So Much Food, So Little Stomach

Over It - Atkins Phase 2,3,4, I'm Out The Door!

2011-11-14T22:11:00.000+08:00

I regret to announce that I'm over this whole Atkins diet. I have not lost a single pound for over 3 weeks despite following the program religiously and upping my exercise. Patience is not my forte! BUT, its not like I've completely given up and having buffets everyday. I've just decided that being on such a strict regime with no results for three weeks was just too stressful. So now that I have relaxed and started introducing a bit more fruit and veg portions, I've lost 1lb. I know I'm too focused on the lbs but I'm still inches away from fitting back into my old jeans. I don't know how else to monitor the weight loss. Sigh... Meanwhile, i've outgrown my recent pair of fat jeans. Woohoo! They are too loose to wear now! Yay!

My friend P was inspired by my Atkins regime and she recently dropped 5kg in 3 weeks. She didn't even follow it religiously. She ate lots of meat and way much more than recommended limit for cheese. And zero exercise. So there you go, everyone is different and what works for me might not work for you. The important thing is, we try. I have tried and yes it does give results super fast and that is great for boosting morale. The other thing is, my skin texture improved. Amazing. Sugar really is bad for the skin. The drawbacks of this diet for me is that it has screwed up my menstrual cycle and I have trouble going to the toilet. Seriously I really need to eat LOTS of veg to keep myself regular. Perhaps that was over-sharing a little but you need to know that so take some psyllium husk every morning. It kinda helps but nothing beats fresh vegetables.

Pan-fried fish with avocado & tomato salsa and salad - super satisfying!

So my last two weeks of Atkins, and then blood test to find out if/how Atkins has affected my insides. Fingers crossed!

Atkins; Phase Two minus One, Week 4

2011-10-30T15:25:00.000+08:00

I'm not sure what happened but the weight loss stalled. Perhaps I moved too quickly onto O.W.L. My weight just wasn't shifting despite following the diet exactly. I still exercised 3-4 times a week and ate my 20g of carbs + 5g of new foods from O.W.L. I decided maybe it was the melon? So I've stopped eating that and I cut back on the strawberries too. Instead of having it everyday as a snack, I'm having it every other day. In the last 3 days, I'm finally back on track with a 2lb weight loss. Weight loss to date is 14lbs. I guess I need to stick on Induction a bit longer as this weight loss is more stubborn than my mother.

On Wednesday I had severe sugar cravings. I haven't felt this way at all throughout the pass 3 weeks. I very nearly caved. I even contemplated diabetic chocolate! I must've stood at the aisle staring and reading all the labels for a good 10 minutes. Finally, Hunky came to the rescue and reminded me that 1) diabetic chocolate sucks and 2) I'd only be cheating myself. Such a supportive husband! The next morning, the feeling was gone. Wow, I came so close to giving up. Sigh, I really, really do miss my sugar. Last night, I did have one chocolate covered almond. It came all the way from Spain! I felt incredibly guilty but Hunky (again) reminded me that this is a long term thing and I shouldn't be so hard on myself for eating one miserable chocolate almond. So instead of feeling bad, I went for a jog this morning.

Lunch - grilled chicken salad with avocado, ham & balsamic dressing

Thanks everybody for the encouragement. Its a constant battle with my inner sugar demon. Its only been 4 weeks but it feels more like 4 months. 4 more weeks to go! I think I'm going to have to up my exercise too. Will keep you posted!

Atkins: Phase Two - O.W.L

2011-10-20T20:43:00.001+08:00

I made it! Its been 17 days since I started Atkins and I'm still alive! I thought I'd just dieeeh from sugar and carb deprivation. Drama much? So now I am in the second phase of Atkins which is Ongoing Weight Loss or OWL for short. Like Harry Potter but not quite as magical. Sigh. So this week, I can up my carb intake by a whole 5g! Woohoo. You know I am being sarcastic right? Whats 5g? Basically 1/2 cup of strawberries. I know, sounds really lame huh? But I've been so deprived that I am ever so grateful for that sweet, sweet taste of strawberries! I can also eat raspberries and blueberries but who can bloody afford those here? My other fruit choices are rockmelon and honeydew which fantastic! It has a great sugary hit and I thought I wouldn't be able to stop myself from eating more but surprisingly, I managed to stay satisfied with that tiny portion (half cup) of rockmelon.

On the scales, it has been impressive. 11lbs to date but I don't really feel it. My clothes feel more or less the same. Okay, maybe I can breathe a little better in them but more importantly, I can breathe a little better when I'm exercising! Scary, my poor heart must've been working so hard. Breakfast remains a challenge. I've been having omelettes. Cheese and tomato, plain cheese, cheese and mushroom, mushroom and chicken, etc... Sigh. I've had soft boiled eggs several times just for a change. This morning I had scrambled eggs and sauteed mushrooms. Super rich as I used 1/4 cup of cream for the eggs. Very satisfying. I think I might go buy some bacon for breakfast this weekend. Yum.

My afternoon snack! Grilled chicken with homemade mayo, hard boiled egg (white) and alfalfa sprouts

So my challenge now is slowly adding different foods from the carb ladder. I'm suppose to go slowly, adding 5g of carbs each week while monitoring my weight loss. If I continue to lose weight, then I can keep adding til I find my limit. This is going to be a battle for me because I am so impatient. I guess it would help once I'm able to have a bigger variety of foods to select from. Until then, lovely glorious pieces of fruit!

