Tuesday, June 28, 2022

DATUK JIMMY CHOO X FOUR SEASONS HOTEL KL FOR MID-AUTUMN FESTIVAL



Legendary designer Datuk Jimmy Choo has stepped up to this year’s Mid-Autumn Festival celebration, by collaborating with Four Seasons Hotel Kuala Lumpur to design an exclusive mooncake gift box.


Available from 1st July 2022, the stylish round totem box in vibrant pink and muted lavender hues, and peacock origami pattern expresses the traditional Chinese custom of a family admiring the full moon while enjoying delicious mooncakes together. Tucked inside each gift box are four smaller individual boxes boasting stylish high-heel designs by Jimmy Choo.

(Left-right) Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts regional marketing director Nelson Hilton with Datuk Jimmy Choo and Four Seasons Hotel KL Director of PR Dato' Rosemarie Wee 

Datuk Jimmy Choo elaborates, “In Chinese culture, the Mid-Autumn full moon represents completeness and good luck. On this joyful occasion, we are reunited with our beloved family and friends. My design for the Four Seasons Hotel mooncake gift box represents happiness, good fortune and abundance.”
According to Four Seasons Hotel's regional marketing director Nelson Hilton (left), only a thousand of the limited edition Mid-Autumn Festival gift boxes will be available effective 1st July 2022. He thanked the renowned designer for agreeing to step up in collaborating with the hotel on the project.

At the launch, we were also treated to baked and snow skin mooncakes handcrafted by Chef Jimmy Wong of Yun House. The most outstanding variant that left an indelible impression is White Lotus Paste with Seaweed and Macadamia Nuts Snow Skin Mooncake. We attribute it to the seaweed’s subtle savouriness and macadamia’s inherent richness lending a nice balance to the overall sweetness.
 
Another winsome salty-sweet creation is the Valrhona Chocolate with Himalayan Salt and Egg Yolk Snow Skin Mooncake. Some chocolate mooncake could be too cloying and heavy on the palate but in this instance, the dark chocolate bittersweetness spiked with Himalayan salt strikes just the right chord.
 
Cocktail connoisseurs may be intrigued by the Trigona Rum Ki Tiki, an edible signature mooncake crafted in collaboration with the award-wining Bar Trigona. While we reckon the snow skin mooncake could do with a little more of rum (the Rum Ki Tiki cocktail recipe is concocted with aged rum, whisky, lime, trigona honey, and milk), the peanuts in the lotus paste filling seem to eclipse everything else.

Die-hard durian fans will find love at first bite once they savour the luscious Musang King Durian Snow Skin Mooncake. This perennial favourite has always been a runaway best-seller with the fans of the King of Fruits so it needs no further introduction.
 
Also on the menu are Baked Mooncakes with four different fillings: Pu Er Tea Paste with Tangerine Skin, White Lotus Seed Paste, Pandan Paste with Single Yolk and Lotus Seed Paste with Single Yolk.
Lotus Paste with Single Yolk

Pandan Paste with Single Yolk

Pu Er Tea Paste with Tangerine Skin




The limited edition mooncake gift boxes are priced between RM488 and RM588.
 
Four Seasons Hotel Kuala Lumpur will start taking orders from July 1, 2022. To place orders, visit the Shopify page here.
 

Wednesday, June 22, 2022

(UPDATED) STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO RENEWING YOUR MALAYSIAN PASSPORT ONLINE

 



If you're like me who has no idea how to renew your Malaysian passport online, let's shake hands and say a prayer for what we are about to endure.👐Anyway, I decided to give it a shot and that is the landing page you'd see when you visit the official Malaysian Immigration Department website👆

Once you click on the "Application for the renewal of passport" (as shown in the above pix), the next screen 👇will explain in detail the process, terms and conditions on what is required for the renewal: from the photo stipulations, payment/charges, etc. FYI, don't bother clicking on the English translation as there isn't any. 😅Just click "Setuju" (Agree) to proceed.


The next step is to complete the online form below. Initially I was stumped when it asked for No. Dokumen😓until I realised it was referring to my existing passport number...😝😂

Once you have completed filling the information required, click on "Carian" to continue. The next screen 👇is another reminder about your passport should be in good condition i.e. without water marks, tears or scratches; all information provided must be true and correct; and the photo uploaded must be the latest. Payment is also non-refundable for lost and damaged passport. Again, click "Setuju" to proceed.


The subsequent step is to upload your photo. A detailed screen pops up showing examples of acceptable photos. Just scroll all the way down and click "Setuju" to continue to the photo upload screen as shown.



When you upload your photograph, an oval guideline will appear - you can adjust the size of your face to fit within that oval "frame" to ensure it meets the desired specifications. Also, remember to tick ✔all the boxes in the list below👇before you click "Teruskan".

If everything is in order, you should be at this screen.👇Put a ✔ in the box below your photo to confirm the photo you have uploaded is yours.

The following screen will ask you to check and reconfirm all the details listed. Go through everything to ensure the information is in order and correct.

