A Whiff Of Lemongrass - A Malaysian Food Blog

Restoran LYJ, Sg Buloh - Poon Choi

2008-01-04T01:01:00.000+08:00

Read all about it at my new site: http://www.awhiffoflemongrass.com/ or HERE.

And while you're at it, do update your bookmarks/RSS feeds. Have a nice day. :-)

WE HAVE MOVED

2008-01-02T00:24:00.001+08:00

We've found a new home, and we're EXCITED!

Visit us at

http://www.awhiffoflemongrass.com

for more great food offerings

and don't forget to update your bookmarks!

Christmas Roundup 2007 - Of Family Gatherings and A Very Retro Christmas

2007-12-30T22:00:00.000+08:00

It is ironic that after over a month-long buildup to Christmas, everything's put away in boxes in anticipation of the next major festival here. Lucky bamboo plants are already up for sale, and gaily coloured boxes of yee sang (or at least what tries to pass off as yee sang in its colourful artificial glory) are displayed prominently in supermarkets. Hello! Chinese New Year is more than a month away. Give me back my Christmas! I'm not done yet.

Before I get caught up with the CNY festivities and the feastings that follow, let's do a quick roundup of my Christmas week. When Bald Eagle and I are not traipsing the planet at year end, we normally spend our time at his parents' house in Kajang. Christmas dinner this year was with a difference. Recognising the family's roots in Kelantan, there were no turkeys or mince pies or plum puddings. This was a traditional Kelantanese Christmas dinner in all its juxtaposed imagery. We feasted on typical Kelantanese fare of steamed nasi dagang (a reddish brown glutinous rice) served with ikan tongkol (albacore tuna) in a creamy curry cooked so perfectly by my mother-in-law. To add to its authenticity, Bald Eagle spoke Kelantanese for a good 5 minutes. If I closed my eyes, I would have thought I married someone else. Well, sometimes, with all his impersonations, I am not quite sure of the man I married, but...it's too late now, isn't it? :-)

As a celebration of the traditions we hold dear, Bald Eagle presented us with a box of Goldilocks Polvorons which he brought back from Manila. His addiction to Goldilocks' Mamons (beautiful fluffy cakes) and Polvorons is a result of his 3-year stint in Manila several years back. I can understand his love for these confections. The Polvoron is made of toasted flour, butter, sugar and milk (and probably a whole host of unmentionables...err..I mean, secret ingredients) and has a powdery texture which means that if you don't pop the entire thing in your mouth, it will disintegrate in your hands. Quite a messy affair if you want to exercise decorum (i.e. taking ladylike bites). For Christmas, they coat these delicious biscuits with chocolate and decorate them with pretty shapes and colours.

Christmas with the bloggers was more of a riot. The food bloggers booked the entire restaurant (My Elephant in Section 17) and as an added surprise, came up with a list of "awards" for those who were present. Some of my favourite awards are:

Masak-masak - most idolized blogger. Woohoo! (she received a "masak-masak" set to keep her occupied when her oven ever gets broken)
Precious Pea - with her obsession over crabs, it was obvious that she was going to be crowned Queen to King Crab. (prize: pepper crab flavoured instant noodles)
WMW - the Human Tripod blogger - see her photography skills with just a camera and her wrist! (prize: an empty box to replace the use of her limbs)
Kenny Mah - most flirtatious blogger (but of course) (prize: condoms - will come in handy, I'm sure)
Lianne - the enlightened blogger, for moving from an obscure blogsite to a mainstream blog this year! (prize: a lightbulb)
Teckiee - the blogger with a gender crisis. Not sure why, but some people think she's male. But seriously, she's sometimes confused as well with XX/XY chromosomes (prize: a pair of boxer shorts)
Jackson - the blogger most recognised in KL, Klang, Shah Alam, PJ and some say even in Bangkok. (prize: disguise sunglasses)
Jason - the blogger with the most kissable lips! (prize: lipbalm)
Joe - the blogger with the best nick earned - Nipples. (prize: a baby pacifier)
Tankiasu - the activist food blogger (prize: a "cert" of a certain political party)
Kampungboycitygal - sweetest blogging couple (prize: a packet of sugar)
Nic - most poetic blogger (prize: a childrens writing set)
SC - almost a vietnamese blogger - visit her blog and you'll know why! (prize: almost vietnamese coffee)
Kusahi Keat - best male cook blogger (prize: a spatula)
Paprika the Ravenous Rabbit - hungriest blogger (prize: a bunch of carrots)
Friedchillies.com (Adly) - spiciest website (prize: a bunch of chillies)
Big Boys Oven - "One of the best bakers in town" blogger (Gardenia buns)
XiuLongBao - Former Malaysian Blogger now going down south (Prize: Malaysian flag)
Christine, Ai Wei, Yin and Jun - sweetest female bloggers (prize: sweets)
Ekeng and Riz - most handsome male bloggers (prize: sweets)

I almost fell on the floor laughing when they gave me the Celebrity Blogger of 2007 award. Well, I was touched too, as the girls (Precious Pea and WMW) had gone through the trouble of downloading a newspaper interview, printing and laminating the article. And Kenny Mah delivered a lovely speech to me. *blinking back tears* I do have the dearest blogging friends in the world!!

Unfortunately, I was too caught up in the fun to take any photographs, but do visit some of the links above to see what they have to say about the event - A Very Retro Christmas 2007!

Until my next post, ladies and gentlemen, I wish you a Blessed Christmas (yes, it's still Christmas in my heart and in my tummy) and a Very Joyful New Year 2008! God bless all of you!

The Daily Grind, Bangsar Village - burgers extraordinaire

2007-12-25T11:03:00.000+08:00

‘Delicious!’ I exclaimed, as I savoured the moist chicken patty in my mouth. I found out later that it was because they had used the whole chicken and not just chicken breast to make the patty. The thin sesame sprinkled buns were toasted to a slight crisp and liberally buttered. The pickles contrasted well with the burger. I was told that they made their own pickles. ‘Smoked salmon on chicken?’ I questioned. ‘What an unlikely combination!’ I was getting more and more mystified by the second. But this non-believer was soon shown the light. The cheesy sauce wrapped up all the flavours and made my burger encounter an out-of-body experience.

And that’s the thing. We’re talking burgers here. A meat patty sandwiched between two buns. As a teenager, it was a treat to eat a burger simply because mum and dad never let me near a burger joint. In university, it was a staple as far as fast food was concerned. From McDonald’s to Ramly and everything in between. I soon tired of it. I met my husband, a highly adventurous foodie, and we roamed the streets of KL in search of that elusive sashimi. The burger in its greasy shroud was soon a distant memory. It almost became a dirty word to me, and I’m not talking about those deliciously dirty words that I freely exclaim while driving along the Fed on my way to work.

She had a classic cheese burger. It was a thick juicy patty made of ground beef (yes, they freshly grind all their meat), homemade ketchup and their very own mustard mix. I half expected to see cows and chickens roam the hardwood floors, and I suspected that if I looked beyond the carpark of the concrete jungle of Bangsar, I might even catch a glimpse of their vegetable patch. A milkmaid and a shepherd would spell the beginning of my insanity. I digress. Two thick slices of cheddar cheese completed the experience.

I glanced at the tomato ketchup and chilli sauce bottles. ‘They’re all homemade,’ she said. No kidding. In my mind’s eye, I saw vines holding plump shiny tomatoes in that imaginary vegetable patch. The chilli sauce was wonderful, with a heady mix of ground chillies and mustard and other secret ingredients. The accompanying fries were merely a vehicle for me to savour the addictive sauce.

The man ordered a Down on the Farm burger. I glanced over my shoulder as I thought I heard a Moo. Only for those with a hearty appetite, this muscle flexing thick beef burger, barbeque basted and smokey grilled stacked with thick sliced onion rings was oozing masculinity. A corn cake made with whole corn kernels, crisp on the outside and creamy on the inside, made the man go limp with delight.

Avocadoes are a constant love interest, so my second experience at The Daily Grind was an affair with a chicken burger covered with creamy avocado sauce and topped with hot salsa. The play between sweet and savoury and spicy ensured that the burger was a winner. Again, I was bowled over by the smoothness of the chicken patty, and I couldn’t get enough of the buttery buns, my carb addiction.

If you pace yourself well, you’ll have enough room for dessert, and one dessert that is worth trying is the peanut butter and roasted banana pie. I’ll let the picture do the talking.

I never did quite explain why my sudden interest in burgers at a time when I crave foie gras more than hearty meat patties. (Incidentally, The Daily Grind is currently having a Christmas special consisting of a prawn cocktail, a Foie Gras *gasp* burger and a sherry trifle for just over RM60.) It took an hour long discussion with the husband to figure it out. ‘You’re enjoying it because you’re viewing it as a dining experience’, he looked at me sagely. ‘You’re eating with a fork and knife, cutting small pieces and savouring each mouthful like you’re enjoying a good steak.’ He was right, you know. How else could I explain why I was paying between RM23 and RM36 for a burger? Once dissected, it made sense to pay that amount. I was paying for an experience. Sometimes, revelations such as these can be quantified, and the question is, how much would you pay to see fireworks on your plate?

The Daily Grind
Bangsar Village
Kuala Lumpur.

Open daily until 12 midnight.

Open on Christmas day.

The True Meaning of Christmas

2007-12-22T18:50:00.000+08:00

I panicked momentarily as I assessed my workload and looked at the calendar. 10 days to Christmas. I had forgotten how close Christmas was. And my Christmas tree wasn't even up yet. I rushed out and bought lights to replace the faulty ones from the previous year.

7 days to Christmas and my tree was finally up. I crossed the task off my list.

The base of the tree was bare, save for a couple of gifts from friends. Gifts. Panic. I had not bought gifts yet! I let out a curse.

Massive last-minute shopping. Traffic jams. Crowds. Bah humbug.

Cookies. Check.

And even now, 3 days before Christmas, there were things that I had not done yet. Calm down. Take a deep breath. Adrenaline pumping.

Stop. Enough, I said. It's time to enjoy Christmas.

I let peace wash over me.

And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them,
and the glory of the Lord shone round about them:
and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto
them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good
tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David
a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall
be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped
in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly
there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly
host praising God, and saying,Glory to God in the
highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

Have a blessed Christmas everyone, and cherish the true meaning of Christmas.

The good people of Abu Dhabi may view the pictures HERE.

Pick n Brew, Glenmarie

2007-12-17T00:35:00.000+08:00

1. Old Friends.

When a Makan Club member gets married, we honour her. This is my pictorial tribute to my dear friend, Jo aka Pretty Pui, who married her childhood sweetheart on 15 December 2007.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. - 1 Corinthians 13 v 4 - 7.

2. And New Friends.

It was a jungle of sorts. A concrete jungle filled with homogenous looking structures. Gigantic mammoths spewing smoke in their imposing garments. As I sped along the grids of Glenmarie industrial area, I looked left and right, drinking in my surroundings, committing names to memory as that was the only way I would be able to escape this imposing looking place on my way back.

I hunted for a welcoming light, but I only saw white fluorescent lights illuminating coffinlike guardhouses at the entrance of each industrial building. After only one wrong turn, warm lights beckoned me from a distance. In the heart of this maze was a diamond in the rough, bearing the name "Pick n Brew". I was late, of course, even though Bukit Jelutong was only 10 minutes away. I barged into the private room with a very loud "Happy Birthday, Teckiee!!".

What I like about Pick n Brew is that it exudes warmth. From the cozy sofas to the huge glass panelled walls letting in sunshine during the day, it is the kind of place where I feel comfortable reading my newspapers with my daily cuppa.

Since Jackson was entertaining us as his special guests that evening, his chef whipped up two special appetisers for us. The Salmon Gravlax with Scallion Cream and Parmesan Tuile was very unique. The scallion cream went wonderfully with the smoked salmon, where it effectively downplayed the saltiness of the cured fish, and the parmesan basket was wonderful - chewy and full of flavour.

Equally good was the chicken consomme, a clear broth with a pure, refined flavour that didn't reek of that dirty word, MSG. The sundried tomato and spinach gnocchi had an almost melt in the mouth texture which I reckon would be an acquired taste to those who prefer their dumplings with a little more bite.

My main course came from the Christmas menu, aptly named Seafood Galore on Feta Spinach. At RM40, it came with spinach baked mussels, prawn thermidor and grilled fish. The grilled fish lay on a bed of spinach and feta cheese. While some liked the flavour of the cheesy sauce on the grilled fish, I found that it slightly overpowered the delicate flavour of the fish. Then again, I prefer my fish with little dressing. The spinach baked mussels were brilliant; certainly no fishy smell there. And the prawn thermidor was excellent, thanks to its freshness. Definitely a recommended dish.

And what did the others have? Like me, Boolicious also had the Seafood Xmas special, while her honey buns, Splashie Boy, went for Chicken Chimicangas (RM19), a tortilla filled with minced chicken and spices, which he pronounced better than any other Chicken Chimicangas in Malaysia. I had to agree with this non-blogging foodie who definitely knew his chicken chimicangas. WMW had the grilled medallion of beef (RM35) in a special sauce of infused oil and coffee bean mustard. Jason went Asian with his Lamb Tikka served with Pilaf Rice (RM17). I must say that the Lamb Tikka was very good and it's probably something I shall try on my next visit there. Precious Pea's Herb-Crusted Rack of Lamb (RM33) with apple mint yoghurt was enticing too. Birthday girl, Teckiee, had the Grenobloise Salmon Fillet (RM30) which came recommended by Jackson.

Jackson's Angel Hair Marinara (RM22) served with prawns, green mussels and squid in a tomato sauce was infused with the flavour of the seafood, and despite the fact that it was a little on the soft side, I'd vouch for the flavour of this dish.

A variety of desserts are also available, and believe me, these cakes taste wonderful. The most outstanding of these cakes is the apple crumble cheesecake, inspired by the Apple Crumble team's participation (consisting of Jackson, Teckiee, Precious Pea and WMW) in The Star's recent Drive For Food contest. Incidentally, this was the cake that was presented to Teckiee as we melodiously sang Happy Birthday to her! (Yes, food bloggers can sing.)

As a treat, we all got to create our own latte art. (Yes, food bloggers can draw.) Now that's money well spent, if you ask me!

Pick n Brew also has a great breakfast menu. All downed with a large cup of coffee.

My American set (RM18) also came with a muffin. Yummy! Breakfast sets are priced from RM9 for a pancake to RM20 for a breakfast steak.

Pick n Brew,
Wisma CNI, No.2, Jalan U1/17,
Section U1, Hicom-Glenmarie Industrial Park,
40000 Shah Alam.

Tel: 03-5569 1216

I swiped the operating hours from Precious Pea's blog. (You can also read what she has to say HERE. For the birthday girl's account, click HERE):

Operating hours :
Monday - Friday : 8am - 8pm
Sunday : 8am - 3pm
Closed on Saturday and public holidays

The good people of Abu Dhabi may view the pictures HERE.

Party Cupcakes by Audrey

2007-12-13T13:20:00.000+08:00

(Part 2) - Continuation of Pretty Pui's Surprise Party

I've always had a fascination for prettily decorated cupcakes. I'm not sure if it's a girly thing because I've seen guys look gleefully at them before. Perhaps it's the anticipation of bite-sized goodness in a gorgeously wrapped package.

I've tried loads of commercially produced cupcakes and felt that it was time for a change. So when I found out about Audrey and her delicious cupcakes, I sent her an email immediately. Her prompt reply accompanied by pictures of her works of art sealed the deal for me.

Since we had chosen a pink and white theme for Pretty Pui's party at My Elephant, it was only apt to have cupcakes with the same colour theme. A couple of emails flew back and forth and we finally decided on a garden theme with pink and white flowers and bits of pastel blue to provide some contrast. I didn't want it to be overly sweet, so I chose a dark chocolate cake with vanilla buttercream frosting. (For those who don't care much for the bitter edge, there is a milk chocolate option that goes very well with chocolate frosting for a rich chocolate cupcake experience.)

With Christmas around the corner, now would be a great time to try Audrey's cupcakes. Do note that she does this on a part-time basis, so she may not be able to accommodate all orders. You can reach Audrey at audreychoo@time.net.my.

My Elephant, Section 17, PJ - A Whiff Of Lemongrass Like No Other

2007-12-12T01:02:00.000+08:00

"Where's the party?" she asked for the 249th time.

"Wait and see lah," I said.

"You mean it's a surprise? Your surprises normally backfire, don't they?" she sniggered.

Pretty Pui was right. It is not human nature to keep secrets. As Sam and I toiled on the floral arrangements for the party that afternoon (a pre-wedding party of sorts and a bon voyage party to a certain extent), someone out there, in all naivety, was spilling the beans to Pretty Pui. SIGH.

My Elephant, a Thai restaurant in the middle of a residential area in Section 17, was the chosen location. It was perhaps an unlikely place, but I was drawn to the relaxed and unpretentious atmosphere at this simple and cozy restaurant. The term "less is more" is personified here. Sharp lines and stark walls in the wrong hands can easily spell disaster, but in this case, personal touches like candles and multicoloured cushions, a handful of quirky looking elephants, and personable employees tipped the scale, effectively turning it into a place akin to a home. Also, having tried the food here before, I could vouch for the tasty fare. The staff of the restaurant had done a great job in translating my requirements. We provided the floral arrangements and the candles, and they did the rest. From the circular pieces of fragrant banana leaves on the plates to the leaf-wrapped glasses with stems of chrysanthemum attached to each glass, the final result was a contrast of cemented walls and exposed bricks against the muted colours of the flowers and the mellow light from the pillar candles.

The Nam Prik Kapi came out first to quell the hunger pangs while waiting for the last guests to arrive. I'm not sure if it succeeded in suppressing anything as the first thing I did was to reach for my refreshing pandan (screwpine leaf)cooler. The prawn paste chili dip for the long strips of vegetables was very good and also VERY HOT. And that's the thing about me. I love spicy food, but I cry buckets of tears because of my low tolerance for chili. A case of my roots gone wrong? (Mum, Dad, why why??)

The deep fried popiah was stuffed with braised glass noodles, dried shrimp and an assortment of vegetables. This, I like, because of the thin and very crisp skin which meant that it was freshly made. Trust me, I can write volumes about tough soggy fried popiahs that would make War and Peace look like child's play. Ok, maybe not.

What's Thai food without a soup? The Tom Som seafood soup infused with galangal, lemongrass and lime was a lesson in deception. Who would have thought a clear soup such as that could pack a punch in a tiny bowl. My pandan cooler came to the rescue again. But masochist that I am, no one could stop me from taking a second, and third, refill of the delicious soup.

One of the house specialties is the Snow fish which is essentially a salt-baked fish served with a green chili sauce. Remove the hardened baked skin and see the very moist flesh revealed beneath. Just be careful not to let any of the salt fall into the fish or you'll have to reach for the pandan cooler (again). Also, instead of turning the fish over to reach the flesh beneath, gently pry away the centre bone to get to the part below. This is to prevent the salt from getting into the fish. There's only so much pandan cooler that one can consume.

We also got to try Plah Nung Manow, steamed fish in lime, garlic and chili padi dressing. I liked the sauce with shredded mango bits which added much needed texture. Very nice. Only a sense of decorum prevented me from sucking on the bones.

The Gai Tod was a bit puzzling as I couldn't quite figure out the meat inside. But then again, it was coated in flour so it could have just as easily been fried squid or fried prawns or fried chicken. Anyway, it was chicken. Chicken nuggets, to be specific. Fried with kaffir lime leaf, garlic and crushed peppercorn.

The mixed vegetables with lotus roots made up the requisite quota for green stuff.

I enjoyed eating the Yum Woon Sen (glass noodles with seafood). The noodles were springy and went wonderfully with the seafood in the slightly tangy sauce. The dish was rich with the flavours from the prawns, lime juice, fish sauce and chopped coriander. This is undoubtedly one of my favourite salads and it feels so healthy...almost like diet food! (Unfortunately, I can't vouch for the nutritional value of this dish, although it certainly passes the taste test.)

What I thought was effectively the best dish that night was the Duck Curry. Roast duck is used in this dish which is cooked in a red curry together with slices of avocado and whole rambutans. This was, not surprisingly, a good combination. The tender duck meat provided a contrast to the smooth and creamy texture of the avocado while the rambutans added a natural sweetness to the curry. If you'd like to try this dish, do call in advance to order it (preferably a day's notice) as preparing this dish is a time-consuming affair.

Was the party a success? I'd like to think that it was. Looking at the happy faces and how they talked about it (food and fun) for days on end, I suppose we achieved our objective. The smiles say it all. :-)

There is a Part 2. Look out for it. ;-)

If you'd like to know what others have been saying about My Elephant, click HERE and HERE and HERE. Note that prices are very VERY reasonable.

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My Elephant
Block C-G4 Happy Mansion
Jalan 17/13, Section 17
46400 Petaling Jaya
Business Hours: Tuesday to Sunday (except Sunday lunch)
Lunch: 12.00 p.m. - 2.30 p.m.
Dinner: 6.00 p.m. - 10.00 p.m.
Tel: Patrick 012 328 5028

Ending Friday on a Sweet Note

2007-12-07T14:26:00.000+08:00

I've always been a big fan of Fatboybakes' cooking and baking, and so far, the dude's never failed me. I love this Brandy Truffle Cake which we recently bought to celebrate Precious Pea's birthday. It has no flour, so it's suitable for the gluten intolerant. If you like chocolate, this is the cake for you as it contains at least 600 grams of chocolate! You can check his blog HERE.

I think I still have a slice in my fridge. Now that's a great reason to rush home tonight!

Have a GREAT weekend, folks! I'm still boing-ing!

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Please click HERE if you're unable to view pictures.

House+Co and A Whiff of Kam Raslan

2007-12-05T00:12:00.000+08:00

I'm excited excited EXCITED! I can't stop jumping up and down.

Boing, boing, boing.....