Atkins; Phase One - Induction

2011-10-17T13:55:00.000+08:00

I have been on a diet for the past two weeks. It came to a point where I was just feeling uncomfortable in my own skin. And I can’t even say its baby weight because I put it on after I gave birth. I made the mistake of eating like I was still breastfeeding except I wasn’t. So all those naughty calories just stuck and BAM! Suddenly I had put on 7kgs! I was 3kgs from my baby weight when Her Madesty was 3 months old. How could I have let this happen? Instead of losing 3kgs, now I have to lose 10kgs! Sob! So, it was time for drastic measures. No, I couldn’t “just cut down on the food'. If I could just control my eating habits, I wouldn’t have found myself in this predicament in the first place.

I did a little shopping around on the net for diets. There are so many out there but the two that shows consistent results have got to be Atkins and Dukan. My friend is on the Dukan diet and she swears by it. Its quite similar to the Atkins philosophy but I think it is less severe in terms of its variety but its also less tasty as it doesn’t allow for any oil or fats. So with that in mind, I embarked on the first phase of Atkins; Phase One - Induction. A grueling 2 weeks of protein and total net carbs of 20g. I soon discovered how little 20g of carbs are! Anything vaguely fun and tasty naturally has more carbs. I can eat cups and cups of lettuce and that would be fine. But ¼ cup of pumpkin and I’ve already used up ¼ my daily net carb. Do you know how little ¼ cup of pumpkin is? Its tear-jerkingly little! I also look back and think that I must've had 1000g of carbs a day previously.

I needed to do this diet because I really had to break my bad habit of snacking. Its pretty bad as I'm so use to eating a little here and a little there. I can't blame it all on work either. So since I can’t have sugar and carbs anymore so why bother snacking right? The first three days I really missed my sugary snacks and resorted to snacking on beetroot. Beetroot! Is this what you skinny ass people do? Snack on beetroot? Its so sad.

Atkins definitely gives you results but its not without controversy. After all, eating so much meat and practically zero carbs can’t be good for you. I read about Atkins being bad for your kidneys and cholesterol. So I decided to test it for myself. I did a blood test 4 days into my diet. My cholesterol, as expected, was over the healthy limit. I was relieved to find that it was only my LDL (bad cholesterol) that was elevated. My HDL (good cholesterol) was well within the norm as was my Triglyceride levels. My kidney and liver function were good. And the only thing that showed the symptoms of Atkins was found in my urine sample. Ketones. (Lifted from Wiki - Ketones are metabolic end-products of fatty acid metabolism. In healthy individuals, ketones are formed in the liver and are completely metabolized so that only negligible amounts appear in the urine. However, when carbohydrates are unavailable or unable to be used as an energy source, fat becomes the predominant body fuel instead of carbohydrates and excessive amounts of ketones are formed as a metabolic byproduct. Higher levels of ketones in the urine indicate that the body is using fat as the major source of energy.) So the good news was, my body was beginning to burn fat but the bad news was, I was dehydrated. I swear I drink close to 4 litres of water a day but I’m constantly parched.

Homemade fishballs with chicken broth, choy sum and spicy chili sauce.

There is a misconception that you can have as much fat and protein as you like. They encourage a sensible amount of good fats and only about 170-220g of protein each meal. So while technically I can eat a whole turkey for lunch, its probably not a good idea. I am conscious of what all this protein might be doing to my body so I try to eat mainly fish followed by chicken and hardly any beef and pork. Do I feel hungry? Honestly, no because protein really fills me up. The only thing is, I still really miss my sugar. I dream about having chocolate cake. Sigh. And the only sugar substitute allowed is Splenda. I bought a packet and it sucks!! I’ve never bothered with artificial sweeteners so maybe that’s why I think its gross. It sucks so bad that I don’t bother putting it in my coffee anymore. The taste is not even close to sugar and the taste stays in my mouth for hours. Gross. It’s amazing how everything taste so amazing once you start appreciating the simple things again. I had grilled salmon with fennel salad and it just tasted soooo good. The salmon tasted so sweet and the fennel really packed a punch in terms of flavour. I was totally satisfied because everything was just so tasty.

That’s the thing about Atkins. You really have to spend time planning your menu and buying good quality produce. And that’s why Atkins is a very expensive diet! I’ve more than doubled my weekly grocery budget. For me, if I was going to do this, I would do it right. I've followed the diet exactly. Which makes life a little harder but its so worth it. I can still go out to eat but at selected restaurants where I know I can have lean proteins. Japanese is always good. I just have sashimi and some teppanyaki. I know it would be easy to reach for the quick options like sausages and canned meats but I just don't want to go down that road. That would be like replacing one bad habit with another. Having said that, I did have a couple of sausages and chicken wings at a friend's barbecue over the weekend. See, its still a pretty sociable diet. Oh, but I guess it would be a big turn-off for drinkers as you can't have any alcohol at all during these two weeks.

Today is the last day of my two week induction on Atkins. I’ve lost 9lbs. That’s a little over 4kgs. (I switched my digital scale to lbs because its more fun seeing the pounds come off!). I’m almost halfway to my goal. I think it probably helps that I’m fitting in some form of exercise at least 3 times a week. I’m ready to move on to Phase 2 of Atkins: Ongoing Weight Loss. I get to introduce some fruit! Yay!

