Gadget Review : Sudio TRE Earphones

Streaming along the wireless generation, comes Sudio’s latest line of wireless earphone - Sudio Tre.

Drawing inspiration from the active lifestyle, we can now sweat it out  while enjoying your favorite tunes without worrying about the cable tangle that connects to your phone. 

Bro Tips : Before you go all eww on the sweaty part, lucky for you, the Sudio Tre is sweat-proof. You’re welcome.

Those skeptical of how the wireless in-ear earphone stays without falling off while you do your daily routines (and/or sports), the Sudio Tre is modelled with wing tips (the package will include spare wing tips so that you will get the fit you are most comfortable with) for that ergonomic and secure fit for your ears to mitigate the fall.

Sound transparency is what Tre offers to, which means that you are still pretty aware of your surrounding sound and that your earphone does not totally cancels the exterior sound, good for me as I get pretty carried with the music while walking on the street and not noticing passer byers and/or vehicle honks (yes, that’s me, dangerous walker)

Here's the driver specification available for audiophiles

Type: 15,2 mm dynamic speaker

Sensitivity: 103 ± 3dB SPL @ 1 kHz 178mV

Impedance: 32 Ohm ± 15% @ 1kHz

Frequency Response: 20 Hz - 20 kHz

Wait, if it is wireless (running on Bluetooth 4.1), it must draw its power from some internal battery, right? Does it last long though? The answer is, depending on how you perceive time, 9 hours (if active) and at least 10 days (on standby). Charging time is less than 2 hours for full charge, so you pretty much able to have it charged fully as fast as your phone.

You might have heard me saying this before, but I do believe Tre is yet again another elegant and minimalist accessory that hails its Swedish/Scandinavian root and designs. Also provided, a handmade leather carrying pouch, charging cable, and quality assurance card (and that 3 pairs of wing tips to fit your ears perfectly).

Sudio TRE comes in 4 different colors: Sudio TRE - Black, Sudio TRE - Classic Blue, Sudio TRE - Pink, and Sudio TRE - White. TRE is priced at RM 409. To sweeten the deal for this festive season, you can get 15% discount for your Sudio earphones, just remember to quote psylancer when you make the purchase. SUDIO Sweden is also having a 2017 Christmas and Year End promotion now that they give FREE Gift Box for every purchase and FREE Delivery to Malaysia. Now that's a deal!

More inspirations, look book and designs can be reached at

sudiosweden.com

Facebook : Sudio

Instagram : @sudio

Food Review : Rasa Utara

Rasa Utara (Taste of the North in Malay) is established in 1984 and featured the best of Northern Malaysian cuisine. One would find comfort in the authentic Northern Malaysia cuisine served here in its outlet's casual dining ambiance. You may find modernized version of your rustic favourites without compromisation on taste, which I felt Rasa Utara had aced on.

Top Left, Ayam Kari Kapitan and Top Right Pucuk Paku Masak Lemak are gravy based dishes that goes very well with your plain rice. Speaking of rice, the Set Nasi Rasa Utara (Top Middle) comprises of fragranced rice, spicy chicken (think Ayam Masak Merah), crackers and savoury soup for a complete meal, perfect for a serving of one if you are having lunch on a busy weekday.

Bro Tips : Do try their Nasi Jagung (not in picture) for that fragrance rice reminiscence of the nasi minyak kenduri you would find at a traditional Malay wedding buffet. 

Middle Left, the Ayam Goreng Cili Lagenda is sure to tickle your spicy tastebud. Anyone who knows me would know that I am a fan of Ayam Masak Merah, and their Ayam Goreng Cili Lagenda is simply legendary (pun intended, in a good way). On the Middle Right would be the Daging Masak Kicap. I did not personally try this dish but I heard from my comrades who did preferred to have their meat more tender than it was. Right in the centre would be Rasa Utara's signature Ikan Menari, freshwater catch fried to perfection and paired with their signature sauces. Impressive centre piece for sharing.

Bottom Left would be the Chicken Chop Rasa Utara. While the battered chicken chop is indeed tender and well seasoned and their signature barbecue sauce, I might just opt for their rather more cohesive theme of local Malay cuisine (perhaps this would appeal to the younger patrons). Bottom Middle is Udang Sambal Petai. Three words - Udang, Sambal and Petai. My favourite combination anyday. Spicy, full of umami and that stinky distinctive petai just lifts any meal up for me. Bottom Right would look like your typical satay fix, but their Sate Ayam is not the regular grilled satay you may find. Grilled and fried, the satay has that crunch to it on the exterior and tender within.