Once you are confident everything is in order, click on the "Teruskan kepada Bayaran" (Proceed to Payment) button. You can make payment via online bank transfer via FPX, Touch 'n Go or charge to your credit card.

Acknowledgment of receipt for your payment made will bring you to this screen.👇You can print out the receipt and wait for the email informing you on whether your passport renewal if successful.

Sample of the official receipt

Received an email notification today to inform my passport renewal has been approved and is ready for collection. Woot woot!😍
PART 2: COLLECTION DAY

Remember to bring along the following when you go to collect your new passport:
1) MYKAD/I.C.


2) PHYSICAL PRINT-OUT COPY of the OFFICIAL RECEIPT (we had a panicky moment when we forgot this but luckily we managed to get a physical print-out at a shop opposite the immigration department). Should you need to print out a fresh copy, go to this link:

Once you fill in all the required details, you will be able to view the receipt and either download, email or WhatsApp the receipt for printing.

3) your existing/old/expired/current physical PASSPORT book (remember it must be in good condition without any torn pages or water stains)

4) a screenshot of the email notification from Jabatan Imigresen (refer to sample below)

The whole process took me and my family 2.15 minutes to complete. We reached the Kajang Immigration Department office at 7.30 am and there was already a long queue. 

For those who intend to go, the opening hours are as above. Another notice is posted near the door but the wordings are so small, I doubt if anyone reads the information.
Although I was told my online application was approved, I still have to obtain a queue number to wait my turn for the passport collection. 

Photo Reload problem: My husband received an email notification informing him his photo didn't fulfill the required specifications and had to upload his photo again. We tried to upload his photo online several times but gave up as it was too confusing as the message from the Immigration Dept kept informing us his application was already on record. 

Today, after queuing up for his number, the officer scrutinised his photo then informed him it was okay. He was told to wait for his passport to be processed and ready for collection.

Fingerprint record problem: My daughter was notified by email her application was rejected due to some problem with her fingerprint record. After queuing up today, she had her fingerprints taken. 

After that, the officer asked if my daughter's photo was taken recently and whether it was shot at a professional photo studio. We were surprised and confirmed yes to both questions. She said my daughter's photo had to be reshot so it was done on the spot. Luckily I had asked her to bring along a dark jacket and quickly brushed her hair to show both her ears and forehead clearly. Then only she was given a queue number to wait for her new passport to be ready for collection.

We were just relieved everything was settled on the same day and we finally got our new passports in hand.



CHOICES APLENTY AT DORSETT GRAND SUBANG'S HI-TEA BUFFET



If you enjoy being spoiled for choice when it comes to hi-tea, the Superlicious Buffet at Terazza Brasserie every Saturday from 12noon to 4pm should be your cup of tea. Priced at RM98 nett per adults, RM78 (senior citizens) and RM49 nett (per 6-12 years old child), the wide selection of tempting savoury and sweet items will leave both young and old happily satisfied.


Few people can resist a juicy Roast Lamb with vegetables and potatoes – step up and ask the chef to slice the tender pink meat for you to sample. We did and had no regrets as the meat was deliciously moist and flavourful.


To complement it, we enjoyed some Mediterranean-style Grilled Eggplant with Cheese from the appetiser section. Other Asian salads such as Thai Beef Salad and Kerabu Udang were also served on that day.


Pita Pockets with Lamb Keema helped to spice up our tea experience. The fiery hot lamb curry packed quite a wallop but we love the tantalising heat on our palate.


Another robust offering that set our tongues ablaze was Sambal Sotong. The sweetish chilli paste was a match made in heaven with Lontong Jawa – a mildly spiced stew of coconut milk and turmeric, nasi impit (compressed rice cakes), glass noodles, and assorted chopped vegetables: eggplant, long beans, cabbage, carrot.


For a taste of nostalgia, we recommend sampling Puttu Mayam with Brown Sugar or if you prefer, Beef Curry. A Do-It-Yourself Sandwich Bar with an assortment of bread, cold cut, and sandwich fillings allows patrons to make their own sandwiches.


Crowd-pleasing options ranging from Battered Fish Fingers and Steamed Chicken Dumplings, to Fried Banana and Sweet Potato Fritters, Fried Fish Balls and Spring Rolls, among others are also served.

 

Sweet-toothed cravings will be amply satisfied with an extensive array of Malay Kuih and Layered Agar-agar Jelly, alongside sweet dessert broths. More Continental-inspired servings of Mango Pudding, mini glasses of Chocolate-Vanilla Mousse, and Chocolate Tarts beckoned invitingly in addition to Ice Cream in various flavours as well as Ais Kacang.


We drank copious glasses of Teh Tarik during our hi-tea session but you can ask for coffee too. Fruit-infused water is served in a self-service dispenser throughout the buffet.


For reservations at Terazza Brasserie, please call Dorsett Grand Subang, tel: 03 5031 6060 or email: bookfnb.subang@dorsetthotels.com

 

 

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