'J&D Espresso' @ Oasis BU 11 Bandar Utama

It's the weekends and what better way to chill out with your buddy? 

This round, went to try out a new place at J&D espresso in Bandar Utama.

Came to know about 'J&D expresso' when having desserts at Coconut Grove Dessert Corner one day and thought of returning to try out this place. So here I am....with my buddy to venture our tastebud.

Interesting about this place that they only open up till 6pm. 

For those who prefer outdoors, you can dine outside.....

 ...or indoors with air-cond (the weather has been insanely hot).

Would not recommend to sit at the corner with your leg crossed if you're planning to sit & dine for few hours cause I ended up having leg cramped afterwards (sign of old age?).

Environment wise it's really nice...chill out ambience where one can catch up with your friends...or a place to unwind with a cup of coffee and a good book. 

Everything on the menu seems delectable and you just want to order everything. LOL

Note down what you need on a piece of paper as shown below... 

....and press for service when you're done. 

Easy breeze right? 

Latter Macchiato

Ahhh...something I missed for a while now (was off from caffeine for some time). 

Great way to kick start your day.

Not too strong on the caffeine....just perfect for me. 

Eggs Atlantic - poached eggs on homemade muffin, cream cheese, smoked salmon & fresh dill hollandaise.  Love the perfectly well made poached eggs (why can't I made a poached eggs like this?!?). My only complaint....a bit too small to fill up your tummy. 

Thankfully we ordered....

Vodka Battered Fish & Chips. Their house specialty of vodka battered dory served with herbed fries & salad. When I first read the name of this dish, I joked with my buddy about getting drunk after finishing this dish. Surprisingly it's really good. The fish was well battered and fried. The outer layer of the skin was crispy and the meat is tender...not overcooked. Can't really taste the vodka...so it's pretty safe to consume. LOL.

Molten Chocolate Lava Cake. 

One word to describe this dessert would be 'Amazing'! Warm molten chocolate oozing out from the cake once it was cut through. Served with vanilla ice cream...one could hardly stop eating. Yup, super sinful. Oh well...eat first, worry later.

My overall verdict? Like the picture shown below...I absoutely 'love' everything about this place, from the food to the ambiance and to the friendly staff.

My friend & I enjoyed ourselves so much that we spent over 3 hours just chatting away and chilling out (no kidding). Will definitely revisit this place again. 

J&D EspressoOasis Business Centre BU11,
Lebuh Bandar Utama, Bandar Utama,
47800 Petaling Jaya.
Contact: 017- 313 3931

Day Out With Ethan Boy :)

Some random pics I took of my friend's son. 

Can't believe he is 3 years old now. 

He can be sweet and cute...but he can be a bit cheeky at times. 

Like most boys, they can be quite a handful as they can be more 'active' than girls. 

Poh Poh have to put on a 'leash' on him so that he won't run away. 

Ethan boy, stay happy and healthy always k. 

My Boracay Trip on Day 2 (2014) - D'Mall & White Sandy Beach

On the second day in Boracay, we woke up to a bright sunny morning outside. We finally get to see the view outside from our room. 

Breakfast is from 6 to 10am so we took a shuttle outside of our villa to the lobby.

Breakfast were plentiful and there were variety of choices to choose from.

After breakfast, we went back to our hotel room to rest before heading off to the resort's private beach for a little R&R. ^^

Once we arrived at the site, we can't help but stare and mesmerised with the beautiful crystal white sand beach. Yup, we were totally blown away with the beauty at this beach. Even their swimming pool here is huge!

And the best thing of all, we practically have the whole beach to ourselves! Time just flew by while we were swimming and taking pictures. We just spent time sitting along the beach admiring the scenery,  and people parasailing from afar at the blue sky. This place is indeed a paradise. 

We headed back to our room for a  shower before taking the shuttle to D'Mall. We wanted to have our lunch so we ended up at 'Hungry Monkey' to try their 'Pork Belly Rice' (P150). Surprisingly this dish is really good. Although it looks kinder plain with only white rice and a small salad on the side, the meat was well grilled and cooked to perfection (no kidding). 

Next we stopped by at Andoks (again) to try out other dishes. The food we have the night before was not bad and pricing wise is really reasonable. Overall, we spent P300 (RM22.80) here, which includes 2 drinks, 2 rice, pork chop & BBQ pork stick. 

After a full meal, what better way to burn off all those calories by taking a stroll at the beach...and stop by for a refreshing shakes at one of the stall nearby. Ordered a cup of Mango shakes to share....only P80 (RM6) per cup. 

You'll find a number of stalls selling shakes such as this, but we tried the one which is in front of 'Beach Bum' sign. It's indeed refreshing. We didn't try the juice at 'Jonah's Fruit Shake & Snack Bar ' which I read how popular and good about the place is. Oh well, the juice we have is pretty good too.  

With our juice on hand, we took a stroll at the beach and just gaze out at awe in front of us. The white beach located at Station 2 have the finest sand and the water across the shore was crystal clear. There is a change in the weather and unlike the weather earlier which was sunny and clear, the weather became windy and gloomy in the late afternoon. There goes our chance of wanting to see the sunset. 

