Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Hanging Out

As a young girl growing up in Ipoh we had no internet and no hand phones.  Our needs to socialize were usually expressed in specific terms of having a purpose that would satisfy our parent's queries. Today it is much more common to hear the term "hanging out" expressed by young people or at least from those that escape from their video games, iPhones, and laptops to meet friends in person. As adults we don't use the term "hanging out" very much. Perhaps that is because we need the assurance of purpose for everything we choose to do. Maybe we are just looking  for reasons to get  together so as to avoid stating the obvious. We need socialization. We also need to socialize in the presence of company we enjoy and have a common ground with. The study of socialization (sociology) reaffirms over and over that our existence depends on it.  As frequent readers know, I enjoy writing about meeting fellow bloggers in person. Maybe the sociologist are right, maybe my existence depends on it in some way. So "hanging out" has a huge payback.


I first met Yen and her hubby of the blog Eat your heart out when I was conducting a cooking class in Pantry Magic, in Bangsar.  She approached me and asked if I was Quay Po and introduced herself. We chatted, and right away I knew this bright young lady was a warm and friendly person. From then on, we have visited each other's blog frequently and  exchanged comments. We recently "became friends" on Facebook and exchanged notes often. It was not long before we decided to meet up and "hang out". She asked me if I would like to meet another blogger Mei Yee of I am the Witch and of course, I indicated I would be delighted to. I always love to meet new friends, especially people who share the same passion  - food. To me Facebook and blogs will never replace meeting someone in person. We lose a lot of communication and risk being misunderstood when confined to the internet. Our tone of voice, facial expressions, and body language all are lost on the internet. Meeting Yen and Mei Yee was as expected, a sheer delight.

The night before our meet up for tea at The Sheraton Imperial...

I made some macarons with a kumquat, dark chocolate and cointreau filling  to let Yen sample it as promised.


I made sure I had enough for each person to have two and a little extra, just in case they loved them. 


Being resourceful ladies, both Yen and Mei Yee had a Starwood discount card each so we only had to pay 50% of the price per head for the high tea. However the rule was, we had to sit in two separate tables. (HUH!?)  That seemed rediculous to us and we finally need not comply after speaking to the Manager in charge. The place was rather empty and we understood why after tasting the pastry. There were not many choices served and the only item offered that we all agreed  was delicious were the mini donuts. We had no complaints about the presentation but looks can be deceiving.


My macarons became the “Star” of the day, perhaps largely because the competition was so inferior. Each of them had two and they said they love them. Yen’s hubby’s remark was even more encouraging, he stated they were much higher standard in appearance, taste, and texture than many they had purchased from commercial outlets. (What a bright and charming young man!)

We spent a cheerful afternoon together, forgetting that the food was not up to our expectation and since we did not have to pay full price for it, we did not feel short changed, for we think the ambience was perfect for a nice hang out. It was great getting to know Yen, her hubby  and meet another new friend, Mei Yee, another lovely young lady, and we all seemed to have lots to talk about despite our age difference. As if spending three hours yakking were not enough, Yen asked me to tag along with them to a happy hour cocktail food tasting for Bloggers, at Al Amar Express in the city. There I ran into my friend, Cheng Yi of Have your Cake and Eat It Too and met some other bloggers for the first time. They were a group of chirpy and fun loving people. We had a ball.


I got to sample some of the Lebanese food, their free flow cocktail drinksand wine as well. This of course led to much laughter and enjoyment. I loved their range of wine, 
affordable and good. 


All the above food was reasonably priced and everything tasted delicious.  To me, it would be great value for money. I will definitely go there again with my Quay Lo. It is a great place to meet up with friends after a hard day's work. Not only will you get great food, inventive and colorful cocktails as well as an excellent range of affordable and delightful Lebanese wine, the staff there, including the chef, the sales and marketing director, Ralph and the owner, Joseph, are all very friendly. 

