Blast from the Past (no, not the movie...)

I was cleaning out my non-digital archives and found these gems from the 90s. As you can see from the paper discoloration, if I don't get them scanned, they'll be gone. 

So here they are, hope you like them as much as I did. Remember, this is 90s humor. =)

Food Review - MAD Restaurant (Sunway Putra Mall)

Name

MAD Restaurant aka Modern Asian Diner Restaurant 

Food

Western, Local, Fusion, Halal 

Location

Sunway Putra Mall (used to be called The Mall)

Getting there

This place is accessible via various means. Besides driving there, it is located right across from the PWTC (Putra World Trade Centre), so taxis, buses & LRT are all available as options.

Parking

There's ample parking in the mall itself or across at the PWTC or along the commercial area outside of the mall.

Ambience

True to its name, the decor of the place is rather minimalistically modern. The theme colors of the restaurant being just in 3 colors - Black, White and Grey. The lighting is slightly dimmer and the fabrics on the seats (Some of the seats are single seat cushion sofas) do make the place very cozy. 

Service

This place (well at least for this Sunway Putra Mall outlet) is staffed mainly by non-locals. I must say that the level of service is quite good. They are very attentive and polite (when compared with many other places, including some 5-star hotels).

Presentation

The food presentation is rather quirky as some of them are presented on a wooden platter much like the American-Style casual dining a la Bubba Gump's. Some others are served on White China, very much like Fine Dining in a luxurious hotel.

Either way, it's visually interesting especially when a group of friends or family are at the same table. Great for those who love to take photos before they eat =)Taste

I do quite like the food here. Although it's not the best in terms of taste but I like it enough for me to come back for more. One thing to note though is that perhaps quite a bit of flavor enhancers are used. I say this because we usually feel quite thirsty each time after we dine there. 

Variety

There's enough variety on the menu to warrant repeat visits. If you are coming here with friends or family, there is enough variety on the menu for everyone. They have pasta, rice, sandwich, noodles, etc.Value For Money

A major factor for my decision to come back here for more repeat visits is of course this place offers really good value. Most of the items here are below RM20. Unless you are planning to order the Steak or Lamb Shank, you can pretty much budget around RM20 per main item.

So, am I going to go back there? You bet. 

 

Comic Extreme Makeover - Marvel (X-Men) Part 1

Over the years, there are not many comic characters that maintain they way they look. Sometimes these changes in appearances are integral to the stories the creators are trying to tell, most often, it's a well-disguised marketing ploy to get fans talking and hopefully excited about these characters again.

I have compiled a list of characters that I think fit the bill of Extreme Makeover. Unless you're a geek, chances are you'll not likely think that they are in fact the very same character at all.

We now continue on with Marvel's Merry Mutants - the X-Men:

We'll start with the Beast (Hank McCoy), who has the privilege to be both an X-Man and an Avenger long before it became a trend to belong to more than 1 team (Yeah, I'm talking about Wolverine).

He's 1 of the 5 Original X-Men and started off looking pretty much human. Then in the 70's when Marvel was going thru' it's Monster Phase, Beast was transformed into a hairy beast that fans like me loved. 

Then when Marvel thought that X-Men needed something new and brought in Grant Morrisson to write the New X-Men Series in 2001, he further mutated him into his current more feral and feline form.

Next on the list is another X-Men founding member - Angel (Warren Worthington III)

Very similar to Beast, Angel (along with Iceman) also became members of another super-team called Champions in the 70's when the X-Men comic wasn't selling well (right before Chris Claremont and John Byrne hit the jackpot and made the X-Men Marvel's hottest property for over 20 years before the Avengers took the crown).

Then in 1 of the earliest Marvel Events - the Mutant Massacre, Angel was a serious casualty and had his wings literally clipped by the Marauders. That's when he was transformed by Apocalypse (Yup, THAT guy...) into Arch-Angel, 1 of his 4 Horsemen - Death.

This was one of the lesser known Marvel Teams called the Champions, along with Iceman, Black Widow and Ghost Rider.

 Of course, we then have Jean Grey. One of the most controversial characters from the X-Men. I guess this was mainly due to the massive changes to the character and the entire X-Men lore brought about by the Dark Phoenix Saga. Just like the Wasp in Avengers, she's really had so many changes to her looks.This was the line-up of the team that Claremont and Byrne had that rocketed the X-Men into the stratosphere.
And we round things off with Cyclops (for the original team that is). Similarly, Cyclops has also gone thru massive changes especially in the last 10 years. From being the natural stand-in for Charles Xavier in continuing his dream to being a semi-villain as a result of the AvX event when both the Avengers and the X-Men were at odds when the Phoenix Force returned.