CHERISHLIFE HOME FUNDRAISING

CHERISHLIFE HOME’S BEST DAMN EXCUSE! RETURNS WITH HALLOWEEN EDITION

Kuala Lumpur, 17 September 2015 – The BEST DAMN EXCUSE!, an animal-rescue fundraising cum
awareness event, is back!

Themed ‘Halloween Edition’, the BEST DAMN EXCUSE! will be held on 10 October at El Sid’s Bar at
Jalan Setiapuspa, Damansara Heights to raise funds for non-profit animal welfare organisation
CherishLife Home as well as to raise awareness on animal adoption.

Set up in August 2013, CherishLife Home is a private/self-funded/non-profit organisation initiated
to rescue, nurse and rehabilitate traumatised and injured animals. Founded by animal lover Lau
Choy Sze, or Auntie Winnie as she is fondly known, the shelter currently houses 254 dogs and
41 cats. CherishLife Home is a registered private/self-funded organisation and has no direct source
of income and relies on donations from the public to cover all expenses, including veterinary bills,
food for the animals and monthly utility bills.

This time, BEST DAMN EXCUSE! hopes to raise as much as RM26,885, of which some of the funds
will go towards purchasing a generator that can sustain and keep CherishLife Home running
smoothly during power cuts, as well as to purchase animal kibbles.

“Last year, with the amount raised, I managed to pay off some of the outstanding veterinary bills
and buy some kibbles for the animals in the shelter, for which I’m extremely grateful. I was also

very happy with the turnout last year. It was a very joyous occasion not only for pet owners, but
for us as we felt we had successfully raised awareness on the importance of giving animals a

second chance through adoption,” said Auntie Winnie.

“This year, I hope we will raise enough funds for a generator, which will be used to run water
pumps, supplying water used for cleaning the shelter and bathing the dogs, during power cuts,”

said Auntie Winnie.

“With this being the third BEST DAMN EXCUSE! we have organised, we feel this is a great event as
it is fun for the whole family and more importantly, it helps create awareness on the importance
of animal adoption,” said Dee Dee Quah, the organiser of BEST DAMN EXCUSE!.

Held from 4pm to 8pm, BEST DAMN EXCUSE! Halloween Edition features various activities such as
a pet buffet, lucky draws, auctions, sale of CherishLife Home merchandise as well as items for
pets, kids and adults alike. Patrons of El-Sid’s also get to enjoy happy hour on all draught beers.

“Adopt & Give an animal a second chance”


CHERISHLIFE HOME (PPM-018-10-30082013)

Lot 9025 & 9026, Kampung Sungai Macau,
Batu 14, 43100 Ulu Langat
Selangor Darul Ehsan
Contact Number: 6012 3321256
E-mail: cherishlifehome@gmail.com

In line with the Halloween theme, there will be a best-dressed competition for dog and owner,
a treat-hunting competition, and a pumpkin-carving competition for adults, among other
activities.

This event is targeted at all non-Muslims -adults and kids alike. It is also a dog-friendly event,
allowing pet owners to have a fun day out with their pets and to meet other animal lovers.

As the venue sponsor, Sid’s Pubs will be donating a percentage of proceeds raised from the sale of

food and beverage to CherishLife Home.

“This is the third time Sid’s Pub will become the venue sponsor for CherishLife Home’s BEST DAMN
EXCUSE! We are privileged to be given the opportunity to help out CherishLife Home and to play
our part in improving animal welfare,” said Geoff Siddle, Managing Director of Sid’s Pubs.

For more information on CherishLife Home, kindly visit https://www.facebook.com/cherishlhome.

END

About BEST DAMN EXCUSE!

BEST DAMN EXCUSE! is a charity event aimed at raising funds and awareness for various nonprofit
organisations. Created by animal-lover and volunteer Dee Dee Quah, the BEST DAMN
EXCUSE! is supported and made possible by volunteers and sponsors who work together to
organise a fun-filled event. All proceeds raised through the event goes to the respective charity
Home. The first BEST DAMN EXCUSE! was held in 2013.

