May is the month for visitors - no sooner had I farewelled my chigga friend and her boy, I found myself at the Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT) eagerly awaiting the arrival of Breakfast Sarah, my co-worker from university days when I earned my keep selling handbags and suitcases. Over the years we have maintained and built on our friendship founded in a common love of breakfast and she's always a lot of fun.
So back to LCCT. I have to say, not having a car I find it a bit of a hassle to get to. While KLIA is a breeze via the 28-minute KLIA Expres train from KL Sentral, to get to LCCT I have 3 options, all of them slow.
- Taxi, which I quickly ruled out as the rather exorbitant fare doesn't appeal to my new Malaysian view of my finances (150MYR+ one way)
- SkyBus from KL Sentral, which is fine but I'd just done this hour+ coach ride for my trip to Singapore 2 weeks ago and didn't fancy it again (9MYR one way)
- KLIA Transit train from KL Sentral to Salak Tinggi followed by a 30-minute shuttle bus (12.50MYR one way)
In the end I decided to give the KLIA Transit train a go. Turns out it only leaves every half hour so I ended up waiting at KL Sentral for 25 minutes and checking the time on my phone nervously on the train and again on the shuttle bus as BS' arrival time came and went.
Turns out I need not have worried so much about getting to the airport on time. You see, my friend BS had a worry of her own - Air Asia X had lost her suitcase.
As a frequent traveller, losing my luggage is a constant fear I have every time I find myself standing at the baggage carousel. This is why the suitcases I own are bright red, stripey or have a big orange ribbon tied to them; and my name and address clearly written on a luggage tag. If I find myself still waiting after most of the other passengers around me have found their suitcase and shuffled off, my heart rate starts to increase and I start to stress.
And yet so far I have been lucky (touch wood). My friend BS not so lucky. She found herself with another couple from Sydney waiting after the carousel had stopped, still with no luggage. Sydney Couple managed to sort theirs out quickly - the Air Asia staff made a quick call and were able to locate their bag at Sydney Airport. "It will arrive on the plane tomorrow and you will have it delivered tomorrow night." And Sydney Couple wearily went on their way.
My friend BS stepped forward hopefully but no such luck. "We don't know where your bag is." "We have this problem with Sydney." "We will call you in 3-4 hours." With these words and a missing baggage report tucked away in her handbag, BS began her month-long trip to Europe via KL.
I called again 4 hours later at 10:30pm as we had not yet heard anything, and the Air Asia staff member sounded almost amused that we were expecting a resolution so soon. "I'm in at 1pm again tomorrow, I call you then," he said. To which I replied that no, I would like his colleague working the morning shift to please call us earlier than that. "Okay okay he call you," said our Air Asia friend.
But of course, come the next morning there was no call so once again I found myself dialling the number. We were told that the latest update from Sydney was still 'search in progress'. Our friend had made a helpful note on our report that "This lady calls many times asking about her bag." Is there any chance the suitcase is lost at LCCT? No. Is there a number I can call to speak to someone in Sydney? No, all our correspondence is via email.
Day 2 wearing the same clothes she travelled in with no makeup or toiletries, BS was starting to get slightly concerned. So after breakfast, we headed to Suria KLCC for emergency shopping:
- underwear (Uniqlo)
- bikini (Quiksilver)
- BB cream and eyeliner (Guardian Pharmacy)
The afternoon rolled around. Should I call Air Asia again, I asked BS. She shook her head. "I think we should wait a bit longer and give them a chance to sort it out." Then around 6:30pm, 24 hours after we had left LCCT, I got a call.
"Your friend's bag has just arrived from Sydney. We are waiting for our agent to deliver it to your address. You will get it tonight or tomorrow morning, I will call to confirm."
Fantastic news! We hurried home to wait for the suitcase and the call to confirm delivery. It was after 11pm by the time I sleepily answered a call from a man who proceeded to shout at me that he was on his way and would be at our condo approximately 1-1:30am. I asked him to kindly leave the bag with security and I would collect it in the morning.