Ummm. Food review. Yes, I was going to write a food review. One of my favourite foods too, the nasi lemak, in an elevated status. And this is important, because one has to realise that nasi lemak can be enjoyed in any form and anywhere. This meal, which once started off as simple fare of rice, cucumbers, anchovies and spicy sambal has since moved on to grander things. Sambal sotong (squid), sambal kerang (cockles), beef and chicken rendang have all been served with nasi lemak at one time or another. And really, should we only revere the makcik who sells nasi lemak by the roadside, with nary a utensil but her gnarled fingers to pack the various ingredients in a neatly folded triangular package, or should we open our minds and say, hey, I'm going to be objective about this? Even if it's a RM15 plate of nasi lemak?

Boing, boing, boing.... How can I possibly describe this ecstacy?

The nasi lemak at House+Co easily took my breath away when I first saw it. The presentation resembled a work of art. Depending on what you choose, the beef, chicken or squid sambal (all absolutely delicous) is creatively placed on a banana flower (jantung pisang?). I loved the long grained rice placed on a piece of banana leaf. Two different sambals were given - one to be eaten with the rice, and the other, presumably as a dip for the cucumber, sliced lengthwise. Portions were undoubtedly rather substantial, possibly to justify the RM15 pricetag. My verdict? Well-worth the money spent.

I can't contain this excitement! Boing, boing, boing......

Another great dish is the nyonya curry laksa. Okay, there aren't many items on the menu, so one can't turn eating at House+Co into a daily affair. The nyonya curry laksa was served in a huge bowl, complete with my favourite ingredient - juicy cockles! The curry was a little on the thin side, but it merely meant that one could drink up to one's heart's content. Also priced at RM15.

Other dishes included the Chicken Pita at RM12.

Syrup for sweetening the drinks

House+Co (cafe located at the back of the shop)
Second Floor
Bangsar Shopping Centre
Kuala Lumpur.

Opening Time:
Tuesday—Sunday (closed on Monday)
Lunch: 10am—3pm / Tea time: 3pm—6pm

(no reservations accepted)

Boing, boing, boing....

Well, the reason I'm excited is because I've been featured, together with KAM RASLAN, in the same article in KLue magazine. KAM RASLAN!! The man who made my toilet sessions a little more bearable, even if I was spending longer hours on the throne. (No Boss, it wasn't period pain.) The man who turned me into a gentler person as I patiently waited for friends to turn up while I was deeply engrossed in his book, Confessions of an Old Boy: The Dato' Hamid Adventures. The man whom I admired from a distance at literary events. How does one approach such a person? It seemed silly. What would I have said? "Harlow, my name is...errr...Lemongrass. No, not the edible kind. Lyrical. L-Y-R-I-C-A-L. Ah? Stoopid ar? OH," I'd pause, "Anyway, can I have your autograph please? SIR?" And I'd probably walk away hurriedly in embarrassment, wondering why in the world I'd call anybody other than the Pope "Sir". I digress. KAM RASLAN!!

*swoon*

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The good people of Abu Dhabi may view the pictures HERE.

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Hairy Crabs at King Crab, PJ

2007-12-03T00:02:00.000+08:00

When it rains, it pours, so the saying goes. Days after my last crab feast, I was going to eat crabs again. Cholestrol cholestrol cholestrol, my mind repeated those words. A battle between Jekyll and Hyde ensued, but the other side won easily. My eyes glistened and my heart skipped a beat as I saw the sumptuous hairy crabs laid out before us.

We soon found out that not all hairy crabs were created equal. It is important to know the source of the crabs, and we were also amazed to see tags on the claws of the Yang Cheng Lake hairy crabs. (So that they'll know each other by first name? Hi. I'm Hairy. Hi. I'm Sally. Cool, let's hook up. And that's how Hairy met Sally.) The tags are to ensure authenticity, and they also include an SMS number (China only, I think!) for verification purposes. Technology certainly reaches the deepest jungles...errr...lakes.

As hard as I tried to differentiate the hairy crabs from the Tai Lake vs Yang Cheng Lake, I couldn't find much obvious difference between the two. Bald Eagle, on the other hand, noticed that the Yang Cheng Lake crustaceans had creamier roe while the flesh was also sweeter. Talking about the roe, I was amazed at how creamy the roe was. They say the hairy crab roe is like caviar from the east. Priced at RM78++ and RM88++ for TL and YCL hairy crabs respectively, it looks like caviar all over the world (regardless of the origination) has to be EXPENSIVE! What price happiness, eh?

To ensure that the roe is creamy, one must not overcook the crab. The simplest (and tastiest) preparation is to steam the crab for between 10 to 20 minutes (depending on the capability of the steamer). During this process, the crab turns a lovely golden orange.

And the taste? Every little mouthful of the velvety roe was a feeling of ecstacy (can one get high on roe??). There was also some white creamy substance that was extremely delicious. You guessed it. It was sperm.

Hmmmmmmmmmmm.

Gives a new meaning to the word blowjob (hairy blowjob?).

We were advised to dip the flesh of the crabs in ginger and vinegar sauce. This is to counteract the cooling effect from consuming the hairy crabs. Interesting, this "cooling" thing. We were also given ginger tea and a shaoxing wine/sour plum concoction that tasted strange. Imagine alcohol with a lot of salt added to it. Well, I suppose it was a worthy antidote (translated: sacrifice) to warm up my body.

I thought I couldn't go on anymore. Trust me, it can be quite tiring to eat these little buggers. BUT when the 1.5kg Australian Lobster came in, my jaw dropped. The flesh was raw, and I knew I was going to eat it sashimi-style with wasabi. I've always loved lobster sashimi. Too bad it's so expensive (RM298/kg), or I'd be eating it more regularly!

Those who didn't eat it raw chose to dip it into the boiling broth containing vegetables, mushrooms and tofu. Very healthy and tasty stuff. So was the dish of the vegetables on the side. Healthy.

The flower crabs, although a little bit of an anticlimax after having eaten the hairy crabs, were absolutely delicious. The flesh was firm and sweet and it was easy to tell that these were really fresh.

The salted egg yolk squid were a lot tastier this time as compared to my first experience. This time, the saltiness wasn't overwhelming and it was nice and crunchy. Perfect with beer!

What really got me excited was the noodles which were braised with the lobster head (smashed to bits, of course). The flavour was delicate, typical of all lobster meals. At RM25 for this dish, I thought it was good value.

Dessert was Le Meridien's tiramisu cake. Light and fluffy. Good if you've just had a filling meal and you don't want any heavy dessert!

Also check out Boolicious' , Joe's and Precious Pea's thoughts.

King Crab
No. 103 - 107, Jalan SS25/2,
Taman Mewah Jaya,
Petaling Jaya.

Tel: 03-7808 2388

Note: Autumn (Oct & Nov) is the best time to savour hairy crabs. King Crab is currently having a promo (buy 5 free 1) on its hairy crabs.

Pik Wah Restaurant, KL

2007-11-29T20:56:00.000+08:00

Nope. I don't think I'm quite ready to say goodbye to you.

14 years is a long time to know someone. Remember when you were my flatmate and you rushed to the kitchen when you heard my piercing scream? It was my first time cleaning a fish and I didn't know how slimy it would be, and you took over my chore because I was whimpering.

When I got married, you were not just a bridesmaid to me, but also my friend and my confidante. When I was running late for my wedding, I couldn't answer the impatient phonecalls from my parents (didn't they know that the wedding couldn't take place without the bride?), so you took the mobilephone firmly from my hand because you could see that I was getting hysterical, and calmly answered all subsequent phonecalls.

We'd laugh and gossip and chat everyday over a breakfast of nasi lemak or steamed bread. "Kak, Nescafe ais dua!", we'd take turns ordering our daily staple. It will feel strange to order just one Nescafe ais.

At your farewell luncheon at Pik Wah Restaurant, we ate quietly, whispering and conspiring, knowing what would be ordered and how it would end because all farewell luncheons were approximately the same. The Pattaya style fish would definitely be on the menu because it was a house specialty.

I fretted because the suckling pig was not on the menu. It was served at Smokin' SOB's farewell, and I remember its crisp skin and delicious thin slices of meat.

But you had something else that was very good too. The braised pork trotters were delicious, although I know you don't care much for the layer of fat. The sauce, mopped up by the sweet buns, was a delight to eat.

China is but a phonecall away. I think I won't say goodbye to you.

After all, 14 years is a long time to know someone, isn't it?

Please name your first child after me.

Restoran Pik Wah
MABA House, Basement Level Stadium Block
6, Jalan Hang Jebat, 50150 KL.

Tel: 03-2072 3668, 2078 3668

When Bloggers Get Together To Decorate Cupcakes

2007-11-25T19:16:00.000+08:00

Or How To Tell That It's Her First Time

When the recipe says, "Cream butter till smooth, then add icing sugar", she thinks it's okay to do the reverse.

She curses under her breath when the icing comes out from the other end of the bag.

I firmly resolve never to laugh at Fatboybakes again.

The good people of Abu Dhabi may view pics HERE.

.

Robson Heights Seafood Restaurant

2007-11-23T00:08:00.000+08:00

1.

The mechanism was already in place. Change. Inevitable change. It had become clear to me that I was moving into a different phase of my life.

2.

She leaves in a week. I tease her that she will miss us, but I know that it is only to mask my impending feeling of loneliness. We used to joke that we were like nomads - moving from friend to friend; never quite settled down. I suppose we'll all survive in our new environments. Even if it's 3,000km away. Despite that, I'll probably be able to hear her cackle.

3.

Tonight, the first of many "makan" sessions marks her farewell. Robson Heights Seafood Restaurant in Taman Seputeh is one of our favourite seafood restaurants even if it lacks the seaside atmosphere or the smell of the ocean. Its close proximity to the city spells convenience and brings with it a waft of fumes.

The Makan Club's closeness hinges on many things, one of which is crabs. We ordered two types of preparations. The salted egg yolk crabs (RM59) were prepared in a thick sauce that clung to the shells, the saltiness mitigated slightly by a sweetness of taste that was probably due to the addition of sugar.

We loved the crabs steamed with egg white and chinese wine (RM63). The crabs were really fresh and sizeable, while the flesh was naturally sweet. The steamed egg white was plain on its own, but was immediately transformed when eaten with a little wine that had simmered with the crabs. The flavour of the dish was further enhanced by the large amount of shredded ginger thrown into it.

The salt-baked (fried?) prawns (RM30) were tasty but I thought it could be a little more crispy. Despite its freshness, the dish didn't excite me.

One of the house specialities is the fried black pepper udon (RM20). The thick, wheat noodles dish was fried with lots of black pepper and tasted a little sweetish. Despite the peppery taste that irritated my sore throat, I nevertheless thought this dish was exceptional in spite of its simplicity.

The mixed vegetables (RM15) were also very good. I loved the sweetness of the water chestnuts that contrasted well with the other flavours. Also, the contrast of the textures made the dish very enjoyable.

Pretty Pui - thank you for a lovely meal!!

Robson Heights Seafood Restaurant
10B, Jalan Permai,
Off Jalan Syed Putra, 50460 KL.

Tel: 03-2274 6216

The good people of AD may view pics HERE.

Kampachi @ Pavilion KL

2007-11-18T23:12:00.000+08:00

It was one of those spontaneous moments when JFKA wannabe, Nipples, asked me to join him for dinner at the latest mall in town and I said yes. I wanted to eat at Kampachi, and he didn't mind eating at Kampachi again, so it was an easy decision to make. After all, I never say no to Japanese food.

Getting a table wasn't very difficult on a weekday night, but we chose to sit at the sushi bar instead, hoping to catch a glimpse of some of the action behind the counter. We were not disappointed. 2 little plates of seasoned baby octopus were placed in front of us. I loved the sweet and savoury dish which went down in an instant.

Since Nipples didn't get a chance to eat soba on his first visit to Kampachi, this was his obvious choice. His cold soba served with crisp nori came with a tsuyu broth with raw quail's egg and chopped spring onions.

His set also came with tempura and grilled fish. If I'm not mistaken, it cost a little over RM30. He seemed quite pleased with his meal.

I took the sushi and sashimi bento (RM40). What I like about the sashimi is that they were generous portions - thick cut and very fresh.

It also came with grilled unagi (eel). Aaaah. Despite the unadventurous orders, this was comfort food for us. The food's good. The prices are reasonable. The ingredients are fresh. Definitely worth a second visit.

Also see Lots Of Cravings and Masak-masak for reviews of other good stuff.

Kampachi @ Pavilion
Level 6, Pavilion, KL.

Tel: 03-2148 9608

The MIGF dinner that almost was - feat. Gobo Upstairs, Traders Hotel KL

2007-11-16T14:21:00.000+08:00

The month long Malaysian International Gourmet Festival (MIGF) is back. It features a number of really great restaurants, but the prices can be rather expensive (a relative term) even though one would get pretty good value for the prices paid.

On Henry's persuasion, I enthusiastically rounded up a group of foodies to visit Gobo Upstairs, a restaurant in the relatively new Traders Hotel. Unfortunately, as the day arrived, my body was suddenly attacked by the dreaded flu, but being the responsible coordinator that I was, I persevered for the greater good. Ahem.

The thing about the flu is that one loses practically all of one's tastebuds, except maybe the ability to taste salt. Anyhow, I decided that instead of wasting RM160++ on the MIGF menu, I should consume something hearty instead. Like soup.

And that's exactly what I had. A robust lobster bisque bursting with flavour (which I could taste!!). The others, except for Henry, took my lead and decided to order from the ala carte menu which was surprisingly priced very decently. I mean, can anyone think of any other fancy restaurant that serves baby beef short ribs at just RM38? And according to those who tried it, the meat was literally falling off the bone. The lamb shank, at RM38, was apparently an equally good option. I could literally see Fatboybakes' face glow with happiness in the very dimly lit, chic restaurant. Nipples Joe had a very strange looking pumpkin risotto which he guarded with his life, so I didn't get a chance to taste it. Oh, they treated me like the plague just because of a little itty bitty flu, so I wasn't allowed to share any of their food. Except for Precious Pea, that sweet darling. She was kind enough to share a creme brulee with me.

The creme brulee came in four different flavours. My favourite (and Precious Pea's least favourite, my gain) was the ginger flavoured brulee. The other four sections consisted of coffee, chocolate and hazelnut. My main course of grilled cod was overly salted, but other than that, I found the flesh to be very moist and tasty.

Henry's choice of the MIGF menu came with a tomato appetiser, Black Ink “Spinosi” Tagliatelle with Octopus Merlot Ragout and Green Asparagus for the starter, Chargrilled Australian Beef Tenderloin with Garlic Confit, Lentil’s Fava Beans and Fresh Mushroom Ragout for the Mains, and Chocolate, chocolate and chocolate for desserts.

Overall, I like the ambience at Gobo, and I'd certainly revisit the place for a few reasons:

1. Service is excellent. From the moment I entered, I was greeted by name, and they made the effort to explain all the items on the MIGF menu as well as the ala carte menu. They were also able to make recommendations on house specialties.

2. The restaurant is lovely, if you like the modern look with subdued lighting. It doesn't feel cramped, although it isn't a very large restaurant with a seating capacity of approximately 60 people.

3. Good value for money. One can get a good meal for about RM100 per pax. Am not sure about the wine selection, though, so maybe someone can enlighten me on that?

4. Parking's a breeze. The hotel shares the parking area with the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, so there is ample parking.

GOBO UPSTAIRS LOUNGE AND GRILL
Traders Hotel
Kuala Lumpur City Centre
50088 Kuala Lumpur
Reservations: +603–2332 9888
http://www.tradershotels.com/

Also see Fatboybakes' take on Gobo.

Hon Kee Porridge (Off Petaling Street)

2007-11-13T13:51:00.000+08:00

One of my favourite meals is a bowl of rice porridge. I love how the steam mists my glasses as I inhale the scent of sesame oil that is drizzled onto the porridge. I love the smooth texture, and enjoy the sensation of the almost liquid substance gliding down my throat. The strips of raw sliced ginger and chopped chinese parsley all heighten the overall sensation of consuming this deceivingly simple dish.

Fried intestines (RM3) are a lovely addition too. The crunchy pieces, a little sweet, get slightly softened when thrown into a hot bowl of porridge and add a new dimension of textures.

Throw in some fried yau char kwai (chinese crullers)(RM1 for a big plate) into the bowl of porridge. These amazingly simple and aromatic dough puffs are such a pleasure to eat.

I love fish, and this place serves raw wan yue (river carp)(RM4.50) which is stirred into the bowl of porridge. The heat cooks the fish almost instantaneously.

Also available is Pretty Pui's favourite - Porridge with meatballs (RM4).

Blink, and you may just miss this stall. Memorise this sign. Located at Jalan Hang Lekir (Petaling Street), it is near the famous Koon Kee wantan mee stall and opposite a Hong Leong Bank branch. Operating hours from 4.30am to 2.30pm.

Also check out:

Masak-masak
Kampungboycitygal
eatinout
she, the epicuriousgirl
backStreetGluttons

Click HERE if you are unable to view pictures on Flickr.

7 Years of Surprises...And To Many More, Darling

2007-11-11T19:50:00.000+08:00

1.

My life has always been about 3 guesses. For 18 years of our lives (7 spent married), we'd been playing the guessing game.

"What's for dinner tonight, dear?"
"I'll give you 3 guesses."

"What movie are we watching?"
"3 guesses before the next ad comes on!"

"What car are you buying?"
"Guess lah."

Well, you get the idea. However, sometimes, the guessing game backfires.

"Where are we going tonight?"

"Guess." He keeps me in the dark.

I make my guess, and dress in a nice smart casual outfit and meet him after work. That's when I spy loads of elegant looking people dressed to the nines in Choo and Blahnik, dripping with jewels.

"Fock man. You could have told me!! The fockin' Queen is here, and I'm dressed in......focking' office clothes??!!?!"

He eased up on me for a couple of months, but resumed his impish ways soon after. A leopard never loses its spots.

2.

It was our wedding anniversary and we were going out for a romantic dinner. The usual charade ensued.

"Where are we going?"

"It's a surprise. I'll give you 3 guesses."

"Give me a hint, at least."

"Fine. I'll give you 2 hints. It's connected to The Gardens (Mid Valley), and it's Japanese," he offered graciously.

That seemed simple enough. "Yuzu," I proclaimed. "We're definitely going to Yuzu."

"Wear something nice," he winked, neither affirming nor denying.

3.

Since he was buying, I offered to drive (after all, marriage is a 50-50 deal, isn't it?).

I was soon driving past Mid Valley straight on to the roads leading to the American Embassy. As we drove into the carpark at MiCasa, I still couldn't figure out his clues. (I really should have paid more attention to Fatboybakes' blog entry on Cilantro last week instead of merely gawking at the stupendous amount of foie gras he had consumed.)

"Ok. Explain yourself," I demanded. "What has Cilantro got to do with The Gardens or Japanese?"

"Cilantro will be opening a branch in The Gardens," he paused for dramatic effect, "and Cilantro is a French-Japanese fusion restaurant!" Did I imagine the "ta-da!" at the end?

Bald Eagle = 1, Lyrical Lemongrass = 0.

4.

As we sat down in the plush semi-circular seat, we were told that the bread would take another 15 minutes. "Freshly baked bread!" I exclaimed. And what a magnificent treat it was to eat the bread spread with the most delicious truffle butter! We loved it so much that we actually finished up all the bread on the table, only to be asked politely if we wanted any more. I blushed and mumbled that the truffle butter was glorious, and the kindly looking lady nodded knowingly, probably used to the same reaction from all her guests.

A tiny bit of chicken sausage served with a gelatinous topping came with the chef's compliments. I never thought chicken sausage could taste so good.

My starter was a Pan-fried Unagi with Foie Gras (RM68). The grilled eel was layered with foie gras, then coated with flour and fried. Cut horizontally across the layers, pop it into your mouth and feel the sweet richness melt in your mouth. Along with cream coloured ponies and crisp apple strudels, this must definitely be one of my favourite things.

The appetisers list was extensive, and it was a tough choice. How does one choose from 6 hot and 6 cold appetisers, all carrying names with at least 5 words in each? He, being the more decisive person in our relationship, took only 2 minutes as compared to my 10 to decide on the the first dish. His Baked Truffle Souffle with Parmigiano Reggiano (RM48) came with a creamy truffle sauce that was utterly decadent. Another melt-in-your-mouth experience.

In between courses, we were served a white wine granita to cleanse the palate. It had a nice granular texture.

I've always loved fish. But this time, I made sure I spent 15 minutes scrutinising all the items on the Main Course list before I made my final decision. My Lightly Smoked Salmon with Confit of Beetroot, Truffle Soy Vinaigrette (RM68) was perfect. The outer layer of the slab of salmon was lightly cooked, and as the layers progressed to the centre, it was almost raw. The musky scent of the truffle mixed with the distinct salmon flavour together with the generous portion of salmon roe created a rather salty combination, but mix it with the sweet creamy sauce and a perfect balance of flavours is created. Every bite was ecstacy.

He was equally enraptured with his Wasabi Crumble Crusted Wagyu Cheek with Roasted Mushrooms (RM68). The flavour of the wasabi very lightly caressed the tender slab of wagyu cheek. Another recommended dish.

Desserts are priced at RM32 each, but a group can opt for 4 choices (dessert platter) at RM98. Although I was initially keen on trying the dessert platter, sensibility prevailed as I accepted the reality of the situation. I was stuffed. And so, reluctantly, I chose the dessert which I felt would be the lightest - the Home-made Souffle in Green Tea with Green Tea Ice Cream. It was a great choice as the eggy smell wafted into my nostrils like a temptress after her diamonds. I loved the souffle as it wasn't too sweet thanks to the green tea which added a hint of bitterness to the overall flavour. The green tea ice cream was definitely homemade.

Bald Eagle went for the bold and brazen choice of Dark Chocolate Cup Cake with Earl Grey Ice Cream. Ah...what is there not to like about a molten chocolate cake!