The Quest for the perfect Victoria Sponge

2011-10-09T16:38:00.000+08:00

Its often said the best things in life are a slice of victoria sponge with a cup of earl grey. Or something like that. I love a good sponge. Its the perfect balance of cake. Light, fun but with some depth unlike its airy fair-weather friend the chiffon. Mind you, I love a good pandan chiffon too. Sigh, what can I say? I just love cakes! So anyway, my sister requested for a Victoria Sponge cake for her birthday and being the good sister that I am, I made her one! When it comes to all things English, there can only one guru to turn to and thats Delia of course. She even has illustrations of 4 different sponges that have slight variations in the recipe. Studying her all-in-one recipe, I had serious doubts it would work. Gasp! Yes, I doubted Delia! Forgive me D! I'll never question you again. It just sounded too simple. So of course I went for the harder one even though she specifically said the all-in-one "is the best sponge of all". Me stupid yes. I tried the classic and honestly not worth the effort. Not that its so complicated but the all-in-one is amazingly idiot-proof. Trust me, I'm an idiot.

Don't expect a sponge like the ones in local bakeries here. This is a full-bodied PG13 version.

Delia Smith's All-in-One Sponge

110g self raising flour + 1 tsp baking powder

110g butter (or margarine) at room temperature

110g caster sugar

2 large eggs

2-3 drops vanilla essence

To finish: icing sugar, jam, lemon curd or fresh cream

Pre-heat oven to 170C and line 2 x 7" round tins with greaseproof paper

1) Sift the flour and baking powder into a large bowl. Sift from good height to give the flour a good airing

2) Simply add all the other ingredient into the flour mixture and mix thoroughly. If the mixture doesn't drop off a wooden spoon easily, add 1-2 tbls hot water to loosen.

3) Divide between the 2 tins and bake for 30 mins ( I found I only needed 20 mins in my oven)

4) Pop it out of the tins and cool on a wire rack the moment they come out of the oven. (Yes, its freaking hot to handle but don't question Delia!). Peel of the paper carefully.

5) Once cooled, spread generously with jam and freshly whipped cream. Y-U-M-M-Y!

6) If you want more depth to the cake, increase mixture to 175g of flour, sugar (I only use 110g) and butter and use 3 eggs. Allow extra 5-10mins cooking time.

Lazy, Hazy Sunday

2011-09-25T10:10:00.000+08:00

Just when I thought the worst of the haze was over, I wake up to a thick blanket of smog hovering the usually beautiful KL skyline. Sigh... Its been a long time since my last post. Who has time to blog these days? Besides, its not like I've had much opportunity to dine out these days. So I guess I'm writing because Her Madesty has gone out to Gran's and I did manage to eat at a few new places recently. But, I'm not going to write about that today. Instead, I'll just say "Hello" with breakfast this morning.

Jamie Oliver's pancakes with bacon & maple syrup. This picture was actually taken a while back. This morning we had it with back bacon which just didn't taste quite as nice. Its a great pancake recipe and soooo easy. Love it!

3 eggs, separated

115g plain flour

1 heaped tsp baking powder

pinch salt

140ml milk

Whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks and set aside. Combine all the other ingredients together. Fold in 1/4 of egg whites into mixture to loosen in. Then fold in remainder of egg whites. Heat non-stick pan on medium heat and pour 1 ladle full of pancake mixture in. Wait until bubbles start to appear on surface before flipping over. Voila! Makes 5 x 5" (diameter) pancakes.

Happy Sunday everybody!

Porky Pizzas at 101 Express

2011-05-16T17:53:00.006+08:00

Thin crust pizza with REAL salami!

With shopping malls sprouting faster than fungus in this country, the older malls fade away into the dusty background of our minds. Gone were the heydays of Ampang Park, Yow Chuan Plaza and Lot 10. Nobody wants to wander in their dark and gloomy corridors anymore. Well, Lot 10 has had a revamp but theres still something quite gloomy about the place. One dusty old shopping mall is still buzzing with youthful energy and thats my favourite, Sungei Wang Plaza. This place is great! You can buy almost anything here! Its been a while since I've been and I'm happy to see that its still crazy busy on a weekday. However, I am very sad that HK Noodle House is no longer there. Replaced by Snow freaking Flake?! Com'onnnn! Anyway I digress. So I hear about this pizza place with porky toppings and I think, "Finally!". After all, 90% of the people in there are Chinese! How come its taken this long eh? Oh well, better late than never.

101 Express is a small kiosk located just inside the Sungei Wang entrance of the skybridge that links Lot 10 and Sg Wang together. Its a takeaway place with several bar stools for dining at the counter. Its not a big menu but I always believe in quality over quantity anyway. We tried the salami pizza, siew yoke & capsicum and the bacon & egg pizza. Sis ordered a soft drink and asked for ice but they didn't have any. We didn't have to wait very long at all. Soon our pizzas literally came out of the oven and onto our plates. Love the thin crust and the assortment of porky toppings! My favourite was the bacon & egg. Generous bacon bits and a barely set egg yolk. Yum! How can you go wrong with that combination really. Pizzas cost RM16 each and can feed two or one hungry person. I'd like to go back and try the nam yue pizza. Should be quite interesting. Chinese cheese?