Issued by:

Winnie Lau Choy Sze
President, CherishLife Home
Tel: 012-332 1256

Through:

Wong Ee Laine

eelainew2006@gmail.com

012-679 7711

Dee Dee Quah

Deedee.quah@bloomcomm.com

012-239 0081

“Adopt & Give an animal a second chance”

New Formosa .... That Warm Familiar Feeling

There are some places that I actually feel guilty I don't visit often enough.  The last time I was here in New Formosa was for lou sang with my cell group, for LAST LAST Chinese New Year, gasp,...as in 2014...time just flies, but this is one of those places that I always feel at home, coming to, not least because of the wonderful effervescence of the lovely proprietress, Mrs Lee.

The inimitable Mrs Lee, unlike the restaurant, hasn't aged a bit!!!! One of the reasons for the invite by Makan Fairy Godmother was to celebrate the restaurant's 36th Anniversary.  Anyway, one doesn't really need a reason to revisit, and it's always a delight.  That a restaurant can survive and thrive for 36 years in KL speaks volumes.  I can't think of many others that have survived the ravages of time, and recessions, and currency fluctuations.

I arrived just in time to capture this lovely Village Chicken With Black Fungus and a liberal dose of ginger that really gives it that added zing.  I love village chicken, the meat is firm as opposed to the vapid supermarket chickens whose meat melts in the mouth for all the wrong reasons.  More like disintegrate in the mouth. This juicy fowl with its glorious skin reminds me of my Hainanese ancestry.  Speaking of ancestries, the name Formosa does not refer to a water theme park in Malacca, but the original name for Taiwan.

Bamboo rice, their signature rice dish.  I am not sure if there is any involvement of real bamboo, or if the name refers to the receptacle in which it is served, but regardless of nomenclature, it is one tasty rice dish, with bits of delicious chinese pork sausage, dried shrimp, crispy shallots... a meal on its own really.

Formosa special combination, Yam Balls, that just melt in the mouth.  Yam features  a lot in Mrs Lee's menu, so they seem to take great pains to ensure their yam is totally yammy.. oops, I mean yummy.  Taiwan famous 3 cup sotong (squid), which actually I believe is an ala carte item on its own, butterfish slices formosan style, which is actually fish cooked in that butter style, and not butterfish as in butterfish you get in Japanese buffets that I hate, (the fish, not the buffet), deep fried oysters Taiwanese style, and their signature stuffed lotus root with fish paste.  Something similar to the concept of yong tau foo but this is yong leng ngau...

I was shocked to see this dish, because it's such a luxury to be served crabs with only the claws.  I wonder what she did with the rest of the body.  Glorious crustaceans in that fabulous chilli crab sauce accompanied with fried mantau.  Actually by this time we were, or at least I was, already quite stuffed, not unlike the lotus root from the earlier dish. I could just eat that sauce with toast and some butter and be happy.  It takes so little to make this person content.  This dish is part of the RM598++ set dinner for 10.

Local Seabass in Hot Bean sauce.  A bit unphotogenic, but hey, the fish is dead.  Okay, I am not really fan of fish drowned in sauce, I am more a clear steamed fish person myself, but if you are the saucy type, then you'd like this dish, especially slathered on a bowl of rice.  (back when it was still respectable to eat rice... poor rice, like eggs and butter, 20 years down the line research might say, oh, it's actually good for you).  I digress of course.

Mrs Lee expertly dissecting the fish for easy serving.  She's one of those Nigella Lawson-esque personalites who after fluttering around in the kitchen and serving food and still look immaculate and unflustered.  Like this...

This is in between flitting from table to table, chatting with guests, serving some, and making sure food is eaten correctly.  I lurve Mrs Lee!!!

For the finale and piece de resistance, the Formosa Stone Fire Pot...Actually this dish alone is enough to feed a small army.  The dish starts with the sauteeing of some onions, garlic, chilli to give it a fabulous aroma, and chicken...which is fried, the smells wafting through the entire restaurant...

To get this dish of chilli chicken...

As a special treat, (this is apparently not on the regular stone fire pot menagerie of livestock), because we were with Makan Fairygodmother, fresh plump sea prawns, sauteed in the residue of the chicken oils, before all the rest of the stuff is tossed in to one big hot pot.

Round two is for the vegetables, like the taro (yam lah), corn, seaweed, pumpkin, and by this time, of course that broth is to die for.  Never let it be said that too many cooks spoil the broth...the myriad flavours from that soup... so good that I even packed the balance home.