I hear that the restaurant will be undergoing renovations come March 2008, so if you're keen to visit this place, do so before then. Also, rumour has it that the new outlet at The Gardens will be serving predominantly Mediterranean cuisine, so expect a different menu.

Cilantro
Restaurant and Wine Bar
368B, Jalan 1/68F, Off Jalan Tun Razak
50400 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03-21798000 or 03-21798048 (DL)

Operating hours: 6.00pm to 1.00am Mon to Sat; 12.00 noon to 2.00pm every Friday. Closed on Sunday.

The good people of Abu Dhabi who are unable to view my flickr pics may view pics here.

Happy Deepavali

2007-11-08T13:58:00.000+08:00

To my Hindu readers, Happy Deepavali! The kolam is an apt design to start off the celebration with. It is a design drawn on the floor and filled in with coloured rice powder as a sign of welcome and prosperity.

The festival is celebrated with lamps and lights, signifying the victory of good over evil.

Deepavali Day is always celebrated with a lot of food cooked by my mother. This year, sis-in-law, Kat, took over some of the responsibilities and passed with flying colours.

Mutton curry by mum

Penang achar by Kat

Mutton perattal by mum

Fried chicken by Kat

Fruit salad by Kat

What's unique is that these two ladies (mum and Kat) do not come from an Indian background. Having married men of Indian/part Indian heritage, they picked up the skills and can now cook a fantastic array of Indian cuisine, some of which are influenced by their Chinese and Nyonya heritage. And this is what being truly Malaysian is all about. I can't help but salute these two women. (Note: Lyrical Lemongrass' area of specialty is eating, and not cooking! We all have our strengths. :-P )

Deepavali cookies and muruku assortment (muruku, kara muruku, achi muruku, omapodi) by mum and Kat

Those who are unable to view my pictures on flickr, including the good people of Abu Dhabi, may click HERE to view the pictures.

A Whiff Of Lemongrass Turns ONE

2007-11-06T00:02:00.000+08:00

It began, innocently enough, with char siew. But that would be like moving ahead to Chapter 10. For every story, there must, at least, be a prologue.

I have known Bald Eagle for 18 years and have been married to him for almost 7. In all those years, he has always referred to me as "the girl who never completed anything". Give me something, anything, and if I set my mind to it, I will do a good job of it. But my attention wanes quickly enough, and before you can say Merry Christmas, I'd have moved on to another hobby.

Shortly after we were married, I decided to take up photography. Now this was in the days before digital. I bought camera bodies (an analog SLR, a medium format, and even a Lomo!) and several lenses and studied books on photography. Then came digital and I gave up as I figured I would never be able to afford a digital SLR.

Then came painting (not the wall kind). When we first moved to our house in Shah Alam, I had intended to convert one of our rooms into an art studio. I had invested thousands of ringgit on paints and brushes, and thought of possibly turning it into a business. I would be engrossed in my own silent world as I painted into the wee hours of the morning, oblivious of the fact that my body was yearning to rest.

Sadly (for my art hobby, that is), I soon discovered the joys of jewellery making, and put heart and soul into my new-found passion. I travelled the world in search of unique beads and stones. A lot of time was invested in that hobby while my paints were relegated to the storeroom, and brought out once a year at Christmas time when I'd make presents for family.

By this time, my storeroom was crammed with the remnants of past interests. I was convinced that love, for me, would only be a temporary thing as I flitted from idea to idea, wondering if I could truly be passionate about anything. Perhaps, to a certain extent, I felt like a failure despite having achieved so much.

And then came blogging. The origins can be read in my first post. It began with an energetic conversation with a stranger about char siew. We became friends. And then there were more friends. The birth of the blog was a natural consequence of our friendship. My Facebook would look a lot less exciting if it weren't for the new friends I made along the way. Nobody would bomb me in Pirates. It would be a life unimaginable.

I've finally seen the light. The sustenance of my passion for blogging is fueled by the power of friendship. It's really that simple. Support. Interest. Concern. Chastisement. Encouragement. Love.

Thank you for keeping the flame burning.

(The glorious people of Abu Dhabi may click HERE to view pic.)

Sunday Lunch at Cameo, 10 Semantan, Kuala Lumpur

2007-11-04T20:00:00.000+08:00

Bald Eagle and I were whizzing up Jalan Semantan towards Damansara Heights at about 11.30 this morning where the plan was to enjoy some nice sausages from Jarrod & Rawlins, when suddenly we spotted the relatively new building complex, 10 Semantan, on our left.

"Heylet'sgothere."

"Yahorwehaven'tbeento10Semantanbefore,ok."

"Youknowwhat'sgoodthere?"

"Yupquickturn!!"

The entire conversation happened in a span of 5 seconds.

With my quick reflexes, I deftly maneuvered my little car into the sharp turning on the left, with barely inches to spare (Bald Eagle may have a different story to tell, but this isn't his blog, is it? *wink*).

Bald Eagle was in the mood for Cameo, a French and Italian fine dining restaurant, and since he was buying, who was I to question him?

As we stepped into the restaurant, I immediately fell in love with the decor, vintage with dark wood and wallpapered walls that matched the comfortable black and white chairs. There was nothing pretentious about this place. The waiters were pleasant and affable (maybe because we were the first customers on a beautiful Sunday morning?) and they even endured my nonsensical chatter.

We shared a starter, baked escargots with a garlic herb sauce (RM23++). The escargots were cooked without the shell in a tasty sauce which we mopped up with some lovely olive bread shaped like muffins.

Our mains were from the Special Menu. I had a Grilled Butterfish (RM38++). I've always been a fan of this oily, fatty fish and this dish didn't dissapoint. Served with asparagus, grilled eggplant (my favourite!), sliced potatoes sprinkled with rosemary, cherry tomatoes, kalamata olives and sundried tomatoes, the tomato based sauce with its slightly sour taste went wonderfully with the butterfish.

To tell you the truth, when my eyes settled on the words butterfish and eggplant on the menu, signals were instantly sent to my brain to order this dish. BUT if I had looked further down on the menu, like Bald Eagle did, I might have changed my mind. He ordered the Pan-fried Salmon Fillet (RM42++) which was served with boiled potatoes, sauteed spinach, asparagus and salmon roe in a mascarpone cream sauce that is to die for. The flavour was just amazing and the salmon fillet was cooked to perfection - lightly seared on both sides and the flesh moist and firm.

We shared a tiramisu (RM18++), which came, interestingly enough, in a spoon rest. Served with strawberries and chocolate shavings and the obligatory cocoa powder dusted over it, I could taste a hint of alcohol in the dessert. It was nice, but I'm not sure if I'd order it again, having tasted better tiramisu at say, Neroteca. Next time, I'm going to try the Creme Brulee as recommended by Memoirs of a Chocoholic.

Bald Eagle had a pint of Guinness as he was feeling melancholic about our recent holidays and wanted a taste of nostalgia, but he claimed that it wasn't the real stuff. Something about water not coming from the River Liffey. Poppycock, I say.

The entire bill came up to RM163, but upon enquiring, we were told that they were giving a 20% discount if we paid with a HSBC credit card. I had one, and it saved us a bit. Bald Eagle and I left the premises thanking each other for a wonderful lunch. "Thank you." "No, thank YOU." "No, THANK YOU." Fockit. I shouldn't have offered to pay with MY card.

Cameo
B-0-3, No.10, Jalan Semantan,
Damansara Heights,
50490 Kuala Lumpur.

Tel: 03-2096 1999

Opening hours: 12.00 noon to 3.00pm, 6.00pm till late. Mondays to Sundays.

The good people of Abu Dhabi may click HERE to view the pictures.

Deepavali (Diwali) Treats

2007-11-01T00:50:00.000+08:00

I love Indian sweets. In my university days, my father would drive all the way to Jai Hind in Masjid India to buy my favourite Indian sweetmeat, pal kova (no relation to pavlova), to make up for chucking me in a hostel run by a tyrant Master for four years. I'd nibble on the precious confection slowly, relishing its milky goodness.

Indian sweetmeats are a great way to end a meal, as the sweetness of the dessert acts as a foil for a spicy Indian meal. Then again, the confections aren't exactly desserts as they can be eaten at any time and anywhere.

Every year, Brickfields comes alive during the weeks prior to Deepavali. Huge makeshift tents are put up in the carpark outside KL Sentral which house gaily decorated stalls selling sarees, colourful jewellery and home decoration items brought in from India.

Pretty Pui and I love visiting the stalls, drinking in the atmosphere while looking for a bargain. Over the years, I have accumulated several pretty sarees for which I have yet to find an occasion to wear. The temptation to buy is just too great as the array of products is amazing!

This year, we noticed an increase in the number of stalls selling Indian confection, each one proudly proclaiming that they were the specialists in Punjabi sweets. The selection is more varied as compared to the daily fare found in Indian restaurants.

I am usually invariably drawn to the gulab jamun. Even though it resembles the chinese "tong yuen", the similarity ends there. The gulab jamun is made with milk, cream and ghee, and then rolled into balls and fried. The fried balls are then transferred to a bowl of syrup. Sounds sinful? It is! But that makes it all the more pleasurable, doesn't it?

Other confections available include laddu, halva and athirasam. I am told that in India, the selection is even greater. So if anyone's going to India, do grab me a boxful of these babies, will ya?

Stalls selling muruku, omapudi and a variety of nuts also abound.

I do love the festive season, don't you?

The glorious people of Abu Dhabi may click HERE to view the pics.

9 hours where???

2007-10-31T00:48:00.000+08:00

'Nine hours,' I mused.

What would you do if you had nine hours to spare?
(A) Play Grand Theft Auto until your eyes turn red from the bulging veins;
(B) Read Larousse Gastronomique (all of 1,360 pages) cover to cover;
(C) Sleep; or
(D) Have dinner at Abu Dhabi.

It was a tough decision. Really.

With minutes to spare before the plane landed at the Abu Dhabi airport where nine long transit hours awaited, we were still undecided.

As we stepped into the crowded airport and noticed the number of people sleeping on the floor in the cramped surroundings, the only obvious answer stared us in our faces. We headed for the first exit straight into the blustering heat of Abu Dhabi and hailed a cab.

Nothing prepared us for the heat. It didn't slowly creep up on us, like how it is here in Malaysia. This was more of a guerilla attack - quick and sudden. In less than five seconds, my clothes were drenched.

Nevertheless, our spontaneous attempt at adventure prevented me from dwelling too much on my wet T-shirt look as I drank in the stark scenery en-route to the city.

The breaking of fast had taken place just a few minutes earlier as we exited the airport. It was a heartwarming sight to see groups of people clad in loose robes gathering around huge plates of food. Quiet conversation. An overall atmosphere of thanksgiving as dusk fell on earth.

The handsome Tom Cruise lookalike air steward and transplanted blogger, Kat, had both recommended the Lebanese Flower Restaurant to us, so with only nine hours to spare and no Lonely Planet guide, we took their advice. I threw caution to the wind on Arabian etiquette and walked straight in to the restaurant, hoping that I wasn't breaking any laws (that is, in itself, an indication of what an ignoramus I am).

My ignorance was further amplified when I looked at the menu, having eaten middle eastern food only once before in Al-Nafourah in Le Meridien. Thankfully, there were pictures and an amazingly patient waiter who struggled to explain the various dishes to us.

We were given a plate of raw and pickled vegetables which we presumed was the equivalent of getting peanuts at a chinese restaurant prior to the meal. With a squeeze of lemon juice, it was a refreshing start to the meal.

The hummus came complimentary too with a side helping of pita bread. Essentially made of ground chickpeas, the hummus came with olive oil poured in the centre of the "well". I enjoyed swishing pieces of pita bread in the hummus - such a simple dish but oh so satisfying.

Little did I know that the next dish would also be made primarily with chickpeas. The falafel is approximately the size of a ping pong ball and is fried until it turns golden brown. The closest Malaysian dish which I think resembles a falafel is the paruppu vadai although that is made with lentils. The texture, however, is somewhat the same. The falafel was served with a tahina sauce - a smooth creamy textured sauce made of sesame seeds.

By this point, I had chickpeas coming out through my nose. So it was a relief to see our main course, a mixed grill dish, arrive. The charred smell of the meat tantalised my nose and cleared it of all the excess chickpeas. There must have been something in the marinade that made the different types of meat taste so wonderful. The good thing is that the meats didn't come masked in sauces, thus enabling us to enjoy the dish for what it was.

The final dish was a mistake for two reasons. Firstly, we had over ordered, so there was no way we could finish eating this. Secondly, the escalope cordon bleu came with a sauce that screamed commercial tomato ketchup and the thick cut fries served on the side didn't help alleviate my negative reaction.

Despite the final dish, we left the restaurant stuffed and contented. With another six hours to go before catching the connecting flight, we whiled away our time seated in the lobby of the luxurious and opulent Emirates Palace. It certainly beats being cooped up in the airport together with 1,000 other passengers. :-)

To the glorious people of Abu Dhabi, click here to view pics. :-)

Bakewell Pudding.....or Kaya Kok?

2007-10-24T20:16:00.000+08:00

It is 1860 in Bakewell, Derbyshire. A visiting nobleman arrives at The White Horse, a local inn. He spots a sullen faced woman yawning at the Reception, and approaches her.

'Harlow. Here got food ah?' he asks.

Mrs. Graves, upset at the rude interruption to her lovely daydream about nasi lemak with sambal sotong and lots of ikan bilis, gives him an irritated look and scurries to the kitchen to check on supplies and emerges with a triumphant look.

'All gone already,' she proclaims. 'Only got strawberry tart. How?'

'Aiyah, strawberry tart only ah?' he sighs.

'Ya lor. Today got Siti Nurhaliza concert, everybody go to JB to see her, so we don't prepare so much food here lor.'

He hesitates. His stomach rumbles. A strawberry tart isn't much of a consolation when one expects to eat mutton peratal.

'Harlow, we don't have all day to decide! You want or not??'

'Okaaaay la,' he says. 'Sure don't have mutton peratal ar?' he continues hopefully.

Mrs. Graves snorts in disgust and yells the order to the cook. 'ONE STRAWBERRY TART. TABLE FOUR!!'

Fifteen long minutes go by.

'One KAYA KOK!' the cook says as she plonks the pie in front of the hungry nobleman.

'But I order strawberry tart wor,' he says.

'I heard "kaya kok", okay!!!'

The nobleman wonders which part of "strawberry tart" sounds like "kaya kok" and looks to Mrs. Graves, hoping to get some support. But Mrs. Graves is fast asleep, dreaming of curry laksa with plump, juicy kerang.

He takes a bite of the kaya kok. His eyes widen in delight. 'Mmmmmm, so tasty!!'

The cook looks at him and thinks he's a little crazy. She decides not to tell him that she had forgotten to stir the egg mixture into the pastry for the strawberry tart (which she had heard clearly enough), and in her haste to cover up her error, she had spread it on top of the pastry instead.

'What you call this ar?' he asks. 'Kaya kok?'

'Ya lor. Why? Never heard before izzit?'

'Cheh. Kaya kok sound obscene lah.' he says.

The cook rolls her eyes, ready to dismiss him and return to her reverie beside the fireplace in the kitchen.

'I know,' he exclaims. 'Since we are in Bakewell, we call it the Bakewell Pudding LAH!!'

She walks away, muttering obscenities under her breath.

The nobleman leaves the inn, happy at his new discovery. The next week, droves of people turn up at the inn to taste the wonderful new dessert called the Bakewell Pudding.

THE END?

Well, not quite. And whatever happened to Mrs. Graves and the cook? They couldn't handle all the extra workload, so they sold their recipe to one Mrs Wilson who turned it into a million dollar business, and I can assure you that at least Mrs Wilson lived happily ever after! For the version of the story unadulterated with sambal belacan or kari kepala ikan, check out their official website HERE.

The Old Original Bakewell Pudding Shop,
The Square, Bakewell,
Derbyshire, UK.

Tel:01629 812193

As always, for residents of the glorious nation of UAE who are unable to access my flickr photos, click HERE for pics.

Note: For a quick and easy recipe for kaya (not kaya kok, but hey, half's better than none), check out Argus World.

Ingredients for a good vacation

2007-10-24T08:25:00.000+08:00

"What is the key," a little voice whispered in my head, "to a good vacation?"

"Teacher, teacher, me me me, teacher! Ummmm....being able to see with your eyes what you could only envision in the past based on documentaries on TV and photographs?" the star student answered.

Certainly, that is a plausible answer.

"Photographs, for sure!"

Hmmmm. Another good point. I view everything through my lenses, even when they are sometimes imaginary. Like when you wake up from a deep slumber, and the first thing you do is move your finger to the bridge of your nose to push up the glasses which you thought were there. Imaginary glasses.

"Food!"

But of course. The excitement of trying new stuff is always great. Like eating blood sausages and haggis. Mmmmmm. And the fruits are wonderful. I tried, for the first time in my life, fresh figs!! There is some imagery attached to figs (no prizes for guessing what), and no, I'm not telling you. I also loved snacking on physalis, a tiny sweet fruit encased in a papery husk.

"Wildlife!"

Ferocious British beasts. Let's see. I saw ducks that could waddle on you to death, several pigeons capable of tickling you with their feathers till you're paralised with laughter, and a whole bunch of man-eating sheep. Incidentally, did anyone watch Black Sheep? In comparison, it made Quentin Tarantino's Death Proof highly watchable.

To me, it's all of the above and one more. People. I'd gladly trade a London Musical with the opportunity to spend time with a friend.

Combine a couple of ingredients, and what do you get? (I'm starting to sound like a cooking show....oh, oh, oh, is anyone else besides me hooked on the Asian Food Channel 703??) People who cook for you! Take for instance, cousin Shobi, who insisted on serving us typical British fare, and she came up with a scrumptious Shepherd's Pie garnished with chopped leeks. I was touched that she'd do that for us, despite the fact that she was a vegetarian. What an honour to be invited to dinner at her house in Putney, London, to spend a lovely evening with the family.

And then, there's my brother, up in Sheffield, who refused to let me near the kitchen, and whipped up, instead, a delicious pork curry that was not only a welcome sight but which also warmed the tummy. He is fortunate; he possesses a scientific mind, but is more creative than a lot of people I know. Being independent in Sheffield has its plus points. Not being able to taste mum's cooking because of the million miles between the two countries isn't. Ouch.

We spent a couple of nights at Msiagirl's beautiful home in picturesque Bath, and we were given the best room in the house where the windows opened out to a view of the entire city built entirely with Bath stone, a limestone that shimmered in shades of gold in the sunlight. And between Msiagirl and her dashing husband, Mr G, they both came up with delicious fare: organic butcher made toulouse sausage casserole in mulled wine with onions, butternut squash and mashed potatoes on the side, seared tuna marinated in soy and wasabe with garlic chilli edamame beans, and tomato and cumin slow cooked organic lamb. Organic food's a big thing in this home, and one can see the effects of consuming such food, judging from the youth and vitality oozing out of their pores. (Can you tell how envious I am?) The food is certainly oceans apart from that described by Fatboybakes. Organic food, I mean. And never leave England till you've tried scones with jam and clotted cream. Absolutely yummy!

I've said this before and I'll say it again. I'm blessed. What did I do to deserve such wonderful people in my life?

For the wonderful people of Abu Dhabi who are unable to view my photos on flickr, click HERE to view pics!

Scones In Ireland and A Little Bit of Heaven

2007-10-23T01:02:00.000+08:00

She baked me scones.

Growing up in Klang, we'd meet up in our residential "tamans" and cycle past parks and houses, sometimes accompanied by the neighbourhood dogs that chased us but hardly ever caught up with us as we sped along the tarred and potholed roads. I am not quite sure if we had a mission then, other than the pure bliss of feeling the wind blow against our faces and through our hair. Our skin bore evidence of falls; scars and scratches reminded me of a distant and carefree childhood.

Those tomboyish years didn't prepare me for an adulthood of feminity and grace. But grow up we did.

She now lives in a farmhouse in Ireland. As we drove along the narrow, single-laned road fringed by tall brambled bushes covered with blackberries, I couldn't help but yearn for the past in my more nimble childhood where I'd maneuver my flimsy bicycle to avoid cycling into shrubs or falling into camouflaged ditches (similar to the brilliantly camouflaged road signs along our legendary Malaysian roads).

She greeted us at the door. "I baked you scones!" she exclaimed with glee.

And this is how it is, isn't it? I am reminded of one of Shakespeare's famous soliloquys in As You Like It:

"All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts.....

".....Then the whining school-boy, with his satchel
And shining morning face, creeping like snail
Unwillingly to school. And then the lover,
Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad
Made to his mistress' eyebrow.....

".....And then the justice,
In fair round belly with good capon lin'd,
With eyes severe and beard of formal cut,
Full of wise saws and modern instances;
And so he plays his part......"

We move from stage to stage, and if we're "lucky" enough, we shall see the final stage where we are sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.

Thankfully, our tastebuds were still intact as Wei Sim cooked us typical Irish stew, fish pie and wonderful salad plucked from her tiny vegetable plot. The freshness of ingredients made all the difference as I relished the earthy taste of the vegetables (and if you know me really well, you will know that I am no fan of vegetables). I also learnt that I had lived in the illusion that Irish stew had to be dark and thick; the typical Irish stew is very much like the Chinese ABC soup - clear and light.

We are truly blessed, not so much for the wonderful food that we got to partake at her home in Ireland, but for being accepted with open arms into her beautiful family and to share in a little bit of her heaven.

NOTE: The little angel in the picture above is only 6 years old, so don't get any funny ideas!!

For the wonderful people in AD who are unable to view photos from flickr, click HERE to view pictures!

Moran's Oyster Cottage at County Galway, Ireland

2007-10-17T23:39:00.000+08:00

The Cliffs of Moher on the west coast of Ireland rise over 700 feet with a sheer vertical drop. Now if there is ever a need to switch off your lights in style, this is the place to make that jump. A good time to do it would be at about 6.00 in the evening as one is able to catch the setting sun in all its wondrous glory before meeting your maker.

