Slake & Bite restaurant, EC Mall, Kuantan

Slake & Bite is a western styled restaurant located on the new-look 3rd floor at East Coast Mall beside the 3rd floor car park. You can't miss it if you come up the elevator as it's the first thing you'll see when the doors open.

Slake & Bite next to the exit to the 3rd floor car park ( to the left, out of picture) and opposite the elevators (just around the corner to the right)

There is a small seating area to the right of the restaurant. The far right wall is actually a glassboard and I asked the worker if I could write a message on it. She readily agreed and passed me a black pen. I wrote a little message and left my blog address there!

Had some really lovely chocolate and milo shakes

Multi-coloured wall decoration. Leah enjoys the drinks while waiting for the food

Fidelia ordered spaghetti and enjoyed it a lot

The girls had french fries with a sausage each

I tried out the sandwich burger at the recommendation of the waitress. The chilli sauce was rather sweet, which was good for me. The burger is quite similar to the Ramly burgers in Malaysia.

This was a nice meal, nothing special or unique, but well done and reasonably filling. Worth giving Slake & Bite a try if you need a light lunch.

Expat Diaries: Do Not Underestimate Dehydration - A Personal Experience and Warning from an Expat in Malaysia

Dehydration is a very real threat to your health - foreigner or local - in the hot and humid climes of Malaysia. 

Located close to the equator with 90% humidity and daily temperatures year-round of between 32-36C, it is hot and wet.

Dehydration occurs when the amount of water going out from your body exceeds the amount going in. For example when there is more fluid lost from urinating and sweating and water vapour dispelled when you breathe, than there is from fluid being consumed by drinking water, you may experience mild, moderate or severe dehydration.

This is particularly useful to know if you are an expat in Malaysia and may not be accustomed to such high temperatures and humid conditions.

I've been living in Malaysia for around 9 years but I've learned to NEVER underestimate dehydration. Some of the signs that you are dehydrated may include: 

• a dry mouth
• feeling thirsty
• stomach discomfort
• feeling nauseous
• vomiting
• diarrhoea
• dizziness
• weakness
• confusion

Now I will share my personal experience with dehydration:

On October 15th, 2012, I began to feel unwell. I hadn't drank much water in the preceding couple of days and I was beginning to feel rather nauseous. Around 7pm I was very weak and noticed my mouth had become particularly dry. It was difficult to drink water, even a little. I started vomiting, 4 times. Then the diarrhoea came along. I was becoming increasingly distressed. My body was going hot, then cold and I started shivering. My wife helped me get to the bed and that's when the scariest part of my ordeal occurred.

As I lay on the bed, I started having convulsions. It started with my hands. I couldn't stop them from shaking. My wrists bent inwards and became locked in place so tightly. The same with my fingers and thumbs. Sharp pains followed before they became completely numb. That's when I screamed out for my wife to call the ambulance. My legs soon started shaking too and were likewise starting to get very tight and slightly numb.

For a few moments, I thought I was going to die. It's funny, when confronted with the prospect of death, I actually wasn't afraid. I was in physical distress and pain which I had never before felt, but something inside of me said, "If I'm going to die . . .then let's do it!"

My wife later told me that the 2 minutes I thought it took for the ambulance to arrive was in fact 20 minutes. Whether I passed out I don't know. I vomited once more outside the ambulance while people were carrying me in my bed sheet.

Then the IV drip was inserted into my vein in the ambulance and everything suddenly changed for the better. I was no longer 'going to die', but I knew that I'd be alright. The saline drip of sodium chloride is heaven! Over the next 48 hours I would have a further SEVEN bags of sodium chloride pumped into my veins!

Here I am in the Accident & Emergency area of HTAA Kuantan with the IV drip working its magic.

I was diagnosed with food poisoning and severe dehydration. Spent that night in the hospital, all day on the 16th (which incidentally was my birthday!) and was discharged after lunch on the 17th.