The whole team knew how to please their customers and make them feel extremely welcome. I suspect that if you visit Al Amar Express just once, it likely will not be your last visit. 
Al-Amar Express

Fahrenheit88
Lot G44, Ground Floor,
179, Jalan Bukit Bintang,
55100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Tel no: +603-2141 3814
Opening hours: 8am to 1am Daily (opens til 5am on weekends)
Email: info@al-amar.com
Website: http://www.al-amar.com/ Facebook Page


No fees or promotionl considerations were received and
my remarks are purely my own.








60 comments:

  1. thanks for this post. would like to pay them a visit ... how are you doing? J been ranting wanle tiket wanle tiket to the mooooooon... hahaha

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    1. Wee Kean, I am doing fine. This place is worth checking out. Remember to order their hummus and flat bread. hahaha good to know Joshua still remember the one way ticket song I taught him:D He is such a cute and smart boy. Give him a Big Bear Hug for me.

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  2. Awwww it was our pleasure meeting you too. And Hubby couldn't stop raving about your macarons (he came home and told my mother that it was the star of the afternoon LOL). ;) Hope we get to "hang out" together again soon.

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    1. Me too, we will catch up soon. This time I will drag my Quay Lo along.

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  3. Ah!!! So you were at Al Amar too... Saw the reviews in some of the others' blogs. Witch comes regularly to my blog or used to come regularly - haven't seen her around for a while...and I've yet to met her and her hubby, Saucer aka Lionel in person. I know KY by name, friend of my friends. Dunno the rest... I love meeting bloggers - they're such nice people...most if not all the time.

    Bukit Bintang? How did you manage to get there? Your navigator is not around. Muahahahahaha!!!!

    I've been wanting to try any of these mid-eastern cuisines for a long time but never had the chance to do so. MUST do that next time I get to KL.

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    1. Quick Quick come to KL again. I take you and Lucy there but still you must lead the way. Oh that day, Mei Yee was in the car with me and I was following Yen's car. I got stand in navigator wan.

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  4. What a fun night that was... :) Nice to finally meet you... :)

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    1. Yes, it was, you all are great company! Hope to see you again soon.

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  5. Ha ! Nothing beats your homemade macs ! hahahaha If only I could grab some of that now *sigh* ;D Or maybe you could throw some of that scrumptious spread over here , that raspberry tart , perhaps ?! :D Lovely post , Lucy !

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    1. Anne, the raspberry tart is so so only because I did not make it! hahahaha...

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  6. Again, someone acknowledged your macaron tastes heavenly. Thumbs up!

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  7. Yan, thanks, hope I will be able to meet up all the lovely ladies from Taiping and let you guys taste my macs too.

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  8. Quay Po, you are making me hungry now coz it's 5 o'clock here & I'm waiting for Isabelle to get up so I can go to pick up Ethan from his day care centre!

    I want to place some unrelated comments here:"1st, I like the white "cheongsam" like dress worn by Mei Yee!, Opps, I'm such a vein girl! How I wish that I can have this dress? 2ndly, looks like KY from KY Speaks is everywhere in food testing; as a judge in Malaysia Masterchef......

    It is a shame to know that those mini raspberry tarts did not win your heart! They look so cute there!

    You can consider of selling your kumquat & dark chocolate macaron recipe to the 5* hotel now!

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    1. Mei Yee is a pretty lady and a great figure, she will make any dress look nice:D KY is a famous blogger and yes looks like he is here there everywhere..LOL! I am not impressed with the the taste of the tarts but I agree they look pretty. You are asking me to seel my macs to a 5 star hotel? Not up to that standard yet lah but it is a nice thought:D

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    1. Yummy, I hope you are referring to the food in Al Amar and not the high tea in The Sheraton Imperial:D

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  10. What a spread of foodie!!

    Somehow, I feel comfort looking at your cooking / baking. This commercialize one cannot bet yours, Quay Po :)

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    1. Thanks Yvonne, a big encouragement to improve the looks of my mac and to create more yummy filling. I will work harder.