101 Express - 1st Floor Sungai Wang Plaza (same floor as Esquire Kitchen). Tel 0162038747

Levain Boulangerie Pattisserie

2011-02-28T17:22:00.003+08:00

When my mum first told me about this bakery I thought she was trying to tell me that it was Lavender. I couldn't help it because she kept saying "La something. La wane...La wen..." She had brought back an assortment of buns and she was telling us how busy and packed to the brim the bakery was. After tasting their little pizzas, I decided to go check it out. What a dumb idea to go after lunch because the place was just heaving with office people. I can't believe its an actual stand alone bungalow right next to Fukuya on Jalan Delima. The moment I stepped inside my first thought was "Ipoh"! Firstly the twee decor but more importantly, the hordes of Chinese people! Never have I seen such a big gathering of Chinese people in 1) a bakery and 2) a porkless bakery!

This place is huge! There is the bakery to the left when you walk in and the rest of it is dining area that extends upstairs. I was disappointed that they didn't have much left on offer at the bakery. Or rather nothing that interest me. I saw people crowding around the chocolate log bread. A striped log of soft white bread with streaks of chocolate. It just tastes like you've been too stingy with the chocolate spread. They have a maple flavoured one too which I'm sure is probably more exciting. I like the mini pizzas which are crisp and not doughy like at most bakeries. And the mushroom cheese bun is yummy as is the cream cheese danish. We sat down to have a coffee and I must say, the coffee is better than a lot of restaurants I have been to in KL. I also sampled their macarons which must be the cheapest in town. (They are RM3.60 a piece if you buy 1-3 and he price drops to RM3.00 each when you buy more than 10). There is a reason why they are cheap too. They weren't bad per se. The texture is nice and its a little on the sweet side but they don't use real fruit to flavour their macarons. I particularly enjoyed the junky taste of the orange macaron with its orange essence because I love my orange creams! The colours are rather vivid in various neon shades.

I don't mean to sound like I'm slagging the place off because I do like some of their stuff but honestly I don't get what the big deal is. The bread here is just like every other bakery in KL. Yes, they have some more exciting flavours on offer such as the mentaiko baguette but at the end of the day, its still soft fluffy sweet white bread.

F by Buffalo Kitchen

2011-02-16T17:35:00.008+08:00

Yes, the name of the restaurant is F. Like most people, Hunky and I read it as just Buffalo Kitchen. I was anticipating the opening of this restaurant as the black hoarding looked like it was going to deliver something sexy and unique. Boy was I wrong. With the arrival of Bean, dining out is rare opportunity which Hunky and I cherish. So one Sat afternoon, with Bean safely snoozing at my mother-in-law's, we headed to Bangsar for lunch. Hunky wanted to try Plan B but unfortunately they were full and I refused to queue. Queue for Plan B? You must be joking. So we headed to F instead. The upside on being on the first floor is the natural light flowing in from the windows. I guess the drawback would be the lack of traffic. An open kitchen greets you when first walk in. The cake display looked promising while the smell of coffee was intoxicating and that was a plus for me. We weren't sure what to expect judging from the appearance from the restaurant. The menu was a mishmash of japanese infused "western" food. I must say, absolutely nothing appealed to me while reading the menu. And the one thing that I was veering towards was unavailable. So I settled for a seared tuna salad and tenderloin steak while Hunky ordered soft shell crab and risotto. We settled into our surroundings and according to the information that was printed on the place mat, F prides themselves on serving simple, healthy and quality food.

We were given some bread and fifteen minutes later my salad arrived. Fresh mixed leaves with slices of seared tuna in a miso dressing. It was pretty good as the tuna was nicely done and the miso was a nice balance of sweet and salty. However, I was done eating my salad before Hunky's starter arrived. His soft shell crab done "two ways" consisted of two pergedil-looking cakes and a small piece of deep fried soft shell crab. Again, they were pleasant enough. Like I said earlier, it really was like pergedil as it was more potato and spices than anything. My sesame steak was a total miss. It came with some lotus root and fennel salad. The taste just didn't gel together for me. The sauce was really bland and the fennel salad was way too tart for the steak. Hunky's salmon was straight foward without any hint of japanesy influence. It was a nice and creamy risotto with a firm bite to the rice. Overall it was an average dining experience but we won't be returning anytime soon. Not because it was bad but because we just don't like the fusion, non-descript menu.

F by Buffalo Kitchen is located above Chawan in Bangsar.

69-1 Jalan Telawi 3, Bangsar Baru, KL. Tel 03 22011710

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T14:25:00.007+08:00

Looking back, 2010 in food shots. Left to right from top:

1. Towards the end of my pregnancy I had serious cravings for ice kacang. This was from my favourite cheap and cheerful restaurant Suka at One Residency (Jalan Nagasari).

2. Succuling pig in Ipoh - my parent's hometown and pure evil to the waistline

3. You know I can't resist fried beehoon! This one was from a teochew restaurant along Jalan Pahang. Eventhough it looks rather anaemic but its very delicious and aromatic thanks copious amounts of salted fish and pork lard.

