Beautiful CS's Birthday @ Vila Manja

everything was under wrapped for the Birthday gal
the preparation was so detailed including her birthday cake
Hot Mama Thevi attended a culinary class in Starhill a few weeks ago and attempted a sinful to die for chocolate cake topped with pretty macarons.

 She was praying in front of her oven
"Please have feet, please have feet, please have feet...."
U'll know that it's a successful macarons when they have pretty feets like the above....
okie akka!!! now u can conduct Masterclass at ur home...I'm definitely signing up.
*read about my previous Masterclass with Chef Hot Mama Thevi at her beautiful kitchen here*


Ta-DA!!!!
I really salute this woman
:)))))))))))))))

Hot Mama Thevi kept the gals updated on the cake which she had to prepare 2 days in advance prior to Beautiful CS's birthday.....all of us were praying for her.

WAHHHHHHH so PRETTY!!!!!
the Birthday GAL gonna lurve it

oh she better be for all the hardwork and sweat and worries and stress and prayers
the cake was not only beautiful but so yummy
made with olive oil, flour, chocolates and free range eggs.....a healthier version of a chocolate cake...hahahahaha

The Macarons were sandwiched with dark or white chocolate ganache fillings
please please please conduct a Masterclass soon ok :))))))))

Beautiful CS and Sexay Back Maggie

Birthday gal got a lovely surprise bcoz she was driven to Vila Manja by Sexay Back's hensem driver, thinking it was a quiet afternoon between the two ladies, afternoon tea and a session of catching up.

anyhow.....when she arrived, my big ass car was a gave away...she knew it already....
sigh...-_-
I should have camouflage my car in the future....
It was also a gave away during Hot Mama Thevi's Birthday a few years ago at Carcosa Seri Negara
*read about it here*


Beautiful CS was so happy beyond words, she decided to karate-chop us for keeping this a hush hush secrets for a few weeks.

It almost caused a havoc bcoz everyone had to be Oscar winners actresses to pull on stunts and pretended to have forgotten her birthdays.

Soon our Spa session started.....
of 2.5 hours of bliss, relaxation and catching up of coz hahahaha
with an array of afternoon tea served at this place

Beautiful CS was so ecstatic!!!
a birthday surprise, beautiful gifts, yummy healthy homemade cake topped with macarons made with love....and a fireworks candles.

Million Dollar Smile Encee was dashing fr places to places to get candles...and this was the best.
Monkey: "hey this isn't candle????"
Macho Mani: "Wow these are for the clubs. U gonna burn the cake!!!!"

Her cake is on FIRE!!!!!
only Hawt Babe Shen dared to light the cake up with her ciggie lighter. Coz there isn't a candle wick nor any strings on it to ignite the candle. That's why I don't think it's a candle!!! it looked like a TNT bomb!!!!
When Hawt Babe Shen was lighting it up nonchalantly...everyone dashed 5 feets away!!! and soon sparkle and fireworks shoot up 5 feet high!!!! Then we realised we need to snap pic!!! hahahahahha.

Top left to right Birthday gal with:
Hot Mama Thevi, terima kasih so much for the beautiful cake & Macarons
Sweet Devil Rachel and Macho Mani who was not supposed to be at the spa but he came to pick his lovely wife home....
Sexay Back Maggie who planned this outing
Sharoness
Birthday Gal :)))))
Monkey
Million Dollar Smile Encee, terima kasih for ur fireworks in da club TNT candles
Hawt Babe Shen
and finally the beautiful cake hahahahhaha

HAPPY BIRTHDAY once again
may all your wishes come true
HUGS!!!!!

Vila Manja
Villa 41, Jalan Damai,
Off Jalan Tun Razak,
Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 603 2161 5418
www.vilamanja.com

Do check out all the cooking classes available in Starhill at its prestigious Culinary Studio:
www.facebook.com/starhillculinarystudio

Pierre Herme the attraction of Paris

Les incontournables de Paris
the attractions of Paris
printed on every box of Pierre Herme merchandises


from the Vendome Place, beautiful Montmart, the romantic bridge, Mona Lisa in the Louvre, Eiffel tower of coz, the curious Beauborg museum and Champs Elysees :))))

apart from being attractions, all these places also drew long queues of tourists from around the world.
But when it comes to Macarons, the shop that's basking with customers is Laduree
Laduree sells experience but Pierre Herme shares his art of macarons

known as the Picasso of Pastry, u can find other handmade chocolates, cakes and yummy goodness at all his dark brown understated boutiques. There was one just located down the street by our hotel, so u can imagine the trips and visits just for our culinary cravings?