*Sleep interlude*
I wake up to the sound of the doorbell to our apartment being pressed over and over. What time is it? It's 1:30am. I answer the door not even half-awake and find the delivery man with a security guard. But no suitcase.
"You want your suitcase?"
"I told you to please leave it with security. This is much too late."
"You want your suitcase?"
Having been rudely woken in the middle of the night, I was in no mood to stand in the glaring light in the hallway and wait for him to go back down to pick up the suitcase and bring it back up. Goodness knows how long that would take!
So I politely asked once more to leave the bag with security and I would pick it up in the morning. Then I shut the door firmly in their faces.
This morning sure enough, BS' suitcase was sitting in the security office with a tag stuck on that read "THIS BAG BELONGS TO MS LISA". BS is now gleefully unpacking her toiletries and holiday wardrobe and looking forward to spending the day by the pool, and going shopping without the pressure of having to buy things.
Verdict: Lost baggage is something that happens to every airline at every airport. Air Asia could have communicated more - it was irritating that we had to keep following up with them until they found the bag. But all in all, 24 hour delay is not that bad.
Monday, May 28, 2012
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Dinner at twentyone kitchen+bar, Changkat Bukit Bintang
As you may have heard, Air Asia started flying Sydney-KL direct as of April this year. Prior to that, your only option was Malaysia Airlines for a direct flight or a range of other full-service airlines via Singapore. Air Asia's entry into the market at the low, low, low end of the price spectrum (and now Scoot as well from Singapore to Sydney) is welcome news for many, but certainly for me as it means trips back home will be possible more often.
Of course, the opposite is also true - it means that Sydney friends and family can now come and visit without having to use up their entire holiday budget for the year. And so it was that just before Easter, an entertaining ex-colleague of mine came to KL for a week with her partner and a pair of food bloggers in tow.
On the one night our schedules managed to align, The Boy and I decided to take the troop to Changkat Bukit Bintang. You would not be an expat in KL and not know of this fantastic street lined with countless bars and restaurants and offering a lively energy no matter what night of the week. It's been six months now and we have still only been to a handful of places on the street, it is my goal to gradually make my way through the entire row and choose my favourite establishments.
This particular balmy evening we headed to Gypsy for a few drinks first. There are nicer bars in Changkat, but Gypsy has a good range of beers and decent happy hour prices, which is important when you are out with thirsty menfolk.
We then headed to the main event of the evening - dinner at twentyone kitchen + bar. The Boy and I had been there before for drinks a couple of times and I liked the wide upstairs balcony where you could sit and sip on a yummy cocktail from a big list and watch the world go by. Having done a bit of research into suitable places that might impress my foodie colleague, I had read some good reviews about twentyone's menu and so for some weeks had been looking forward to finally trying it out.
What we ate:
Entree (shared)
smoked duck and sour plum spring rolls - 16RM
king prawn spring rolls with a sweet chilli and tamarind dipping - 22RM
wild rocket with feta cheese and balsamic - 22RM
The duck spring rolls were a fantastic flavour combination, while I thought the rocket was a bit overpriced in comparison.
Mains (individual)
braised wagyu beef burger with tomatoes, onions, lettuce, pickles, rosemary crusted chips and gherkin aioli - 38RM
wild mushroom risotto with tempura of oyster mushroom and parmesan wafer - 34
pan fried salmon served on a potato croquette, tomato, asparagus and caper butter sauce - 38
There is one missing from the above list (2 of us ordered the risotto) but I have simply forgotten and don't have any photos to remind me. Verdict? Good.
The Boy was over the moon with his burger, so much so that I didn't get to try more than a small mouthful. The rosemary crusted chips were rough cut and had the right amount of crispiness on the outside.
I had the salmon (which I do have a photo of!) and it was the perfect size, even a little too large. The fish was slightly under-cooked which is the way I like it. The potato croquette was yummy and reminded me of arancini balls; the vine-ripened tomato juicy and the caper butter sauce was not too heavy and provided a nice background to the rest of the dish.
