Chocolate or Vanilla?

Which would you choose?

Would it matter if I wasnt talking about cupcakes that you eat?

What if it was something that you wear?

Hmmm? I wonder whats in there.

Well, I ordered something a few weeks ago from Johnny Cupcakes. They sell tons of cool shirts with their cupcake logo in all kinds of designs.

And this one is really cute. Like super cute.At least I think so.

As soon as I saw it, I had to place an order online.

And then these arrived a few days later. Magic.

Theyre frosting label paint cans. But instead of paint or even frosting, they are filled with a fluffy t-shirt in chocolate or vanilla.

Im a sucker for cute packaging and these are over the top.

The shirts are designed to look like the packaging label and would be adorable on.

Thats if you can bring yourself to open the can.

Me? I would have to sit mine on a shelf unopened with the shirt cuddled inside so I could look at it all the time. And especially ! after I found out these frosting can t-shirts were printed as a limited edition.When I bought them, I didnt realize they only printed 200 of each. And, yes they are sold out. All sizes. All colors. Gone. They had strawberry too, but those were scooped up first.

The good news is I have two of them. I was going to keep one. But since Im only going to put it on a shelf and look at it. And since I dont even have a bookshelf to put it on I thought I would give them both away.

So which would you choose?

Chocolate?

Or vanilla?

Enter for a chance to win
A Sold Out Limited Edition Johnny Cupcakes Frosting Label T-shirt
(in a super cute can Size XL)

• To enter, just let me know which flavor youd like to have in the comments section here on the website. Easy.
• Deadline to enter is Wednesday, June 6th at 6 pm ET.
• Two winners will be chosen at random and announced on this post at the end of the week.
• The first person chosen at random will win the shirt and can in the flavor of their choice and the second winner drawn will win the remaining flavor. And if were lucky theyll be both persons flavorite!

Good Luck!

Giveaway sponsored by me.

Welcome to Mountain Hut Ramen!

Japanese-styled curtains as you enter into Yamagoya Ramen.

KUALA LUMPUR, June 4 When it comes to Japanese food, most of us look for authenticity. Original flavours, imported ingredients and the very thought that the food you are savouring now comes from the Land of the Rising Sun... that is sure to make you return to the restaurant.

It's really from Japan!

Im not saying I dont like Malaysian food, I enjoy it as much as Japanese food. But whenever I have a little bit of cash in my wallet and whenever I feel like a bit of indulgence, I pick my favourite Japanese restaurant and dine with my loved ones.

I first heard about Yamagoya Ramen from friends (and readers) who told me that the noodles are made in-house at the restaurant itself. I had to try it!

And so after work one evening, I went to Solaris Dutamas to find Yamagoya Ramen which means Mountain Hut Ramen. Yama means mountain and Goya means hut, said Alvin Liew, assistant general manager of the restaurant who pretty much is the guy who makes the ramen and manages the restaurant at the same time.

The owner of Yamagoya Ramen declined to be named but Ive met him so I can tell you he is Japanese and is very well-versed with food from his home country.

Mukashi Special Ramen with tonkotsu soup boiled for 24 hours.

Yamagoya Ramen Malaysia opened on April 8, 2012 and its specialty is the Mukashi Special Ramen which uses tonkotsu soup, secret sauce and essence.

Topped with bamboo shoots, eggs, chashu (Japanese char siew), the Mukashi Special Ramen is a rich, flavourful dish with fine, handmade ramen noodles.

Mugicha, roasted barley tea - the perfect summer drink.

The handmade ramen is made at the restaurant about three to four times a week and is refrigerated for eight hours. There is enough ramen to last for a week and most of the ingredients are imported from Japan.

Liew was flown to Japan to learn from the original Yamagoya founder the techniques of ramen-making.

When I was at the restaurant, one of the founders sons was having a meeting. You can be assured that everything in Yamagoya Ramen Malaysia mirrors the original branch in Fukuoka, Japan.

So whats the story? Well, the founder of Yamagoya Ramen lived in a mountain where he started selling ramen from a hut. He also sold gyoza (a must-try in the Malaysian outlet!), but his core business was ramen.

Yamagoya Ramen was born 35 years ago because a man loved his ramen noodles and came up with ramen-making techniques that became so popular that now, Yamagoya Ramen has 140 outlets worldwide including Taiwan, Jakarta, Bangkok and now Kuala Lumpur.

There are plans to open another outlet in Setia Walk, Puchong in July. Hopefully by then, there would be a Yamagoya ramen-making factory to supply ramen to all the outlets in Malaysia, said the owner.

Signature gyoza to accompany Mukashi Special Ramen.

Major towns like Johor Baru, Penang and Malacca are the next destinations for Yamagoya Ramen Malaysia but for now, the focus will be on the Kuala Lumpur branches to ensure strict quality control.

Seventy per cent of the customers are young Chinese females! And on weekends, it is mostly families, said the owner of Yamagoya Ramen, who thought that most of his patrons would be Japanese.

Is it a promotion? I can't read Japanese but it looks pretty.

As a young Chinese female myself, I guess I can say we are the right target market when it comes to good food. It was funny that he commented I looked Japanese. Maybe from eating too much Japanese food?

