Guilty of Gluttony & Greed (including backlog!)

Prologue: I've left my blog in dust for more than two weeks?! Sorry my dear bloggie. It's just that...I am loosing my touch in writing anything sensible already, plagued by procrastination and demotivation. Despite telling myself to be more active in all sorts of stuff, I still failed to pull it off. Unfortunately for my fellow readers, this means filler what did I ate/do post that doesn't contribute anything remarkable for good through provoking reading. So here you go.

-Binging on Monday afternoon (19 Sept 2011)-

Koi Japanese Restaurant at Gurney Plaza have this One Week All-you-can-eat Sushi Buffet Lunch/Dinner Promotion once in a while and the last time they have it was back in July or August. When I saw their promotion flyer on their page promoting another round of sushi buffet promo at the end of September, I know that there's no way I am going to miss out the chance of binging again!

(RM25 per head + RM1 refillable tea) x 1.16 (16% tax) = RM30.15. Let's see how did I make it worth it later.

So immediately on Monday noon, the very first day of the promotion itself, I make my way to Gurney Plaza all the way from USM, an one hour bus ride on the trusty RapidPenang 304 bus or as I would like to call - The Mall Connector (Queensbay to Gurney!) from RM2.70. The reason for Monday lunch: I am certain that Monday has to be the least convenient day for public to come hence more chance for me to secure a seat. After an uneventful bus ride, I reached Gurney Drive safely and made my way over to Gurney Plaza.

Central Atrium still in festive mood.

Koi Japanese Restaurant is located at the 2nd floor of the New Wing and besides having the usual seating area with tables and chairs, there is also counter seating area located right in front of the sushi counter where the sushi chefs made their craft right in front of you. They place me at the counter because I came alone and I didn't make any reservation hence probably didn't make much money sense to put me at a proper table. Counter seat is not the most comfortable place to dine though with precariously high stool and limited space to lay your hands and plates. Anyway, they give me a rather large pictorial menu about what's offered for buffet and a few sheets of order paper for me to fill in.

The strategy for Sushi buffet is not just about quantity but also variety, choosing the seemingly more expensive or obscure type instead of the usual fare just to make the value worth. The one noticeable thing about their sushi (especially when compared to the usual sushi chain and since they probably make their rice portion by hand.) is that their quantity of rice is larger thus making it quite filling for each individual pieces. By the time I reached my 10th plate of sushi, I am already bloated to the brim and there's this a sudden feeling of disgust mixed with actual nausea comes up. Determined to make it worth, I trudged on slowly before I give up on my 14th plate/order of sushi on 1 and half hour mark of my time in the restaurant. What shocks me further is my seatmate/neighbour on the counter table who is of normal body size (unlike me who's sedentary) started with TWO of the same kind and still eating away while I give up and ready to pay my bill. Even the waitress remarked that I left early which I just say enough is enough. There's also this sense of loneliness and misery emerging as well because the last time I embarked on sushi buffet at Sakae, I did it with my SISTAHood which provides company and chatting to keep your mind away from time and filling stomach. I must've looked miserable sitting alone at one corner at the counter seat and eating away while everybody else are seated in groups, chatting and giggling away in their bliss of companionship.

 

After having my lunch, I didn't bother to do anymore window shopping at Gurney Plaza alone hence I made way to the Gurney Drive roundabout for the bus. Luckily there's a 304 waiting over there with air-con in full blast thus at least making the wait for making the journey homeward more comfortable. Meanwhile, here's a picture of the Gurney Plaza or the Golden Mile of Penang...if you can ignore the stinking, rubbish strewn mud flats when the tide recedes.

After 15 minutes of waiting or so, the bus finally made it's way homeward. Another RM2.70. Went past my coursemate (and resident super model) Minny's Tong Pak Fu (糖伯府), a Cantonese/Chinese Fusion Dessert franchise jointly opened by her and her fellow mates somewhere right off Jalan Pulau Tikus behind Belissa Row. It's opened a few days before if I am not mistaken but it's certainly a bit too out of the way for me since 304 only went passed it when it's on its way back. The review online says that while its range of dessert is extensive and its taste is nice, it's also pretty expensive. Hmm...I am not much of a Tongsui type of person anyway.

Lesson learned from this trip: lunch is always better spent if there's a companion or two with you to keep you company. Anyone wants to be my lunch mate?

