Taiwan 2014: Day 6 - Carton King Creativity Park, Dakeng (紙箱王)

On our 6th day in Taiwan, we explored some photography destination in XinShe District,Taichung. Our driver brought us to Rainbow Village, Taichung as our first destination after we departed from Taichung HSR station. We only stopped for a while in Rainbow Village and continue to our next destination in our itinerary (first destination in my initial itinerary) - Carton King Creativity Park, Dakeng (紙箱王).

Carton King is a place where you can admire and take photographs with beautiful sculptures of animals, famous landmarks and buildings. It looks like an exhibition park with all these sculptures but one thing which make it different from a normal sculpture park is that all these sculptures in Carton King are made from PAPER; corrugated paper in precise. You might be asking this in your head: Most of these paper sculptures are displayed outdoor, so what happens when it rains? Don't worry, these PAPER sculptures will be be damage by rain because they have a water-proof layer to withstand the rain and even sun ;)

The admission fee into Carton King Creativity Park is NT200/adult and you will get a voucher which you can spend it in their souvenir shop or cafe.

Carton King has a few branches in Taiwan and we visited this one in Dakeng because it is the largest one among all their branches. The one which we saw in Cingjing (beside Small Swiss Garden) was a smaller one compared to this one in Dakeng.

There's no other better ways to express what we saw in Carton King Creativity Park, Daekang besides bombarding your screen with these pictures below. These pictures can give you an idea on what you can expect to see or selfie with at Carton King.

Welcome to Carton King!

 

You'll be greeted by some paper flowers which can turn when the wind blows.

 

Found a precious tree where its wood is famed for producing good quality incense.

You can pet some rabbits along the way.

Or feed some birds (or should I call them flamingos?)

Then, you'll come to this Carton King Zoo section where there are many different corrugated paper animal sculptures on display. You can finally touch these animals with your own hands - which you can't normally do in a zoo ;p

Hello deer.

My pig petted a lion there in Carton King Zoo.

A pig met another piglet.

Luckily this elephant is not spraying water at anyone.

Take as many selfies with these monkeys because they won't grab your sunglasses, handbags or anything in your pocket.

There's a post service inside the souvenir shop where you can send some postcard to your family and friends back home. We used our vouchers to buy some postcards and stamps. 

 You can purchase some paper sculptures from the shop and make your own display at home.

Then, you'll be heading towards the outdoor area which looks similar like Window of the World or a Miniature Park where famous landmarks displayed are minimize and you probably can hug the whole building and touch the building top due to its height.  

 

There's also a Bee Museum in this Carton King Creativity Park and you don't need to pay extra to enter this Bee Museum. You can see some bees buzzing in its nest and also purchase some honey products home.

Remember to purchase this signature Honey Ice-cream from the Bee Museum because it taste so good!

There's a lounge area for you to enjoy your ice-cream and you can see the whole Carton King sculpture park from there.

There's also a restaurant and coffee shop inside this creativity park too. The tables and chairs are all made of cardboard plus the food looks delicious too. But we didn't want to spend too long here as we have other destinations to go to.

One last look before we left Carton King Creativity Park, Dakeng :(

It was a great place for photography and you'll need more than 2 hours here if you would like to see everything in detail. I'm gonna be back next time to try the food in their restaurant. We hop into the car and proceed to our next destination.

Stay tune...

Tony Roma's Malaysia: Farmer's Market 2015 Menu

Hello there :)   How was your Friday night huh? 

I'm sure someone out there might be partying all night long or having the once-a-week gathering with your friends - celebrating that the 2 golden days of the week is finally there.  Or you might be chilling at a serene place with a glass of wine - to soothe yourself after cracking your brain and fingers for 5 days of hard labor. Or probably it's family time - bringing your whole family out for a scrumptious Friday night dinner.
Normally, I will have a long face-time moment with my PC - catching up all the dramas and watch as many episode as I can without worrying that I need to wake up early the next day.


But I did something cool yesterday - celebrating the last working day of the week with a bunch of friends at Tony Roma's Malaysia. All because Tony Roma's Malaysia had just launched their new menu entitled 'Farmer's Market 2015' on Monday (13 April 2015). This menu is available for a limited time only from 13 April to 31 May 2015.

The best thing you can do on a Friday night is to walk-into a restaurant and check out their new menu or promotions. Or probably dine-in at a restaurant that you've never been before. So, you gotta check out this limited time Farmer's Market 2015 menu at your nearest Tony Roma's Malaysia outlets today.