4. My all time favourite tiramisu cake from Alexis but alas, 2010 marked the year of a definite downturn in quality. I hereby announce I will no longer be eating this cake anymore after several very disappointing visits in 2010.

5. The best ramen I've had in a long time! Marutama Ramen in Fahrenheit 88. O-M-G! Have you ever tasted anything so buttery?! Its like butter broth. Farck! How can it go wrong really?!

6. Strolling along the aisles in Selfridges, Hunky and I spotted Baconnaise! Sounds wrong but you know you get in there with a spoon.

7. Red velvet cake - this decade's tiramisu?

8. The magical world of Heston Blumenthal. The most unforgettable meal of 2010.

9. Pregnancy cravings once more at The Daily Grind. Chicken maryland! Fried chicken with onion gravy, grilled bananas, coleslaw and cornbread. Is that a complete meal of what?!

10. Lots of baking done in 2010 - will I have time now that the bun is out of the oven?

11. Roast pork at Yut Kee - love my weekend brunches here.

12. My last holiday for a looong time I think. "Chan village noodles" in Shenzen. Moreish! Who needs to shop when you can eat all day?!

Wow! I know I say this every year but really, 2010 really went by in a flash. It was made even more apparent because I was pregnant. I remember the denial and shock when I first found out and the next thing I knew I was waddling and peeing every 15 minutes and then pop! Welcome baby! Seriously, I want to apply the brakes because I want to savour every minute which seems to fly by like nanoseconds. And here I am, the last day of confinement (wheeee!) and baby is almost a month old. 2010 was a ride. It was fun, a little scary for the fainthearted (me) and exciting. I really truly feel blessed. I am so thankful for my friends who have provided me with laughter and comfort. For my husband who makes me laugh and makes me feel safe, gorgeous, loved and adored (thank you for not running away during the hormonal days!). For my family who irritate the hell out of me sometimes but I wouldn't have it any other way.

Heres to 2011! Wishing all of us a year of discovery, peace, friendship, deliciousness, love and laughter! Happy new year!

Albion by Mr Tickles

2010-12-26T17:23:00.008+08:00

Early, much, much earlier in the year, I promised a guest blogger but he never quite got around to blogging about Prego. Not that its almost the end of the year, Mr Tickles has finally (better late than never I suppose) graced my blog with his post on Albion...

There are meals that are forgettable and there are meals that one remembers. Working in the Golden Triangle I frequent the food-court of a large mall where the bulk of my lunches invariably fall into the former category. The latter can then be sub-divided into the good, the bad and the ugly.

In a fit of unquestionable foolhardiness I told my colleagues that we should go to the Albion for lunch on Christmas Eve. This meant listening to my colleague P moaning about how far it was from the office. I assured him that it was MYR25.00 for a 3 course set lunch so it would be worth it. The three of us arrived at 1215 and were the 4^th table to be seated. The couple seated next to us had ordered ala carte with champagne and were understandably being paid a great deal of attention by the 2 waiters present. So much so that we had to wait until 1230 until one of the waiters turned up and enquired as to our order. Salad or soup for starters, mac n cheese or chicken for mains and affogato for dessert. Orders taken, we then began the usual round of bellyaching and gossip that people in my trade are famous for. 1245 rolls around and no starters, no complimentary bread or drinks have arrived. I call the waiter over and ask him when our meal is expected to arrive. After a quick check he returns and smilingly informs us that “the chicken is not ready, sir”. When will it be ready? “20 mnuites, sir”. This is all said with a straight face, mind you. Mind you, perhaps the waiter hadn’t noticed the sign outside announcing that Albion has an Express Lunch for MY20.00 for 2 courses or MYR25.00 for 3 courses.

Pictures were taken at an earlier visit. Clockwise from top left: the cosy and sexy lounge upstairs; can't remember what salad this was; duck with braised red cabbage - yummy comfort food; quinoa risotto - an acquired taste, perhaps better in theory when wanting to eat healthy; roast pork loin - disappointing as the meat was dry and but the crackling was the saving grace

I know that as a diner in Malaysia one can only expect a certain service level and that is the sad truth of the matter. This is more or less the case no matter where you go. Cutting to the chase, my pumpkin soup was well presented but salty and I didn’t finish it. When the chicken finally arrived it was dry and tasteless. The mash was alright but then again how is it possible to stuff up mash? The affogato was fine. It did what it said on the box and it was a surprising highpoint of the meal. Since I had recommended the place I paid the bill (it contained an error but I had realized by that point that asking for it to be changed would result in a further delay) and we all agreed that we would never return here again. In all fairness it does represent a very good deal and most KLites would probably enjoy it. Just don’t expect there to be anything express about the service despite the owner being present. We left at 1345.
PS this meal was memorable because it was bad.

Albion recently won Best Independent Restaurant at the Timeout KL Food Awards 2010. I have never tried the express lunch but the three times I have been there (ordering from the ala carte menu), it has always been quite pleasant.

31 Jalan Berangan, Off Changkat Bukit Bintang. Tel: 03 21419282. Closed on Mondays. For more information, visit their website here.