This stone fire hot pot is available for only RM20 per head!!! What a steal!

A special matcha pudding (matcha as in green tea, not the Indian brother in law), with red bean paste.  Probably inspired by green tea ice cream with azuki, and what a great combination it is too.  The pudding, or jelly, milky green tea and lovely wobbly texture.

And no visit to Formosa is complete with I YAM WHAT I YAM...  Yam covered in caramel and then plunged into cold water to crystalise it...initially I thought I'd give this a miss, as I was stuffed, but succumbed to temptation, with no regrets.  Crispy sugar coated on the outside, soft and tender on the inside.  A bit like me...Oh, wait, I am not sugar coated.  Just crispy and cold.

In conjunction with their 36th Anniversary, these celebratory set menus are available at RM498++ or RM598++ per set for 10 people.

New Formosa
Tel: 03 7875 7478.
Address: 46, Jalan SS2/24, 47300 Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

Launch of Glenglassaugh In Malaysia

Never one to say no to a whiskey invitation if I can help it, I was rather glad to be able to attend the launch of  Glenglassaugh by Single Malt Sdn Bhd (Single & Available), with the presence of the Glenglassaugh brand ambassador; Mr Stewart Buchanan

At the launch, there were 5 types that were unveiled, though we only got to try 3, (drat, I was so hoping to try the 40 year old), the Glenglassaugh Revival, Glenglassaugh Evolution, Glenglassaugh Torfa and the rare Glenglassaugh 30 Year Old and Glenglassaugh 40 Year Old.

Glenglassaugh is one of Scotland’s oldest distilleries dating back to 1875. Located  on the Banffshire
coast close to the village of Portsoy, it was founded by a local merchant named James Moir.

After several trials and tribulations, it saw life again in 2008 under a new group of investors, and
2012 saw the introduction of ‘Revival’ and ‘Evolution’ – the first single malt Scotch whiskies to be
produced at the distillery in over two decades.

In 2013, the BenRiach Distillery Company bought Glenglassaugh distillery. The Edinburgh-
headquartered BenRiach is led by industry veteran and master blender Billy Walker and his partners,
South African whisky entrepreneurs Geoff Bell and Wayne Kieswetter.

Glenglassaugh is produced using the highest quality of Scottish barley and traditional distillery
methods. While many distilleries have become highly automated; at Glenglassaugh, the spirit is still handcrafted by a small, highly skilled team dedicated to creating the highest quality product, using only the finest casks.

We were privileged to have Stewart MacKenzie Buchanan,  Brand Ambassador for Benriach, Glendronach and Glenglassaugh, who has been in the whisky industry since 1993, when he started as a Stillman in Tobermory Distillery (also previously owned by Billy Walker)

In late 2011 he became the Brand Ambassador for the company, which entails travelling to all their markets across the world hosting tasting, attending whisky events and working with media, letting as many people as possible experience all their  expressions over the three distilleries.

Revival is the first single malt Scotch whisky that has been produced in over 20 years from the
Glenglassaugh distillery. A gorgeous shade of  Copper, with Sweet caramel and toffee with notes of nutty sherry, milk chocolate and honey on the nose.
Palate: Sweet, rounded and creamy. Organes, plums, cherry and walnuts, chocolate, honey-
mead, sherry and soft, spiced oak.
Finish: Medium with warming mulled-wine spices, sherry and caramel.

Evolution – ex-Tennesssee cask matured

Matured in first fill ex-Tennessee whisky barrels and shows great depth of character and finesse, a
harmonious combination of whisky and oak.
Colour: Crisp harvest gold.
Nose: A luscious syrupy combination of sweet barley, delicate pineapple and waves of soft
buttery vanilla. Deeper oak spices and caramelised pear develop and warm the nose.
Palate: Robust, white peppery oak floods through crisp green apple and freshly cracked
barley. A gentle salted caramel emerges alongside hints of ripe banana and fruit
salad syrup.
Finish: A vibrant combination of classic oak spices and delicate soft fruits surrounded by
fragrant waves of vanilla pod.

Torfa - A different take on whiskies typically produced in the highlands, it has the distinction of peatniness...which clearly wasn't everyone's goblet of whisky.  Some said it smelt like disinfectant, one said it reminded him of his grandfather's clinic, but I personally LOVED the Torfa.  The colour is a gorgeous gleaming yellow gold, and on the nose, Vivid, sweet, sooty campfire smoke,  apricot and ripe soft fruits.