I'm gonna present to you a complete guide of this new Farmer's Market 2015 menu. 

Let's start off with the basics first, the drinks. In this new menu, there's 4 types of Market Fresh Pairings available. They are basically non-alcoholic drinks or what you known as "Mocktails".

1. Wild Berry Romarita

When you read the name of this drink, I'm sure you will imagine it as a drink consist of berry flavored syrup mixed with soda water and probably some secret ingredients. 

You're half right there! This Wild Berry Romarita (RM15.90) consist of a mixture of wild berry, orange and lime juice served in a presentable glass dabbed with sugar (not salt okay). 

You'll need to stir this drink well before drinking it as all the 'fruits syrup' is lying on the bottom of the glass (those darker red side of the glass). Oh, don't expect it to taste like a mixture of fresh berries juice that you can make it at home. This one has a sweeter side and balanced with some sour taste. 

2. Strawberry Romarita

I like this one better than the Wild Berry one. Priced at RM15.90, you can finally taste some fresh Strawberry juice in this. Not too sweet for me and there's a perfect combination of sweet and sour in this. One word - I'm in Strawberry heaven. 

3. Mango Romarita

Mango lovers, this drink is tailored made specially for you. Have a very strong mango juice taste and it's skewed towards the sweet side. Imagine that you've been under the hot sun, sweating and hungry at the same time. This Mango Romarita (RM15.90) is perfect to cool you down and at the same time provide some glucose to your hungry stomach - enough to last till your food arrives. 

4. Romarita

Among all the new drinks in this menu, I love this the most! Simply because there's a strong sweet and sour taste. You will taste the sweetness of a combination of orange and lime juice and halfway, the sour part rolls out from the wall of your tongue. It's a perfect drink for me. 

This Romarita is the basic version of the other 3 drinks above. Thus, I suggest you to give Romarita a try first before trying the other 3 flavored version of Romarita. All drinks in this new Farmer's Market 2015 menu is priced at RM15.90 each (not including GST).  

Now, it's time to fill your tummy with some food. Start off with some appetizers first before you invite the main star of the night. They have 2 types of appetizers in this new menu.

1. BBQ Shrimp Tacos

You should be looking for some fresh and juicy shrimp coated with very strong BBQ sauce. This shrimp is mixed with some salsa (chopped cucumbers, pineapples and some coriander/herbs) and served in a crispy and thin taco. Love the juicy prawns but the BBQ sauce taste is a bit overwhelming for me. Overall, it's a great appetizer dish.
Grab this dish at only RM25.90 (not including GST).  

2. Green Goddess Salad

You can eat healthy too when you dine out. Priced at RM24.90 (not including GST), this salad has a very light dressing that does not overpowering the other components in the salad. Most salad that I had before have too much dressing that makes me feel like drinking a bottle of dressing when you eat it. This super salad is different where you can still taste the sweet and crunchy lettuce, avocado, sliced red radish, edamame, cucumbers, sliced almonds and grilled chicken. The dressing taste is really mild that you will put your focus on the taste of the greens instead. This is a real salad - not like those vegetables drowned in think and creamy mayonnaise. 

Presenting to you the mains in this Farmer's Market 2015 menu. 

1. Salmon with Lemon Pesto Shrimp

A perfectly grilled salmon topped with juicy shrimp; served with herb rice and broccoli. This dish is served with lemon pesto butter sauce (yeah, there's a half lemon on the plate - you can add more juice if you need). And I'm-lovin-it !

I'm a seafood person and this amazingly delicious sauce goes well with the salmon, shrimp and rice. And this yellow-looking rice taste a bit like chicken rice (not entirely the same though) where there's a fragrant and taste which makes you wanting for more after the first bite! It'll be great if I can have some extra rice to eat it with the salmon and shrimp :)

 You can now pay RM55.90 (not including GST) to have a taste of this dish at Tony Roma's Malaysia. It maybe a bit pricey for this dish - but hey, the menu is available for a limited time only. 

2. Filet Medallions & Black Pepper Beef Ribs Combo

For beef lovers, you can enjoy both filet medallions and ribs in the same dish. Priced at RM83.90 (not including GST), it comes with 2pcs of ribs, 2pcs of filet medallions, some loaded mashed potatoes, crunchy yet juicy onions and broccoli.  