Here I am in my hospital bed at HTAA Kuantan

The moral of the story is: If you're living in Malaysia or places of a similar climate, especially if you're an expat, you need to drink plenty of water daily, coupled with electrolyte drinks like 100plus, Revive or Gatorade. Dehydration can both hit quickly, and creep up almost unnoticed. Make sure you have access to clean drinking water wherever you are, and drink it regularly, even if you think you are not doing much physical exercise or sweating rapidly.

Stay happy, healthy, and hydrated in Malaysia!

Kafe Kopi Aliff

Kafe Kopi Aliff, Bukit Sekilau, Kuantan

Kafe Kopi Aliff is a brand new restaurant opened in Bukit Sekilau, Kuantan. It occupies a corner shoplot on Lorong Sekilau 22, just a 1-minute drive from The Zenith Hotel and East Coast Mall.

A view inside Kafe Kopi Aliff

We decided to test their food the other evening. We opted for their fish and chips, part of the Western food they serve. As you can see from the menus, there is a decent offering of food for such a small restaurant:

The boss and workers preparing our meals

Fidelia and Lauren waiting for their food

Kafe Kopi Aliff is open from 12 lunchtime to 12 midnight

Fish and chips at Kafe Kopi Aliff

I must admit I was a little nervous when presented with my food. The 'chips' were actually potato wedges and the fish came in smaller pieces as opposed to one long piece. But the RM8 dish actually tasted very nice, and the wedges were really sumptuous. Maybe there could have been  a little more wedges, but fortunately enough, the boss provided us with additional wedges on the house!

Another day we ordered the Chicken Chop for RM10, a very good price. My wife gave it a positively encouraging 8/10!

The friendly boss at Kafe Kopi Aliff gladly posed for a picture

The three workers at Kafe Kopi Aliff

We will most probably be visiting Kafe Kopi Aliff many more times in the future. It helps being just downstairs from our house!

If you are in the area, you should stop by and give Kafe Kopi Aliff a try. While you're there, you can also say hi to me!

April 2013: Unfortunately, this cafe is now closed and out of business

"each a cup"

Recently, a new "each a cup" outlet opened in East Coast Mall, Kuantan. My wife was the one who decided to try it out first. I'm so glad she did because now I keep going back for more!

I must admit I was a little bemused about the name of the outlet - each a cup - it didn't quite make full sense to me. But after tasting the drinks I realised it didn't matter what the name was!

"each a cup" is a beverage outlet which has a stunning array of drinks to choose from. Just look at those lists on the menu!

I have taken great pleasure in the peppermint flavours, including peppermint oreo and peppermint smoothie. Today I had to try the Lover Fruit Yoghurt drink which is actually a green mango number, and that was great too. 

Wow, no words to describe how good they taste, especially when I'm walking home under the hot sun with one of these cool beverages being slowly sipped. The very affordable price of between RM3-4 is another attraction.

So I'd like to say well done to "each a cup" for providing quality drinks and hardworking and friendly staff at the East Coast Mall, Kuantan outlet.

Check out their website HERE

I highly recommend these drinks to anyone in Malaysia!

8-day Herbalife Trial - DAY 4 and 5

My good wife made a much-improved chocolate milkshake on Day 4, at just the right temperature! On Day 5 we spoke with Iman, one of the workers there who wears stunning blue contact lens! However, I think I ate too much pasta afterwards and had an uncomfortably full tummy for the rest of the day. Ooops.

I like this poster which is up on the wall in the kitchen area of the Herbalife centre:

And here is my wife making our drinks:

8-Day Herbalife Trial - DAY 1

Just a little worried as we approached the makeshift 'drinking room' in a quiet secluded corner of Teruntum Complex in Kuantan, I remarked to my wife how it doesn't look like the room of a good, professional company. She gently reminded me that HERBALIFE is fairly new in Pahang and they are in process of shifting premises to Mahkota Square, near the Pahang State Mosque. Herbalife has been in business in Malaysia for around 4-5 years.

A lean distributor named Jess attended to us and sat us down in a corner of the room. She talked me through a little about the drinks and then served us the first one - aloe vera intestine cleaner. It was hard going.

A large group of Malays near the solitary whiteboard chatted energetically before they exited, and shortly after were repalced by another group.