Sweet Secrets with Anna Olson

2010-11-25T18:03:00.009+08:00

If you are a fan of AFC like me, then you must be no stranger to Canadian celebrity chef Anna Olson. Best known for her delectable desserts on the tv series Sugar, AFC is now showing her current series Fresh. I love her easy going personality and handy hints in Sugar. I must say I have not watched much of Fresh. Top Chef has taken over my life. Anyway, never would I have thought that I would be meeting Anna Olson in person! AFC has brought her to our shores! The 2-day sugar extravaganza is this weekend 28 & 29 November and only costs RM330++ per person. And it includes a sit down lunch and free flow Mumm's champagne. Sugar and champagne, what a perfectly hedonistic weekend!

I was lucky to be invited to the media preview of Sweet Secrets with Anna Olson at Le Meridien Hotel yesterday where we were treated to a sneak peek of whats to come over the weekend. In 2 hours, she demonstrated 3 recipes, gave very useful tips, fed us sugary treats and made us feel like we were old friends. All in 2 hours. I absolutely loved the butter tart. Aren't you just quivering with delight just at the sound of "butter" and "tart". No, its not actually a tart with butter filling but its just as wonderful and rich as it sounds. It is an intense kind of sweetness that almost makes your scalp itch. Its a good itch! She also demonstrated how to make Maple Walnut Ice Cream which looked surprisingly easy. Alas, the ice cream machine was not working but magically like on tv, "heres a batch I made earlier!" It was surprisingly not very sweet at all and there was a lot of crunch from the walnuts. In between she shared very helpful hints from how to crack an egg perfectly to why one needs to relax glutens. I'm sure she will sharing many more tips this weekend. Our last treat was an Apple Date and Cheddar muffin. I think most Malaysians would love this combination of sweet and salty. The muffin has a lovely moist texture but it was just a tad too sweet for me. I think I will omit the dates when I make it next time.

Anyway, there are still some seats left so hurry up and log on to the website right now!

Meat Cravings at Prime

2010-11-19T20:12:00.010+08:00

1kg prime rib - meltingly tender

So I went to the gyne on Tuesday and guess what? I've put on 3.5kgs since my last visit which was only 2 weeks ago. And the best part is, the baby has only gained 300 grams. Wonderful! The other 3.2kg would be me then! My gyne looks at the screen and says "Hmm, your baby could do with some weight gain. Eat more meat and less chocolate and ice cream". Gasp! How did she know?! I just haven't felt like eating much meat. I've been craving mainly carbs. Anyway, I went and bought more Anmum, Enfamama and Mamamil after that guilt trip my gyne gave me. And its started already hasn't it? The pressure to be a good mum. Blaaaah! Anyway good thing Mikael and I were heading to Prime at Le Meridien for dinner that evening. Its been awhile since I last visited and the great thing about Prime is that they always have new beef on their menu. To start we ordered the lobster bisque (RM45++) and prawn and lobster cocktail (RM65++. I've been having cravings all week!). For mains, we ordered the 1kg prime rib (RM480++) that comes with your choice of vegetables, steak-cut fries and sauces to share between the four of us. It says for 2 people but really, its a mountain of beef! Hunky's lobster bisque came with a puff pastry hat. I wasn't keen on the pastry but the bisque itself was quite lovely! It was full of flavour without being cloyingly rich. My prawn cocktail salad was kind of dismal. Serving it flat on a plate probably didn't help. A thin fan of prawns and avocado slices with two very tiny slices of lobster hidden beneath some leaves. Sad. The prime rib was superb! The meat was nicely charred and oh so tender! Meat cravings fulfilled! I was very disappointed to see that they had removed pecan mud pie from their dessert menu. It was the best dessert there! Instead we had to settle for crepe suzette and hot chocolate cake with stracciatella ice cream and warm chocolate sauce. They were okay to end the evening with but mud pie would've really hit the spot! Yum...

prawn and lobster cocktail - spot the lobster

deliciously creamy and smooth lobster bisque

For more information, visit Le Meridien

Happy Birthday Hunky

2010-11-11T22:18:00.009+08:00

Tim's Nuts by FBB - deliciously moreish!

Not to blow my own horn or anything but if there ever was a "Best Wife" contest, I think I would definitely have a good chance of winning the title. At least thats what I keep telling Hunky. Think of it as brainwashing. Say it often enough and he will start believing it! With only 4 weeks left to baby arriving, I figured I'd do something special for him before our social lives become officially OVER. And my god, when did I lose my glow and sport some bloat instead? I suddenly put on another 2kgs and noticed my ankles have started to swell. Oh dear... I really hope what they say about breastfeeding is true. I need to lose the kgs quick! Anyway, back to Hunky. I organised a indoor golf party for him at City Golf in BSC last night. He had no clue but getting him to go to City Golf was challenging. He kept asking me why I wanted to go have a look. Anyway, he was surprised and very happy. We played 9 holes on St. Andrews course. Even the simulator was difficult so I can only imagine what it must be like playing for real. I blame my bump being in the way. We had delicious cake by FBB. Thank you FBB for making it on such short notice, love you! It disappeared very quickly but thankfully asians being asians, everyone stopped and left us just under a quarter of cake. Phew! What would we eat for breakfast otherwise?

