-style stir fried prawns with lemongrass and chilli (tôm riem xo voi) and he loved it! He kept asking for more. :)

For this dish, I used medium-sized fresh prawns, which have been shelled and deveined. Other ingredients include large onion, thinly sliced lemongrass and red chilli, and seasoned with fish sauce, light soy sauce and sugar. I didn't have any red chilli, so I used some jalapeno peppers (you can also use cili padi (bird's eye chilli)). The lemongrass is homegrown, from our garden.

This is a simple stir-fry dish, which literally takes minutes to cook. Fragrant, sweet, savoury and spicy, the flavours are simply delicious. What a wonderful, quick weekday meal this makes. I would definitely cook this again!

Vietnamese Prawns Stir-Fried with Lemongrass & Chilli (Tom riem xo voi)
Recipe by Baby Sumo, adapted from Vietnamese Bible
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 large onion, sliced
1-2 plump stem lemongrass, trimmed and finely sliced
24 medium fresh prawns, shelled and deveined (about 250g)
1 large hot red chilli or jalapeno, deseeded and sliced
1 tbsp fish sauce
2 tsp light soy sauce
1/2 tbsp caster sugar


1. In a wok, heat oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and lemongrass and stir fry for 2-3 minutes, until fragrant. Add the prawns and chilli and cook for a further minute, until prawns are cooked through. Season with fish sauce, light soy sauce and sugar and mix well.

2. Serve immediately with rice vermicelli, rice-stick noodles or plain white rice.


Note: Not very sure of the Vietnamese name for this dish, book states tom riem xo voi, but it may be tôm xào sả ớt - enlighten me if you know the correct name! Thanks :)

* I am submitting this post to Asian Food Fest- Indochina hosted by Kelly Siew Cooks and to "Cook-Your-Books #13" hosted by Joyce .


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Lam's Kitchen, Cheras Sentral Mall, KL

Usually, when we visit Cheras Sentral Mall, we will go to Fresco for their no-frills (good) steaks. However, we just had steak the previous night so we opted to dine at Lam's Kitchen for a change. Lam's Kitchen serves Chinese cuisine, ranging from roasted meats to noodle dishes to fried rice to stir fry (dai-chow type) dishes. It is located at the back of Jaya Grocer supermarket near the non-halal section.

Hubby ordered the three combination rice (RM14.80), and he selected roast duck, roast pork (siew yuk) and BBQ pork (char siu). The portion is decent for the price paid (taking into account the location in a mall too). Most importantly, the meats were all nicely roasted - I especially liked the roast duck as the skin was very crispy.

I went for the prawn dry wantan noodles (RM9.80). It was a pretty good plate of wantan noodles, accompanied with plump prawn/pork wantans in soup. Served with pickled green chillies.

A satisfying lunch - will return for some of their fried noodles/rice dishes. 

Opening times: 10am to 10pm.

Service: Good.

Price: Total bill rm34.90, including 2 drinks.

Location: Lam's Kitchen, Cheras Sentral Mall, Basement Level, Jalan 2/142A Off Jalan Cheras, KM10, 56000 Cheras, Kuala Lumpur. (inside Jaya Grocer)



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Recipe: Vietnamese Stir-Fried Pork & Beansprouts (Giá Xào Thịt)

A couple of months ago, I bought a Vietnamese cookbook (we love trying new cuisines!) but I did not have the time to try out the recipes. This month, Kelly is hosting Asian Food Fest - Indochina, which includes Vietnam, giving me the incentive to take the book out and start flipping the pages for a recipe which I can try making. Just the push I needed :)

Vietnamese Stir Fried Pork & Beansprouts (Giá Xào Thịt)

Vietnamese cuisine is considered one of the healthiest cuisines worldwide and this stir fried pork and beansprouts recipe that I chose to try is exactly that. Xào means stir frying, and this is a simple and quick stir fry recipe. The lean pork is first marinated in fish sauce, sugar, cornflour and black pepper for 15 minutes, then stir fried in a hot wok for a mere 7 minutes. The meat is tender and flavorful, and the beansprouts lend a nice crunch to the dish.

Very flavorful!

A fantastic and delicious one-pan dish for a busy weekday evening!

Vietnamese Stir-Fried Pork & Beansprouts (Gia Xao Thit)
Recipe by Baby Sumo, adapted from Vietnamese Bible
Preparation time: 10-15 minutes
Cooking time: 6-7 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients
350g lean pork, finely sliced

For the marinade
1 1/2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp caster sugar
1 1/2 tsp cornflour
3/4 tsp black pepper

2 tbsp cooking oil
2 tsp sesame oil (optional)
4 spring onions, cut into 3cm lengths
3 thin slices fresh ginger, cut into fine shreds
300g fresh beansprouts, cleaned

For seasoning
1 tsp fish sauce, to taste
Salt



1. Place pork in a bowl, and add the fish sauce, sugar, cornflour and pepper. Using your hands, mix well. Marinate for 15 minutes.

2. In a wok, heat the oil over high heat, then add the sesame oil (if using). Add the ginger and cook for 1 minute, then add the pork and stir fry for about 2-3 minutes, until barely cooked. Then, add the spring onions and cook for further 30 seconds. Finally, add the beansprouts and stir fry until cooked, about 1 minute. Taste seasoning, and add more fish sauce/salt as necessary. Serve immediately with rice.

Note: Do slice the pork against the grain, this ensures that the cooked meat is more tender.