Do drop by and you might find your personal, rustic favourites in their extensive menu. Thanks Rasa Utara for having us.

Rasa Utara
Berjaya Times Square, 
Lot G-12 & G-13 , Ground Floor,
No. 1, Jalan Imbi, 55100
Kuala Lumpur
Telephone number : 03 – 2011 0884
Operation hours : 7.30am – 11.00pm

Bro Tips : Some glossary of the foods just in case you didn't know what their names in Malay meant. Ayam Kari Kapitan - Lieutenant Curry Chicken / Pucuk Paku Masak Lemak - Fatty (but it means rich in this context) Fern Shoots / Set Nasi Rasa Utara - Rasa Utara Set Rice / Ayam Goreng Cili Lagenda - Legendary Chili Chicken / Daging Masak Kicap - Soy Sauce Beef / Ikan Menari - Dancing (referring to its presentation, no they are not live when served) Fish / Udang Sambal Petai - Spicy Prawns with Stink Beans (yum) / Sate Ayam - Chicken satay.

Food Review : Boxgreen, Snack Good Do Good (with Promo Code)

I am one of those who munches snacks without guilt during work or while watching my favorite shows on the telly. To be perfectly honest, I have the least concerns when it comes to what I eat as long they taste good and keeps me awake or at least, entertained my palate. We all have choices, and of course I would not oppose on being en route to a healthier diet.

Boxgreen aims to bring snacking to a much healthier level so that we would not even miss ditching our regular guilty-pleasure bites.

Cheng Tng (No Ice)

With a variety of more than 20 delicious, natural and wholesome snacks in their menu, you can opt for your choice of snacks towards its nutritional values. Rest assured that the snacks are scrutinised by their in-house nutritionist so that you know exactly what goes into your body system. Whether you are in a mood for a low sodium or low sugar snack, afternoon bites that does not exceed 120 calories or a boost of protein, Boxgreen lists their snack based on categories for your convenience (plus it helps when their site is simple but concise, by clicking on each snacks you can get the full information of its amount of nutritional values).

When Life Gives You Yuzu

Each snack box accommodates 12 individually packets (yes, they are packed as such ideally for one snack proportion, and they are easy to bring along with you). I chose a rather interesting combo of 4 flavors (3 packets each) -  Cheng Tng, Lucky Laksa 888, When Life Gives You Yuzu and Berry Nut Mix.

Berry Nut Mix pops a good source of protein and an antioxidant snack, classic mixed nuts and dried fruits, won't go wrong with that. I like When Life Gives You Yuzu for its unmistakable yuzu fragrance in the relatively low calories cookies, guilt free cookies anyone?

Berry Nut Mix

Cheng Tng and Laksa 888 goes to an Asian route. Cheng Tng (lit Clear Soup) is a combination of dried longan, goji berry and crispy lotus seed for that antioxidant and energy booster pack of goodness. Lucky Laksa 888 hits right on the palate while maintaining that laksa umami that we love as Malaysians/Singaporeans, and they are good source of protein as well.

Lucky Laksa 888 (spot the personalized note with a cute snack tip)

Each well packed snack boxes are priced at RM59.90, and upon signing up, you can choose the frequency of your snack subscription (ranging from once a week to every two months for your choice of snacks, and yes, you can pause your subscription at any time). Now you would never miss your snacks as they are delivered right at your doorstep, talking about hassle free in three simple steps - Select a Plan, Check Out and Choose Your Snacks.

In the spirit of snacking good for yourself, do know that you are also doing good as with every box purchased, Boxgreen donates a meal to the needy at Willing Hearts, a secular, non-affiliated charity soup kitchen for the underprivileged.

If you (and/or your friends and family) want to give Boxgreen a try, click on to www.boxgreen.my and quote psylancer to enjoy 30% off your first 3 boxes, valid till 31st December 2017. (Terms and Conditions Applies).

If you tried the Boxgreen snacks, do tag me in your photos in Instagram (@psylancer or include the hashtag #psylancer) and share your Boxgreen experience. Cheers to a healthier year ahead and keep nomming!