Today is his actual birthday and I decided I would make beef wellington. I only decided this morning and who bloody knew it takes quite a bit of fiddling! I only started at 5pm. Bloody mushrooms took forever to reduce. And then at 6:30pm I read the instructions on the store bought puff pastry that it only takes 20 minutes to cook. WTF. The beef would be too bloody rare! So frantically wrapped the beef in foil and bunged it in the oven for 30 minutes. Let it "cool" for 10 minutes before slapping on the mustard and chicken liver pate. Wrapped it up faster than an origami master and after a quick brush of egg wash, off it went into the oven for 20 minutes. Phew. Just nice! I was pretty happy with the results. The bottom did get soggy as expected but everything else turned out pretty nicely. I don't think I will bother with the chicken liver next time. It was overpowering the duxelle which was a shame because it was really lovely and aromatic. Served it with some blanched beans tossed in bit of butter, roasted potatoes and carrots baked in foil with wine. So much for for 2.5 people. Guess we will be having roast beef sandwiches for the next few days!

Happy birthday my dearest Hunky! Am I the best wife or what?!!

A Crabby Evening at Old Klang Road

2010-10-27T13:44:00.006+08:00

Don't you just love old wives tales? You have to wonder what the logic is behind some of them. My all time favourite, "Eat more tofufah because your baby will have smooth and fair skin" and of course the counter saying "Don't eat soya sauce because your baby will come out dark". Yes, Chinese people are obsessed with skin colour. Hey, its 2010. Not back in the day where fair means rich. If we are still going by that then fat girls should still be in no? Its a sign of prosperity mah. Anyway, I've also been told not to have prawns and crabs because my baby will have (literally translated) "many hands" or dor sau. Seafood or not, I'm pretty sure every child will be curious and will move around and want to touch everything. So with that in mind, off I went with the girls to have crabs at Sin Chua Kee last Saturday evening.

All six of us piled into Lian's Mazda 6. Its a very roomy car! Well the tallest one drove and the pregnant one got to sit in front. Yay! On the way there, we already decided that we would have salted egg crab, marmite crab and chilli crab. It was a toss up between chilli and cream. I haven't had chilli crab since I was a child so I voted for that. Some things are better left as a fun childhood memory. We also ordered a token vegetable, their signature golden beancurd with minced pork and guiness pork ribs. We noticed that almost every table had ordered fish. I'm guessing its probably their specialty but we already ordered so much protein. Next time will definitely try the fish.

The restaurant was heaving with families from around the neighbourhood. Good thing Lian had booked a table. The food came out fairly quickly and we quickly devoured the veg, tofu and pork. The tofu was lovely. Just what I wanted to eat with steaming hot rice. Crisp on the outside and gloriously smooth and wobbly on the inside. The ribs were tender and flavourful. We had to wait a further 10 minutes before the crabs started coming out. First up the marmite. I found the sauce a little runny for my taste. I'm used to having it sticky and treacle-like. However, the flavour was still there and we ploughed through it in no time. Then came the salted egg crab. Mmmm, how can salted egg go wrong right? Very aromatic and moreish. Lastly the chilli crab which was okay. The taste was pretty good but I prefer the other two. We were such gluttons! After the last crab was devoured we ordered two more salted egg crab! I wish we didn't. It was just a little too much. Between all that food and the baby, it was very uncomfortable!

The bill came up to just under RM300 with 3 cans of coke and chinese tea. Very reasonable considering how many crabs we ate!

47 Jalan Kuchai Satu, Taman Lian Hoe, 58100 Kuala Lumpur. Tel: 03 7981 6023

Shuraku

2010-10-11T16:03:00.013+08:00

Clockwise from top left: pork and chicken skewers with raw egg; yummy tamago roll topped with seared salmon and chilli oil; aromatic pork belly skewers; pork and kimchi salad with lettuce; bacon wrapped cherry tomatoes

I am counting down the days to childbirth. It seems like only yesterday that I discovered I was pregnant and yet here I am, with only 7 weeks to go. Am I having anxiety attacks? Hell yea! Its not so much that I'm not ready (too late now isn't it?!) to be a mum, right now the main focus is getting through the labour. Paaaaiiinnnnnn! I'm just very chicken when it comes to pain. I need a jab when I visit the dentist, needless to say, I will need a big jab when the time comes. Gulp. To get my mind off things, I think about all the things I will be able to eat! Blue cheese, coffee and sashimi! Oh sashimi, how I have missed thee. Eating Japanese food just isn't the same. Having said that, I didn't feel like I was missing out when we dined at Shuraku last night. It was my first time at Shuraku and let me just start off by saying that the food was intensely satisfying! The restaurant is located on the second floor above Maybank. Despite the vague frontage and it being a Sunday night, the restaurant was pretty happening with families around the neighbourhood. We were told the restaurant recently expanded into two lots and with that, a whole new menu. We had many different yakitoris all of which had an amazing charcoal aroma. More often than not, I find yakitori in Malaysia reeks of oil or they are just over seasoned. Which is why I've never been a big fan, until now that is. Love the pork belly! Love the bacon wrapped cherry tomatoes! Love the pork and chicken skewer with raw egg sauce! (Unfortunately I couldn't eat the egg but the skewer was lurvelee!)