* I am submitting this post to Asian Food Fest- Indochina hosted by Kelly Siew Cooks and to "Cook-Your-Books #13" hosted by Joyce .


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Ramadan Buffet 2014 @ Latest Recipe, Le Meridien KL

During the month of Ramadan this year, Latest Recipe in Le Meridien KL (LMKL) will be showcasing traditional local Malay cuisine by celebrity guest Chef Zubir as well as the team from LMKL. Chef Zubir is renowned for his stint as a judge on the MasterChef Malaysia cooking competitions. 

"It is essential that my cooking remains as traditional as possible as diners look forward to familiar tastes that is reminiscent of their mother's or kampong's home cooked food," says Chef Zubir.

Latest Recipe will feature culinary styles from Kedah, Kelantan, Perak, Penang, Negeri Sembilan and Johor.  The buffet dinner is available from 29 June to 27 July 2014, priced at RM138++ per person (Monday to Friday), RM128++ per person (on Saturday & Sunday). Children between the ages of 4-12 yrs old are entitled to a 50% discount as well as senior citizens on weekends only. SPG members will receive a 20% off total food bill. There are also early bird vouchers available at RM100 nett per person, to be purchased before 20 June 2014. 

Buffets are fun as you get to try a little bit of everything. I was eager to try the wonderful array of food on offer. To start, diners can choose from an array of kerabu (local vegetable salads), Malay spiced spring roll, fruit acar, prawn fritters, ulam-ulam and more. Must-tries (recommended by Chef Zubir himself) is the Ayam Masak Gulai Merah Lengkuas and Masak Lemak Cili Padi Daging Salai Bersama Rebung. There are also celebrated dishes such as roasted baby lamb marinated in Arabic spices, gear box soup, Javanese rendang beef with offal and tripe, and cat fish cooked in fermented durian and coconut chilli gravy. In addition to the authentic Malay fare, there will also be a selection of Indian, Japanese, Western and Chinese cuisine as well as desserts.

Some of my personal favorites from the preview Ramadan buffet spread includes kerabu pucuk paku (fiddlehead fern kerabu), Javanese rendang beef, as well as the baked red snapper with Portugese spices. I also enjoyed the selection from the Indian (lamb kashmiri) and Japanese (teppanyaki, sashimi) kitchen. Oh and I was really excited to see that they had deep fried cempedak here, one of my favorite Malay goreng snacks.

Javanese rendang beef - really tasty, had to go for seconds :)

Spicy prawn with black pepper and dry chilli

Catfish with fermented durian (tempoyak)

Butter Crab

Baked Red Snapper with Portuguese Spices

Roasted lamb with Yemen spices and tomato minted sauce and pickled onion

Indian counter

Noodle counter

Sashimi

Sushi

Fresh seafood

Goreng-goreng counter

Cempedak - can't say NO to that

Desserts galore

Coconut cendol pudding

Pandan Layer Cake

Putu Piring and Putu Mayam

Mochi

With Chef Zubir at Latest Recipe :)

Complimentary parking for all diners on Saturday and Sunday. Free flow date juice, sirap bandung, sugar cane juice and soya bean milk is included with the buffet.

For reservations, please call Dining reservations at 03-2263 7434 or email dining.lmkl@lemeridien.com


Opening times: Monday to Sunday: 6.30pm to 10.30pm (Dinner)

Location: Latest Recipe, 5th Floor, Le Méridien Kuala Lumpur, 2 Jalan Stesen Sentral, 50470 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Tel: 03- 2263 7434

GPS Coordinates: 3.135685, 101.686524

Website: http://www.lemeridiendining.com.my



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Recipe: Super-Easy Chocolate Chocolate-Chip Muffin (Nigella Lawson)

Since the kids are on their school holidays, we did some baking last week on a weekday night. Baby C invited her friend over to join in the fun. I looked for an easy muffin recipe which the kids could do all by themselves (with minimal supervision), and picked this chocolate chocolate-chip muffin recipe from Nigella Lawson. Which kid wouldn't love chocolate?

Chocolate chocolate-chip muffins

The day has arrived for our first "baking class". I merely arranged the ingredients and equipment, and the kids did the rest, and followed instructions really well. A bit of measuring and mixing, and the muffins were ready for the oven. We watched as the muffins rose up high and tall.

The muffins were moist and chocolatey. The kids gobbled up two muffins each after their hard work. I could sense how proud they were of themselves. Fantastic job, kids! :)

Hubby decorated some of our bananas as cute minions from Despicable Me :)

Chocolate chocolate-chip muffins
Recipe by Baby Sumo, adapted from FoodNetwork - Nigella Lawson
Preparation time: 15-20 minutes

Cooking time: 18-20 minutes
Makes 12


Ingredients
1 3/4 cups plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tbsp best quality cocoa powder
3/4 cup caster sugar
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup milk
1/3 cup + 2 tsp corn or vegetable oil
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

For sprinkling

1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips for sprinkling

1. Preheat oven to 200°C (no fan). Line a muffin tin with 12 muffin cases.

2.  Put the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder, sugar 3/4 cup of the chocolate chips into a large bowl. 

3. Place the milk, oil, egg and vanilla extract into a measuring jug.  Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and mix until combined. Do not overmix, a lumpy batter makes the best muffins. 

4. Place the batter back into the measuring jug and fill the muffin cases, about 3/4 full. Alternatively, you can spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cases. 

5. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup chocolate chips on top and then bake for 18-20 minutes or until the muffins are dark, risen and springy.

Fresh from the oven

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