I digress. Back to the food at Yamagoya. Did you know that it takes 24 hours to boil the tonkotsu soup for Yamagoya Ramen? And they boil it till the pork bones melt? Thats how long they take to cook the yummy, lip-smacking soup.

Yamagoya Ramen Malaysia has plenty of ramen choices to choose from, and do try their side dishes - they all look delicious! At Yamagoya Ramen, they serve Japanese green tea if you order it but the owner suggests trying mugicha (roasted barley tea) which is a refreshing, cooling drink he enjoys during summer.

Price for the Mukashi Special Ramen is RM24 while the gyoza is RM11 and refillable mugicha, RM2. Most of the food on the menu is non-halal.

YAMAGOYA RAMEN
A2-G2-8, Solaris Dutamas,
No.1, Jalan Dutamas 1,
50480 Kuala Lumpur
Phone: +(603) 62062220

Walk in to the lovely Yamagoya Ramen at Solaris Dutamas.

Share it with others

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Madisons @ Bangkung

Replacing Four Seas at Bangsar's Bangkung row, Madisons is the newborn member of the family of the restaurants that comprisesOpus Bistro, Leonardo's and Cava.

Madisons' menu bears an Australian influence, courtesy of Chef Kelly Delaney, who most recently headed the kitchen at Adelaide's award-winning Auge Italian restaurant.

Auge's menu kicks off with cured meat, so it's fitting that Madisons' does too. There's no resisting the fleshy, free-range chew of the Spanish Iberico lomo and chorizo, both seasoned with a blend of paprika, herbs, garlic and sea salt that complements the pork's nutty sweetness.

Savo ry-smoky succulence: slivers of pork shoulder loin and salchichon sausage.

My Greatest Ride Since I Started 3 Months back

7:30am All set to start a day ride to Carey Island & Jugra for Beggar Chicken (By the way, today is the King's Birthday)We started from Bandar Sunway. Estimated distance to and fro is 120km.A word of advice and this is important, a breakfast like this Roti Canai Teluk Bawang plus two half boiled eggs was necessary. By the way breakfast was at Restoran Lima Bintang @ Bandar Sunway, a popular meeting place among cyclists in this region.

7:45 - We reached the traffic light junction of Jalan Kewajipan into KESAS highway.

7:48 - a few friends joined the group at this Bus Stop after the said traffic light.
8:23 - more riders joined us at Kota Kemuning and making the group to a no of 30 over.

9:00 - We emerged from all housing schemes and went into a new horizon of kampong setting.

I enjoyed the riding of folding bike, this is a 20" wheels bike and a portable bike.

A rest near this kampong house where we bought drinks, fill air into tyres and relieve our butts.9:45 - we got ourselves into a busy road @ Teluk Panglima Garang and the road sign shows straight ahead.

9:51 - We were already in the territory of Carey Island but encountered a wrong route hence an detour was required.

10:03 - we corrected the route and continued our invasion to the inner Carey.10:49 - I managed to reach to the tip of this straight boring road and had a good view of the sea, total mileage clocked here was 72km.11:01 - The weather was extremely hot and the riders were all extremelythirsty, this stall at the end of the world has probably the best sale of the year, all 100 Plus drinks have sold out and business was such a brisk.Some colours to break the monotony of the boring & tiring at Carey Island11:45 - SK Yeong were out checking a historical site of Carey while we waited here for instruction. We were careful with our usage of our body calories.12:10 - A search for a place to rest and drink was desperate and one was found nearby.

12:25 - we were done with ourthirstybodies, some began to realise they are hungry & need food badly. Even thoug! h our pr e-ordered beggar chicken is awaiting us. Another 35km or so for the chicken.

12:30 - we decided to have apreliminaryround of food before the beggar chicken at Jugra.

1:30 - An hour rest and light food before we proceed our journey of truth.

2:05 - we reached Jugra Lama town and seek confirmation & direction to de wanted Place.2:20 We arrived to the place that caused to pained our body and bring ourselves at Bukit Jugra for a taste of beggar chicken.

Restaurant Bukit Jugra (Banting)

03-31202525

Bukit Jugra (Permatang Pasir),

42700 Banting,

Selangor.

Straight from the "oven", clay removed & ready to be savoured by us.The beggar chicken.The beggar chicken after it has being invaded.The beggarglutinousrice.

The beggar pork knuckle. - I preferred this than the chicken.Some even "tau pau" back home on their bikes.4:00 - we passed by again Pekan Jugra Lama and the thought of cycling back home which is approximately 50km plus with full stomach was ready sca! ry.4:23 - Across this challengingbridge.

5:19 - We cleared Teluk Panglima Garang and just could not waited to entered the motor lane of KESAS.

The motor lane is safe but be careful of fast motor bikes.The sun was starting to set and the feeling is funny, home seems to be far away.6:45 - Looking nearer to base but frankly speaking the last 20km cycling seems to be the hardest.6:15pm - Finally I reached the base and my car waiting for me to change my mode of transport.Those who reached earlier were seen relaxing and eating their favourite mamak food.The ultimate satisfaction is my achievement to clock such a riding mileage. Never before & See you again.