Popeyes Pay Day

Yo peeps, I'm sure most of you should be excited by now and you know why? Cause Labour Day's here again! Yay! Well, okay, some of us (like me! sobs~) still have to work but that doesn't mean you can't make yourself happy with a treat. Most of us should be getting our pay by now and what's better than getting your pay at the end of the month? Well, getting another pay from Popeyes!



Okay, that was quite a silly pun. But yeah Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen would like to lessen the load of spending all your income on Labour Day with their Pay Day special promotion. That's right, on May 1st and May 1st only, you can purchase five pieces of their signature Bonafide chicken for only RM8.99, instead of the usual price of RM15.45!



Pay Day special is actually something Popeyes does each year in all its stores in the States since 2009, and it has drawn great response year after year. And since it's only on for one day, don't miss out on this at any of their nine outlets... I'm serious!

For those unfamiliar with Popeyes, it'll be interesting to know that their chicken are hand-battered and marinated for 12 hours, ensuring all the Louisiana seasoning, flavour and authentic Cajun spices are sealed into the goodness you get from each bite. Those who have tried the chicken would know that its not as oily as most fast food fried chicken and there's that slight kick of flavour. Many would agree with me that the chicken shouldn't be eaten with ketchup or chilli sauce as it disrupts the flavour of the chicken.



Before I end the post I'll leave you to photos of some of their other offerings in order to tempt you further (evil laugh!). Feast your eyes upon:

Delicious Fish Rice Bowl







Juicy Shrimp



Addictive Cajun Fries





Succulent Fish





Mash Potatoes (with chicken bits!) & Coleslaw





Yummy Chicken Tenders





And of course their famous Biscuits



Feeling hungry yet? So remember peeps, Pay Day @ Popeyes is available from 10.30am-10.30pm on May 1st, which is just tomorrow... Go treat yourself, cause you know you deserve it! ;-)

Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen
Taman Tun Dr Ismail - 03-7710 1198
Sunway Pyramid - 03-5631 2476
Mid Valley - 03-2287 7372
Wangsa Walk - 03-4142 8423
Klang Parade - 03-3344 5685
e@Curve - 03-7724 2630
Selayang Mall - 03-6137 0378
The Mines Shopping Fair - 03-8941 7812
Jalan Yap Kwan Seng - 03-2161 2318

Here We Go Again...

Yeap peeps, the Coca-Cola glasses are back at McDonald’s! And this time they come with an exclusive new “can” design. The first color, 'Charcoal' is out today and I was among the earliest to go grab one. On how popular it was... well, let's just say I had to queue for it... IN MY CAR!!! Yeap, there was a friggin' long queue in the drive thru when I was trying to get it. Hope I'll be able to complete the collection. Whatcha waiting for? Go grab them at McD's now!

PEACE & God Bless,
Aris Tee

Never Too Late to Scream

Fear is a fascinating thing. Even more fascinating is the fact that for some unexplainable reason, people just love to feel scared. Hence the spawning of the lucrative horror movie genre. These days filmmakers are finding ever more ways to scare the living daylights out of their audiences. From these movies come sequels, prequels, remakes and spin-offs, proving you simply can't put a good formula down. Enter Scream 4 (aka SCRE4M), the forth installment from the rather successful Scream franchise. A slasher franchise which has not seen a sequel in 11 years. The filmmakers say it helps bring Ghostface it to a new generation of audiences. Some argue it is a ploy to generate some quick bucks. Others believe there is no longer a place for it in the horror movie scene. I say the result might surprise you.



Scream 4 isn't afraid of making fun of itself, and/or the horror genre altogether. the film starts of with a number of false starts that poke fun on cliches of the genre, summed up with the 'Stab' movie-in-a-movie franchise. After all the teasing the movie flows seamlessly to an actual killing from the story. That moment will have you thinking, "Damn, Ghostface still has it in him".