Check out the video below which I recorded while at the beach in Station 2. 

*Don't mind the sound, it was very windy*

I've seen many bloggers posted pictures of 'Boracay' sandcastles on their blog, so I was determine to find a similar sandcastle to pose. When I finally found one I was so excited and started taking pictures....only to find out that tips were required for posing with the sandcastle. It's really up to you how much you want to give them. 

If you want to have your name or any other writing (example such as Lee <3 Jang), you can do so for a small fee.  I saw a family paid P50 (RM3.80) for the young boy to do so. At  least the young boys were earning extra pocket money with the use of their talent.

Last shot before heading off. 

Initially we planned to return on our last day for a scrumptious meal at this restaurant...however we found a place which is even better and cheaper (to be updated soon). 

We explore the place for a little longer before heading back. Believe it or not, rather than trying out new food, we actually ordered a take away at 'Hungry Monkey' (Yup, same food - Pork Belly Rice). 

While waiting for our shuttle, we dropped by at Budget Mart (again) to buy drinks. This is one place that most tourist goes to get their drinks or snacks (including us). 

Yup, our second day was pretty much exploring around D'Mall and beaches. Didn't try out any of the water activities due to the weather becoming too windy. Day 2 is by far the most relaxing day so far for us. LOL. 

Continue reading Day 3 & Day 4 here.

Review: Airport Transfer With 'MY BORACAY GUIDE' (Getting To Boracay Island From Kalibo Airport)

In my last blog post, I mentioned that I booked airport transfer with My Boracay Guide. 

I'm glad that I booked with them because it was hassle free for me since the logistic team take care of all the transportation. For your info, I booked the standard transfer on their website (Php1,500 per pax). On their website, they offer other alternative transfer for those wanting to travel in comfort. 

Airport Transfer To Boracay from Kalibo Airport

On the day of our arrival, our logistic guide Richel was waiting at the exit area of the airport. You can easily spot her as she will be wearing a white MyBoracayGuide shirt and holding a welcome board with your name on it (example such as below).

One of logistic team assist us with our luggage and escort us to the bus. Their package includes a free Guide Book and discount card to selected shop/eateries in the island. A sticker was given to put on our shirt, which enables other logistic team to identify us when we arrived. 

Waited 20 minutes for other passengers (to fill up the seats) before departing from the airport. The journey takes approximately 2 hours (10 minutes stop at rest area) to Caticlan Jetty Port. Thankfully the seats can be adjusted backward for a more comfortable position throughout the journey.  

Once arrived at Caticlan Jetty Port, another logistic team will be waiting for us at the entrance. Terminal Fee, Environmental & Admission Fee, and boat fee are included in our booking with My Boracay Guide.  We don't need to line up to buy the ticket at the counter, so it was easy breeze. ^^

Brian, one of the logistic team escort us to the boat. Thanks to him, he helped us with one of the bigger suitcase to the boat. It's a bit hassle going on board the boat when carrying a big suitcase. The boat only depart once the seats fill up. The boat ride takes approximately 15 minutes to the island. 

After the boat ride, we have to take another shuttle to our hotel. Note on the guy with the green shirt, he is not part of the logistic team but rather he is one of porter to assist you with your luggage. A minimum fee of php20 per bag is required. You have to pay them directly....so make sure you have some loose change on you. If not, remember to change it when you're at the rest area. 

As there was another couple with us on the ride, the driver have to send them to the hotel before us. The shuttle will drop us at our hotel lobby. All in all, it was 3 hours plus journey in total. 

Airport Transfer To Kalibo Airport from Boracay

The logistic team was waiting for us at our hotel lobby at 9.30am on our last day. Our flight was at 3.05pm from Kalibo airport and hence we requested to leave a bit early (originally it was 10.30am). 

The team picked up another couple on the way and arrived at Tambisaan Port (another Jetty Port, differed from the one we arrived on day 1). Do take note on the porter with the green (or turquoise) t-shirt, they will try to carry the bag for you with an additional charge of php20 per bag. This charges is not included with our booking. If you do not require their service, just decline them nicely. 

There were quite a lot of people waiting to board the jetty. After a short while, we were escorted to the boat. The boat ride took approximately 15 minutes. 

A shuttle was already waiting for us at the other side of the Port. Brian was there to greet us and helped us with our luggage. 

The shuttle was a short drive to 'Southwest Tours' waiting area, which is right across the Caticlan Jetty Port. As always,  one of the logistic team guided us to the waiting area for our 'last' (and final) transfer to Kalibo airport. The bus took 1.5 hours to arrive since there was no stop over at any rest area. 

We arrived at the airport approximately 1pm. Richel who greeted us on Day 1 was there and reminded us to pay for the International Passenger Terminal Fee in the airport (Php500 - not included in the package).

All in all, my friend and I are really happy with the service offered by My Boracay Guide. If you're travelling in a group, I would advice to take their 'First Class Transfer', whereby you'll have your own private van from Kalibo to Boracay and vice versa. Happy Planning! :)