-Back To Sakae with different company 29 September (Thursday) and 11 October (Tuesday)-

Due to popular demand, Sakae Sushi has extended their 14th Anniversary Lunch Promotion til the end of October...which means more chance to savour Japanese meal on tight budget....though the perceived saving is kind of cancelled out with each plate of sushi taken from the kaiten. Oh it's hard to resist when plate after plate of sushi goes by right in front of your line of sight.

Choose from six rice dishes available from Rm7.90 to RM12.90 (not including 16% Tax). Comes with free green tea!

29 September (Thursday) - Lunch with Tailouwong + two of his engineer office mates. Had Shiogayaki Don which if I am not mistaken is basically salt braised chicken or something. The thing about eating with working people is that they have limited lunch time and in fact it was me who successfully secure a four seater cubicle. Feels quite awkward eating with strangers around. *sociophobic* I still owe Tailouwong money from this lunch. Next time before October ends!

11 October (Tuesday) - Lunch time with Esther. Ahh finally familiar people which allows us to chat as much as we want to me without time constraint! Esther has a thing towards Mochi (sticky rice cake) which is a Red plate (RM5.99)...and we had two of those as well as another two green plate (Kamenashi or the beancurd skin which happen to me one of my favourite. Simple yet delicious). So much for austerity measure for me!

-Temptation of the Golden Arch...Again-

McDonald Midmonth McValue Meal promotion is back for more and this time, it's Quarter Pounder's turn! Print/Photocopy the coupon, present it upon purchase and get yourself a Quarter Pounder McValue Meal for RM7.40 (after including tax) only!

I think this pic is clickable so if you want to save a copy, clique ici or head over to McDonald Malaysia's Facebook page to download it directly. So many food promotion online. How am I able to resist it! I am still a glutton but at least I am satisfying my gluttony on budget.

Have been there...thrice in different permutation/setting/arrangement. Dine in alone, takeaway alone (the top two row) and having with it companion/lunch mates namely Esther (the bottom row). I photocopied extra coupon just for the occasion! Even though I know that's McDonald is junk food and it wasn't really that nice anyway, I am just finding reason to binge while on a tight budget while making with worth while by refilling coke once or twice not to mention a reason to hang out with lunch mates. I wonder what's next month's McDonald promotion going to be. Interestingly, this time's promotion wasn't as crazy as it was the last couple of times because there's incredibly long lines with people clutching their coupon. Or maybe it's because I always went there earlier like 12noon or 6pm.

-Swayed by Tesco Value-

Tesco always offers promotional discount on certain products at certain times and usually their offering is among the lowest price available among all retailers. I've been frequenting Tesco Extra right over Pekaka Sungai Dua for a couple of weeks for grocery shopping (stocking my survival rations) as well as picking up some pasar malam food while on my way back. Imagine my surprise when I noticed Mee Myojo instant noodle which is consider the gourmet/premium class of instant noodle and usually priced around RM5.50-RM6 have promotional sales price of RM5! Swayed by both gluttony and greed...I made a hasty purchase and bought two packs of Mee Myojo with two exotic flavours: Tom Yam and Kimchi.

Tom Yam and Kimchi, taste of Siam and Korea in 85 gram pack.

This is Kimchi flavoured...

....and this one is Tomyam flavoured which comes with wet Tomyam paste hence the extra layer of red oil. Each packets of Mee Myojo is much filling than the usual made in Malaysia or Indonesia instant noodle but of course it fetches higher price as well. I wonder whether the other gourmet instant noodle like Nissin, Shimramyeon or those random made in China brand will have promotion price as well over Tesco. Meanwhile, I've been frequenting Tesco for quite often now. Should I get a Tesco Value Card? What does a value card work anyway?

Epilogue: I know I should be doing more substantial reading and work towards my research. I need my thinking and writing mojo back. I really think that I am loosing my abality in forming a coherent train of thought in short period of time already: just the other day Ah Kok has another task for me which is to write an SPM level essay to be used as an example. It's already few day passed and nothing has come up just yet even though I made some brainstorm on a couple of topic that catches my eye. If I have been placed into a situation that requires me to do quick writing under limited time (such as in a exam!), I would've falter miserably now. What has boredom and procrastination and lack of practice done to my brainstorming skill! The thing that can be in a blink of an eye are now chores. Or maybe it's because I am not in the groove yet and if I actually started writing, I will just continues until it ends. Maybe. Just need that...one little trigger, a spark, a push. Same thing for my blog too even though I already have materials which can be elaborated on substantially but for now, please contend to my rather lacklustre posts.