yesterday.

Since my husband started working in KL, we have not been able to have anymore lunch dates (duh,obviously). At first, I was okay with it, like I really, really was because after all, absence does make the heart grow fonder, does it not?

But then, it grew too fond. 

Last week, it became unbearable. I missed having him around to have impromptu lunch dates, I missed having those 40 minutes in which we would normally have the most fun in a week, I missed the jokes we normally make just to destress each other. Okay, I missed him, you get it, don't you.

So, yesterday, when he happened to be around for work, and I didn't have any meetings to attend, the moment he said, "I'm on my way", I was already out of sorts, getting nervous, putting on lipgloss (I know, I know, big deal right, hahaha).

And since we've basically run out of the normal places to eat in Putrajaya, we decided to try a new place at Ayer 8, a new place which just recently opened. I was kind of nervous to try something new, because what if it sucked? Today (yesterday) was supposed to be special so I wanted to avoid spoiling it in any way. But we went anyhow. 

***

Almaeda Restaurant is a cozy little restaurant fronting the lake at Precinct 8, Putrajaya. It was a little bit difficult to find at first, due to lack of signage (and we told this to the owner of the restaurant already) but if you're planning to go, it's located at the lower ground floor. Meaning after you park your car, you'd have to take a flight of stairs down to the place. At first we both weren't sure if the restaurant was already open (as most of the shops there only stated "Akan Dibuka") but after walking a bit, I told my husband that I'm convinced it's already operating, "Love, I can smell the fooooddd". "Yeah, I can smell it tooo!" (that's how hungry we were.) Hehe.

When we finally reached it, there weren't that many people around, perhaps only 10 of them? Uh-oh, I thought. That was normally a bad sign right? But since time was ticking, we decided to give it a go anyway. 

We picked a table and as we were about to settle down, one of them (not sure whether owner, manager or server) at the restaurant told us that they were worried we would get too hot there since it was by the window and the sun was basically blazing through directly where we were sitting at. Ah, so nice, I thought!, as they directed us to a better seating area, still by the window but this time with a fan above our heads. 

I ordered the Chicken Mandi and my husband ordered Lamb and service was really fast. But when I first saw the chicken, I was like, "Oh, man, I think this is going to be dry". Much to my surprise though, it wasn't dry at all! And the rice is among the nicest I've tasted (trust me on this because (1) I love rice; and (2) I have tasted quite a few and nothing comes close to Saba', which is my favourite). The lamb was nice and tender as well and so much for offering a bit of my portion to my husband (at the beginning of lunch), I ended eating the whole meal on my own! 

After that the owner (I presume) came up to us and asked us how the meal was and offered us some baklava samples. I politely declined because I have tasted baklava that was a little too sweet to my liking before, but since he insisted, I obliged, and boy was I pleasantly surprised! So, yeah, I had a really good lunch yesterday and that's how Day 5 of my #hanisa100happydays was basically made.

***

Since the place (Ayer 8) is really new and there weren't many people around and not many shops have opened, I decided that this was the perfect opportunity to do my so-called OOTDs. Hahaha tak habis-habis. Told my husband about this and he asked for my phone, meaning that he was okay with it. Thing is... he didn't care to count before he snapped any of my photos and I ended up looking like some retard in the photos! 

Some of which look like this...

Which is why, this photo below made it to my Day 6 of my #hanisa100happydays. 

I look so much better being myself (don't you think?). 

Next time I do a so-called OOTD, I'll bear that in mind. Allah gave you (me) those pearlies (teeth) because you look good smiling. Maybe Allah just wants me to be happy, hihi. So, Alhamdulillah for that.