Set in real time after the events of all the previous chapters, the film once again centers around Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell), who has since become quite a celebrity after getting herself back together and writing a book on her experiences.



But 11 years is never too long a time as the Ghostface killer returns once again to haunt her (and slaying a new generation of pretty teens while he's at it). Also returning are Dewey Riley and Gale Weathers, played by real-life husband-and-wife David Arquette and Courteney Cox.



Those new to the story include Jill Roberts (Emma Roberts) and Kirby Reed (Hayden Panettiere). There are also cameos by Anna Paquin and Kristen Bell.



In keeping with the times and the new decade, the killer this time doesn't follow the rules, like not killing gays or virgins, making it things more unpredictable. New twists include filming killings and streaming them live over the internet, but Ghostface is still traditional when contacting his victims - thru his eerie voice via the phone!

With horror maestro Wes Craven at the helm, you can expect a helluva good slashing time. Craven's still has his grip on cinematography, as we see cameras swoop following victims, and plenty of interesting angles that just keep you on your toes. With the trend of horror flicks often using sudden shocks and loud noises of late, its quite refreshing to see Scream 4 getting its scares from what's important - the killer.



Although time might have caught up to Ghostface (he does seem rather goofy in this time and age with the mask and long robe), his ruthless pursuits are still intense and keep the suspense running. There's just something really terrifying about a guy in a mask chasing you with a knife. And the killings and gore aren't overblown, they are pretty much appropriate and merciless. The acting ain't too shabby either, especially Panettiere who stood out as horror movie fan Kirby.



And yeah, what makes (or breaks) a slasher flick like Scream is who the killer is in the end. And without spoiling anything, I'd like to say that it's rather well-played and you'll never guess the twist at the end.

What Scream 4 has that many recent flicks lack of late is something relatively simple: fun. The movie doesn't take itself entirely too seriously. Characters occasionally seem to know they're in a horror movie. It's this nice blend that sets it apart from the crop. Sometimes after hordes of ridiculous horror methods, sticking to the basics proves effective. Scream 4 shows that a simple proven formula still works if you update it in the right places. While die-hard horror fans might find it lacking kick (or enough gore), it is scary enough for an average moviegoer like me.

3 1/2 Stars

Catch the Smart Troopers Again!

Yo peeps, shouting this out for a friend, and also all fellow SNSD (Girls' Generation) fans...



Thanks to the massive response from everyone the first time around, Intel's Smart Troopers will be back in town on the 23rd of April for one final attack of song, dance and gifts.

So where can one find the Smart Troopers?



The Smart Troopers' final battle plans...

Venues:
Sunway Pyramid - 1.00pm
Courts, Mutiara Damansara - 6.00pm
Ikano - 6.30pm
e@Curve - 7.10pm

Remember, if you have purchased a 2nd Generation Intel® Core™ processor-based PC from any of the retail stores below, hurry on to catch the Smart Troopers at these places, present your receipt to redeem a bonus Mystery Gift*!

- Harvey Norman
- Courts Sdn. Bhd.
- Fosa Marketing Sdn Bhd
- All IT Hypermarkets
- Thunder Match Technology Sdn. Bhd.
- MTCS Group Sdn. Bhd.
- Evernew IT

* While stocks last.

Also, if you haven't gotten your hands on the exclusive Intel-Girls' Generation poster posters yet, now's your chance to finally get them. And if you already have, they're not stopping you from growing your collection :p

So whatcha waiting for peeps? Me myself will try to catch them in action if I can. See you there!

PEACE & God Bless,
Aris Tee

Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?

All of a sudden, fairy tale re-imaginings are the 'in' thing again. Right on the heels of Beauty and the Beast update 'Beastly' is now the retelling of the classic tale of Little Red Riding Hood.



