Right before I swept myself off to Jakarta for the 'crazy wedding week marathon', I had one of the best sashimi I ever had in my life (even better than what I had in Japan!) because it is literally fresh off the bone.

Before we get to that though, let's backtrack to how this happened. The Gardens Mall recently began this culinary initiative called GASTRO Go. Its is a mall-scale food festival, where the highlighted restaurants participate to provide an epicurean experience to their patrons via a special, limited time menu.




I was invited to be a guest at the GASTRO Go Chef's Table series at Yuzu. The idea was to experience the culinary expertise provided by Yuzu's Japanese chef, Fukuchi-san. I thought it was just a regular food tasting experience like most of the other food related posts I've done before. Little did I know, there was a little more in store.

It came in the form of a 50kg bluefin tuna. IT WAS SO HUGE!

OMG this tuna is so freaken Huge! Cannot wait to see Chef Fukuchi-san demonstrate his skills later! #Yuzu #TGMgastrogo #TGMcam

A photo posted by Michelle L. (@coquettishmish) on Nov 2, 2015 at 8:19pm PST

I had to take a photo with it to show you how big it really is. It takes 4 to 5 years for a tuna to get this large. It's freshly shipped, all the way from Japan. Apparently, one of these is shipped in weekly on every Tuesday – so this is your first tip to getting EXTRA fresh sashimi at Yuzu. Dine in on Tuesdays!

So the agenda was that Chef Fukuchi-san would be demonstrating his skills in carving up the bluefin tuna. As it is so large and so heavy, the task requires the help of his three apprentice chefs. One of his apprentices, Chef Mark, explained the process as it happens since Chef Fukuchi-san does not speak much english.

They start with first slicing the fin area of the tuna on one side, exposing the meat beneath it. (Images below are not for the queasy) Then, Chef Mark explains that getting the meat off is the easy part because all you need to do is to follow the bone, with your knife. I think it's much easier said than done. It takes at least 5 years to master the art of cutting fish, which Chef Fukuchi-san recommends for all Japanese chefs, having over 20 years of experience himself.



The meat is then cut into various parts. The three main parts of the tuna is the tuna belly, the toro in Japanese – which is the best part because it is sweet and literally melts in your mouth and sold at premium prices in most Japanese restaurants. The lean meat area is called the akami, which is the part used in most regular tuna sushi. Then comes the part that's in between the lean and fatty meat, the chutoro which is a little of both and also sold at a premium price.

Now, as each and every part of the tuna is used (nothing is left to waste!), even the eyeballs can be eaten – dipped in soy sauce, or used for grilling. The tuna skin is usually boiled and served with ponzu sauce, and even its bones are boiled to flavour soups. The nakaochi, or scrape meat from the tuna's bones can also be removed and eaten, in minced form.





Each of the parts are chopped and places on separate plates. Yuzu keeps about 1 kilo portion of the tuna, and delivers the other parts out to their affiliate Japanese restaurants within the Klang Valley, because the tuna keeps for only 3 days, fresh and up to 2 weeks if frozen.

Then comes the time to finally eat! We started off with our appetizer – homemade custard with steamed crab eggs and sea urchin, paired with a yam and seaweed soup and a fried crab ball. It's absolutely lovely, and the flavours all complement each other very well. I find the textures very intriguing as well because the custard is so soft and has a cream cheese consistency, but very light! My tastebuds were absolutely befuddled, but in a lovely way. We also had a taste of salmon and whitefish sashimi, paired with a sliced crabmeat soup, which were equally yummy!




Next up, we got to finally try the toro and akami cuts of the tuna – it is served with a piece of nori (seaweed) for us to wrap around it and dip into ponzu. SO DELICIOUS! I swear, the sashimi literally melted into my mouth and I wanted more. Look at how pink and lovely the flesh is!


Then, our mains came. We had a Japanese persimmon salad to start the palate off – and it was very good. The combo was fresh and full of flavour! There's grilled chicken with avocado and mushroom, which I felt was nice but seemed to pale in comparison with everything else that was served. Of course, tempura is a must and we had a prawn, aubergine and squid variety. I LOVED the sushi rolls that were served! They are a combination of salmon, crab and torched mayo which left us all in heaven with every mouthful. Miso soup was also served to help us wash down all the flavours, and finished off with a warm cup of roasted rice green tea.

Dessert was a sweet and simple affair of Japanese ice-cream with a variety of fruits. I think it is a very nice end to a flavoursome meal!