Y

Had I the heavens' embroidered cloths,
Enwrought with gold and silver light,

The blue and the dim and the dark clothes
of night and light and the half-light,

I would spread the clothes under your feet:
But I, being poor, have only my dreams;

I have spread my dreams under your feet;
Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.

He Wishes For the Cloths of Heaven by W.B. Yeats (1865-1939)

Y

The air was tense.

"You haven't planned for the Ireland segment yet." It was more of a statement than a question. We were due to fly from London to Dublin the next day.

I merely looked at him miserably and nodded my head. "I thought we could make it an adventure," I whimpered. "We could rent a car and drive around with just a map."

It sounded preposterous at that moment...a mere excuse for failing to make time to plan...but he let it pass.

Y

Without trying to justify my failure to execute my part of the deal with him, I have to say that the week in Ireland reminded us of how our holidays used to be. Not the part about the lack of planning, but the carefree feeling of not really knowing what tomorrow would bring, and the freedom of driving across the country and stopping whenever we felt like it. Thankfully, it wasn't the height of the tourist season, and so we were able to book our accommodation quite easily.

The best thing about a DIY holiday is the freedom to eat at restaurants of our choice. We pored over books and searched the internet for recommended eateries at the cities and towns we were visiting, and it certainly helped that the Blakes were around to give us a helping hand. Several restaurants caught our fancy. One such restaurant was Moran's Oyster Cottage at The Weir, Kilcolgan, County Galway. Dating more than 250 years, Moran's is located at an inlet of Galway Bay and has since expanded its menu to include, in addition to oysters, other types of seafood such as crabs, lobsters and mussels. Apparently (and there was photographic evidence gracing the stone walls of the plainly decorated restaurant), the restaurant has been graced by the likes of famous people such as Roger Moore, Pierce Brosnan, Woody Allen and the Emperor and Empress of Japan. Fuiyoh.

Thankfully, prices were reasonable enough to enable us to sample two types of oysters - raw, with a squeeze of lemon......

....and baked oysters with garlic and cheese.

I must say that the oysters were splendid. The Galway Bay oysters were moderate in size, but extremely fresh, plump and a delight to eat. The right combination of fresh water and salt water plus a sufficient amount of plankton creates the wonderful flavour that is associated with these oysters.

We couldn't leave without a taste of Bailey's cheesecake. A little bit of intoxication to contend with the glass of guinness, eh?

This is the view outside the cottage. Now this is what I call a holiday. :-)

As the dear Bard said, All's well that ends well, despite my obvious screwup in the planning. I do believe that I've been forgiven. Yes?

Est Est Est, Liverpool, England

2007-10-15T02:09:00.000+08:00

1.

I learnt a new word.

Sitting at the Kop end of the Anfield stadium, I am moved to tears as I listen to grown men croon all their favourite tunes, surprisingly in harmony, as they wave their scarves in the air. There is a certain camaraderie amongst these hardcore supporters that move me.

And then the game between Liverpool and Spurs starts. Soon after the 12th minute first goal, I hear gradually ascending sounds around me.

"Fockit!", he mumbles.

Mmmmm. Sounds like some type of British food. Probably in the same genre as Spotted Dick.

"Fockit, lads!!", his voice is filled with frustration, his expression grim.

Aaah. I blush. A little. This is British expletive at its best. Around me, more murmurs of "fockit" are exclaimed.

To think that Liverpool almost lost that game. They made Spurs look good that day. Fockit.

2.

Thankfully, there was reason to cheer that night. Liverpool scored an equaliser at injury time.

So we got back, changed into fresh clothes, and headed for stunning Albert Dock which houses Tate Liverpool and several other museums as well as some of the nicest (and most expensive) restaurants in Liverpool.

Est Est Est, an Italian restaurant, captured our attention almost immediately. Many of the restaurants along the dock were hardly filled, but we were amazed at how crowded Est Est Est was. We didn't make any reservations, so they gave us a little device that would blink like an X'mas decoration when a table was ready for us. We spent the half hour wait at the bar enjoying a jug of June bug - a delightful concoction of banana liquor, Midori, Koko Kano, fresh lemon sours mix and pineapple juice.

We had almost finished the jug when our electronic device blinked furiously, and so we tottered off after the waitress who led us to our table. It was still very crowded; half of Liverpool must have been there that night! And the noise would have made a Chinese restaurant here in Malaysia look tame. Such boisterous conversation all around me. I bet it was all that wine that they were consuming. Loud conversations can mean only one thing - that the patrons were happy. And happy patrons equals great food. Or at least, we hoped!

Feeling somewhat unsteady at this point, I was quite happy to see my starter arrive soon after we gave our order. My gigantic piece of aubergine baked with tomato and mozarella was enough to fill my stomach and my only complaint was that it lacked salt. But that was easily rectified by sprinkling a little salt on it. Bald Eagle's field mushrooms roasted with italian sausages was a rustic dish that was full of flavour. Certainly a good start to our meal.

The mains took a little longer to arrive, and by this point, I had photographed the olive oil on my table at least 15 times. I didn't despair, though, when the mains were finally set down before us. My pan-fried organic salmon fillet was cooked to perfection! The flesh was moist and not overly flaky and it went wonderfully with the side dish consisting of mashed potatoes which derived its flavouring from the crushed olives and sundried tomatoes - both tart in flavour and contrasting wonderfully with the bland taste of potatoes. I savoured every mouthful with a sigh of contentment.

Bald Eagle's main was equally good. His slow braised lamb shoulder was extremely tender. This dish was served with grilled polenta, braised vegetables and red wine jus.

Est Est Est
Edward Pavillion, Albert Dock, Liverpool, L3 4AF
Tel: 0870 40 12 125

Good Things Come To Those Who Wait hic

2007-10-05T06:01:00.000+08:00

*hic*

Our quest began in London.

*hic*

For the sake of fulfilling a dream, we took pains to visit the local bars and pubs, mingling with the natives who shared a common interest.

*hic*

For the sake of research, we drank the dark liquid with most of our meals, taking great pains to examine its complexity and character.

*hic*

It was hard work.

Our journey ended in Dublin, Ireland, where we stumbled into the Guinness Brewery, intoxicated with "goodness" and yet thirsting for more. Such was our passion. For the sake of research, of course. *cough*

At the Guinness Storehouse, we discovered (to our great pleasure, of course) that Guinness was often used as an ingredient in Irish cooking. Naturally, we ordered some to be consumed with an exquisite pint of Guinness.

I've never eaten bacon in any form other than rashers (streaky bacon) or slices of back bacon. So when I was presented with two huge chunks of bacon, one lean and the other a little fatty with a richer flavour, I had a huge grin on my face. The sauce that was slathered on the bacon was a honey and mustard glaze which was creamy with a piquant taste. The black pudding, also known as blood sausages, made of pig's blood and cooked with pig's fat, was cooked with Guinness. The pudding was a little dry in texture and somewhat grainy, but the flavour (no, it didn't taste of fresh blood!), which was like cooked meat, was great.

Bald Eagle's sautéed beef strips were served with a green peppercorn sauce cooked with Guinness and served on a slice of toasted cranberry bread.

To sample dishes flavoured with Guinness, visit:

GUINNESS STOREHOUSE®
St James's Gate
Dublin 8

Tel: + 353 1 408 4800
Fax: + 353 1 408 4965

*hic*

The George and Dragon, Rowde, England

2007-10-03T03:10:00.000+08:00

I finally found wi-fi here in England! (Sound of Guinness glasses clanking)

Anyway....holidays. Yeah. The key is to shed all inhibitions and allow yourself to be totally immersed in whatever new experience that comes your way, and not have any preconceived notions. And this applies to everything, not just holidays, doesn't it? Putting aside repetitions (like the black and white P.Ramlee movies that they keep showing on telly every year) and telling yourself that you will enjoy every moment like it's a new experience. And then, after experiencing that mind blowing moment, you want to shout it out to the whole world and you hope that somebody, anybody, will listen.

My next few posts may not be about Malaysian food or restaurants, but I'd like to share them with you anyway, because really, good food should always be celebrated.

We had timed our visit to Stonehenge (in the Wiltshire county) to coincide with lunch. The reason was obvious. (Hint: makan!)

The proprietors of The George and Dragon personally served us, and that made all the difference as they knew what they were serving and what to recommend. The comfortably furnished 14th century gastropub (it started off as a meeting house which later became a public house) was a perfect destination for us to warm ourselves up after enjoying the historic Stonehenge.

The breads were lovely. We all agreed that the cheese and jalapeno bread was the best; bursting with flavour, a little spicy and went marvelously with the butter. We were also served olive bread and brown bread for those who preferred less spicy bread. What a treat!

Aaah. Fresh sardines, fried till a little crispy and served with aioli sauce. Aioli has a texture similar to mayonnaise and is probably similar to mayonnaise except for the addition of a couple of other ingredients (eg. garlic). By itself, the sardine was good. With the aioli, it was spectacular. Of course, there were the constant murmurs on the side by the non-sardine eaters (Msiagirl and Bald Eagle) asking me to chew and swallow the bones!

Bald Eagle and Msiagirl both chose the beef carpaccio. The rocket and parmesan went well with the tender beef slices.

For our mains, Msiagirl and I both had the cod fillet with parsley mash. Sadly, I forgot to photograph it; perhaps it indicated my excitement at seeing such a tantalising dish. Bald Eagle's Lobster and Crayfish Tartlet, despite it's simple appearance, was exploding with flavours from the shellfish.

We were served a variety of side dishes, from crispy potatoes with onions, and ratatouille.......

....to cheesy cauliflower......

....to a green salad. They were all generous helpings.

And to top it all off, we had homemade vanilla, kiwifruit & chocolate chip and strawberries & champagne icecream made by the proprietor's mother-in-law!

Thank you, Msiagirl & family for hosting us these couple of days, for showing us around your lovely city and for sharing your lives with us.

The George & Dragon
High Street Rowde Devizes
Wiltshire SN10 2AN

Telephone: 01380 723053

Website: Click here.

We're Going Live, Baby

2007-09-23T05:29:00.000+08:00

I thought I'd be able to blog easily while on vacation in London.

I was so wrong.

Not having access to the internet has been utter misery, most of all because I am unable to blog. Bald Eagle isn't complaining, as he is now able to see more of me!

Going to London is like going home. Hearing the words "Mind The Gap" is equivalent to a "Welcome Home" to us. :-)

Y

As I read The Times this morning, I came across an article on Malaysian cuisine. I read on and spotted my friend, Adly's name in that article. Adly - you're famous now! :-) It's a great article, and hopefully, Londoners will be tempted by the wonderful descriptions and gorgeous pictures of Malaysian food and make a trip to Malaysia to sample our diverse cuisine. Sounds like a sales pitch? Well, who wouldn't be proud of our local cuisine? Malaysian food rocks.

My friend in Norway, Gard Karlsen, has been constantly prodding me to work on a Google Map which shows the location of the eating establishments which I have been blogging about. Well, his nagging has paid off! This is the first version of the A Whiff Of Lemongrass Food Tour. It is not intended to provide directions to the location, but it will be useful if you're looking for food in a certain area. Details of the restaurant and location can be found when you click on the flag. This map will also be included on the sidebar for easy reference.

View Larger Map

Nyok Lan Kajang Satay, Restoran Malaysia, Kajang

2007-09-16T23:41:00.000+08:00

When in Rome, do as the Romans do.

Looking at the crowd at Restoran Malaysia, I am convinced that Kajang folk eat satay every day of the week.

So this evening, we sat down to partake in an age-old ritual in Kajang.

The restaurant has been operating since 1971. That's way before I was born *cough*.

And is the satay here any different from other satays in Kajang?

YES.

Why?

First, the marinade. I ate all the sticks of satay without dipping the satay in peanut sauce. I hear whispers of "she's mad". How can a true satay connoisseur not eat satay dipped in peanut sauce? Well, of course she can. She eats satay without peanut sauce when the satay's good enough on its own.

You see, the flavours are exceptional. I love the sweetish flavour of the marinade on the satay which is enhanced when the meat is slightly charred.

The chicken satay consisted wholly of lean meat. No bits of fat and no chicken skin on the skewers. The only setback with this type of satay is that the meat doesn't glide off as easily from the skewer. And naturally, lean meat is tougher than fatty meat, so if you have trouble chewing, this may not be the satay for you.

I normally refrain from eating mutton satay because I always have this idea that mutton satay is tough. So when the orders were made, I said I'd eat the obligatory one piece just to be able to give my two cents worth on it.

I couldn't have been more wrong.

The mutton satay was sooooo gooooood. The meat was tender and was literally falling off the stick, and the flavour was sweet and spicy and masked the strong smell normally associated with mutton.

Despite not dipping any of my satay in the peanut sauce, I'd have to say that the peanut sauce was good, especially when eaten with the sliced cucumber and ketupat (compressed rice dumpling).

Cleanliness isn't their forte, but if you're able to look straight ahead instead of down, you'll be fine. Just don't step on the cat like I did.

Chicken and beef satay costs RM0.60 a stick, while lamb, mutton, duck and fish satay costs RM0.90 a stick.

Also check out:

Babe in the City - KL
Honey Star

Restoran Malaysia (near Metro Inn)
No. 31, Jalan Semenyih,
43000 Kajang, Selangor.

Tel: 03-8733 1160

Closed Tuesdays.

Char Siew at Soo Kee Restaurant, Ampang

2007-09-12T22:37:00.000+08:00

The series on some of the best char siew in the Klang valley continues, and I present to you, Soo Kee Restaurant in Ampang. This char siew is legendary, and was once probably the standard by which other char siews were measured. Nevertheless, despite its years (The restaurant, that is. Not the char siew. Maybe the proprietors too...snigger) , the char siew at Soo Kee can hold its own against some of the best in town.

If you like dark and sticky char siew, this place is for you. Let's just say that Bald Eagle and I couldn't resist the warm sticky fragrant to-die-for char siew and wolfed down half of it while driving back with our precious cargo. I ordered a portion for one (for takeaway), and it cost me RM10. Certainly not the cheapest in town, but hey, I have absolutely no complaints. Mmmmmmmm!!!

Other char siew restaurants in the series:-

Also check out this most excellent Miss Char Siew pageant, my inspiration for this post.

Soo Kee Restaurant
No. 373-1, 4th Mile, Jalan Ampang,
50450 Kuala Lumpur.

Tel: 03-4257 0767

Sunday Lunch at The Magnificent Fish & Chips Bar, Changkat Bukit Bintang

2007-09-09T23:44:00.000+08:00

I really hate the name.

I mean, I would have visited this restaurant sooner if it had a different name. But it came highly recommended by so many people that we decided that we should just go and have a look for ourselves.

Also, I had been pretty well-behaved the whole week, and Bald Eagle didn't have an excuse to make me pay for an expensive meal again. He tried, though. As we sat down in the restaurant this morning, he thanked me for lunch. I merely fluttered my eyelashes at him (yes, it still works even after X years of marriage) and he knew what he had to do.

The restaurant looked quite nice and somewhat cozy. What's interesting here is that they don't have a food menu. Everything's written on several blackboards placed on the walls using just chalk. That's a cost-effective way of doing things. Of course, it can be quite a chore to walk up to the blackboards to figure out what you want to eat. And God forbid if you're shortsighted.

Paying due reverence to its name, we both decided to go with the obvious choice - fish & chips. Well, in all honesty, I was more keen on the big breakfast (it was, after all, just 11.15am), but when I found out that it wasn't very different from the other big breakfasts I had sampled at other restaurants, I figured I'd be better of with the fish & chips.

There is an astounding number of options just for fish & chips. Dory, barramundi, coral trout, parrot fish, grouper, salmon and silver cod at prices ranging from RM26 to RM45.

Once coated in batter, both choices (barramundi and parrot fish) tasted the same, although Bald Eagle's parrot fish had bones in it, so one would have to eat very carefully, or risk being rushed to the hospital (seriously, a friend just related that story to me where she had to seek outpatient treatment because she had a fishbone stuck in her throat - NOT at The Magnificent Fish & Chips Bar).

I loved the thick cut potato chips. And dousing everything in vinegar (instead of Malaysia's all-time favourite chilli sauce) was so satisfying. I think the restaurant tried to make the experience as "authentic" as possible by putting layers of newspaper underneath a thin piece of white paper on which the fish was placed, and I suppose there was a certain charm to how it was presented. Am not sure of the practicality of such an action, though.

What I really enjoyed was the mushy peas. This is typical pub food and is probably quite simple to make by adding dollops of butter into mashed peas (sometimes mint is added to this, but I didn't taste any here). At RM5, the serving is substantial and sufficient for two. Did you know that in Yorkshire, this is called Yorkshire caviar?

The entire meal, with coffee and taxes, came up to RM90. Thanks, Bald Eagle! I love it when I'm well-behaved.

The Magnificent Fish & Chips Bar
28, Changkat Bukit Bintang
50200 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03-2142 7021

Opens daily, 8.00am - 1.00am weekdays and 10.00am till late on weekends.

Also check out:

Masak-masak
Julianisms
The Argot of an Eidolon

Rite Bites - Bangkung Food Crawl - Fit For 2, Cava, Opus Bistro, Wine Cellar, The Attic and Just Heavenly Pleasures

2007-09-06T08:23:00.000+08:00

I love my Maxnetic card. (No one paid me to say this!)

In just one month, I have enjoyed savings of over RM50. Okay, it's probably a sign that I'm eating too much good food, but seriously, if you're a person who eats out a couple of times a week and shops once a week or so, then this card is for you. I have saved money at Bisou, Bijou, Opus and Just Heavenly Pleasures, and my friends who bought me lunch at Palate Palette could have saved money if I had known that the establishment accepted the Max card (oops!).

It's hard to be excited about something without having it sound like a sales pitch, so I think I shall stop sounding like Max's Milo man.

Anyway.....

Thanks to Nigel of Just Heavenly who acted as Max's messenger, we received an invitation to enjoy (in Max's words) an evening of scrumptious indulgence at KL's best kept secret - the boutique boulevard of Jalan Bangkung in Bangsar. Ordinarily, I'd have said no, as I prefer to pay for my own meal, but since that option wasn't available at that time coupled with the fact that Nigel told me that I could say exactly what I thought about the food, I yielded.

I do have a soft spot for that yummy baker. :-) Oh, his cakes are not too bad either.

I discovered Jalan Bangkung a long time ago when some of you were crawling in your nappies. At that time, Fit For 2, Cava, Opus, Wine Cellar and The Attic did not exist. After a while, I dropped out of the scene (i.e. I turned boring (got married lah)), and when I returned to Jalan Bangkung, lo and behold, there was not a free carpark in sight. Thanks to my husband, who had kept me chained in the kitchen for several years, I had missed out on some revolutionary food experiences. (Bald Eagle: Lies! All lies!! She last used the kitchen in 2004!)

Where were we? Yes. Revolutionary food experiences.

I mean, suddenly, cupcakes became the new buzz word in the Klang Valley. And I became the latest victim, socialising with other ladies while enjoying a cuppa and a dainty little cupcake with strawberry swirls.

1.

When I first heard the name Fit For 2, I thought it was one of those yoga places, but I soon found out that I was not so correct. Expectant mothers hang out here (to exercise and socialise). Talk about a niche market. Fit For 2 has also got a little café where they serve itty bitty cupcakes and cakes from Bisou (same owner) and so I was definitely not disappointed with the lovely cakes that were served to us. My favourite? The pretty lemon cupcake with strawberry cream – what a delightful combination of tangy, buttery flavour against the sweetness of the strawberry frosting! The men in our group seemed to favour the chocolate and peanut butter cupcakes, although I could see Fatboybakes struggling, both in conscience as well as with his fingers (probably wondering if he should stick his pinky out), to appreciate the petite little things. As much as I don’t want to generalise about gender preferences, this place seemed to be an obvious chick hangout.

Equally good were the chocolate brownies with pretty pink flowers piped onto them (such attention to detail!), sandwiches made with thick-cut bread and wholesome fillings, and a very nice, albeit sweet, pumpkin soup that was smooth and creamy.

2.

Cava appealed to my senses.

Rows of wine bottles lined up one wall, attractive pictures were placed on terracotta coloured walls while wrought iron chandeliers hung from the ceiling providing dim lighting to create an ambience of romance and mystery.

The menu at Cava takes on the influence of Catalonian style cusine with hints of Greek and Mediterranean. We were served an array of tapas including prawn pil-pil, sautéed baby octopus, Spanish lamb boulette, sautéed black pepper beef, Spanish omelette and patata bravas. The prawns, I thought were too soft (possibly overcooked?) while the lamb balls were very nice, with its meat minced thoroughly, thus providing a smooth texture to this dish. I loved the Spanish omelette; I had never tasted Spanish omelette before, and so did not have a basis for comparison, but this one had a certain amount of firmness due to the layering of the omelette with potatoes, cooked just right so that it did not disintegrate when it was sliced through. The cross section of the Spanish omelette was like a layer cake. Very pretty.

The seafood paella was a bit of a disappointment. The rice was too soggy for my liking and all the ingredients basically stuck together. I’d like to try this again, though, because to be fair to the establishment, they had cooked the dishes earlier and placed them on foodwarmers, and I suspect that the food had been left out too long while the photographers had a field day with the visual feast at Cava.

We downed everything with some excellent Sangria (perhaps a little too much!).

Do note that the food at Cava is pork free. Cava is currently running a set lunch promo with soft drinks and dessert at RM25.

Cava
No.71, Jalan Bangkung,
Bangsar.

Tel: 03-2093 6637

Website: http://www.cava.com.my/

3.

Opus Bistro has always been packed since I first discovered it. KL-ites are a discerning lot, and so, where there is good food, people gather. Not only does Opus serve a variety of traditional Italian dishes, their wine list is equally extensive.