Dessert
passionfruit creme brulee with dark chocolate mousse and caramel - 18RM
tiramisu with mascarpone and chocolate moelleux - 24RM
I was pretty full but my sweet tooth wouldn't let me pass up the delectable dessert menu. The creme brulee made a pleasant crack just as it's meant to and the passionfruit flavour was a nice change from the usual.
My friend had the tiramisu and proclaimed it beautiful, and this coming from someone who doesn't even like tiramisu is high praise indeed!
All in all, we had a lovely night albeit having spent a bit more than our usual budget. You can probably order 3 courses and a drink for about 100RM each but we shared the entrees so it could be even less.
The menu is appetising and quirky with its XYZ, 3-course layout. Combined with an extensive cocktail and wine list, twentyone really has everything you need for a nice evening of wining and dining. The Boy and I already want to go back, we're just waiting for a special occasion so we can justify the splurge!
Of course, the opposite is also true - it means that Sydney friends and family can now come and visit without having to use up their entire holiday budget for the year. And so it was that just before Easter, an entertaining ex-colleague of mine came to KL for a week with her partner and a pair of food bloggers in tow.
On the one night our schedules managed to align, The Boy and I decided to take the troop to Changkat Bukit Bintang. You would not be an expat in KL and not know of this fantastic street lined with countless bars and restaurants and offering a lively energy no matter what night of the week. It's been six months now and we have still only been to a handful of places on the street, it is my goal to gradually make my way through the entire row and choose my favourite establishments.
This particular balmy evening we headed to Gypsy for a few drinks first. There are nicer bars in Changkat, but Gypsy has a good range of beers and decent happy hour prices, which is important when you are out with thirsty menfolk.
We then headed to the main event of the evening - dinner at twentyone kitchen + bar. The Boy and I had been there before for drinks a couple of times and I liked the wide upstairs balcony where you could sit and sip on a yummy cocktail from a big list and watch the world go by. Having done a bit of research into suitable places that might impress my foodie colleague, I had read some good reviews about twentyone's menu and so for some weeks had been looking forward to finally trying it out.
What we ate:
Entree (shared)
smoked duck and sour plum spring rolls - 16RM
king prawn spring rolls with a sweet chilli and tamarind dipping - 22RM
wild rocket with feta cheese and balsamic - 22RM
The duck spring rolls were a fantastic flavour combination, while I thought the rocket was a bit overpriced in comparison.
Mains (individual)
braised wagyu beef burger with tomatoes, onions, lettuce, pickles, rosemary crusted chips and gherkin aioli - 38RM
wild mushroom risotto with tempura of oyster mushroom and parmesan wafer - 34
pan fried salmon served on a potato croquette, tomato, asparagus and caper butter sauce - 38
There is one missing from the above list (2 of us ordered the risotto) but I have simply forgotten and don't have any photos to remind me. Verdict? Good.
The Boy was over the moon with his burger, so much so that I didn't get to try more than a small mouthful. The rosemary crusted chips were rough cut and had the right amount of crispiness on the outside.
I had the salmon (which I do have a photo of!) and it was the perfect size, even a little too large. The fish was slightly under-cooked which is the way I like it. The potato croquette was yummy and reminded me of arancini balls; the vine-ripened tomato juicy and the caper butter sauce was not too heavy and provided a nice background to the rest of the dish.
Dessert
passionfruit creme brulee with dark chocolate mousse and caramel - 18RM
tiramisu with mascarpone and chocolate moelleux - 24RM
I was pretty full but my sweet tooth wouldn't let me pass up the delectable dessert menu. The creme brulee made a pleasant crack just as it's meant to and the passionfruit flavour was a nice change from the usual.
My friend had the tiramisu and proclaimed it beautiful, and this coming from someone who doesn't even like tiramisu is high praise indeed!
All in all, we had a lovely night albeit having spent a bit more than our usual budget. You can probably order 3 courses and a drink for about 100RM each but we shared the entrees so it could be even less.
The menu is appetising and quirky with its XYZ, 3-course layout. Combined with an extensive cocktail and wine list, twentyone really has everything you need for a nice evening of wining and dining. The Boy and I already want to go back, we're just waiting for a special occasion so we can justify the splurge!
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