When it comes to eating, the right chef can leave an great impression and this was what I took away with me from this experience. I always believe that food are memories and Chef Fukuchi-san and his team at Yuzu has left me a very memorable and enjoyable one. So if you're looking for a great gastronomic experience, head over to The Gardens Mall and look for Yuzu on Level 3.

No regrets, that's a promise I can make!

"Your eyes are the windows to your soul."

This phrase rings true for so many poets and romance novelists when talking about the damsels of their dreams – but how can your eyes reflect your beautiful soul if you do not take care of them?

Fortunately for us, in the modern era, eye care is absolutely accessible and it doesn't even require you to go to an eye specialist hospital and spend hundreds of ringgits just to get through a consultation session. Let alone, wait for such a long period of time with so many other patients.

Better Vision, which has been around for over 50 years, makes it their mission to fill in that gap and make eye check ups even easier and more accessible than ever. You can easily have your eyes professionally checked and your vision treated, right within any of their specialised outlets. With over 120 outlets in Thailand, Singapore & Malaysia, there really shouldn't be any problems to secure an appointment. After all, just like a medical check-up or visiting the dentist, you only need to ensure your eyes get checked once a year. This crucial step could help detect health issues before it worsens and save your eyesight.

For perfect clarity, Better Vision had developed a special 12-step eye examination called Better Vision Accuracy System, or BVAX for short.  BVAX will allow one to receive the most detailed eye analysis that takes into account various factors that can affect eyesight. It is not merely just using a refractometer to get a reading of your eyesight (which I notice is common practice in a lot of other optical shops here) and immediately prescribe the lens/glasses.



According to a Better Vision specialist, he said that refractometers only provide a rough idea of what your eye's power is, but it does not take in any other factors like colour or light sensitivity. This is where BVAX stands out from the rest, as there are 12 detailed steps to giving you the best clarity for your vision. This is my experience with Better Vision.

STEP 1: Patient evaluation
This is where I was asked if I had any eye issues in the past or any surgeries. Since I had none, we got this step done pretty quickly.

STEP 2: Objective refraction test
As I mentioned, you eye's corrective power will be estimated by the auto refractometer, which is used in most optical shops. You place your chin on the paper, and the specialist will use the machine to test each eye individually – you will usually see a photo of a colourful hot air balloon along a straight road.

STEP 3: Subjective refraction test
The rest of the tests are carried out in the special room, where the lights are off, and this test required me to place my head behind this phoropter, which I will look through while he changes a few lenses and asks me questions about which lens is clearer – so that he can estimate my long-sightedness and short-sightedness.


STEP 4: Fan chart & cross cylinder test
This test is very much like looking at a series of dots and just telling the eye examiner which looks clearer to you as he changes a few lenses. In reality, he is assessing your astigmatism level, and also seeing what angles best work to place astigmatism lens. You probably wouldn't even know what he's testing unless you ask him a lot of questions (like me).


STEP 5: Visual acuity test
I think many of us have gone through this test before, it is the one that involves the Snellen chart – which is the chart where you see alphabets going from big to small. Always be honest and tell your examiner honestly if you cannot see the smallest alphabets. There were so many times throughout the test where I just told him, "I'm not sure if it's clear but I know what alphabet that is." In which case he will change and change the lens until finally, it's clear. It's optometry magic, really.

STEP 6: Duo-chrome test
At this point, he put on these trial frames on me, which look like really cool scientist glasses, and it comes with a box of various frames that he would interchange to determine my vision. This test involves me looking at a half-red, half-green chart, and telling the examiner which number is clearer on which colour. I was a little confused here because of the colours, but my examiner patiently switched the frames back and forth, so that I am able to compare. This test helps to ensure that your eye's short/long sightedness was not over/under compensated from the earlier tests.



STEP 7: Binocular balancing
This part of the test was pretty much me staring at the Snellen chart again and various other patterns, and him putting on various lenses and asking me which is clearer. I got a little unsure a few times as most of the comparisons are really close. In the end though, after a few rounds, I finally got the clearest vision in both eyes via the trial frames.

STEP 8: Near vision test
This was just another series of test with the Snellen chart, checking to see that I can read all the big and small letters. Each eye was tested in turn.

STEP 9: Colour vision test
I was given another round of tests with coloured dots that are mostly in red and green hues. But of course, everything was fine with this. But it is just a precaution as some people have defects that does not allow them to see either red/green clearly. Thankfully, I passed with flying colours!

