Friday, May 27, 2011

New RM 20 Note

I lifted this from The Star...

Thursday May 26, 2011

RM20 banknote making a comeback

By JOSHUA FOONG


PETALING JAYA: After a 16-year hiatus, the RM20 banknote will be re-introduced by Bank Negara.

It is part of a new design of Malaysian banknotes and coins which will be issued for circulation early next year in an exercise that is undertaken periodically every 12 years.

The re-introduction of the RM20 banknote in the new currency series is primarily to function as an intermediary denomination to bridge the value gap between RM10 and RM50 for greater convenience in making payments,” Bank Negara told The Star in a statement yesterday.

With the new RM20 banknote, the central bank expects a reduction in overall demand for RM10 and RM50 banknotes.

The old RM20 banknote was introduced during the second series in 1982 and was discontinued in 1995.

It featured Malaysian traditional ornamental designs and the Bank Negara headquarters on its reverse side.

Read paragraph 3 again....Priceless Drivel!

Thursday, May 19, 2011

I Think I'll Buy Two!

If you think that BB Plaza is a less than busy Shopping Mall tagged onto the more popular Sungei Wang ,you'd be right.
Most people just use it as the main entrance to Sungei Wang (but that's actually on the side facing Jalan Sultan Ismail)...and the shops in BB Plaza such as Metrojaya or MPH never seem to be busy but I came across this little jewelery store the other day and was amazed that they were advertising an item in their shop window for...wait for it....put little finger in mouth like Dr. Evil in Austin Powers....

One and a Half Million Ringgit!
That's right..RM 1,500,000.

Now to me,it looks like a Jade Cabbage.
I know that lots of people in this part of the world like Jade and the special powers such as Good luck,Peace and Wisdom that Jade is said to bring but I think that if you can already afford RM 1,500,000 for a cabbage that you've already had enough  good-luck but you may indeed be lacking in wisdom!

Friday, May 13, 2011

Little Penang Cafe Mid Valley Megamall Kuala Lumpur

If you're stuck in one of the god-awful cathedral-like malls in Kuala Lumpur and need something to eat without splashing-out in a restaurant your choice is usually a dilemma between bland and tasteless food-court fare or dreadful international fast food chains.
There are a few mid-price cafes if you look hard enough and Little Penang have 3 outlets (KLCC,The Curve and Mid Valley) that may be worth trying.
As the name suggests,the style of food is supposed to reflect that of Penang.
It's a bit hit'n'miss....which is a shame as when it's good,it's very,very good and when it's bad...well it's just a bit too bland or poorly prepared.
Mee Jawa
The Mee Jawa is very good.
This is an Indonesian-style noodle soup with bean-sprouts,tomatoes,shallots,hard-boiled egg,potatoes,tofu and squid that is served in a really thick and tasty gravy.
The Lor Bak is excellent-Lor Bak should be pork sausage wrapped in crunchy bean curd but as Little Penang is halal they serve chicken sausage but it's still very tasty (and you won't know the difference)
The Fried Kway Teow is disappointing. (there is only one place to go for Fried Kway Teow-and that's here! in Brickfileds)
Other dishes of noodles,rice,nasi lemak etc are available.
Lunch for two will set you back around RM 30-RM 40 so it's not cheap by any standards but it is worth a try.

Lor Bak
 Once-in-a-while.
Service? Well, just try and make sure that you're in a good mood when you enter as the service is pretty-poor.....

Saturday, May 7, 2011

Cin Cin Bar Changkat Bukit Bintang Kuala Lumpur

A bottle of Tiger Beer for RM 9!
I'll repeat that, A Bottle of Tiger Beer for RM 9!

When Cin Cin first opened it's doors a couple of months ago after taking ages and ages with their refurbishment many people were perplexed to discover it was a "Champagne Bar" aimed at the movers and shakers of the KL social-scene-which certainly didn't include the likes of me.
So I never went there.
and it would seem...
neither did anyone else.
I have never seen a new bar stay so empty for so long,and that's despite having a couple of classy looking girls in nice dresses trying to entice you inside.

All this changed a few days ago when new management moved in.

Rule #1 when opening a bar on Changkat Bukit Bintang seems to be that you *must* place some tables and chairs outside on the pavement (Whisky bar discovered this a few months ago)
Cin Cin have done this and not surprisingly there were people sitting there and drinking on the pavement.
Rule #2 seems to be...Offer the public value for money,hence the RM 9 for a bottle of Tiger or RM 50 for 3 pints of tiger draft.....I'm sure there are other offers but I can't remember.
I really hope that it's just not in order to clear old stock.
Rule #3-and probably the most important: Hire Good People.
The staff/customer service was nice and friendly.
As far as the atmosphere is concerned...well, at this early stage you will probably have to take your own but I'm sure that will change when more people come to discover it.
The decor is definitely up-market and a bit swanky.
The upstairs area has a good balcony but the rest of it gets very smokey and a bit smelly from the cooking smoke and fumes from the Indian Restaurant next door....
Downstairs is a bit stark-sorry,"modern and trendy" but not too bad and it seems that as with most bars on the street, people would prefer to sit outside.

Hopefully the value-for-money promotions will continue and Cin Cin will become another venue on the street worth going to....only time will tell.