Titled just 'Red Riding Hood', the makers omitted the word 'little' as she is obviously pretty grown up. But hey, I ain't complaining as Amanda Seyfried's really gorgeous as Valerie, a young woman who's torn between two loves. Ah, that sounds kinda familiar... isn't that the synopsis for Twilight? The comparisons are inevitable as the movie is directed by Catherine Hardwicke, who directed the original Twilight film. But we'll get back to that later.

You see, Valerie is engaged and arranged to be married to village blacksmith Henry (Max Irons), a wealthy bloke with looks to match.



But sadly for him, his fiance is in love with Peter (Shiloh Fernandez), a dashing woodcutter she knew all her life.



Fortunately a love story isn't all about this flick. On the bigger scale of things, their village is cursed by visits of a terrifying werewolf who demands a monthly livestock sacrifice in exchange for no bloodshed. But when this truce is broken during the blood moon with the killing of Valerie's sister, the villagers want revenge. They call upon famed werewolf hunter Father Solomon (Gary Oldman), to assist with getting rid of this menace.

However, impatient for revenge, the villagers set out to kill the wolf themselves, bringing its head back for display. Later upon his arrival, Solomon reveals that the wolf they killed was nothing but a regular wolf, and the werewolf was still at large, and worse, living among them. So who really was the wolf? And it seems the wolf himself also has some sort of liking for Valerie, wanting her to come with him. So we have a scenario of 2 Dudes, a Girl and a Wolf going on here.

Firstly, the comparisons to Twilight are clear, especially the love triangle and corny 'Thy gaze upon thee for eternity' scenes. However, the plus points were also carried over; sweeping forest shots, dreamy scenes... if there was one thing that really stood out, it was the cinematography, which was just artistically beautiful. Hardwicke certainly has the upper hand when it comes to capturing love moments. Effects-wise, a pretty good job was done on the CG wolf itself, which appeared realistic and fearsome, like how a monster werewolf should. Think Jacob Black on steroids. And more growling. And he even does something Jacob couldn't, but that would be a spoiler. Acting-wise, Seyfried held her own as the titular character, using her wonderfully expressive eyes to fill up parts where no words were used.



Needless to say Oldman was his usual brilliant self, despite the rather limited script he had to work with. Too bad the same couldn't be said about the two lead males, who seem to be there more for looks than acting. In fact some of their banter reminded me of those between Edward and Jacob.



And Valerie's Grandma was downright disturbing.



When it came to the movie's story however, things turned out pretty average. The plot was heavily cliched one, cloaked with a 'Red Riding Hood' theme. While there were a number of interesting parts which linked the story to the famed fairy tale, but most feel out of place and downright corny. There were also a number of loopholes and many questions remain even after the credits roll. Like why couldn't the village friggin' hire Father Solomon in the first place?



Setbacks aside, Red Riding Hood, like many fairy tale re-tellings, still makes for a decent watch. The way the film was shot was certainly the highlight, with scene gems like Valerie walking through the snow with an endlessly long red robe flowing behind her. Also watch out for scenes that relate to the fairy tale.



Those craving werewolf action might get a healthy dose from the bloodthirsty big bad wolf, while young ones should get a kick out of the triangle of pretty lovesick people. Now if only Hardwicke could make out which direction her movie was to take...

2 1/2 Stars

Xtra Power?

As some of you might noticed, Petronas launched their new fuel recently. The Primax 95 Xtra is said to be inspired by Formula One technology (hey, Schumacher's driving the Petronas Benz after all!), and offer better savings in terms of mileage. Using RON 95? Sounds too good to be true - Exactly what I thought.



But I decided to give it a go anyways. Loaded the 155 with 50 bucks of this new fuel and gave a run to the Sepang F1 Circuit. No, not to race but to catch the Malaysian leg of the Formula One World Championship as well as Rain live in concert. I'm not sure if it was psychological but it sure felt smoother than running on your average RON 95 fuel. It's too early to tell if there's any savings, but in terms of power and pick-up I found it not bad, not RON 97 smooth but almost there. Kinda reminds you of ProJet's jet fuel back in the early 2000's. But I don't think it'll make you Schumacher though. Oh well, gotta get back to sorting tons of photos~

PEACE & God Bless,
Aris Tee

Croc Feast

Group outings are fun. The simple joy of having a meal out with family, friends or colleagues often doubles up as wonderful bonding sessions. But the increased number of people leaves certain restaurants out of the question. However, for a scrumptious group meal with an unbeatable lakeside view, you can never go wrong with Crocodile Farm Seafood Village.