As I don't consume beef, I've got my partner to have a try on this dish. Here's what he got to say: 

The beef ribs is coated with very strong BBQ sauce and the best part of a ribs - the meat is tender that it can easily fall off the bone. The filet medallions are okay - just right.  It will be great if both the ribs and filet medallions are being cooked to medium rare or medium (it's a personal preference) instead of medium well or well done. 

I tried the loaded mashed potatoes and the onions. You gotta steal some of this from your partner's dish (if you don't consume beef too) because they taste good. The Spanish onion is cut into long and thin strings that you might mistaken it as a pasta strip from far :P 

Are you still hungry after eating all those food above? 

You've now got all the information on the new dishes available on this new Farmer's Market 2015 menu. Basically, there's 4 types of Market Fresh Pairings (the drinks) and 4 types of Market Fresh Sampling (2 appetizers and 2 mains) on this new menu.

Here's some info I've got from the restaurant about this new menu: 

Tony Roma's Malaysia is recreating the quintessential farmer's market experience for customers to enjoy a range of dishes from seasonal foods and produce, bringing a refreshing twist to your palate. 

Looking back at the dishes available on this new menu, you've got the fisherman's fresh catch - the shrimp and salmon which make its appearance in the mains and appetizer. Then, back at the farm; the farmer present his best beef cuts and farmed-chicken meat he had. You've also got the farmer to bring out the leafy greens he planted - broccoli, Spanish onion, potatoes, lettuce, cherry tomatoes, red radish and so on. This is what makes it a Farmer's Market Menu. Everything is back to the basics where you'll taste the freshness produce at the farm.


If you have a sweet tooth like me where the meal is never complete without a sweet endings. Tony Roma's Malaysia does have some desserts choices available on its normal dining menu. But don't expect a lot from it because they are not a specialist in dessert.  

Do follow Tony Roma's Malaysia Facebook page to get more information on its latest promotions.

New Menu at The Manhattan Fish Market Malaysia

 Have you dine at The Manhattan Fish Market recently? Or when was the last time you had a meal there?
 If you have not been to The Manhattan Fish Market in the last few months, it's time to plan a date with your family or friends there.

I've been to The Manhattan Fish Market outlet in Nu Sentral recently and was surprised to find out that they had revamped their menu. Their new menu features more food choices to choose from compared to the old menu. I still remembered that I used to dine at The Manhattan Fish Market in Sunway Pyramid after class with my pig - rekindling the old days when we were still staying at Sunway area.

Let me bring you on a short tour to visit some of the new dishes in their new menu ...

Walking into The Manhattan Fish Market outlet, you'll be welcomed by the friendly staff who will then bring you to your table. Now, you'll be given this huge and glossy dictionary where you can find every single information that you need to plan your meal. This interesting dictionary have a wise title on it which spelled as 'THE GODFATHER OF ALL SEAFOOD'; yes, it's the cover page of The Manhattan Fish Market's new menu!

When I dine in at a restaurant/cafe/etc, the first thing I'll explore on their menu is the mains, then comes the sides and finally the drinks. Probably I have this weird habit of thinking what to eat first and then only decide on the drinks if the staff who took my order even bother asking whether do I need a drink ;p

But now, the new menu at The Manhattan Fish Market indeed caught my attention (p.s. their drinks menu is new too) and I flipped through their drinks menu - explored it with great details. The drinks menu cover below features this fresh Strawberry Juice which give me an impression that there's some healthy drink choices available ;) The reason I seldom order drinks when I dine in was because I rarely drink soft drinks and that fruit juices were not affordable - I can make them at home.

Their drinks menu offers a wide variety of refreshing drinks from Fruit juices, Mocktails, Smoothies, Teas, Chocolate/Coffee Drinks and many more. You can view their full drinks menu here.

After exploring their drinks menu, I've decided to have this new Melon Breeze, RM10.07 (GST included) where there's a mixture of strawberry, watermelon and lemon taste to give you a refreshing kick after spending a long day at work. It injects you with positive energy to keeps you awake and stress-free. Do mix well with the straw before you enjoy this drink!

Now, we've come to the start of the 'makan' session. You gotta try this new soup on their menu which is called Cream of Beetroot Soup! Don't be afraid after reading this 'Beetroot Soup' text. In fact, if you saw the picture of the delicious bowl of soup below without reading the soup name; it may looked like a combination of carrot+tomato soup to you. Trust me, this soup is delicious and healthy!!! It has a light pink shade which made me thought that it's a strawberry soup :) The soup is rich and creamy, with some soft chunks of vegetables (carrot/celery) in it. I would call it the Western style of beetroot soup and you can't taste any funny/weird beetroot taste which you would experience it if you ever had the Chinese style of home-cooked beetroot soup. Selling at only RM5.83 (GST included) for a Light size, this Beetroot Soup contains all the vitamins and minerals to keep your body healthy.