STEP 10: Binocular vision assessment
I only had to look at these odd shapes and tell him which looks clearer. One reminded me of those camera focus symbols, and the other was like a double-ended cigarette. Whatever they are for, I didn't feel any special effect on my vision – but they help the examiner assess our focus and determine if there are any abnormalities in our eye muscles, that could affect its focus.

STEP 11: Vision analysis
The final test to double-check my vision once again includes looking at various images and texts and a few more changing of lens.

STEP 12: Patient management
So after all was said and done, my examiner sat down with me and said that my vision is still the same as what I'm wearing on my current glasses, but I have a slight astigmatism in both eyes. So he explained that he will be prescribing me a lens power that is slightly lower than my glasses, to make up for the astigmatism.

And voila, I got my lenses and I can now see at the best clarity when I wear my lenses each day! In case you're wondering, I'm wearing the new Acuvue Define lens which are absolutely comfortable and great for my eyes.




If you look around every Better Vision store, you will notice that they are the only ones who have the exclusivity to carry Chanel eyewear (found in no other optical store) and they also carry other high range eyewear brands like Tiffany & Co, Porsche Design, Gucci and so on. You can definitely expect only the best of services and brands in all their outlets nationwide.

To find out more, please follow their Facebook page, lookup their outlets to make your appointment, or even check out their local promotions. Love your eyes today!

Another Saturday well spent with lovely bloggers in Alexis, The Gardens Mall. We were all here to find out how we could make my eyes shine and look natural at the same time.

The Acuvue team has set up a really lovely blue and white themed room in Alexis' special function room and it looks so warm and inviting. :) We are first separated introduced to the team, and we started off with a simple searching game as an ice breaker between us bloggers.



Later on, Acuvue's new range of daily contact lens were introduced by Carmen Lee, the Group Customer Marketing Manager of Johnson & Johnson. The Acuvue Define lens come in three different styles – Vivid, Natural Shine and Accent Style. They are designed in a way to define and naturally enhance the shine in Asian eyes, as the colours are subtle (not overly exaggerated like those anime fashion lenses) and have a very gorgeous shine to them. I am especially fond of Vivid Style which make my eyes look extremely bright and soft! The iris of the lens is specially designed to accentuate the eyes and brighten them too.

Other than looking pretty, Acuvue Define contains LACREON technology, which means you get a 20-hour cushion of moisture throughout the day to keep your eyes comfortable and bright. For those of you who wear contact lens, I'm sure you can relate to that irritating feeling of dry eyes at the end of the day when your contacts feel as dry as the desert. You don't get that with Acuvue Define daily lenses! Trust me, I've tried it for a full day, and even to the clubs where there's loads of smoke and possible irritants, and my eyes were perfectly A-OK!

Carmen Lee giving her presentation.

Did you know that some of the common eye infections are caused by the coloured area of your lens rubbing onto your eyeball?

One more contributing factor to Acuvue Define's comfort and safety, is the Beauty-Wrapped-In-Comfort (BWIC) Technology where the pigments of the lenses, are embedded in between two transparent layers of lens, so that it doesn't touch your eyes and cause problems. How your lenses are made, makes a difference!

Another added benefit is that Acuvue is the only brand that offers an international standard of UV protection. Just as your protect your skin from the sun, you need to protect your eyes too! Actually, your eyes are way more important as you only have TWO of them. I myself never knew the importance of protecting our eyes from UV rays, until now and I am so thankful that there is a brand out there which provides this level of protection.

Have I got you hooked already? I know I am, especially after trying them out. After all, comfort and safety should always come first before vanity. Jojo Goh, the brand advocate for Acuvue Define also agrees. She says,"After using Acuvue Define for more than 6 months, I can honestly say that I can't imagine my life without it," in her specially recorded video to all of us girls. You can watch the video here.

A screen still of Jojo Goh.

After the lovely presentation, we had a few more games before we hear from both Datin Angie and Ms SunpangPhithaksakorn from Better Vision, an optometrist outlet which has many branches all over Thailand and Malaysia. They both explained about the importance of proper and regular eye checks, and the special 12-step procedure available in their outlets, called BVAX. The gist of it is that like any other medical check-up for your body, a routine eye-check-up is just as important because we tend to neglect our eyes most of the time. If you're interested, I will be elaborating more on this in a follow-up post.