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  11. Such a nice meeting up with old / new friends. And so nice to sample new food.

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    1. I like meeting up with old and new friends better. Got to be careful on sampling food too often, can go out of shape very quickly. LOL!

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  12. Another great remark on your macarons. How I wish I have a chance to taste it...can send by post? LOL.

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    1. You are living not too far away so can meet up one day and let you taste it.

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    2. So nice of you. Really appreciate it and thank you in advance. I'm sure this day will come as I always love meeting new friends.

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  13. Nice meet up with friends! I would love to taste your macarons! You can consider to open a shop selling macarons :)

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    1. Kitty, those who have tasted my macs said the same thing to me. I told them for now I would like to keep my mac to treat my friends and family. Once I do it for money, it will take the fun away.

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  14. I was very happy with that batch of macs but unfortunately, experience in making macs does not guarantee 100% success.

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  15. What a fun and lovely time! I would love to meet up and "hang out" with you anytime - we'd probably never stop talking! Your macarons look incredible and I agree with your last reply - once you start cooking for a living it would definitely seem to me, to take away the enjoyment, creativity and fun! Love your blog!

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    1. If only you are nearer, we sure will hang out for sure and I will definitely like you to taste my macs.

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  16. Aha thanks for the review. Now I'll have another spot to hangout to have good food and nice ambiance. :)
    +Ant+

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  17. Like love to ear macaroons, wish there's any chances for me to taste yours!!!

    " It is a great place to meet up with friends after a hard day's work. " i'm agreed with you. Reading this post make me feel envy :) I'm writing my blog with food, don't even is a cooker or baker. But, I do love to read people who write about food ^^

    It is a great place to meet up with friends after a hard day's work.

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    1. When you write more about food, you might get interested in cooking and baking and soon, you will be very good at it.

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  18. Devil and I are looking forward to "hanging out" with you properly one day soon. :)

    P.S. The move is done! Now there a few days of unpacking to look forward to... *groans*

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    1. Kenny, I hate moving house. I was like a nomad when I was young. I move from Ipoh to KL and then from KL back to Ipoh, and then Ipoh back to KL. Within KL, I move umpteen times then went to stay with my Quay Lo in US for a while and then moved from US to KL. Haiyah, pack, unpack, pack, unpack. "Kepala Pening!!" LOL! Yes, looking foreard to "hang out" properly with you cna d Devil too. MUAX!!

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  19. Hi Quay po. Its great to read about your food testing and tasting adventures, as well meeting up with friends, making new friends and doing spontaneous food reviews, finally publishing them in you blog, for us to share with smiles on our faces.
    I like this versatile approach and blog content, because a foodie blog is not confined to recipes only. If they are “Recipes only”, it means stagnation and monotonous blogging. I like foodie blogs where readers comment in a very commited manner.
    Your macarons looks cool and pretty. Must be delicious. Have a nice day dear. Hugs to you too

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    1. The original intention of Quay Po Cooks was to document my Mum's and my Quay Lo's recipe but now it becomes more than that. It is more about sharing I thought worth sharing and that maybe some of my stories will help someone out there who face the same adversities as I, do not feel so alone and know that anything can be overcomed.

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  20. The company llooks good even if the food is not up to par but your macarons make me wish I could taste some too! You are very good at baking macs now, no more looking like a certain part of the female anatomy lol!

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    1. hahaha, Jeannie, I wish my macs looks like female anatomy part no more but the truth is, I still get them. I am you will get to taste my macs. You let me know when you free to meet up and I will bring some for you to taste.

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  21. Good company is always essential. More so when food is mediocre or bad.

    The macarons look awesome. Hopefully Ill be able to taste them one day.

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    1. Yes, you can if we have to time to meet up. Early warning though:D

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  22. What a fun time you all had!! Getting to know new friends is just the best!! All the food looks so good!! Did you find me through Claire? Your photos are very good. Here, most people use the term 'Hanging Out". It started with the younger teens using it, and by now most everyone says it!