I guess you need a tongue and palate truly sensitive to be able to pick up so many varieties on the palate.
Palate: An eloquent, sweet coastal peat smoke engulfs candied peel over melon, pineapple
and roasted red apples. Oat biscuits, hints of heather honey and a gentle cigar box
spice all combine to give a terrific balance to the expressive smoky character.

Finish: A heady, yet elegant harmony of distinct coastal peat and striking spiced fruit
flavours.

Product range now available at Single and Available stores-

- Glenglassaugh Revival, 46% (no age statement) retailing at RM270 per bottle

- Glenglassaugh Evolution, 50% (no age statement) retailing at RM309 per bottle

- Glenglassaugh Torfa, 50% (no age statement) retailing at RM299 per bottle

- Glenglassaugh 30YO, 44.8% retailing at RM2280 per bottle

- Glenglassaugh 40YO, 42.5% retailing at RM8500 per bottle

Kogetsu, Saujana Resort & Hotel... Amazing Value Japanese "Buffet"

I'm generally not a fan of buffets, but will usually work around it by being "innovative" and selecting my favourite items and sometimes combining them, such as oysters from the oyster bar added into the curry mee in place of see hum, (cockels), or embellishing my salad with peeled crab etc etc, FOR EXAMPLE.

However, this Japanese spread at Kogetsu is somewhat different, what I'd call a Buffacarte,,,,A mix of both buffet and alacarte, in that the sashimis and sushis and other starters are served buffet style, as is dessert, whilst you get to choose from a whopping array of 50 over items from the the alacarte menu, which IS actually cooked on the spot.  So waiting can take awhile, but hey, with dishes like these, it's like eating a regular Japanese meal at discounted priced.

The handroll section isn't particularly well highlighted, (which suited me fine, which meant I didnt have to queue), but they have several roll options, and I went for the salmon roll.  Fresh melt in the mouth salmon sashimi in that roll...

The array of sushi platters and sashimi

Lovely fresh salmon sashimi, and tuna as well.  I guess it would be asking too much to have hoped for hamachi in the spread.

Sushi galore, but who wants to waste stomach space by eating so much rice. !!!

Tempura Udon...

Those pregnant fish thingies...

The must have teriyaki unagi....for that eely feeling.

Cold Buckwheat Soba...  Shot someone else's dish, so didn't get to try this... was already in a food coma as it is, eating my own stuff...

Call me boring, but I love tempura, and always order it when in a Japanese restaurant anyway.  The purist would probably heap scorn on my love for the common...

The rice with chicken and egg...WHY anyone would order such a carb laced dish is beyond me.....

Ah, my kinda thing...Beef teppanyaki, gorgeously seared, not overdone, met in the mouth...

Teppenyaki Shimeji Mushrooms...a dish not unsimilar to this in Noby would cost RM35 I think...(though that one has some padron peppers)..

I was pleasantly impressed with this scallop dish, as the scallops were fresh, and not the rubbery can bounce off the wall types you find at buffets.

For the salmon fish head lovers.... this evil eye would be your thing.

Teriyaki Grilled Saba Mackerel....

Another of my perennial favourites, Chawan Mushi...silky steamed egg that just glides down your throat with every comforting thought...

Under the watchful eye of Chef Taketoshi Minami....

My own assembled salad with the sesame seed dressing, for the required quota of greens for the meal.

Sanma Shioyaki, or Grilled Pike Mackerel, very bony but the flesh is oh so sweet, and it's not something you see regularly anyway.

And for dessert, a variety of ice creams, and a variety of cakes, and sweets and puddings....

As the buffet is only available for lunch, on weekends, I suggest you go for a full workout before hand to work up an appetite, cos it's soooo worth it.

RM145 nett, with 20% discount on selected credit cards, Kids under 12 years old eat free, (limited to 2 kids per receipt), AND, add another RM100 for freeflow SHR wine!!! Ooh, that sounds like a good deal.

Address: The Saujana Hotel Kuala Lumpur, Saujana Resort, Jalan Lapangan Terbang SAAS,, 40150 Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia
Phone:+60 3-7843 1234