Our tea-time was provided by the chefs at Alexis, and I particularly enjoyed the Thai fried beehoon in cute little take-out boxes. The Acuvue team really took well of us, there was so much food! *happy, well-fed face*



After our noshing session, we were escorted one level up to the Better Vision outlet in The Gardens Mall, to get our eyes checked before we can take our Acuvue Define lenses home. The store is brightly lit, and well-stocked with many branded sunglasses and a whole shelf of Acuvue Define lenses. The Better Vision team readily welcomed all of us bloggers and proceeded to put us into order to get our eye check ups done. Girls, ALWAYS remember to take off your current contact lens before you go for an eye check-up, otherwise you'll have to wait a 30 minute grace period for your eyes to adjust before you can take any tests.

My test results were still the same as my current lens power, so there will not be any adjustment to my vision. I did find out that I have a slight astigmatism, but that isn't a problem.. yet. We were all generously given 2 boxes of each of the 3 different designs to try. Each box contains 10 daily lenses, and they are packed in thin, convenient strips that can easily be carried in a handbag! I have to say, I didn't expect this event to convert me into an Acuvue user, but I am very sure that I'll be using these for the long term.





This is me in my favourite, Vivid Style lens. Thanks Acuvue for the amazing, fun time and for making me look so naturally bright, even without makeup!

For more information, please visit their website, or their Acuvue Malaysia Facebook page.

The KLGCC Women With Drive event was probably one of the best things to happen at the best timing. It's during Pinktober, it celebrates women and have amazing women golfers from all over to play at the 4-day event. It also happened during a time when the haze had sort of receded and gave everyone a nice weather to play in (it's back again this week though, *sad face*).

Although I'm not very well-versed in golf, I could see everyone who's present – young and old (surprisingly a lot of young women! Who says golf is an old man's game?) – watching the game with rapt attention and most were sporting their golf attire too!





I was there on a mission – to seek out the Food Trucks of KL who were hand-picked by the KLGCC team to provide nosh for all the hungry golfers and audience. There are 6 food trucks in the lineup, as well as other delicacies dished out by Chef Arnold Kwok and team from all the various restaurants within the club's compound.

I tried some of the food from the KLGCC chefs, and there was a whole selection of local and international fare to choose from. I was very much intrigued by this curry chicken nestled in between pieces of bread, because the presentation was so quirky. Alas, it tasted pretty much like nice curry chicken with typical white bread. We also had the beef rice bowls, which was yummy, but the beef lacked a teensy bit of seasoning.






I then moved on to the food trucks, first up was Wheeloaf, a food truck specialising in pastries and bread – and to my delight, grilled cheese sandwiches! I am a big sucker for those cheesy delights, so I ordered something called The Great Dan – a pulled beef grilled cheese sandwich. The wait was about 20 minutes (because there were just so many people!) but it was soooo worth it! The flavour was flawless and it was the best cheesy experience ever!




Next up, I went over to the Burger Giler Power food truck and ordered their signature beef burger to try. and boy, was it good! I think small businesses and burger joints these days have really stepped up their game and all use the same formula to create their delicious burgers. One, must have a delicious fluffy bun, charcoal if possible (mine was). Two, must make own patty out of grounded meat, and make it a fat patty so that it would cook into a nice juicyness. Three, the sauce – nothing beats a good sauce that compliments the overall taste. Long story short, it is delicious! Nailed it!



By this point, I was getting really stuffed. I only had enough stomach space for one more food truck. Who shall it be? (BTW, before you conclude that I am a total piggasaurous, my boyfriend was around to share the food)

The last food truck I approached was Cowboys Food Truck, they have the MOST AMAZING chicken wings. I ordered the garlic wings with a side of nachos. The nachos were standard fare but the wings.. I have died and gone to wing heaven! It was crunchy and well-seasoned, with a nice garlic sauce over it. I don't know how they do it, but please just keep doing what you do, it is amazing! We are even planning to order a bulk of 200 wings from them for our next house party. It's a definite must try because words just can't describe the combined effect you get when you eat this.



I didn't have the stomach space for the other food trucks, namely Thyme Out, Ken's Food Truck and The Malaysian Ninja Truck – but I have heard good things from the other patrons about their food as well. These trucks roam the streets of KL, so feel free to look for them and grab a bite. I promise you, they do not disappoint.

So the rest of the afternoon was spent roaming around the grounds, catching glimpses of the game and even a brief glimpse of Michelle Wie, all decked out in Nike gear. There were loads of kids around as well with some mini games and shopping to be done in the visitor's centre.

There goes Michelle Wie's back.

Thank you for the kind invitation KLGCC, I look forward to coming back again soon!