The carbonara pasta was creamy; its sauce was thick and clung to the pasta. This is great as I’ve come across carbonara dishes where the sauce would glide off the pasta, almost like the pasta was being rinsed in the sauce rather than being married to it.

I was surprised that the restaurant chose to serve two creamy white sauce based dishes consecutively, as the second dish of roasted cod fish with lemon capers sauce could not be fully appreciated by some because of the richness of the sauce. I, nevertheless, managed to enjoy this dish by putting just a dab of the sauce on my fish. As a result, the combination provided a very light creamy flavour with a slight tangy taste thus allowing the flavour of the cod to dominate as opposed to allowing the tartness of the sauce to overwhelm the dish.

Lemoncello, a traditional aperitif with a tangy flavour that shoots straight to the brain, was served during the meal, together with wine from Wine Cellar introduced by a dashing French Sommelier. We were subsequently given a tour of the wine cellar, although at this point, it was hard to take in everything due to the heavy consumption of food and wine at the outlets before this!

Opus is pork free and is open for lunch and dinner, Mondays to Saturdays, while on Sundays, only dinner is served.

Opus Bistro
No. 67, Jalan Bangkung,
Bangsar.

Tel: 03-2092 4288

Website: http://www.opusbistro.com/

Wine Cellar

65, Jalan Bangkung

Tel : 03-2093 1919

Website: http://www.winecellar.com.my/

Intoxicated with sangria, lemoncello and wine, we somehow made it upstairs to The Attic, KL’s only gallery-bar-lounge. This place has a wide-open airy feeling, mostly due to the high ceilings, but it is small enough to feel cozy. It is also a non-smoking bar, so one does not get the feeling that one has to scrub one’s self clean after a night out at The Attic. Of course, if you are a smoker, you can always step out to the balcony and puff your lungs away. Just don’t puff into my squeaky clean, hard-to-wash, perfectly groomed hair.

I like the industrial style bar counter. It has a certain starkness that contrasts well with the paintings displayed on the walls. The pictures are changed every month as new artists from around the world including Malaysia, Romania, Switzerland and Italy are featured.

Now, if you’re the type who’s lazy to eat cake but would still like to have a go at it anyway without using your teeth, have I got news for you! Ask the bartender for “La Dolce Vita”. The expression, “drinking cake in a cocktail glass” was coined here…two Saturdays ago. A pretty short lived expression, no doubt, but will carry on if enough people try La Dolce Vita! You will never want to eat cake again!

But then again, how can one resist Just Heavenly Pleasures’ cakes. You’d have to use your teeth, of course, but the effort is worth it. :-P We were served three cakes that were just going to be included to the current selection of awesome cakes at JHP: The Raspberry Madeira, a rich, golden sponge soaked in a tart raspberry crush, the Mango Upside Down, a lovely open crumbed cake topped with caramelised, sweet mango chunks, and the Chilled Lemon Cheesecake which was a light, creamy chilled cheesecake on a buttery digestive crust. My favourite was the Chilled Lemon Cheesecake, and guess what? The dudes at Just Heavenly made that cake for my birthday party a week later!!

Just Heavenly
No. 47, Jalan Terasek
Bangsar Baru
59100 KL

Tel: 03-2287 9866

Just Heavenly Pleasures
G1.05 Epicure
Jalan Medan Setia 1
Bukit Damansara.

(Open 11am - 8pm)

Tel: 017-251 3202

Website: http://www.justheavenly.biz/ / http://justheavenly.blogspot.com/

The Attic
61-2, Jalan Bangkung
59100 KL.

Tel: 03-2093 8842

Website: http://www.attickl.com/

Thanks, Kyan and friends, for the invitation. I’ll be back.

Also check out:

Fatboybakes

Jackson Kah Part 1 and Part 2

FoodieLianne

Famous Seremban Favourites (FSF) Restaurant

2007-09-03T08:27:00.000+08:00

I'm a char siu slut. I love all types of char siu (barbequed pork). But the best ones are usually the ones that are sweet (but not necessarily sticky like, say, the one found in Salak South), slightly charred and melt-in-your-mouth. Now how does one explain "melt-in-your-mouth" in relation to meat? Well, imagine that you're toothless. This type of meat doesn't require much chewing, but slowly disintegrates in your mouth as you bite (not literally, if you're toothless, but I suppose you can use your gums in such a case!) into the tender char siu bits.

Boo_licious introduced a wonderful char siu to me. It fulfilled all my criteria for good char siu, and life has never been the same since.

Another great find at this kopitiam is hakka mee. The dish looks simple enough. Yellow, egg noodles covered with minced pork and topped with chopped spring onions. Don't be misled by the appearance. Despite its simplicity, this is one tasty dish.

One can also find good fishballs here. Pillow-soft, I have no complains about the fishballs.

Famous Seremban Favourites Restaurant
No. 80-1 (Ground Floor), Jalan PJU 1/3B,
Sunway Mas Commercial Centre,
47301 Petaling Jaya

Tel: 017-279 8582

Operating hours: 7.30am - 4.30pm daily (char siu is available after 10am - go early!)

Closed Tuesdays.

Bijou, Mont Kiara

2007-08-31T23:32:00.000+08:00

The buildup towards Merdeka Day has been amazing. Through publications and exhibitions, one can almost feel like one were there when Tunku Abdul Rahman proclaimed Independence to the nation, his fist raised and his voice filled with emotion.

Happy 50th Birthday, Malaysia!

The holidays are perfect for catching up with old friends. I can't think of a better way to enjoy the day than to spend it with two of my oldest (literally!) friends from school, Yvonne and Rachael. I can't say that I've kept in touch with many friends from school, having left school half a lifetime ago, but those who are still in my life are dear to me. I remember, in the days before email, Yvonne and I used to write to each other during the school holidays, and we'd create little booklets out of our letters and illustrate the pages, sometimes creating secret pages to hide clues and presents for each other. Perhaps that is how creativity is born and moulded; imagination is a wonderful tool in the days before home computers and electronic gadgets. Lest I sound like Fatboybakes and his favourite "Young people nowadays.." lament (hehe!), I should state here that I welcome technology, but children should really be exposed to more educational activities. Hmmm. Maybe I am beginning to sound like FBB after all. *gulp*

Bijou is great for an intimate get-together like ours. The term child-friendly absolutely applies to this place as there is a little playground for the kids, while the restrooms have diaper changing facilities and diapers to boot. To keep the children busy while mummies and daddies get a chance to catch up with each other, there are papers and colouring pencils for the kids to doodle away. And what better way to keep a child busy than to give her balloons!

The decor is clean and breezy. The predominant colours of pink and orange prevailed in the colours of the cushions, balloons, pictures and even the flowers on the table.

We caught up with each other over tea and cakes. The cakes were, without a doubt, marvelous. The almond brownie (RM8) was chocolatey and dense, while the lemon poppyseed cake (RM10) with the cream cheese frosting was very moist and tasty. Both cakes were not overly sweet either. Little Amanda had the coffee cupcake (RM5).

Bijou
Ground Floor, Damai Sari,
Mont Kiara Damai,
3 Jalan Kiara 2, Mont Kiara,
50480 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03-6201 2131

For map, click here.

Birthday dinner at Max! Kitchen & Wines - Degustation Menu

2007-08-29T14:00:00.000+08:00

I turned 29 on Monday.

Uhuh.

Bald Eagle called me on Monday afternoon with a simple message. "Meet me at Max's at 8.15pm." I was elated!

I knew it would be no simple dinner. When a chef is given a free rein over the menu, one can expect only the best.

It was a 10-course meal that was designed to please.

Our first course of smoked salmon came with feta cheese and tomatoes on a bed of chopped spanish octopus, drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. I love how Max combined the different ingredients to create interesting flavours. The combination of salty, pungent, sweet and sour with the different textures was amazing. The second course of beef bresola (thin slices of cured, seasoned beef) was served together with mushrooms and sundried tomatoes in olive oil. Again, the combination of flavours were wonderful and I felt a sense of excitement, almost like opening christmas presents to see what Santa (in this case, Max) had put into my Christmas stocking!

The third course was undoubtedly Bald Eagle's favourite dish. The dish was creatively presented; one scallop, lightly grilled, with a sliver of sundried tuna inserted into it, and served with pesto sauce, and the other scallop served with pernod sauce with chopped vegetables. It was a difficult task deciding which one I preferred between the two, and really, there wasn't any reason to choose one, was there?

The fourth course was my favourite. Tuna loin wrapped in spanish chili with tomato clam sauce. The tuna loin was lightly seared so it was cooked on the outside while the inside was still red and juicy. It was my first time trying the spanish chili and I loved the intense sour taste (from the pickling) which combined well with the tuna. I wouldn't have thought that a creamy sauce would have gone well with the tart flavour of the chili, but I was pleasantly surprised at how easily the flavours blended with each other.

The grilled yabby was laced with old sherry which again, lent a slightly tart flavour to the dish. I would have loved to try more of it as there was only so much flesh in one yabby. Maybe next time.

There was more meat to chew on in the sixth course - smoked duck with yellow oyster mushrooms. The meat was not tough, as how duck sometimes tends to be. The seventh course of chicken breast was served with stewed vegetables - I remember eating bellpeppers and tomatoes - and this was served with a lovely garlicky sauce. The vampires would have stayed away from me. At this point, I was beginning to feel rather bloated, but like a woman in lust, I was unable to say "stop". And so the waiters brought out the eighth course - grilled lamb with cannellini beans. The beans are similar in size to kidney beans, but they are white in colour and a popular ingredient in Italian cuisine.

And then came out the ninth course. The dish that made me weep tears of happiness. Wagyu beef cheeks served on mashed potatoes. Simply divine.

The final course was the dessert which consisted of warm chocolate souffle, kataifi pastry and lovely vanilla icecream. I amazed myself by finishing up everything. I suppose one doesn't have to try very hard when there's good food around!

And to top it all off, what's a birthday without a birthday cake eh? (courtesy of Max)

It's been a lovely birthday week, so far, thanks to so many wonderful people. Bald Eagle, for the beautiful flowers and a delicious dinner so lovingly planned, my dear friend, Kenny Mah, for the wonderful collection of 4 pieces of writings, Bouncing Barbie for the yummy Japanese lunch at Mizu (you know what I like, girl!), all the sweet little presents from friends, so thoughtfully chosen, and the wishes..those wonderful SMSes (yes Robert, you're the first!), emails and calls from you, dear friends and readers....I'm such a lucky girl. And I'm really happy. :-)

Let the Celebrations Begin: Ma Maison - Home Sweet Home

2007-08-26T23:09:00.000+08:00

Our French friend, Olivier, loves the food at Ma Maison and frequents the restaurant quite often with his wife. We're not surprised, actually. For a restaurant that has been operating since 1995, it has certainly sustained well and is still drawing in the crowds. And why not? All the key ingredients are there. Bald Eagle and I like this restaurant for several reasons.

Firstly, the service is excellent. Walking into the restaurant, one is greeted like an old friend by the proprietor, Bertrand J. Langlet. Contrary to what they say about the French (hehe), there are no airs about this one. It is a typical French kiss-kiss/Malaysian welcome.

Secondly, the food is great! More on this one later.

Thirdly, one can get a set lunch, everyday except Tuesday (closed), for just RM28! This includes a free flow selection from the salad buffet counter and a main course.

Talking about the salad buffet, there is a fantastic array to choose from. Cheeses, olives, pate, pastas, salads, breads.......such a pleasing selection! And my favourite? Grilled aubergine....lightly grilled so that the outer skin is a slight crisp and the insides retain its mushiness with a sprinkle of salt to enhance its flavour. So wonderful! And even simple recipes like the potato and egg salads taste great due to the attention that goes into them. Today, I must have taken at least three helpings from the salad buffet as I couldn't get enough of everything.

For the mains, Bald Eagle's choice of roasted chicken with tarragon was exquisite, with the flesh cooked just right, staying firm to the touch and infused with the flavours of the herbs.

I loved the Salmon au Gratin. The cheesy sauce was mixed with chopped seafood - mussels and prawns - and drizzled over the salmon, moist and perfectly cooked. Both mains were served with a selection of blanched vegetables and baked sliced potatoes, arranged prettily around the floral plates.

If you're visiting this restaurant, do note that they accept only cash.

Ma Maison French Restaurant
32, Persiaran Ampang,
55000 Kuala Lumpur.

Tel: 03-4256 5410

Closed Tuesdays.

Red Ginger, Mid Valley North Point

2007-08-25T01:02:00.000+08:00

1.

I first stepped foot into Red Ginger at the Plaza Damansara outlet in May 2007 when my dear friend from cyberspace, Msiagirl, and I met for the very first time. It was a friendship that was headed in the right direction, and when we met up, there was only a very comfortable familiarity and a lot of excited twitters between two very old birds!

"Metaphorically, my life was rich with new experience like reading poetry in Malaysia, a country I had exiled myself from for so long. I was attending with my new blogger friends, another rich and rewarding experience: new kindred is a rare and valuable thing, and here it was in abundance where I never knew it could be found." From Msiagirl: Let Me Eat Cake

I should have blogged about this experience then, but somehow, I got caught up in my day-to-day affairs and only now have time to kick back my shoes, push back the stray hairs that fall on my face, turn off the music and enjoy the silence in which such memories permeate.

"Tucked in my chair at Marmalade - light and open to the sun - Kenny and Spiffy before me and Lyrical Lemongrass at my side, where she had been all day; well, we ate cake. I finally and truly felt at home. Eating cake that evening was the perfect experience. A coming together. An alchemy. We picked up the threads of our blogs and we smoothly turned them into real and very truthful people. We laughed and told each other lots of truthful things and all it made was a good difference. Kenny was burning bright with adrenalin, tired from his move and working so much, he still made some time to come out. Spiffy had a sore throat and felt ill with flu and I said have honey, have honey and we all worried about her getting home to rest. Lyrical Lemongrass had ferried me everywhere, gone to blogger's breakfasts and lunches with openminded aplomb, for she is a formidable writer and reader too. Here I was among them, drunk on cake and companionship." From Msiagirl: Let Me Eat Cake II

We had started the day together by being late for the Breakfast Club (true to my style), followed by lunch at Red Ginger (with Xeus, Eric and Spiffy), desserts at Just Heavenly Pleasures, Readings at Seksans, tea at Marmalade and finally dinner at Umai-ya. A lot of food was consumed, but that is how Malaysians are. Our lives are intertwined with...no...hinge on food. When a special visitor announces his intention to visit, we immediately think of the best restaurant to entertain our friend. Get the food organised first, we say, and everything else falls into place.

And that was how I first discover Red Ginger.

"I will take this day and store it in my jewel box." From Msiagirl: Kenny, Reads, Leaves

As I have.

Y

2.

I am glad for that first experience at Red Ginger, because it gave me a basis for comparison. Elizabeth Chen, the proprietor of Red Ginger, had invited several food bloggers to sample her menu at the recently opened outlet at Mid Valley North Point. I noticed that the menu was identical to the one at Plaza Damansara, but Elizabeth was quick to point out that she had just introduced several new dishes, not on the previous menu, which were to be enjoyed with rice.

The beef, stir-fried with black pepper, were cut into thin slices and quickly blanched in oil before being stirfried, thus retaining its juiciness. Being a fan of chinese herbal preparations, I enjoyed the steamed chicken cooked with wine, dates and wolfberry. Despite the saltiness of the sauce, I couldn't resist helping myself to several more pieces of chicken as I found that the flesh had fully absorbed the flavours of the ingredients, resulting in a natural sweetness of the flesh while still remaining firm to the touch.

Of all the starters, I enjoyed the fruit rojak (RM7.80) the most. What made it special was the sauce which had the right amount of prawn paste and a very nice consistency. The dish also had a generous amount of chopped peanuts thrown in. The stuffed yau char kwai (chinese crullers) (RM5.50) was special. It contained an aromatic fish paste filling and was drizzled with mayonnaise. I found the chicken lobak (RM8.90) rather salty and was unable to enjoy more than one piece, while the pomelo salad (RM8.80) tossed with fried shallots, chopped peanuts and fried grated coconut was refreshing, albeit a little mild in flavour (probably lacking in sweetness?). The otak-otak (steamed fish paste in banana leaf) (RM9.50) made with dory fish was surprisingly firm in texture and very tasty too.

One would think that at this point, Elizabeth would have stopped serving us, but as it turned out, we weren't even halfway through our meal yet. The generous lady brought out the mains next. My personal favourite was the Ipoh hor fun (RM13.80). The noodles were very smooth and complemented the soup stock, wonderful in its multitude of flavours. The laksa lemak (RM11.80) won top marks for the generous portion of cockles (and what is laksa without cockles anyway!), which still retained its juiciness (translated: bloodiness) despite being dunked into the hot curry. Some may find the curry a little too creamy (and it certainly was very thick), but I say, to each his own.

The Red Ginger fried rice (RM14.90) contained raisins and salted fish, and I can see how these two ingredients complemented the entire dish as the combination of sweet and salty and spicy came together very well. Eating the dry curry sang har noodles (RM23.90) was a treat. I had tried it before, and I can vouch that the taste is the same, whether or not one pays or gets the food for free! The fried koay teow (RM13.90) in Red Ginger is no ordinary fried koay teow. This one is fried kam heong style with a certain amount of spiciness together with curry leaves, bell peppers and bean sprouts.

We downed the food with lots of very refreshing, tangy kasturi pomelo (RM7.50) drinks.

Red Ginger (Mid Valley)
Block A, Mezzanine Floor, Northpoint Offices
Mid Valley City, KL

Tel: 03-2287 0890

Red Ginger (Plaza Damansara)
Medan Setia 2, Plaza Damansara
Bukit Damansara, KL

Tel: 03-2095 3118

Closed Sundays.

My Perfect Friday: Cupcakes from Marmalade

2007-08-24T14:15:00.000+08:00

Itty bitty cupcakes from Marmalade.

Inspired by Honey Star's post, dear sweet Boo_licious purchased these gorgeous babies and brought them along when we had lunch together today.

Tiny, bite-sized pieces priced at RM2 for two cupcakes, they brought an instant smile to all our faces. The vanilla cupcakes, reminiscent of cakes of yore with sugar icing, were a blast from the past.

Aaaah. If only all Fridays would be like today. Have a wonderful weekend, dear readers!

Gopala Vegetarian Restaurant, Brickfields

2007-08-23T00:41:00.000+08:00

As an appreciator of good food, I am quite transparent in my expressions. It doesn't take a genius to figure me out. Savouring that perfect piece of siew yoke (roasted pork), I close my eyes and allow myself to enjoy that experience completely; a raise of the eyebrow signifies that I am astonished that food can taste so heavenly, the widening of my eyes follows the raised eyebrow (for the same reason, obviously), and finally....finally....reverent silence as my senses are enveloped in that one action of popping the siew yoke into my mouth. At the end, there is the last act of inhalation of breath as the aroma and taste intermingle.

And if I don't like what I eat? First, a feeling of uneasiness about why I am still mechanically putting the food into my mouth (because mum said I should never waste food, perhaps?). My face is contorted as I try to mask the pain that I endure as I shovel the food down my throat, and despite all that I do, I am unable to swallow the food. My mouth soon becomes filled with a mish-mash of different types of food, like a cow that constantly chews on grass, but digestion takes forever. My eyes water, as though pleading for the nightmare to stop, but no one is around to pinch me.

And then there are the times when everything is ho-hum, pretty ordinary, and nothing exceptional.

My lunch at Gopala Vegetarian Restaurant was somewhat like the final scenario. I was fully aware that the restaurant was a pure vegetarian restaurant, and so my expectations were tuned in to that radiowave. "No garlic and onion," I reminded myself. That was perhaps the most difficult thing for my brain and my tastebuds to reconcile. As I am not, and have never been, a vegetarian, it is hard for me to fully appreciate food that is not prepared with the two ingredients belonging to the allium family that are purportedly detrimental to health, meditation and devotion.

Having said that, my comment on the food at Gopala is more towards the variety and preparation as compared to the actual taste of the food, which I found overly intense in certain areas with one dominant flavour coming through as compared to the blending of several flavours. To put it briefly, the rasam (which is traditionally prepared with garlic as one of the main ingredients) was strangely very hot (as in spicy) but lacked the slightly sour taste which is normally associated with it, while certain vegetables tasted like the chef had a strong liking for chilli powder. It certainly appeared like the chef was attempting to compensate certain flavours by adding in others to a degree of intolerance (to me and my dining companion, at least), which consequently resulted in unpalatable dishes. Of course, I am fully aware that my tastebuds are different from others, and would be interested to know what you think of the food here.

Maybe I am a little upset about the taste of the food after all. :-)

As I was saying, I was more annoyed about the fact that there was a lack of variety. The vegetables, even though they were edible, appeared to be dishes that had been quickly prepared to meet the daily quota. There seemed to be a lack of thought about the combination of dishes for the day. My thali meal consisting of rice and several types of vegetables was very ordinary, to say the least.

We tried one of the mock meats - mock prawn sambal, which not only had the texture of overcooked prawns, but didn't taste very good either.

Sometimes, looks can be so deceiving.

For dessert, a bowl of payasam was included in the platter. The payasam was not milky at all; the gooey texture seemed to be contributed by the sago and possibly starch. It was also extremely sweet, and it was probably the only time that I was unable to finish my payasam.

And what was good? I liked the moru (diluted yoghurt drink) while the mango lassi was outstanding.

The basic thali meal, priced at RM5 per person was reasonable, but I got better value from the other vegetarian restaurant (although bear in mind that the other one isn't a pure vegetarian restaurant as they use alliums in their cooking). The prawn sambal was RM4.50 for a small serving.

Other reviews:-

masak-masak
The Gastronomic Diary

Gopala Vegetarian Restaurant
No. 59, Jalan Thambipillai, Brickfields, 50470 KL.