The aloe vera intestine cleaner took a good 10-15 minutes to finish, probably 20. Whilst drinking, Jess shared her experiences with Herbalife and addressed a couple of my questions.

After finally gulping down the last swig of the aloe vera intestine cleaner, I felt quite bloated and wondered if I would be able to manage two more. The plastic cups, complete with my name, the numbers 1, 2 and 3 written vertically, and Jess's name, were a lot more voluminous than I had imagined.

Enter the second drink - the lemon and hibiscus herbal tea antioxidant. This is the fat buster. I was concerned it would burn away what measly fat I do have left, and leave me looking like a skeleton. Jess re-assured me it would be fine and would just clean my body of the bad toxins. I asked in jest if I could 'pass' drink 2 but the answer was 'no!' It was, however, surprisingly easy to drink.

The third drink - Blended soy and whey protein powder - in other words, "Chocolate Milkshake!" By now I was feeling quite good and growing in the confidence that I would be able to complete the three drinks. The chocolate milkshake was thicker than the previous two and had a distinct taste of peanuts, but was definitely the most tasty.

At odds with previous thought, I didn't actually feel too full and was rather chuffed for the rest of the evening! The only question mark that still hovers over my head is precisely what effects I am expecting to see in just a short 8-day trial period.

Anyhow, I'm excited for Day Two.

Stay tuned...

The first Sunday of October

We arose this morning to constant banging from our neighbours upstairs. It went on for a good half hour and was very annoying. "What the hell's going on up there?" I cried. We have had to call the police twice in recent times because of their fighting and shouting with each other, disturbing the peace of the whole block. "Who knows what's going on" I concluded. Sometimes it's better to just keep your nose out of other people's business; sometimes it becomes a necessity to do something about it, like when the previous occupant came running down the stairs with her husband chasing her, yelling to us to call the police as he shaped up to give her a good thump!

My wife is starting work for HERBALIFE which is an American company recently opened its business in Malaysia. It specialises in herbal health drinks which lead to a happier, healthier life. For a long time I have not been interested in all these health supplements because I didn't think they would make a difference and they can be costly. But the saying, "If you don't pay for your health, you will have to pay for your sickness," keeps coming back to my mind. With all the fast food and nasi dagang, nasi lemak and all other fatty, high cholesterol Malay foods, I think I'm not as healthy as I could and should be. (I just love the taste of a good nasi lemak!)

So we're doing an 8-day trial at the Herbalife centre here in Kuantan which involves drinking 3 drinks each day. The first drink is an aloe vera drink which cleans the intestine; second is a tea mix of lemon and hibiscus which is a strong antioxidant; thirdly is a blended soy and whey protein powder concoction. Later this afternoon I'll be having my first session. Yesterday my wife tried the three drinks and amazingly stayed awake until 12 midnight watching the football with me! She's usually flat out on the bed while I watch the second half alone. So I could clearly see she was a lot more energized than usual.

And I just found out that the Barcelona and L.A. Galaxy football teams drink Herbalife products and are sponsored by Herbalife, so, if Lionel Messi and David Beckham drink this stuff, then so can I! I'm a little excited, a little apprehensive about going to drink this stuff, but if it gives me greater energy to play badminton in these stiflingly humid conditions, then that will be great.

My 8-day trial starts later today. So far this morning I have woken up, had our church meeting, then sat down on the sofa and yawned several times, felt quite sleepy and experienced achy legs for a while. Doesn't sound so healthy, right? Maybe my body is just paying the price of all my endeavours during the last week. I cycled to Teluk Chempedak beach, the Sri Sithi Vinayagar Temple, and the Kuantan Waterfront in the heat of the tropic afternoon, and I could feel at times, the humidity sapping me, draining out moisture from my body. Sunday, our rest day, may be the chance for my body to pay the price with a few aches and pains, before I get ready to brave the coming week...

Or I'm just not optimally healthy.

Let the drinks begin...

(P.S. As I was labelling this post, I can't believe how this is the first time I have ever mentioned David Beckham on my blog! His label didn't exist before today!)