Pierre Herme is famous for all his unique concoctions and flavours
the most famous flavours is Ispahan which is alwiz my no. 1 favourite.
Ispahan is a concoction of Rose, Lychee and raspberry, yes I know...very very exotic.
:))))))))))))

so every year he will make some limited and special collection of the season
yes macarons do have seasons
the above pic was his season White Truffle with roasted hazelnuts from Alba *which had to be packed separately due to its strong nose*
Alba is also the place famous for White Truffle and memories of our visit 3 years ago lingered in my mind till today :))))
all ur products of Ferrero Roche, Tic Tac and Nutella came from Alba ok :)))

the macaron sitting on top of White Truffle with roasted hazelnuts from Alba is another special edition of Pierre Herme - PX
PX = Pedro Ximenez
it's a type of grape grown in southern Spain to make sweet sherry

sorry I used the wrong knife to cut it and compressed the delicate macaron shells too much

thing I like about his macarons, there's alwiz something inside to surprise u
there's hazelnuts inside the White Truffle ones
while XP has got a steeped sultanas
all these gave the macarons an elevated lift in terms of bite, taste and look

yup I've tried so many other macarons and came to the collection that Pierre Herme suits my palate the most :))))))
Palate is very very subjective, some ppl prefer Laduree some thinks Jean Paul Hevin is better but Pierre Herme moves me :))))

After tasting a few flavours throughout our weeks in Paris, we decided that these 2 worth the efforts to handcarry them....in my Bottega Veneta hand bag, flown business class all the way home to Malaysia. :))))))

www.pierreherme.com

Nathalie Gourmet

Peakie D alwiz present something yummy whenever she drops by
despite us warning her....don't bring anything but ur tummy!!!!
well she's really a hard-headed lady...so no one can really change her mind
:))))))

and sometimes it would be yummy macaroons from Natahlie's Gourmet
u can attend her Macarons lesson at her studio

my favourite flavour has got to be the Goma sesame and Salt Caramel
:)))))))
ohhh this reminded me to re-ignite my macarons attempt
but so so so so so lazy....


for more information log onto:
www.nathaliegourmetstudio.com

Laduree, Paris

ohhhh this elegant exquisite name is alwiz associated with MACARONS!!!!
well they are after all the FATHER of MACARONS!!!!

okie technically macarons was invented ages ago, but it was Laduree who got this idea of using 2 pieces of macarons and sandwiched them in between fillings of lovely ganache

Laduree was established in 1862 by Louis Ernest Laduree
they were bought over by the Holder group who also owns PAUL bakery
with such takeover, one can expect massive investment and heavy expansion
so Laduree is available these days in almost important cities
like Geneva, Monaco, Zurich, Tokyo, UK, US, Italy and also a few Arabian countries

today they have expanded to more tea salons, pastry shop, ice cream parlour
and their very first beauty lines of makeup will be launched next month in JAPAN!!!!
all the makeup collection will be inspired from the lovely colors from all its Macarons creations

usually in betwee shopping or sight seeing, we'll take a coffee/tea break

in any country that we visit even in Asia
so in Asia we'll do the Asian style
*read bout our Thai tea break in Bangkok last year here*

Coffees in the middle of the day is compulsory for us :P
yep we are coffee addicts...without one in the morning, the entire day gonna be unproductive
so another cuppa in the afternoon or after meals are like a booster
however we dun have coffee after 5pm, unless it's a decaffeinated

generally most ppl do tat
this has prompted Starbucks to revamp its business module
it has been announced this week that they will be selling a different type of brew - alcohols
else the number of customers decline as the sun sets....
I wonder if this gonna happen in Malaysia...hmmm....

now let's set our eyes back to Laduree and this sweet lil tart
Lemon Tart
there's too many items I wanna stuff my face with...but I can only choose one
*esp with JS's slitted eyes staring at me*

I'm a sucker for tarts so tarts it'll be
but...but..there's so many tarts!!!!
GAH from apples to berries to cream based, custard ones, with toppings and meringues
GAH!!!!!
decisions decisions decisions

it's even more difficult that getting a nice pair of shoes or that oh-ahhh-bag
coz if I really like them, i'll just get the same in different colors
*which I usually do*
but with food....it's perishable and my tummy has got such limited storage...
maybe 20 years down the road, scientists would have invented an external stomach
*u know the way how external disk works*

the lemon custard fillings were silky smooth....
once it's on ur tongue the curd just glides and danced in ur mouth
almost like eating butter
bit with a lemony tang

only setback was it's way too sweet but french lurve their pastries SWEET!!!!

but still better than the Greeks....I get toothache eating Greek pastries
its crust was pretty good too

perhaps time to horn my baking skills and try some other tarts again
the oven at home been zzzz way too long
tee hee hee

Do take some time and visit their beautiful lady-liked website
so u can continue to drool at their products :P
www.laduree.fr

Pierre Herme

tee hee hee
I hand-carried this baby all the way
sat inside my YSL bag and I took great care of it until Berr has got no place in my bag

flew in business class
these are really "good-life" macarons

such pretty box :D
but its "good-life" didn't last long
coz it ended in my tummy

when I opened it.....
I breathed a huge sigh of relief
all still in pretty condition

my favourite flavour......ROSE!!!!!

Pierre Herme has got many many other exotic flavours
Flatmate Amy recommended White Truffle and I got it separately in a different plastic packaging
coz the SMELL was so over-whelming
haven't taste it yet

there's even Foie Gras with Figs flavour
such weird ones rite?
I had so much of foie gras in France that I didn't touch it in macarons form

tasting notes...
not that sweet like the other brands
texture was chewy the way I like it
and just enuff fillings :D

in a short while....nom nom nom
all gone into my tummies
for the efforts of carrying them back
yeah it's still worth it

for more info:
www.pierreherme.com