Tel: 03-2274 1959

Open 7 days. Business hours: 7.00am to 1.00am

How To Piss Off Your Husband In One Day....And How To Win Him Back

2007-08-19T23:11:00.000+08:00

HOW TO PISS HIM OFF

1.
Wake up early on a Saturday morning and tell him you're going off for breakfast at Hong Kee Tim Sum Restaurant with Precious Pea, Allan Yap, Fatboybakes, Jackson, Teckiee and Kenny Mah....but without him.

2.
Tell him that he has to take care of the weekend housecleaner/maid while you're having fun with your blogger friends.

3.
Tell him that Fatboybakes brought delicious durian cheesecake for the breakfast group, and that there were a few extra pieces, but because you had stuff to do after breakfast and weren't able to go home immediately, you didn't pack any for him.

4.
Pack two packets of Sang Chau Loh Mai Fan (fried glutinous rice) from Hong Kee Tim Sum as a peace offering for him, but spend too much time at the hair salon after breakfast. As a result, you can't go home on time to deliver the rather cold Sang Chau Loh Mai Fan to your ravenous husband.

5.
Well, the hair salon isn't the only excuse. With fifteen minutes to spare between the hair salon and the next facial appointment, you squeeze in enough time to grab a quick lunch with Kenny Mah, but not enough time to send home the very cold packets of Sang Chau Loh Mai Fan.

6.
After the facial, you pop by at Just Heavenly to chitchat with the very yummy Allan Yap while he works on two GORGEOUS wedding cakes. The two packets of Sang Chau Loh Mai Fan are no longer cold, but change temperature to boiling point in the afternoon heat in the car while you spend a good hour and a half in Allan's very nice-smelling kitchen.

7.
On the way home at 5.45pm, you get hunger pangs and call your husband, asking him if he'll let you eat one packet of Sang Chau Loh Mai Fan.

8.
After feeding hubby with the remaining packet of Sang Chau Loh Mai Fan (considered a very late lunch) at 6.30pm, you tell him that you want to take a short nap because you're exhausted. You promise to cook him a nice dinner when you wake up in an hour. You end up waking up at 7.00am the next day, on time for church.

HOW TO REDEEM YOURSELF

1.
Treat him to a VERY EXPENSIVE BRUNCH at Jarrod & Rawlins in Damansara Heights. All of RM76.48 to be precise. DO NOT whine. DO NOT complain. Look HAPPY. And tell him how lucky you are to have a wonderful husband like him.

Y Y Y Y Y

The soulful strains of Nat King Cole welcomed us as we stepped foot into Jarrod & Rawlins this morning. I was hungry, having slept through dinner last night, and he just wanted an expensive breakfast from me. Jarrod & Rawlins satisfied both our needs.

We were both ambitious. I was hungry, so I chose the J & R's Special Fried Breakfast set consisting of two eggs, two sausage, bacon, grilled tomatoes, mushrooms, baked beans, fried bread, coffee and juice. All for RM34 (US$10) before taxes.

He chose the same breakfast because it was the most expensive.

The eggs, cooked sunny side up, were delicious. The yolks were slightly runny, just the way I like them. The pork bangers were great; the flavours of the minced pork and the seasoning were lovely and they were lightly grilled to allow the bangers to be sufficiently juicy. They can also be purchased at the counter at RM4.50 per 100gms. Similarly, the bacon was also grilled lightly to ensure that the meat was not overly dry. Sadly, the sliced mushrooms were sauteed in too much oil, and I spent quite a bit of time squeezing the oil out. I enjoyed eating the fried bread - such a simple thing, but fried so evenly, soaking in a bit of oil but still retaining it crispness.

Bald Eagle wolfed down everything. Unfortunately, I was overambitious and should have stuck to the normal Fried Breakfast menu (priced at RM28). I struggled to finish my breakfast and felt like the sausages and fried bread and sauteed mushrooms and all the excess oil were oozing out through my pores and nose and ears.

Jarrod & Rawlins
No. 6, Lorong Dungun
Damansara Heights, 50480 KL

Tel: 03-2093 0708

Also at:
No. 36 (Grd floor), Jalan 27/70A,
Desa Sri Hartamas, 50480 KL

Tel: 03-2300 0708

And.........

Bald Eagle is going to be pleasantly surprised when he sees what's waiting for him when he comes home tonight after the Liverpool-Chelsea match. Delicious vanilla and chocolate cupcakes by Boo_licious!! (Although I've already eaten half of them...yummy...thanks, Boo!! And congratulations on achieving 1 million hits!)

Yep, I think I've redeemed myself!! *wide grin*

Y

Sunday Brunch at Bisou

2007-08-12T22:43:00.000+08:00

It promised to be a beautiful morning.

It was the kind of morning where it wasn't too hot and the skies were contemplating whether or not to shed tears, and to complete the picture, I had found a parking spot right in front of Bisou. For Bald Eagle, the icing on the cake was Liverpool's win over Aston Villa less than 12 hours earlier. :-D

We both had the Big Breakfast. At RM16(US$4.70), it came with 2 thick cut slices of toast, baked beans, a chicken sausage and two eggs (cooked to your liking). The chicken sausage wasn't the run o' the mill sausage sold in supermarket freezers in packs of 10 (and believe me, I have come across some, sold at premium prices, at restaurants); the herbs complemented the mild chicken flavour giving it a very pleasant bite. The sauteed mushrooms were exquisite - full of flavour although it was a little on the oily side. I thought the scrambled eggs were a little overcooked. I prefer my scrambled eggs slightly runny. But then again, it boils down to personal preference.

For an extra RM2 (US$0.60), we got a banana muffin. By this time, I was too full to enjoy anything else. I took one bite and passed the rest to Bald Eagle (who thankfully has a bottomless pit for a stomach and a high metabolic rate to burn the added calories quickly!).

I didn't get to try the gorgeous looking cupcakes as I was too stuffed by this time. I did try the lemon polenta though (2nd row, centre pic), when I spent a perfect Saturday afternoon the day before at Nigel & Allan's office being fed by the duo on noodles and the most delicious tempe (fermented soybeans), and Just Heavenly Pleasures' extremely addictive sticky date pudding and Bisou's lemon polenta cake. (This reminds me of the story of Hansel & Gretel where the evil witch fattened up children only to eat them up, but I'm quite sure that I am not their flavour of the month. ;-) The delectable Kenny Mah, who was also also hanging out with us, would have made a better dish.)

So...back to the lemon polenta. I loved the texture of the cake. It was sufficiently moist, yet not dripping in sauce, a little grainy due to the polenta (ground cornmeal) but the flavour of the rosemary sauce (drizzled on the surface of the cake) didn't come through. It was, nevertheless, a lovely cake and I enjoyed every bite of it.

Bisou started operations on 20 July 2007 (same owners as Bijou and Bianco) and it has become progressively more popular as the office crowd seeks out new places to eat. It has just introduced some new items on its lunch menu, including baked eggplant, shepherd's pie and bangers & mash.

Also check out:

So Much Food, So Little Stomach
Kampungkayell

Bisou
Asian Heritage Row
58 Jalan Doraisamy
50300 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03-2697 0131

Click here for map.

Opening hours: 9.00am - 11.00pm (Sun to Thur. Mon closed)
9.00am - 2.00am (Fri to Sat)

South Indian Aiyer Restaurant - indian vegetarian

2007-08-09T12:44:00.000+08:00

The rain poured in torrents as I pulled up near Palm Court in Brickfields. School buses lined up both sides of the road preventing me from finding a suitable parking lot.

I was desperate. I spied a parking lot reserved for school buses on the opposite side of the road. In one sweep that would have made Lewis Hamilton proud of me, I was safely parked in that lot with another car following close behind me thinking that I had found a way out of the hellhole. After much cursing, both on her part as well as mine, I managed to turn off my engine only to find that my umbrella refused to open.

The rain made my precious Hogan handbag look like a drenched puppy. Ah well, all in the pursuit of food...

It wasn't just any food. Located within the apartment premises with a rather dingy exterior was an indian vegetarian restaurant. I absolutely love indian vegetarian food. It is not so much for health reasons that I eat vegetarian food (because it is easy enough to pile on the carbohydrates with the unlimited serving of white rice), but more for the variety of vegetarian dishes that are offered. I am not an avid fan of mock meat (although the occasional serving is acceptable) simply because I am not a vegetarian and when I do eat vegetarian food, it is not because I am looking for a meat replacement. What I do look for are the creatively prepared vegetarian dishes and the use of a multitude of spices to flavour the dishes.

My lunch, served on a banana leaf, comprised white rice, pepper rice, six different types of vegetables, pickled lime, fried chilli, papadum, several types of curries, dhal and rasam, moru (yoghurt drink) and desert. I loved the deep fried bittergourd (above, bottom left) which was crispy and had the right amount of spiciness. The mashed pumpkin was rather interesting; it was naturally sweet and was spiced with something that tasted of cardamoms. However, it would have tasted better as a dessert (and maybe it was!) rather than as a condiment to be eaten with the rice.

The pepper rice (second picture from the top of the post) was fluffy and the taste of pepper was rather distinct. It was flavourful enough to be eaten on its own. My favourite for the day was, without a doubt, the yoghurt curry. When I first saw it, I thought it was another popular curry known as "sothi", essentially a thin curry made of coconut milk, tomatoes and turmeric. However, after tasting it, I found that it clearly tasted of yoghurt. The yoghurt made the curry extremely creamy while providing it with a naturally sour taste which went so well with the white rice. I must qualify this by saying that it may be an acquired taste for those who are not used to the tart taste of homemade yoghurt.

I washed down the food with a tumbler full of moru, a drink made by diluting yoghurt with water and adding a pinch of salt. It is refreshing and doesn't have the cloying feeling that fresh milk sometimes gives. At home, I would sometimes chop raw onions and chillies and throw them into the moru for some added crunchiness and flavour. The complimentary dessert was payasam, a drink with a thick, soupy consistency made of milk, cardamoms, cashewnuts and vermicelli.

All these, with unlimited servings of rice and vegetables, for just RM5 (US$1.50) per person!

Other sweetmeats are also available for sale, including ladoo (picture above) and pal kova.

South Indian Aiyer Restaurant
B1 Block B, Palm Courts Condo
Jalan Sultan Abdul Samad, Brickfields, 50470 Kuala Lumpur.

Tel: 03-2272 1009

Opens 6.30am to 12.30am daily.

Note: This restaurant uses alliums in the preparation of food.

Dim sum, Dim sum, wherefore art thou, Dim sum?

2007-08-05T23:00:00.000+08:00

1.

Monday

Ecstatic Eeyore barged into my room. "We're doing lunch together on Friday!", he announced.

"Where?", I asked.

"Restoran Clan in Sri Petaling. 8TV's Ho Chak featured their delicious looking tai bao/loh mai kai! So are you game?"

That was like asking the President of the Japanese Food Kawan's Association if she liked sashimi.

Tuesday

Ecstatic Eeyore suggested going on a diet to prepare himself for the big lunch on Friday.

Wednesday

Ecstatic Eeyore checked and rechecked his schedule to make sure that he didn't have any meeting between 12.30pm and 2.30pm.

Thursday

"Don't forget! Lunch on Friday!!", Ecstatic Eeyore reminded me.

"What lunch?", I teased.

"Hmmmphhh!"

Ecstatic Eeyore walked out of my room in disgust.

I made a mental note to not mess with his head until after that lunch.

Friday

We found the restaurant. A few tables were occupied. We asked for the star item. "Sorry, don't have", the waitress said with a wry smile.

Our faces fell.

BUT....

....it was a dim sum place, after all, and since we were planning to have dim sum together with the star item, we decided to go ahead with our plans.

The trays laden with dim sum arrived.

We weren't about to let a minor setback spoil our day (yes, we're highly positive people), so we picked out our favourites.

Instead of describing each item in detail, I shall categorise the food as follows:-

Average (pass the pepper please)

The fried dim sum fared better than the steamed ones. The yam puff (extreme left) was crispy and the filling was substantial. The Hong Kong style chee cheong fun (extreme right) came with a tasty sambal that was rich with aromatic crushed dried prawns.

Bland (no salt?)

The char siew bao (extreme left) was scant in fillings, while the dough was too thick. The porridge came with a generous serving of chopped century eggs but it lacked flavour.

Where's the toilet bowl?? (I really need to throw up)

The brinjal appeared to have been steamed over and over again - probably leftovers from the previous night. The flesh was mushy and tasteless. I almost threw up.

Oh wait a minute. I did throw up.

Restoran Clan
140, Jalan Radin Anum
1, Sri Petaling, 57000 KL

Tel: 019-382 5455

2.

Saturday

After relating my tear-jerker to Boo_licious, she agreed to have breakfast with me on Saturday. It was going to be a replacement of sorts, to get rid of the awful taste from the day before. We also managed to rope in fellow foodies, Precious Pea and Unkaleong to join us at Hong Kee Tim Sum at Damansara Jaya at an ungodly hour of 8.30 on a Saturday morning. I can still hear Unkaleong's whines of "Ohhh....I'm so sleepy!!! Why so early???" *sounds of stretching like a half-dead kitten in the background*.

And the food? Everything tasted soooo gooooood. Yes, I am probably biased, having almost died from eating bad food the day before, but hey, it really was good.

I experienced a burst of flavour as I bit into the siu mai with minced pork filling. The spinach version was equally good too. We had the Hong Kong chee cheong fun with prawn filling, and if I were to compare it to the HK CCF which I had the previous day, I'd say that the CCF here is a lot smoother but the sambal did not have the "kick" that the other one provided.

We tried an interesting looking dim sum which was essentially fish paste with salted egg yolk filling and coated with almond flakes (3rd row, centre pic). I didn't quite like the combination of the ingredients; firstly, it tasted rather dry, and secondly, the ingredients just didn't blend together.

If prizes were given out for the best item on the menu, the Sang Chau Loh Mai Fan (fried glutinous rice) would have ranked tops. The glutinous rice is painstakingly fried together with bits of lup cheong (chinese sausage), dried prawns, sliced mushrooms, eggs and chive. This dish may look rather oily, but it is considerably lighter on the palate as compared to eating loh mai kai (steamed glutinous rice) as less oil is used for the former.

The dim sum is priced between RM2 and RM5 per plate.

Also check out:

Masak-masak
You Get What You Give...Sometimes
Precious Pea

Hong Kee Tim Sum Restaurant (behind Atria)
No 18 & 20, Jalan SS22/25
Damansara Jaya
47400 Petaling Jaya.

Tel: 012-6069787

Opening hours: 7.00am to 3.00pm daily.

Fogal Meat Market Deli & Cafe, Plaza Damas

2007-08-03T00:15:00.000+08:00

"Why do you eat so slowly?", he asked.

I took my time answering. I piled a few strands of noodles into my spoon, making sure none fell out, and then picked up a fishcake and placed it in the centre of the spoon on top of the noodles, and finally scattered a few pieces of chopped spring onions around the fishcake.

"Because I am obsessive and compulsive", I quietly replied.

He didn't give up. "But you don't have to be so prim and proper all the time", he retorted. "If you feel like slouching, you should. If you feel like putting your legs up, you should."

"This is who I am", I tried to explain. "I can't be someone I'm not."

I have OCD. When I eat nasi lemak, I compartmentalise all the different ingredients, and have a certain ritual when eating. I first place the nasi lemak on my spoon and scoop up a bit of sambal using the tip of the spoon. I then place ONE peanut on the bed of rice, followed by a couple of pieces of fried ikan bilis. Once I am satisfied with the visual presentation, I place the beautifully designed arrangement in my mouth, while being very careful that none of the food touches my lips.

I think he understood me. Hehe.

Do you have any quirky eating habits?

2.

I seem to be strangely drawn to Plaza Damas.

One day, my friends and I were in the mood for some simple, wholesome fare, and having read about Fogal in a couple of blogs and in the newspapers, we were keen to see what the hype was all about.

There aren't many tables in Fogal, but I suppose that is because Fogal is primarily a meat market where you can pick up your choice of cuts and sausages. Behind the glace facade are chillers filled with different types of meat. We walked to the back of the shop which opened up to a outdoor terrace where we could enjoy the gentle breeze. The weather took a turn for the worse, subsequently, and we ended up huddling indoors, away from the afternoon rain.

And the food? My lamb burger with cheese and bacon (RM13 + RM1 + RM1) was nice; the thick patty consisted of juicy, coarsely ground meat which was cooked perfectly. The additional slice of bacon which I requested for didn't make much of a difference to the burger as it was too thin to be noticeable.

Unfortunately, that's where the excitement ended.

Barbie's Aussie Pies - three slightly-larger-than-dime-sized pies comprising aussie beef, chicken & mushroom and steak & mushroom were scantily filled with the different meats. Pretty Pui had a more disastrous experience. She had been craving for a pork burger, so when her pork burger (RM11) arrived, she ravenously dug into it. Her face screwed up and we were all puzzled. "What's wrong?", we asked her, concerned about her expression. "Taste this", she said as she pushed a chunk of the burger patty to me. It was extremely salty. And mind you, Pretty Pui and I are big salt lovers. We love to add salt to our food. We rationalised that maybe the chef had accidentally sprinkled too much salt on part of the surface of the burger. As Pretty Pui dug deeper, she passed me another piece from a different section of the burger. It tasted just as salty.

This reminds me of the Visa ad when Zhang Ziyi pronounced, in her most alluring chinese accent - "The soup is too salty". An impersonation on my part would have definitely backfired!

Also check out:

Kampungkayell
Lots of Cravings
My Life Encounters

Fogal Meat Market Deli and Cafe
N-1-4, Plaza Damas,
No. 60, Jalan Sri Hartamas,
Sri Hartamas, KL.

Tel & Fax: 03-6201 3206/6201 3306

From Kampar With Love

2007-07-31T00:03:00.000+08:00

In the early days before the North-South Highway existed, every time we travelled from Penang to Petaling Jaya to visit my maternal grandmother, we'd make a pit stop at Kampar.

Kampar holds special memories for my parents as it was one of the places where they spent they dating days eating ABC at the corner kopitiam. And so, it only came naturally for them to stop at one of their favourite towns to fuel up both the car and our little tummies.

I used to throw up pretty often in the days before airconditioning was introduced in our cars, and my stomach would be ready for replenishing by the time we arrived at the sleepy old town. Thus, until the day this town got virtually obliterated by the superhighway, I shared my parents' love affair with Kampar.

Despite having sampled quite a bit of Kampar's unique cuisine, I discovered the chicken curry bun much later in life when I visited my friend from Kampar, Pretty Pui, during Chinese New Year.

Chicken curry is wrapped up in a greaseproof paper and then baked in a bun. To eat this bun, one has to cut through the bun and and unwrap the precious package. The curry is creamy and extremely tasty, and by this stage, this chicken would have absorbed the flavours of the spices. What bliss to dip the pieces of bread into the curry and savour the tasty morsels!

Yau Kee Restaurant
No. 55, Jalan Idris,
31900 Kampar, Perak.
Tel: 05-465 1738

120E & 120F, Jalan Raja Permaisuri Bainun,
30250 Ipoh, Perak.
Tel: 05-241 6504

Thanks, Pretty Pui, for the wonderful treat!!

Kokopelli Travellers Bistro, PJ

2007-07-29T17:00:00.000+08:00

Jalan Bukit in PJ was a favourite haunt for me during my university days as it was within walking distance from the university, and I could find cheap and tasty food there. Usually, when I had a craving for char siew pao (barbequed pork bun), I'd quickly call one of the more-than-willing fellas to accompany me to Jalan Bukit where we'd get our pork fix before trudging back to our residential college.

Naturally, when I heard that a bungalow along Jalan Bukit had been converted into a restaurant, I had to find out more about this place and whether or not it deserved to invade my memories with so much pomp.

It wasn't difficult to find an occasion to dine. It was Barbie's last day at the office; Malaysians love to celebrate all occasions with food, and despite the fact that a farewell wasn't really a celebration, it was still a reason to get together to dine as a family (which we had become over the years).

It was a cheerful sight indeed. A glass facade fronted the old bungalow, with warm lights greeting the guests. There were lots of pretty accents, from glass beads to chandeliers to fresh blooms to quirky tealight holders, obviously a female touch, which made the place look cozy and inviting.

Kokopelli serves both local and western cuisine. From the unpretentious char koay teow and lou shue fun to grilled steaks and pastas, there seemed to be something for everyone. Prices were very reasonable too. The local dishes were priced at RM8.90, while the most expensive steak was priced at RM38.90. The grills (pics above), according to my Makan kaki, were pretty good and flavourful. The Ribeye Steak (RM38.90) and Sirloin Steak (RM35.90) were medium done, but I thought they were still a little overcooked. The vegetables on the side, other than the grilled aubergine, were sparsely distributed among the dishes. I didn't get to try the baked potato, unfortunately, but it looked yummy with scattered chopped beef bacon (at least, that's what it looked like). The grilled New Zealand lamb (RM20.90) was a substantial portion, while the grilled salmon (RM32.90) was more suitable for a person with a smaller appetite.

The braised lamb shank (RM29.90) was served in a rich sauce which I found a little too sweet. The texture of the meat was tender, and the flavour of the meat came through despite the generous serving of the sauce. It was served on a bed of mashed potatoes which was milky and creamy.

We had heard so much about the Char Koay Teow (RM8.90) so we ordered a plate to share. I must say that I had set extremely high expectations for the CKT and even if I had lowered my expectations, I'd still have been sorely disappointed. How many ways can a CKT go wrong? It was soggy and greasy (see traces of oil at the bottom of the plate) and very spicy. Unlike good CKTs where the flavours blend in seamlessly, here the spiciness of the dish overpowered the rest of the ingredients. I was also unable to taste the egg in the dish, although I could certainly see bits of it.

The dessert selection was rather modest. We picked two out of the three choices. Everyone agreed that the chocolate cake was better than the pistachio cake, and I suppose at RM6.50 each, I can't expect too much.