T and Cs for promo code : Offer is available for first time users only. Applicable only for subscription service. Not applicable for gift purchases. Limited to one redemption per user during the promotion period. Not valid with other promotions. Management (Boxgreen) reserves the rights to amend without prior notice. 

Discovering : Eating in Hong Kong

I have said in my previous entry of Hong Kong that I may not return there too soon, but when my close Instagrammer friends invited me to come along, I found it hard to refuse this trip. What I have done differently this round was to pass on the generic tourist attractions and opted more for tummy filling visits (although I am contradicting myself here since a number of the places I visited for food are tourist traps). Here are some quick survival guides to eating in Hong Kong.

Street Foods in Mong Kok

If you happen to find yourself on the streets of Mong Kok, chances are you might stumble across stalls with iconic Hong Kong street foods. Curry fish balls (咖哩魚蛋), pork intestines (炸大腸) and the infamous smelly tofu (臭豆腐) are rustic favorites and perfect take-away bites, usually in polystyrene bowls with bamboo sticks (well, to poke the food).

Bro Tips : Other classic street foods include braised beef offals (牛雜), siew mai (燒賣, usually more doughy than the ones you find in dimsum restaurants) and egg waffles (雞蛋仔). Notable stalls include Gaai Gei Siu Sik (佳記小食) - at Sai Yeung Choi Street South.

咖哩魚蛋, Curry Fish Balls

Pork intestines (炸大腸) and Smelly tofu (臭豆腐)

Char Chan Teng (茶餐廳)

Char Chan Teng literally means Tea Restaurant, or cafes if you prefer to call it that. A typical Hong Kong char chan teng would usually serve a western influenced array of dishes such as toasts and sandwiches, instant noodles added with chicken wings or ham and the classic milk tea and yin yeung (mixture of coffee and tea). You would likely find Bolo Bao (Pineapple Bun) and egg tarts in most of them as well.

Notable Char Chan Tengs I've visited this round - Shun Hing (順興茶餐廳) at Tai Hang, Kam Wah (金華冰廳) at Prince Edward and Lan Fong Yuen (蘭芳園) at Central. I personally prefer the Bolo Bao in Shun Hing, fluffy inside and its crusty layer is made to perfection.

From top left going clockwise - Scrambled Eggs Char Siew Rice (滑蛋叉烧饭) , Cart Noodles (車仔面), or instant noodle with assorted toppings such as curry fish ball, squid and chicken wings, Bolo Bao with Butter and Scrambled Eggs (滑蛋菠萝油), Milk Tea (奶茶), another variation of the Cart Noodle and Pork Chop rice.
Shun Hing Char Chan Teng, 順興茶餐廳

Hot Pot

Hot pots are no strangers to places like Hong Kong that can be a tad chilly during the early of the year. Hot pots are indulgent, self cooked dishes, perfect to have with family and friends. One particular (and peculiar) hot pot I have tried (aside from the usual sze chuan styled ones) is the Durian Hot Pot at Fisher and Farmer, Tsim Sha Tsui. This hot pot consists of chicken and durian to give the broth a creamy and the distinctive durian fragrance (or stench to most of the other non-Asians and some Asians).

Durian Hot Pot

Roast Goose (燒鵝)

Another iconic Hong Kong dish would be their Roast Goose. Kam's Kitchen at Tin Hau would be a choice if you opt for an air conditioned restaurant and still want to savor the roast goose. Enjoy the crispy, golden roast skin and the succulent goose as it is. Pair it with roast pork and that is lunch for me (or/and dinner).

Roast Goose, Kam's Kitchen

Dim Sum

Your trip to Hong Kong would somewhat incomplete without having dim sum. Whether it is a high end 3 Michellin Stars restaurant or a classic tea house concept, dim sum are generally eaten to your heart's content. For the authentic experience of a dim sum tea house, you can visit Lin Heung located at Central. The authenticity is not limited to its array of dim sum, but also the infamous 'hospitality' of Hong Kong dining places. Do not be taken aback if you felt that the waiters are being abrasive to you, they are designed to manage customers that way. Bro tip? Be as loud/defensive as they are as manners are partially out the window here. Are you also expecting that the waiter comes and wait your table? Na-ah, YOU will go get your lazy bums to the dim sum cart and get what you want. For that matter, you are going against other hungry patrons as well, it is an all out war zone in Lin Heung. After all is said and done, and I quote the old chap sharing the table with us (well, I was eavesdropping and sharing tables are common in Hong Kong) - "We are just here for the experience". I could not agree more.