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    1. Ginny, you probably you did not know that this is Quay Po a.k.a Aunty Lucy. I really cannot remember how I found you. Thanks for dropping by and take time to leave a comment. Hope you will hang out here often:D

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  23. You have such a wonderful blogger meet up aka "Hanging Out". :)

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    1. Yes, one day I must plan to hang out with you lovely young ladies in Taiping:D

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  24. love these kind of meet up too. Will surely get myself out once the boys are bigger :)

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    1. Yes, I appreciate that when the kids are little, it is hard to find time to hang out.

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  25. I swear you're gonna meet every single blogger out there by the end of the year at the rate you're going. And how come they got to eat the kumquat macs and I didn't? Now, I'm the green-eyed one :(
    I'll have to check this place out ... hopefully I don't get too lost. I too need a navigator esp around KL town ... I'm Lucy too, remember? :)

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    1. hahaha, sorry lah, I thought I was clever, make the durian filling to treat you. Who knows I did not meet just another LUCY but a true "Quay Po". huhuhu....now you have to wait for next year kumquat seasons and I promise I will make for you specially. As regards to Al Amar, we can go there together one evening and hang out, two Auntie LUCYs can get lost together, I guess that will be fun! LOL!

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  26. Great meeting ya and terrific food at Al Amar;) Hope to hangout with you again soon yo! ;)

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    1. OH YES! It was delightful to meet up with you lovely young ladies, makes me feel young too! Hope to see you soon another time and I will make some dessert to share with you.

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  27. it is great to hang out with girls! I also hang out with few girls once a while and now our hanging out is not on food, but more on jogging, massage and movie! ;p

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    1. Rose, out of the three you mentioned about your recent hanging out, I only love one - MASSAGE! I can't jog, my bud too heavy, I don't like to sit in the theatre to watch a movie cos when the movie is over, I am SO STIFF that I cannot get our of the chair. If we hang out, it has to be about food and massage. LOL!

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  28. So nice to meet other fellow bloggers right? But they're foodie bloggers right? How come they managed to still be so slim..:) Al Amar's food looks convincing and inviting. Hope to get the chance to try it one day.

    Yet another person raving about your macarons! You really can start selling it! Maybe you don't have to open a shop but just sell over the internet and I will surely buy them from you..:)

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    1. Carolyn, it is always a delight for me to meet fellow bloggers in person. Yes, they are all foodies and I was surprised too, I wonder how they stay so slim as well:D Right now, I am still enjoying making macarons for my friends and family. The joy of seeing them enjoy my macs is worth a million dollars. You don't have to buy from me my dear, just make a date with me and give me a one week warning so I can aged the egg white and meet up with you with the macs. Hope you are enjoying your Sunday with your family.

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  29. I hang out all the time !! heheh! I thinks it's just easier to say that than go into detail about what you are doing...especially if they might not have the same interest. Anyway this sounds like a great way to hang out. Looks like so much fun meeting in person and getting to know them. The food looks so good!!

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    1. Lyndsey, be careful what you just said before someone ask you what do you hang out! LOL! I am so bad huh? XOXO

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  30. hey, i see a lot of eye candy man and candy girls too here! envy envy, you got so many activities going around you..!

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    1. Young and handsome men and youthful pretty girls are all eye candies. Did you that STALE CANDY among them? You know I am talking about Aunty Lucy right? hahahaha

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  31. I must be the last to comment on this post but it doesn't matter.. HELLO from Sydney! :) I am looking back at the photos we took that afternoon and night and I miss all of you already!! Hope to see you again (and taste your macarons) when I come back for holidays ;)

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    1. My dear girl, I wish I have know you earlier so that our encounter is not just Hello and Good Bye. Do stay in touch and we will be thinking about you. When you coe back for holidays, buzz me a few days in advance so that I can make one box of macs just for you. Hugs.

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