Overall, I'd say that the restaurant is worth a second visit. I'd come back just for the ambience alone.

Also check out:

KL People KL Food

Tankiasu

Kilikulu.Net

Kokopelli Travellers Bistro
No 6, Jalan Bukit, Section 11/2,
PJ.

Tel: 03-7956 7505/019-267 6667 (Ariff)

Reservations recommended.

La La Chong Seafood Restaurant, Subang

2007-07-26T22:51:00.000+08:00

1. The idea of bliss (or What Lyrical Lemongrass Did This Evening).

Sitting in the kitchen of Just Heavenly in Bangsar.

Watching Allan, covered in flour from head to toe, kneading baby blue fondant.

Pleasant conversation.

Savouring moist chocolate cupcakes topped with freshly made icing.

2. Diamonds are a girl's best friend

Just as friends come and go, so do Makan Club members. Bouncing Barbie made a decision to choose polished diamonds over diamonds in the rough and we wish her well.

Bangsar isn't that far away, dear friend, and we'll definitely carry on our "makan" sessions. 14 years is a long time to know someone. I still remember going to work in Bus No. 5 when we were still new at the office! Now there won't be anyone visiting my room at 12.30pm and asking me, "So what's for lunch today??". We wish you all the love and happiness that diamonds can't buy.

3. A feast, no less

The Makan Club has been visiting La La Chong for close to 10 years. Many special moments have been celebrated here, birthdays mostly. On the occasion of Barbie's farewell, it seemed only appropriate that it be spent here, in La La Chong, together with three of her closest friends and colleagues.

We wanted old favourites. So we asked for fern stir fried with tuna. Unfortunately, they had run out of fern, and offered to replace it with four-angled beans instead. Thankfully, the substitute was quite delicious with lots of tuna and chopped chillies stir fried with the vegetables.

Another old favourite is Siong Tong Lala (Lala in superior soup). The shellfish is cooked in a fragrant soup with a generous amount of wine thrown in to bring out the flavour of the dish. As always, we were extremely pleased with this dish.

The crabs, on the other hand, brought out mixed reactions. We all liked the salt baked crab dish which was fried with ginger. However, the salted egg yolk crab dish failed to impress us. The crabs appeared to have been deep fried, so any attempt to scrape the roe from the shell would have been futile, and the flavour of the dry sauce seemed to have been marred by an excessive usage of salt (presumably used to enhance the flavour of the salted egg yolk).

The grilled mackerel is one of my favourite dishes here. The sauce used to marinade the mackerel tasted similar to a kabayaki sauce made of soy sauce, mirin and sugar. The fish was so delicious, I had no trouble finishing it up!

We still have fond memories of this place. I'm not ready to write it off just because of one botched recipe.

Also check out:

Living in Food Heaven
Da Wheel Of Life & Happiness
Masak-masak
Little Miss May

La La Chong Seafood Restaurant
Lot PT6824, Terminal 3, Abdul Aziz Shah Airport, Subang.

(directions: Head towards Terminal 3, Subang Airport. At the traffic light, turn right)

Tel: 03-7859 1906

Izakaya Ichiban, Hartamas Shopping Centre

2007-07-25T00:15:00.000+08:00

For some of you, seeing another japanese food post is like, "What?? Isn't this supposed to be a Malaysian food blog??" Perhaps you're right. And perhaps you're wrong. Just like how the British claimed curry (or balti) as their national food, I'm hereby claiming Japanese food as my staple meal. The advent of Japanese food in Malaysia has created a cult following, and of late Korean food has enjoyed the same celebrity status. I am certainly not advocating that Japanese food replace Malaysian food, but I do welcome it as an additional item to our already diversified local cuisine. The cross-marrying of the various cultures in the early days have given us wonderful dishes. Why stop?

And so, with the assistance of my ever helpful Japanese Food Kawan Association (JFKA), particularly our Secretary, Boo_licious, I was introduced to Izakaya Ichiban, a restaurant that had been open for approximately a month. I was accompanied by the bubbly Precious Pea whom I was interviewing that night for the post of Public Relations Officer for the Association. I had nothing to worry about. She passed with flying colours in two areas: 1. Her ability to eat more Japanese food as compared to the President, and 2. Her ability to charm the pants of anybody in a 10 foot vicinity.

What I like about the food is the price. More importantly, the quality of the food at that price was unbelievable. Take for instance the Kaki Mayo Yaki, essentially grilled oysters with spicy mayonnaise sauce and sauteed mushrooms at RM15. Three pieces of juicy oysters served on a bed of mushrooms with an unbelievably tasty sauce that made us sigh with happiness. And the salmon belly sashimi, fresh and smooth on the palate, at RM28 was worth every cent paid. The shishamo (grilled capelin fish) is what I like to call a petrified fish. With the mouth wide open as if to yell "Help!", and eyes as though they had seen hell, the shishamo can be quite scary to look at if you're the type to appreciate a good horror movie. The Attack of the Shishamo. Okay, I know that's corny. At RM11, it is the same price of a movie ticket in Malaysia but the taste may be more memorable than half the movies made in Hollywood these days. The shishamo is eaten whole with the egg sacs intact. Now that can be quite a sight as well for the horror movie enthusiast. Imagine the head tilted back as the slim fish is slowly lowered into the mouth and disappears down the throat.

We thoroughly enjoyed the Wagyu Beef Don (RM28). The beef was tender and had a lovely sweet flavour provided by the marinade and the sauce. The Una-Cheese Maki (RM20), a rice roll filled with eel and topped with cheese, was nice but not outstanding. Sadly, the cheese slices looked like something one could purchase at a supermarket, individually wrapped! The Hawaiian Maki (RM18) came highly recommended. This was a salmon roll made with honeydew and apple mayo sauce. However, I found it rather tasteless; I was unable to taste the salmon and I felt that the flavours didn't blend very well.

I would definitely like to come back to try Izakaya Ichiban's lunch menu priced between RM18++ and RM33++. The ambience allows for a certain amount of privacy with private booths accommodating 4 people comfortably. Service is also attentive.

Izakaya Ichiban (2 doors away from Starbucks)
Lot P-3M, Plaza Ground Floor,
Hartamas Shopping Centre,
60, Jalan Sri Hartamas 1,
50480 Kuala Lumpur.

Tel: 03-6201 5905

Paddington House of Pancakes @ Hartamas Shopping Centre and Where the Customer is Always Right

2007-07-22T13:14:00.000+08:00

Everyone has bad days.

The past 48 hours were a culmination of several irritants which by themselves, wouldn’t have been worse than mosquito bites, but together, became cancerous to my usually pleasant demeanor.

1.

VIPs. On the road, these guys are escorted by police outriders who shoo away the irrelevant, ordinary, unimportant people to create a path, somewhat like the parting of the Red Sea, so that the sparkling, polished, heavily tinted cars carrying their precious cargo can make their way through the clear roads to their destinations, and be damned about the other folk whose lives don’t matter.

I was leaving Sri Hartamas and having a pleasant drive towards the City Centre and was approaching a fork, the left leading to Sungai Buloh/Shah Alam, and the right leading to my chosen destination. Suddenly, I was ambushed by a police outrider who forced me to move to the extreme left lane (i.e. to Sg Buloh) without giving a damn about the fact that there were no U-turns on a major highway.

Mr VIP sir, is my life that unimportant? Am I that dispensable?

2.

I had internet problems and called the service provider’s customer service.

12 midnite

Me: My DSL light is not showing. I can’t connect to the internet.

Customer Service: We’ve taken note of your complaint. Please turn off your modem and turn it on again in 15 minutes after we’ve reset your port. If the problem still persists, please call us back. Have a nice day.

8.30am

Me: I still can’t connect to the internet.

Customer Service: Yes, according to the report, your DSL light is blinking.

Me: No, my DSL light is not even showing. Please amend your report.

Customer Service: OK, will do. Please hold, I’ll connect you to a technician.

(telephone music…sound of sea and waves)

Customer Service: I’m sorry. All our technicians are currently busy. I’ll have one of them call you soon.

Me: When?

Customer Service: In 2 or 3 minutes.

10.00am

Me: Your technician hasn’t called back. I still can’t connect to the internet.

Customer Service: I’ll have a look at your report. Yes, your report says that your DSL light is blinking.

Me: No, I already told you guys that my DSL light is not showing. PLEASE amend your report.

Customer Service: OK. Haha. I guess the previous person didn’t amend the report. I’ll do it now. And hang on, I’ll connect you to the technician.

(telephone music again)

Customer Service: Sorry, they’re all busy. I’ll get one of them to call you back soon.

Me: Can you ask them to get back to me in the next hour please? It’s urgent. (I need to blog)

6.00pm

Me: Your technician hasn’t called me. What does it take to get your technician to call me? My internet connection is still down.

Customer Service: Hang on, I’ll have to look at your report. Uh huh, the report says that your DSL light is blinking.

Me: For the fourth time today, my DSL LIGHT IS NOT BLINKING. IT’S NOT EVEN SHOWING. AND WHY ISN’T YOUR TECHNICIAN RETURNING MY CALL? IS HE PLANNING ON CALLING ME IN THE NEXT DECADE OR SO, AT LEAST?

Customer Service: Hang on, I’ll connect you to our technician.

(background music to calm nerves, sound of birds chirping and sunshine everywhere)

Customer Service: I’m sorry, I can’t get through to the technician. Is it okay if I get him to return your call?

Me: NO, IT'S NOT OKAY. I WANT TO SPEAK TO YOUR TECHNICIAN NOW. YOU CAN’T GET HIM TO RETURN MY CALL, BECAUSE HE WON’T.

Customer Service: Yes, he will.

Me: When? At midnight when I’m fast asleep?

Customer Service: No, before that.

8.00pm

Customer Service: We’ve just reset your port. Can you try to connect now?

Me: No. I’m not at home. Besides, resetting my port didn’t help the last time.

Customer Service: Well, when you’re at home, do try to connect, and if you can’t, please call us.

The next day, at 12 noon

(ting tong – house bell sounds)

Technician at my doorstep: I’m here to look at your modem. According to your report, your DSL light is blinking and you’re not able to connect to the internet.

Me: Sigh. My DSL light is not showing at all.

Technician: Then why didn’t you say so? If your DSL light is not showing, your modem is fried. You’ll have to get a new modem. I’ll need you to sign this report to verify that I’ve visited you to attend to your problems. Have a nice day!

3.

I picked up The Star at 7.30 in the morning only to see the headlines stating that four of the giant bookstores were not going to carry Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows on their bookshelves in protest of the fact that a couple of hypermarkets were selling the book at a much lower price.

Firstly, O great booksellers, I was already intending to pay a visit to your bookstore to purchase the book at the recommended retail price of RM109.90 as I’m a pretty much a lazy person who values her comfort above everything else, and rubbing shoulders with five hundred other people at the hypermarket wasn’t my idea of fun on a Saturday morning.

Instead, arrogance and a sense of self-pity prevailed and a full page ad was taken out by these bookstores. Me, I’m not loyal, you see. If you’re not selling the book, I’m not standing by your side. I’ll just get the book at Borders.

Be reminded of what happened 10 years ago when a huge hypermarket landed on our shores and decided to sell Milo at a much lower price. The local retailers were furious and refused to carry Milo in their shops, protesting against the manufacturer. What they realised later was that water would always find its natural source, and customers would always look for alternatives. The hypermarket which carried Milo at a loss didn’t end up losing; the local retailers wised up and life went on.

Later that morning, I found a tiny bookstore in Bangsar which carried the book at RM69.90. I had a pleasant chat with the lady at the counter, and we both laughed at the big boys. I even managed to get a copy of The Edge there, so all was well.

4.

We were in the mood for pancakes, so we hopped over to Paddington House of Pancakes in Hartamas Shopping Centre for a quick bite. It started out rather promising; the place was awash with sunlight, the white gleaming tabletops a welcome sight to us, 3 starving girls. Paddington was having an offer: Ladies Have It Lucky! Lucky Ladies Get A Dessert Pannekoek With Cinnamon And Sugar At Only RM5.00++ With Any Savoury Pancake Meal.

We were all having savoury pancake meals, and we sure felt lucky, so two of us ordered the RM5 dessert pancake. No problems there.

Although the Dollar Buckwheat Bruschetta was nice (and certainly, it would be sinful to go wrong with something so simple!), I thought the Fried Pancake filled with Spicy Minced Mexican Beef was rather appalling. The pancake was stuffed with a simple minced beef mix, and the entire dish lacked flavour. Salt was my best friend for the duration of the meal.

Then the trouble started.

We requested for our dessert pancakes to be served. The waitress came back and told us that the offer was one pancake for one bill, so she would have to split our bill into two. I asked if they were charging the same price. She said yes. Okay, no problems there, we figured.

A couple of minutes later, the waitress turned up again and said that her manager said that they couldn’t split the bill into two. And the offer was still the same. One offer per bill. I looked at the sign and sure enough it was a matter of interpretation. What irked me was that we weren’t informed about it earlier, when they were taking our orders that we were only entitled to ONE pancake. What further upset me was that the promotional sign was deliberately misleading. At first glance, it is easy to interpret it as one dessert pancake with one savoury pancake meal. The straw that broke the camel’s back was the fact that the manager was not interested in coming to our table to explain the situation to us and instead sent his pawn to defend the fort.

I was tired of all the lame explanations and cancelled the dessert orders completely.

The manager’s attempt to save the establishment RM5++ has only caused the loss of further business. And a loss of goodwill for the restaurant.

It doesn’t take a marketing person to figure that out.

Sungai Besi Wantan Mee

2007-07-20T01:27:00.000+08:00

Music always soothes the soul, even when one has completely forgotten everything that her music teacher had taught her up till she turned 17, after which her attention was diverted to cars and boys. Despite not being able to tell the difference between a B Minor chord and an F Major chord, I have never ceased to appreciate all types of music, from classical to jazz. So when the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO) gave its inaugural performance in 1998, we were ecstatic. We looked forward to one major event every year; when tickets for the new season were up for sale, we'd queue up with the rest of the die-hard fans to purchase them. Several years back, we'd join the queue as early as 2.00 in the morning with a thermos pot containing hot, steaming coffee, packed sandwiches and a couple of good books to while the time away until they opened the ticket counter at 8.00am. It was a ritual of sorts. We'd see the same faces every year, almost like they were old friends (and perhaps, after all these years, they had become that), so it wasn't really a chore to line up in the comfort of the airconditioned area that the organisers had cordoned off for us.

We love going for concerts. The excitement of dressing up. The anticipation of watching yet another great performance. The opportunity to unwind after a hard day's work. My tense muscles relax, the frown on my forehead disappears, and my eyes shut close as I lose myself in a symphony of music.

We have one other ritual after an evening at the MPO. We eat wantan mee with wildboar curry.

The stall is situated along the Sungai Besi highway leading from KL to Seremban, just after Nichii Fashion City, and right under a 3M signboard. We'd go to this stall in all our finery, sometimes sitting and eating there, and at other times, for take-away. My regular order is a plate of dry noodles with a serving of half lean meat, half fat char siew (barbequed pork). The noodles may not be as springy as what you'd find in Hung Kee, but it's still very good.

What makes the meal really satisfying is the extra serving of thick, spicy, wild boar curry, poured liberally over the wantan noodles. The meat is cooked till tender, and the flavours of the spices infuse the meat and mask the strong smell of wild boar that one tends to get a waft of if the meat is not cooked properly.

Other items available here include hakka stewed pork, vinegar pork knuckles and sui kow. I've tried the hakka stewed pork once, but it failed to impress so I didn't bother ordering it again.

The stall is open for dinner till really really late, so it is a good place to stop by after a night of partying. Stumbling about in a drunken stupor is not necessary.

Also check out:
KY Eats
KampungboyCitygal

Hajime Japanese Restaurant, Jalan Damai

2007-07-17T02:02:00.000+08:00

Subsequent to my last post on Japanese food, several food enthusiasts signed up to become members of the Japanese Food Kawan Association (a label coined by one loyal lifetime member, Xiu Long Bao). I had a hard time deciding on the committee members. Two positions were subsequently filled (Elected by the President - majority not required...who said this was a democracy anyway?). Boo_licious was appointed Secretary due to her prolific writing skills and excellent photography, while Paprika was appointed Treasurer (due to her connections with one Hunky who is attached to an international bank and who is able to provide unlimited funding as and when required...we hope...) and Head of Maki subcommittee. Other posts will be filled in due course. Your patience is appreciated.

Being the responsible citizens that we were, the newly appointed committee met immediately to discuss the rules & regulations and other such technicalities over a plate of sashimi at our not-so-secret headquarters.

Finding the not-so-secret headquarters wasn't too terrible a task as I was familiar with Jalan Damai, the location of one of my favourite spas, Vila Manja. The exterior and interior of this refurbished bungalow were extremely pleasing due to the use of various types of woods and stones to create different textures on the surfaces of the building. I brushed past a rope curtain at the main entrance as I entered a very short passageway which led to the main dining area. The main area had two separate sections. The non-smoking section consisted of sunken seats with muted lighting, while the smoking section was more brighty lit with conventional tables and chairs. Naturally, because we wanted to document the food correctly without the unnecessary attention of flashbulbs, we sacrificed our lungs for the sake of our faithful Japanese Food Kawan Association members. *cough cough*

The menu wasn't very extensive, but contained enough of a variety to get us curious. I have to add here that service was excellent. The lady taking our order was not only knowledgeable about her menu, she was also able to give us informed recommendations on the different types of food. Perhaps other restaurants should take a leaf out of Hajime's book and learn something about the importance of hiring knowledgeable staff.

I have blogged about Fugu before. There's really nothing to worry about as the poison would have been removed prior to shipping. At least, that's what they all say. Better to be blissfully ignorant than to be consciously skeptical and a constant worrywort, I say! The Fugu Mirin Hoshi priced at RM14 was nothing like the sashimi I had tried before. The thick cut slices of fugu tasted like barbequed dried meat which was rather chewy but full of flavour. If someone gave me this dish and asked me to do a blind test, I'd have immediately guessed it to be dried pork instead of fish. I'd put this in the "snack" category - perfect for munching on while watching Harry Potter battle his nemesis in the movies.

The Hotatei Corn Yaki (RM18) was essentially scallops baked with a topping of cheese and corn. The sweet scallops contrasted well with the heavy topping.

Having the honorable Head of Maki subcommittee in our midst, we naturally had to order something to suit her discerning palate, and we believe that she was suitably satisfied with the Black Spider Maki (RM18) made of sinfully delicious soft shell crabs with caviar in a vinegared rice roll. We struggled a bit trying to eat the rather large pieces of maki in a ladylike fashion, but our attempts made the effort clumsier than ever with bits of rice and other ingredients covering our tiny plates with a mess capable of making my 5 year old twitchy fidgetty nephew, with his Winnie the Pooh plastic bowl, look like an angel.

The Hamo (pike eel) Teriyaki (RM38) was like comfort food to me. Tasting similar to unagi, I couldn't quite tell the difference between the two. Perhaps I shall have to try another serving?

The waitress suggested trying the Taco Belt which got us thinking of Mexican food and pita breads, and I'm glad we didn't laugh away her recommendation. This must be the best item of the night. The maki was not made of rice, but instead consisted of soft shell crab, salmon and avocado wrapped in seaweed. The unique textures of the different ingredients made me feel like I was experiencing so many different sensations at the same time; from the softness of the avocado to the crunchiness of the soft shell crab, they all blended together to create a symphony of flavours.

Unfortunately, the Wagyu Roll with Shimeji Mushroom (RM36) fell short of expectation. the bland taste and tough texture of the meat was barely rescued by the barbeque sauce on the side.

I enjoyed eating the Salmon Shichu Mushi (RM15) which was served with a very small portion of noodles. The highlight of this dish was most definitely the broth, infused with the flavours of the salmon and seaweed, which it was cooked in.

Earlier that evening, I was having a conversation with another Japanese food expert who advised me to try food other than sashimi after seeing the glut of sashimi posts on my blog, but really, sir, it is hard to teach an old dog new tricks. After 20 minutes of humming and hawing, and with the blessings of my newly appointed committee, I proceeded to order a plate of sashimi (RM100). Looking at the gorgeous pieces of freshly cut fish placed on a bed of shaved ice, I am glad I acknowledged my inner desires. With every bite of the raw fish, I felt like I was born again.

I didn't touch much of the Daikon Ume Salad (RM18) made of white radish drizzled with japanese plum sauce. The sauce was a little too sour for my liking and the salad was just too ordinary.

Figuring out the dessert was quite an effort in imagination. The Kuzukiri (RM10) was puzzling. The noodles (which I presume were made of arrow-root starch) was rather gelatinous while the brown sauce was apparently made of gula melaka (brown palm sugar). We took turns guessing what the powder was, and creative answers such as "peanut powder with a hint of sesame" to "something that my mum uses in her indian cooking lah" were offered, but in the end, we were told that it was actually chestnut powder. I guess even foodies get it wrong sometimes. :-)

The meeting adjourned at 11.00pm with a vote of thanks to the President.

Hajime
No. 64, Jalan Damai, Off Jalan Tun Razak, 55000 KL.

Tel: 03-2143 0073

For map, click here.

We'll Always Have Our Durians

2007-07-14T19:56:00.000+08:00

He called me at 7.00 in the evening.

"Are you free to meet me?", he asked.

"Not now", I whispered conspiratorily. "I'm in a meeting."

I called him back at 8.00pm.

"Meet me now", he said. He proceeded to explain to me why he desperately wanted to see me.

I sensed the urgency in his voice and agreed to see him despite the late hour.

As I waited for him, my heart beat faster.

When he arrived, he wasted no time in taking out the most beautiful sight any woman could ever hope to see. Thorny and hard, the smell drove me wild.

Y

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If friendship were measured by durians, this guy's a keeper. *hugs*

William's, Taman Mayang Jaya

2007-07-12T00:44:00.000+08:00

Sometimes, interesting food can be found in the unlikeliest of places.