The very name of the restaurant alone is enough to be a topic-starter. While I've heard stories that the place used to serve crocodile meat before, I'm not really sure how true this is. Crocodile Farm has been around for almost two decades, making it one of the oldest food places in Subang Jaya. Which is a surprise a few have still not heard of it. Located not far from Subang Jaya Medical Centre and a stone’s throw away from Holiday Villa hotel (there is a tiny junction with a sign board before you reach), the restaurant has a majestic view of Subang Ria Lake, especially at night. And you’ll rarely have any problems finding a spot there.

Their menu is rather extensive, so you’ll never get bored with choices. Served Chinese-style and like the name suggests, their specialty is seafood (no, not crocodiles!). For starters, you could try Four Seasons, which like the name suggests, offers four different items on a platter and is great for sharing.





Ours had a swerving of jellyfish, yam croquette, shark fin omelette and seafood treasure rolls. Everyone had white rice, so we ordered various dishes to go with it. First up was the Crabmeat Tofu, which was Japanese tofu, smothered with crabmeat and egg.



Thick and delicious, this is a must-try for tofu-lovers! For veggies we had a serving of Baby Kailan with Garlic, which came so fresh and green (not to mention crunchy!).



A nice fish dish is always welcome, so we had a Steamed Siakap.



Freshly caught, the fish was served in soy sauce, ginger and garnishing – simply wonderful and melts in the mouth. Poultry-lovers would enjoy the Crispy Roast Chicken, which is crispy like the name suggests, and comes served with chips and some seasoning dips.



The more adventurous however, may opt for the Black Pepper Venison Ribs, which is a restaurant specialty. The tender meat is cooked to perfection and is also available in boneless form, it is a must-try for any food-lover.



Onward to more seafood, we also ordered Kam Heong Prawns, which was simply exquisite.



The prawns come seasoned with various spices, curry leaved and deep fried with egg, resulting in a dish which was crispy on the outside, succulent on the inside and bursting with flavor - this is another dish not to be missed.

We didn't forget about dessert either. The restaurant offers a number of hot and cold desserts including fresh fruits, but we opted for the Lotus Pancake.



This popular dish is basically fried pancake with lotus paste filling. It comes also with red bean filling.

If you're already mouth-watering and feeling hungry now, I'll suggest you grab your family, friends or colleagues and head on down to Crocodile Farm Seafood Village today for lunch or dinner, because if you haven't been there till now, you don't know what you're missing.

Crocodile Farm Seafood Village
Taman Subang Ria, Subang Jaya,
47500 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Tel : 603 5635 1463

Wagyu in a Bun!

Mention the word Wagyu and thoughts of juicy tenderness, glorious marbling, and rich flavor come to mind. Got your attention? Well beef lovers, it's time for a celebration as Tony Roma's brings Wagyu beef to their current burger menu. Yup, Wagyu-in-a-burger. How awesome is that?

I was recently invited by the nice peeps at Tony Roma's to try their new range of premium Wagyu beef burgers, which was an improvement over last year's already amazing selection. However in an effort to avoid us from being hungry and/or an attempt to add some veggies, we were served a wonderful starter of their new Grilled Chicken and Roasted Vegetable Salad (RM29.90). 





This new salad consisted a mix of grilled chicken, zucchini, carrots, red peppers and chives blended with chopped greens. This comes served with tomato pesto vinaigrette dressing and toasted cheddar flatbread. How's that for a healthy start? In addition to the salad were their usual lovely and famous Fried Mushrooms.