Let's proceed to the Starters section and I'm very excited to introduce this Oyster Roulette, RM15.79 (GST included) to you. Why Roulette? Because you can challenge your meal partner to a mini dare game with this dish. This Oyster Roulette comes with 4 shots of fresh oyster filled with some signature spicy sauce. Out of the 4 shots, one of the shots contains an extra spicy sauce in it where you can still feel the burning sensation in your tongue even after you washed it with your drinks. So, who's up for this challenge?

We've climbing up to the Main Meals section now. For mains, you can choose the type of cooking style that you would like to have - be it Fried, Poached, Baked, Grilled or Flamed. 

Let's jump to the Fried section first. In this section, you'll meet the signature Manhattan Fish & Chips dish here. But I would love to recommend this new Fishy Chicky Bang Bang dish where you'll get to taste their signature Fish & Chips as well as satisfying your craving for poultry - delicious chicken breast meat. Priced at RM22.15 (GST included), it comes with a fried treasure box of dory fillet being happily married to the chicken breast meat with one thing in common between them - slightly melted cheddar cheese. Do feel their happiness by enjoying their offspring - an egg nestled on a bed of fried spaghetti with some crispy fries as the little one's companion. I truly enjoyed this matched pair who brought happiness in my mouth :p

 

Now, for some healthy options; do visit the Poached section where you'll be greeted by interesting personality such as Pepper Mayo Salmon Burger and so on. As for tonight, I'll skip this section and come back to this in future. Do click here for more details on this section. 

Baked Cheese Rice anyone? You are now entering the Baked section and be amazed to meet the almighty Mediterranean Baked Fish, Spicy Baked Fish and so on. I think it's quite hot in the oven now and shall return soon - with protective amours and possibly high-melting point sword. Meanwhile, do study the game guide here before entering the hot oven okays. Don't get burned!

Let's move on to the Grilled section now! I think you'll meet more unique options in this place. Let me enlighten you with this Salmon N' Mash, RM26.39 (GST included). A pretty block of grilled salmon with crispy texture on the outside and still juicy on the inside is patiently waiting for you on some perfectly mashed potatoes. You must not miss the black pepper gravy lying there on the plate. He will hate you for ignoring him because without him, the salmon and mash might not be interacting so well. There's some grilled vegetables too and this plate of grilled salmon just feel so HEALTHY! Rich in Omega 3 and you'll get your carbs, protein and greens all on one plate.

 

Did you smell the fragrant of some good food? Ah ha, the temperature is quite hot here and I saw some flames! It's the Flamed section and you'll see some handsome gentlemen torching the food before being served. Gotta enjoy this performance first and get your camera ready for the show. 

I think this is where I belong because I've found the one I love! I spend my hours longer here all because I've met this flaming Cheesy Baked Rice who is priced at only RM22.15 (GST included). This handsome dory fillet lay on a bed of coriander + rosemary herb rice and covered himself with some hot and melted cheese. You see, I love coriander and he's got a secret weapon to attract you; the signature spicy sauce which keeps you wanting for more. This spicy sauce goes well with the herb rice and the fillet that I would love to bring some home. In fact, this signature spicy sauce at The Manhattan Fish Market goes well with everything.

A meal is not complete without some sweet endings - that's always the case for me. Flipping through their menu, you can find some mouth-watering dessert such as Sizzling Brownie with Ice-Cream, Strawberry Flamin-Go, Super Fruit Crumble and others. To balance back the meal, I had some light dessert to end it. This new Icy Hot Fish Bananas, RM13.67 (GST included) brought me into a Zen mode of Yin and Yang. The hot and crispy banana fritters represents the Yang mode while the cold Vanilla Ice-cream gives you the Yin mode. When you have both of them in your mouth, you're in a perfect moment than ever.

Now, you've come to the end of the new menu tour. The next thing you need to do is walk to your nearest The Manhattan Fish Market outlet and witness these new dishes with your five senses. Do have a look at this map if you are having trouble locating your nearest outlet.

Do visit The Manhattan Fish Market Facebook page to know more about their latest news and promotions.