Take for example, William's. Fellow blogger and Hot Sweaty Stud (HSS - not to be confused with the Original HSS) had been raving about William's from the day I first met this multi-accomplished person. After months of talking about visiting this place, we finally found a window of opportunity and grabbed it.

Incidentally, for those who are familiar with this once-handsome young man, don't despair if you are unable to recognise him. HSS' favourite barber has gone back to India; neither is he able to find his Gillette Mach 3 Turbo razor (although, at this rate, he'd probably need a lawnmower to get rid of all that scruffiness).

Anyhow, this is a food blog, so.....

Now, imagine an open aired area with randomly placed plastic tables and chairs. Imagine the stretch filled with young people, mostly students, energetically chatting, huge mugs filled with coloured liquid, and plastic plates in front of them containing...*gasp*....western food? Antipasto? Spaghetti? Risotto? The food looked totally displaced at what looked like a mamak stall.

How would one respond when one is told that the Triple-H (5 decks altogether; not sure why Triple) contained salami, pastrami, pepperoni but no bikini and lamborghini?

That was my introduction to William, the proprietor.

Imagine a chinese mamak. The colourful character seemed more comfortable speaking in our National Language (and a heartwarming thought it is too, in the light of our coming Merdeka Day next month).

The sandwich, wrapped in an omelette, was delicious. I kept stealing bites from HSS' plate.

William helped me decide on my order.

William: You nak nasi ke, mee ke, roti ke.....?

Me: I'd like rice please.

William: Ah, nasi...ada nasi goreng dengan ketam, risotto......

Me: Oooh, you have risotto???

William: Mesti ada. Ada seafood risotto.....

At this point, William grabbed a plate of seafood risotto that was making its way to one of the tables and shoved it in my face.

William: Risotto macam ni le...

My eyes bulged. The risotto looked gorgeous!

Me: Done! I'll take it!!

And that was how I ended up with a plastic plate holding a very yummy risotto made of creamy, round-grained rice, cooked with prawns and sliced fish, surrounded by mussels, scallops, grilled seabass and squid. The squid was stuffed with mantis prawns cooked in a butter sauce and served with what tasted like mint sauce (although the sauce was quite different from the mint sauce that is normally served with lamb). I felt like I was a mermaid in Neptune's paradise, thrilled at the multiple textures and rich flavours found on the cheap plastic plate.

Hmmm....then again, do mermaids eat their friends??

The total bill came up to RM59. Okay, so it's not mamak pricing, but the food was substantial! The stall is open after 6.00pm and can get rather crowded in the later part of the evening. For good service and consistent food quality, I suggest you go there earlier.

There have been varying food reviews on William's, so do check out what the other bloggers have to say:

William's
Jalan SS26/9, Taman Mayang Jaya
Petaling Jaya

Fish Head Noodles at Red Leaf Restaurant & Cafe, Jln Loke Yew, KL

2007-07-07T18:00:00.000+08:00

When we have cravings for fish head noodles and are not in the mood to queue up for a table at Woo Pin in Taman Desa or hunt for parking at Goon Wah in Kuchai Lama, our next best alternative is Red Leaf Restaurant at Jalan Loke Yew. Perhaps terming it "next best" isn't very fair. The fish head noodles here can hold its own against the powerhouses mentioned above.

Our usual order comes with huge chunks of deep-fried fish and fish head, a few pieces of firm, delectable fish paste, tomatoes, preserved vegetables and of course, rice vermicelli, in a thick milk-infused broth. The "small" serving is rather large, but all the better to drink you up, grandma.

The restaurant also serves a variety of other popular one-dish meals, such as curry mee, wantan mee, claypot lou shue fun and prawn noodles, all of which are pretty good.

For all the writing I have done on high-end Malaysian and foreign food, this is where my heart is. Simple Malaysian fare that warms me up.

Diversity. That's what it's all about.

Red Leaf Restaurant & Cafe
(coming from Jln Maharajalela, it is located just before the Loke Yew roundabout)
Jalan Loke Yew, KL.

Café Café, KL

2007-07-05T01:05:00.000+08:00

Who would have thought that after travelling the world so extensively, we would be able to sample a little bit of Paris at the corner of what used to be called Birch Road, now renamed (like everything else in Malaysia) after his nemesis, Maharajalela. Locating the restaurant is not that easy. Hint: Look for the shop at the end of the road with the black facade, reminiscent of a dark worshipper's temple.

The restaurant is a paradox of looks, both opulent and rustic at the same time.

Chandeliers suspended from the high ceilings, crystals reflecting the sparse lighting seemingly floating in mid-air, a curtain of glass beads providing bare privacy, melting candles and gargantuan flower arrangements greeted us, while a wisp of light forged the way to our seats beside huge windows covered by dark, heavy curtains.

Dinner consisted of escargots, foie gras, mushroom soup, duck confit and wagyu beef cheek. My baked escargots in a lovely buttery garlic sauce was exquisite; the soup was a fresh, albeit light mushroom soup with a strong peppery taste; and the duck confit was well-browned and crisp on the outside, while the meat was gelatinous, tender and bursting with flavour due to the several hours of cooking in fat. The wagyu beef cheek, on the other hand, was tender and buttery.

Desserts were lovely. My tiramisu with its creamy mascarpone cheese came doused in french brandy and was utterly decadent. Bald Eagle had a rich chocolate cake filled with peanut butter and it came served with a skinny candle pierced into it, burning merrily away as I softly sang him a birthday song.

Also check out:-

Café Café

175, Jalan Maharajalela 50150 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03-2141 8141

For map: http://www.cafecafekl.com/

Banquet, Bangsar Village II

2007-07-03T12:27:00.000+08:00

If you have been to Café Café, you will know that its interior is dark and opulent and it is every photographer's nightmare. Banquet, its sister restaurant, which just opened at Bangsar Village II, is what light is to darkness. The restaurant is decidedly feminine with chandeliers, wicker chairs, wrought iron table stands and flowers everywhere.

The smoking section, located in an enclosed space, is filled with mirrors giving the illusion of space. The non-smoking section is bathed in warm light and is located in the centre court section of the shopping mall. Both are pretty, and the main theme of white furnishings is carried through the two sections.

The menu includes both local as well as western cuisine with prices generally in the RM20 - RM30 range. For starters, we ordered the sweet corn and shrimp fritters (RM14/US$4) which was served with a rather plain, somewhat commercialised, chilli sauce.

I loved the fritters which was fried to a nice crisp with distinct pieces of corn and shrimps. Very tasty and it didn't leave me with the feeling that I was eating just plain flour.

I enjoyed the baked butter fish (RM25/US$7) which was served with a lovely sweet and tangy honey mustard sauce. I especially loved the sauce's grainy texture. The salad was pretty ordinary and it's something that you either love or hate. I felt that the boiled chickpeas would have done better in a rolled up page off the telephone directory rather than in my salad.

The lamb shank (RM38/US$11) was nice and tender. It's hard to go wrong with an order like this. The lamb shank was served with the same side dish of chickpeas and potato salad.

The seafood spaghetti (RM28/US$8) was served with a generous portion of prawns, but sadly, the prawns were not very fresh.

The dessert menu was rather similar to that found in Café Café. We tried the chocolate tart (RM9/US$2.60) which was very gelatinous in texture and really nothing to shout about.

Also check out:

Banquet
1F-28, Bangsar Village II
2 Jalan Telawi Satu
Bangsar Baru
59100 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03-2282 3228

Mui Hiong Salt Fish Delicacy, Imbi

2007-07-02T00:23:00.000+08:00

"Come in, sit down!", the lady greeted me in English. "You read about us in NST?", she asked affably.

"Errr, no", I said apologetically.

"Never mind, I give you good dishes to eat", she offered. "We famous for salted fish dishes, you know."

"Errr, yes, I figured that out from your name", I said.

The friendly lady, whom I later found out was the wife of the proprietor cum chef, George Lai, proceeded to describe the house specialities and later produced a copy of the NST for me to read while I waited for my food.

I had a delightful conversation with the the proprietor, George Lai. According to George, the restaurant specialises in chinese new village food, which is essentially food that came about during the 1950s during the Malayan Emergency. As a result of the setting up of these new villages during the Emergency and their segregation to prevent insurgents from gaining influence in the community, the people had to make do with whatever ingredients that were available at that time. Dried salted fish was a popular ingredient. Even after the Emergency ended, the art of preparing these dishes continued. George remembers being asked by his mother to go out and purchase salted fish from the nearby sundry shop when he was young. He has since carried on the tradition of cooking new village food, and I had the pleasure of sampling some of his specialities.

The ikan kurau (threadfin) steamed with salted fish is one such dish. In dishes such as this, the freshness of the fish is crucial, and George didn't fail us. The salted fish provided a hint of flavour, but didn't overpower the dish, leaving the ikan kurau to bask in its watery glory.

Another popular new village dish is the steamed minced pork with cuttlefish. Best eaten hot while the minced pork is still soft, the cuttlefish added a lovely salty, fishy taste to the dish. George cooks mainly Hakka and Cantonese style dishes and is an expert on steamed dishes.

The stir-fried lettuce and cabbage is a simple dish that tasted wonderful with the generous serving of sliced dried scallops. Of course, in the days of the Emergency, the dish was normally cooked with chopped pieces of salted fish, but the dish has since been improvised to suit the growing needs of the affluent customer.

I wanted to break out into song when I tasted the stir-fried bittergourd in a salted egg yolk base. The creamy texture of the sauce went extremely well with the bitter taste of the vegetable creating a myriad variety of flavours in my mouth. The dish was fried with prawns. This was probably the only dish that wasn't a traditional new village recipe.

George Lai has been in the restaurant business for about 13 years, starting in Pandan Jaya, then moving to Taman Maluri and now in Imbi. The restaurant has been in Imbi for approximately 2 years. Don't be misled by the very plain signboard and bare appearance. A gem (albeit a little smelly!) awaits to be discovered inside.

Mui Hiong Salt fish Delicacy
4, Jalan Medan Imbi, Off Jalan Imbi
55100 KL
012-2993331

Opening hours: 12.00 noon - 3.00pm, 6.00pm - 10.00pm (closed Monday and Tuesday of the last week of the month)

Birthday Greetings!!

2007-06-29T09:00:00.000+08:00

The secret of staying young is to live honestly, eat slowly, and lie about your age. ~Lucille Ball (or Bald??)

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Eat Work Shop, Glenmarie, Shah Alam

2007-06-28T21:05:00.000+08:00

When I first heard of Eat Work Shop, I laughed. What workshop? A workshop with food? It certainly sounded like one of the many car workshops in the city which had chap fan (mixed rice) stalls parked right in front of them to cater to the blue-collar workers in the area.

My imagination was further fueled when I found out that Eat Work Shop was located in the industrial area of Glenmarie. I concluded that it was definitely a food stall in a workshop.

I have a knack for spelling. When I was 5, I was given a sweet for spelling rhinoceros. It was a proud moment for me. And so, when I saw the spelling for Workshop spelt "Work Shop", I laughed again. How typically Malaysian, I thought to myself. Trying to be creative, I bet!

Well, as you can imagine, the last laugh was on me. Eat....Work....Shop. Duh. ALTHOUGH, Yang Ariff, there is no shopping in this place, so why "shop"?

Finding this restaurant in the middle of the night with nary a soul in sight within a 2km radius felt like an achievement. As we climbed through a tiny gate attached to a wall that looked like it was still under construction, I suddenly knew what it felt like to be Aladdin when he first chanced upon the treasures in the cave. Before me, there stood a restaurant in the middle of nowhere with warm lights peeking out through huge glass windows, welcoming a hungry stranger in. There didn't seem to be many customers that night, though, but perhaps it was the location or the misleading name!

I love the pan-fried seabass which came creatively presented on a couple of risotto pancakes. The flesh was firm and the segments came apart easily as I cut through the fish. The accompanying passionfruit sauce added a tangy, yet sweet, flavour to the entire dish and did not compete with the flavour of the fish. (Note: this dish was not on the menu and was recommended to me by the lady serving us.)

Bald Eagle had the chicken with cubed potatoes and asparagus in a mango sauce (RM22.80/US$6.70). Again, I applaud the chef for his creativity in matching the uniquely created sauces with the meats.

For dessert, I had the chocolate fondant (RM12.80/US$3.70), which was essentially a moist chocolate cake that was served with pineapple confit and vanilla ice cream. As I sliced through the cake, warm melted chocolate oozed out to my delight and I quickly lapped it up together with the side servings. Perfect.

I'm rather lucky that Eat Work Shop is located so close to home in Bukit Jelutong, but even if we weren't living in BJ, I'd gladly make a trip here despite the distance.

Also check out:

Eat Work Shop
No. 9, Jalan Peguam U1/25
Glenmarie Business Park
40150 Shah Alam
Tel: 03-5569 7763

Mizu, Japanese Fine Dining, Bangsar Village

2007-06-27T00:04:00.000+08:00

It has been 12 days since my last Japanese food post. I still love Japanese. I just don't have many friends who appreciate Japanese food as much as I do (hint: if you like Japanese food, feel free to apply for position as "friend". Interviews will be conducted within a week of application. Knowledge of Japanese is not essential but will be an advantage).

Y Y Y Y Y

The following conversation takes place all the time with the Makan Club:

2005

Bouncing Barbie: What's for lunch today? (Note: Same question every day)
Lyrical Lemongrass: Let's go for Japanese!
Pretty Pui: Ewww!! I hate Japanese food!

2006

Bouncing Barbie: What's for lunch today?
Lyrical Lemongrass: Let's go for Japanese!
Pretty Pui: Ewww!! I hate Japanese food!

2007

Bouncing Barbie: What's for lunch today?
Lyrical Lemongrass: Let's go for Japanese!
Pretty Pui: Ewww!! I hate Japanese food!

I suppose you get the picture.

Y Y Y Y Y

A window of opportunity opened up one day when Pretty Pui wasn't around:

Bouncing Barbie: Japanese? *wide grin*
Lyrical Lemongrass: Hai dozo! *wide grin*

Y Y Y Y Y

We had heard of the cheap set lunches at Mizu in Bangsar Village, and because budget is always a factor, the decision to go there was a no-brainer. Finding the main entrance was a little more difficult. A dark narrow passageway (where I half expected ninjas to pounce on me, but that would be a different restaurant) eventually led to a modern setting with water features, sleek furniture and open-concept kitchen.

Barbie's grilled unagi set came with huge, juicy looking grilled eels served with rice, miso soup, chawan mushi and pickled vegetables. I thought the serving was quite substantial and could easily feed two people. This was good value at RM26 (US$7.50) for the set. The accompanying chawan mushi was rather disappointing though. It was watered down and too plain for my liking.

Service was extremely fast. Perhaps it was because I whispered to the waiter that we were in a terrible hurry (which wasn't a lie). Our lunchtime is normally from 1.00pm to 2.00pm and we had risked going to a fine dining place just to satisfy a craving. No, we are both not pregnant, but thanks for asking.

My salmon ikura don (RM28/US$8) is what I would term sushi in a bowl. The ingredients were there - vinegared rice, strips of seaweed, raw salmon and fish roe. I love biting into ikura (fish roe) and feeling the juices burst into my mouth as they trickle down my tongue and throat. The slightly salty taste of the ikura went well with the vinegared rice, while the thick-cut slices of salmon, drenched in soy sauce and wasabe, provided a full-bodied taste to the rice dish.

We made it back to our office at 2.15pm. I think that's pretty good timing.

Also check out:

Mizu

1st Floor, Bangsar Village I, Bangsar, KL.

Tel: 03 - 2283 6988

Max! Kitchen & Wines

2007-06-24T20:56:00.000+08:00

The key ingredients were all there: a good restaurant, fun company and excellent food.

We met at Max!, post-Just Heavenly Pleasures' official launch, to celebrate a quiet evening together. As it turned out, and I should have expected this, we took up most of the place upstairs at Max! and caused the glasses to shatter (figuratively speaking) with our loud chatter and excited conversations with each other.

There are times when I want to cry from sheer happiness upon tasting good food. Last night was one of those moments. My shiraz braised wagyu beef cheeks with mushroom ragout (RM60/US$18) was velvety smooth and melted in my mouth as I exhaled a sigh of pleasure. Max's dish will now be the standard against which I compare all wagyu beef preparations.

I also ate off Bald Eagle's and Nigel's plates, so I can vouch for the chargrilled lamb cutlets (RM50/US$15) and the seared tuna loin (RM28/US$8). The lamb cutlets were very tender and went well with the accompanying garlic confit, while the tuna was seared to a perfect crisp on the outside while remaining rare on the inside.

The above is a selection of starters and mains ordered by the other food bloggers.

It was a wonder that I could still eat anymore after that orgasmic experience with the wagyu beef, but when the proprietor and chef, Max Chin, suggested a white chocolate tart, there was no hesitation in my reply as I absolutely LOVE white chocolate. The tart was nice, although I found it a little mild, tasting more cream than chocolate, but the crisp chocolate shell and the chocolate ice cream were a good foil for the white chocolate.

The desserts selection was small, but satisfying. The warm, freshly prepared chocolate souffle which I swiped from Bald Eagle was extremely good.

The food bloggers were excellent company. Nigel and Allan - once again, congratulations on your launch. It was indeed a pleasure to be able to celebrate the special day with you. Paprika, looking forward to more eating sessions with you. Love your pretty red earrings, by the way! And Hunky, don't forget to order wagyu beef cheeks on your next visit. :-) Mavis, love your photographs of pets! Soo Yin, small world, huh? :-) Who would have thought that you knew Bald Eagle all along?? Jason, WMW, Joe and Nicole, sadly, the long table was too long, but I heard the word nipple mentioned several times! Bald Eagle, thanks for sharing your food, dear. Splashie Boy, you and Paprika were great lightings people!! Boo_licious, thanks for organising this once again. It was definitely worth the wait!

Max! Kitchen & Wines
27, Tengkat Tong Shin
50200 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03-2141 8115

Sate Kajang Haji Samuri, Damansara Uptown

2007-06-20T20:23:00.000+08:00

Delicious phallic symbols of glory.

There's a certain rawness of manner in using one's teeth to pull out the pieces of skewered meat on a stick. Almost primitive. The warm meat mixed with the crushed peanut sauce is harmonious.

Human beings have short memories. News today, garbage tomorrow. The case against the popular Kajang satay company on the discharge of toxic effluents is long forgotten. What price for delicious satay?

Sate Kajang Haji Samuri used to be available only in Kajang, but the success story has been replicated all over the Klang valley and beyond. Closer to home, for me at least, is the restaurant at Damansara Uptown. Same satay in an attractive setting. Wear your heels and your finery if you like, but remember that all decorum fizzles when you use your fingers and teeth to remove the deliciously grilled meat.

The price is reasonable too. 60 sen (less than USD$0.20) per stick of chicken, beef, beef tripe, chicken liver and fish satay, while mutton, rabbit and venison satay ranges between 90 sen (USD$0.25) and RM1.60 (USD$0.50) per stick. Nasi impit (compressed rice), sliced cucumbers and sliced onions are essential side dishes.

The thick and delicious peanut sauce is served separately from the sambal. Add the sambal at your own risk. It is potent, but guaranteed to make you break into a heated sweat.

Also check out:

KY Speaks

masak-masak

Kuala Lumpur is Home

Sate Kajang Hj Samuri
No. 79, Jalan 21/37,
Damansara Uptown, Petaling Jaya.
Tel: 03-7710 5318

Of very non-halal quiches and an honorary Makan Club member

2007-06-19T00:46:00.000+08:00

Our Makan Club has thrived on the diversity of tastes of the various members. And sometimes, looks can be quite deceiving. For instance, it would be wrong to assume that the only person with Indian blood in the Makan Club would have a high tolerance for all things spicy. On the contrary, most of the Makan Club members put me to shame when it comes to eating food with chilli.

The members of the Makan Club consist of people who work at my office. Not because we're snobs. Far from it. It is merely for the convenience of travelling together to a food destination. So when Smokin' SOB informed me one day that he would be leaving the firm for "greener pastures" (I am unsure if the pastures are indeed greener, for what could be more joyful than working in our beloved firm? ---> Boss Man, please take note of apple polishing), I was unsure what our future as the Makan Club would hold. It was certainly an unprecedented move for the Makan Club. As a founding member, I didn't want to delete Smokin' SOB's name from the list. It would feel so final.

Several farewell parties had been thrown in honour of Smokin' SOB. One such party was held last weekend...a sort of potluck party (where most of the food was purchased rather than cooked at home! Accountants are busy people too)...and to redeem myself for not cooking, I decided to impress the group with only the best dish. Thankfully, Fatboybakes came to mind; he suggested a very non-halal bacon and mushroom quiche and I immediately agreed. After all, it is virtually impossible to get a good, very non-halal quiche here, and I knew my friends loved very non-halal food. The quiche was amazing! Baked with oodles of chopped bacon and mushrooms in a buttery base, its texture was fluffy and smooth at the same time due to the use of cream rather than milk and it made all the difference in the world. Certainly worth every cent of the RM60 that I paid.

Fatboybakes takes orders, so drop him an email if you ever want to impress your friends. I'm sure he wouldn't mind if you passed off his pie or quiche as yours either. Pop it into the oven and let the scent envelope your home. Aaah...better than any room fragrance!

Smokin' SOB - thank you for being a friend and a confidante. The man at our regular tea stall will miss your taunting. I shall miss my German beer "kaki", my punching bag, and your car. The office will be quiet without your loud expletives. Okay, that's a good thing. :-) And I shall probably be less drunk without you! Hmmm. Is it me, or does this seem good too? Sigh. There goes the only negative influence in my life.

Call us if you're ever hungry, dude!

A Whiff Of Lemongrass - A Malaysian Food Blog

Restoran LYJ, Sg Buloh - Poon Choi

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Of very non-halal quiches and an honorary Makan Club member

Good Things Come To Those Who Wait hic