We were also presented a serving of yet another popular dish, the Shrimp Scampi Pasta, which is famous for its ridiculous amounts of really fresh shrimp. But we had to limit ourselves as Wagyu beef burger was the main course. There are five types of Wagyu beef burgers to select from, and each has their own appeal. All come served with Tony Roma's wonderful French fries.

First up was the Steakhouse Burger (RM37.90) which already sounded delicious from its name. It consists of savoury grilled Wagyu beef topped with demi-glace, creamy Havarti and rosemary bacon. The burger is also lined with lettuce, tomato, red onions and pickles. Rosemary bacon was the key ingredient that made this one special.



The first thing you'll notice about the burger was how darn thick the Wagyu beef was. Smothered with melted Harvati cheese, it looked wickedly sinful. Slice the burger and it was immediately clear what the fuss was about.



Moist, juicy, and full of texture, the tender Wagyu beef used made a huge difference. Munching on this burger was akin to having a steak in your hands. The ingredients compliment the meat well, and makes for one really, really satisfying burger. Highly recommended!

Next up was the Big Stack Burger (RM34.90), which like the name suggests, was one heck of a huge stack! The juicy grilled burger comes piled high with crisp bacon, cheddar cheese, caramelized onions, lettuce, tomato and Dijon mustard.



This was another sinful offering, with melted cheddar spilling off the sides and crispy bacon calling your name. This combination makes for a different experience, and I must say this one is a must try as well.

Next up was the Wild Mushroom Harvati Burger (RM36.90), which was a real treat for mushroom-lovers.



Juicy Wagyu beef is smothered with melted Harvati cheese and wild mushrooms, making for a really awesome experience. The tender beef goes really well with the mushrooms and I'm sure this should be on the list of anyone who loves this wonderful combination.

Then we have the Fiery Cajun Burger (RM34.90), which was a colossal stack of a burger. When I mean colossal, I wasn't kidding.



This lightly-seasoned behemoth comes loaded with cheddar cheese and Cajun-seasoned fried onions.



The combination of crunchy and tender is something to behold, and fans of Tony Roma's Onion Loaf should definitely give this one a try. The sheer height alone should be a welcome challenge to burger-lovers.

Unfortunately I didn't get a chance to try the fifth and final Wagyu beef burger offering, but judging from the description, the Surf & Turf Burger (RM36.90) sounds like a real whopper. The combination of Tony Roma's own Kickin' Shrimp tossed in Remoulade sauce piled on seasoned Wagyu beef and topped with caramelised onion, melted Swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato and pickle chips sounds like a real winner!

And oh, I haven't mention that these Wagyu beef burgers entitle you to a 50% discount on any Tony's Milkshakes that are available (usual price RM9.90). Choose from Vanilla, Chocolate or Strawberry. I tried Chocolate and it was the bomb!



In addition to the ongoing Wagyu beef burger promo, patrons are also welcome to participate in Tony Roma's Burger Eating Competition to stand a chance to win RM2,000 cash! To participate all you have to do is order at least one Tony Roma's Wagyu beef burger and attach the receipt to the application form as proof. Recruitment starts from 11th April onwards. You may click on the poster thumbnails below to read for more info:

     

Overall I found the Wagyu beef burgers something fresh and undeniably a big upgrade from your usual run-of-the-mill beef burger. I might be a steak person (I absolutely love Wagyu beef steaks!, but I found having them in burger form is not bad, seriously. Tony Roma's Wagyu beef burger promotion will run from 11th April till 5th June, so I suggest you hurry on there if you do not want to miss trying this awesomely juicy treat!

Tony Roma's
Sunway Pyramid - 03-7492 1188
e@Curve - 03-7728 7833
Pavilion - 03-2143 3278
The Gardens - 03-2282 8243
Jalan Yap Kwan Seng - 03-2161 0200
One Mont Kiara - 03-6203 0580