Classic dimsums - Char Siew Bao, Ma Lai Ko, Chee Cheung Fun.
Lin Heung (蓮香樓)

For a non authentic dim sum (or perhaps some dimsums to post up on Instagram), you may try this Dim Sum Icon (点心代表) located in Tsim Sha Tsui. Featured around Shin Chan, a Japanese anime, you may find these photogenic dim sums (albeit not tasting like the best dim sum in the world for sure).

Dim Sum Icon

There you have it. Basic survival guide on what to eat in Hong Kong. I will be covering some dessert and cafes next (in case your rebel side tells you to not eat local when you are in Hong Kong).

Penangites rejoice!

Texas Chicken made its debut in Penang on 19th January in 1st Avenue Mall.

Don't forget to drop by for your BIG, JUICY and CRUNCHY bites :)

Texas Chicken, Penang
LG-15, 16 & 17, LG Floor, 1st Avenue Mall, 182, Jalan Magazine, 10300 Georgetown, Penang
Tel : 04-370 5594
Opening Hours : 1000 - 2200

True to their tagline Big, Juicy & Crunchy, it is easy why Texas Chicken is an easy choice for a fast, no-frills, hearty meal of your fried chicken fix. From the comforts of your home or their many outlets, there is always time to enjoy their signature fried chicken (choices of Original or Spicy)

Bro Tips : Did you know Texas Chicken's chicken serving is relatively bigger than their competitors? Texas Chicken cuts their chicken in 8 pieces instead of the conventional 9 pieces cut. 

Complete any meal with their Honey Butter Biscuits. Also, don't forget their bottomless refill of soda or Southern Tea to quench the thirst.

Go boneless with their Tenders and Nuggets (with choices of sauce such as BBQ or Honey Mustard - my personal favorite), Burgers and Wraps. I am a sucker for wraps, they are easy to grab and go, my personal favorite would be the Mexicana Wrap (Juicy Crispy Tenders with fried nachos, melted cheese wrapped in Tortilla, comfort food for sure).

Of course, there is always room for dessert, you may go for their sundae, shortcakes and chocolate volcano. Do keep an eye for their seasonal menus as well (They are currently running their Crunchy Jalapeño promotion, I guess only Texas Chicken can handle my Jalapeño cravings).

Click here to check out the nearest Texas Chicken near you.

Food Review : Crab Factory - 3rd Year Anniversary

The idea of a no-frills, seafood platter on the table is what I look forward for a scrumptious dinner with friends or family. Even better if we are enjoying the seafood with our tips of our fingers (the messier our hands get, the better).

Yeah, Let's Get Cracking

Crab Factory's Original Louisiana Boil features the best of the catch of the sea complemented with their special house sauce. Diners just need to follow three simple steps to order.

Step 1 : Choosing the Seafood

Go for their Meat Crab, King Crab, Freshwater Prawns, Yabbies, Scallops, Mussels and various selected seafood (You may have up to 3 choices to mix and match your platter). Prices varies based on weight of order.

Step 2 : Sauce it Up.

Douse the seafood with either their Zesty Lemon, Garlic Butter, Jamba-Jamba or Signature Southern Bang sauce. You may also select the spiciness of your sauce, ranging from Mild to Death Valley (I recommend Mild/Medium for beginners).

Step 3 : Add on your bag buddies.

Bag here refers to how the seafood and sauce marry, which is through a bag before landing on the table. Add on selected vegetables such as potatoes and mushrooms that goes well with the seafood and sauce.

Of course, there are side dishes that you can pair with your seafood meal, such as classic mini fried mantao, gumbo and shallot rice.

In conjunction with their 3rd Year Anniversary and there will be new items added to menu. Lookout for their King Crab Seafood Set with Spicy Plum Sauce and King White Prawns or Mini Lobster Yabbies with Thai Sambal Sauce.

As good things are meant to be shared, do drop by and enjoy your southern seafood meal with great company, at Crab Factory.

Crab Factory, SS2

21, Jalan SS 2/64, SS 2, 47300 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia

+60 3-7865 5850