Bari really spoilt us and the dishes just kept on coming. I liked the tamago roll with lightly seared salmon and chilli oil on top. Sweet, salty and spicy! All of us really liked the tofu with unagi on top. We all agreed that it didn't quite taste like tofu and there really was something about it that reminded us of foie gras! Minus the guilt, what a good substitute. What I was especially happy about was when we were presented with hiyashi chuuka. I love this dish. I used to eat it all the time at Dontaku. Its done a little differently here but it tastes just as good. Very light, clean flavours. Just the thing after all that grilled meats. To end the meal, homemade goma ice cream. I don't know much about Izakaya food but I do know that I haven't quite had a meal like that in Malaysia before. I can't wait to go back to try more dishes! Thank you Bari for being such a lovely host.

Clockwise from top left: token vegetable - asparagus skewers; crispy unagi and cream cheese maki; the simple and cosy interior; pretty butterfly plates; my favourite - hiyashi chuuka!; and the wonderful faux gras dish.

Shuraku is located at 13-2 Jalan Solaris 1, Solaris Mont Kiara off Jalan Duta Kiara, 50480 Kuala Lumpur. For reservations, call +603-6203 0561. Only open for dinner from 6:30pm. Closed on Mondays.

Chef Choi - forgotten favourite

2010-09-19T17:23:00.006+08:00

Chef Choi has been around for years. Yet, its one of those funny restaurants that have never quite taken off and you wonder how it manages to stay around. Maybe its bad feng shui or maybe its the unwelcoming feel to the bungalow in that empty car park. Maybe the frontage is not noticeable enough along that busy stretch of Jalan Ampang. I have no idea. I just know that the food is pretty darn good and its kinda depressing dining in a Chinese restaurant that always empty. I mean, its a Chinese restaurant for goodness sake! Where are the ambient noises? Clanging of plates, dozens of families talking over each other, children running amok, etc... This was just...unnatural. I haven't been to Chef Choi in over a year, or has it been two? Anyway, its been a long time and I was glad to see that it was still open for business. I just love the crispy aromatic duck here. Its so wonderfully tender and moist, and the bones! My god, they are so incredible deep fried that you can actually eat them! Even my 5 yr-old niece was tucking into the flavourful and crispy bones. The other dish I really like here is sweet and sour pork. Yes, yes, the mat sallehs have killed this dish. But waaaay before they paired it with egg fried rice at a local corner takeaway shop, this was the perennial favourite of every child. And com'on, you know that kid in you wants to order it. Just like you order char siu pow "for the children" but you secretly like it yourself. Anyway, the sweet and sour pork here is just divine! Its only very lightly battered and despite it being quite lean, it still tender and juicy with just the merest hint of a crisp batter coating. Gorgeous! And since we are on the topic of mat salleh Chinese dishes, the lemon chicken here is also amazeballs! More often than not, this dish can taste like detergent but the one here is a lovely balance of zesty lemon and sugary sweetness. The chicken is also deceptively un-oily, making one believe that this might be a healthy dish!

I celebrated my birthday here with my family recently. It was a weeknight and we were the only ones there. I would like to think Hunky booked out the entire restaurant for me but sadly it wasn't so. My mum used to come here quite a bit with her mah jong kakis but they have long since moved on. They are not a very faithful bunch, preferring to go to the newest spots in town. Anyway, we all agreed that overall the food was very good although seafood is probably not their forte. I only say this because I am comparing it to other restaurants that have live seafood. We ordered the crystal prawn cooked in superior broth and we were all quite disappointed as it turned out to be har gow without the skin. Not my cup of cha. The signature tofu was kind of weird too as there was more fish than tofu. The kids loved it, it was like eating a springy fish ball. The stuffed and fried squid was interesting. Tasty but overpowered by the copious amounts of garlic. We ended the evening with noodles being my birthday and all. I like their signature egg noodle with seafood. I'm not crazy about it but its pretty tasty and satisfying.

I've been twice this year and I am probably heading over with Hunky for a dose of sweet and sour pork soon. If you haven't been, please do but you must remember to order the crispy aromatic duck!

Chef Choi - 159 Jalan Ampang. Tel: 03-2163 5866

Its on the same side as Citibank, right next to the Chinese temple and before Pelita. Opposite Corus Hotel, look out for the pedestrian bridge because its right infront of the restaurant.

Visit their website here

Down Memory Lane

2010-08-23T17:24:00.005+08:00

I don't know what possessed me to buy a packet of Green's Carmelle from Hock Choon today. For those of you who born in the mid 80's and beyond, you probably have no idea what I am talking about. Carmelle (creme caramel) is an instant pudding that has been around for ages. Obviously people still buy it since they have it to this day. It was something my mum used to let me make myself, unsupervised. That was a big deal. So easy - heat up some milk, pour in the powder mix, stir and pour into moulds. And the best part was, two hours later dessert would be ready! Cuz and I use to complain how stingy they were with the caramel provided to create that lovely brown sugary topping. When I made opened up the box, I see nothing has changed. Why so stingy with the caramel? Anyway, I could've sworn it tasted different. I remember it to me much smoother, like flan. This had the texture of firm tofu. Not altogether unpleasant but I can see why I used to like it so much. Its like milk pudding with caramel sauce. Kinda tacky but brings back good memories!

Just recently I was craving ice lollies and was surprised to see Tropicana was still around. Although I don't quite remember it being so krytonitely green! Its still as good as I remember it to be. But what I really miss is Lion stick. Does anyone remember that from the 80's? It was just orange flavoured ice but somehow I can still recall that tangy sweetness with such clarity. The other thing I miss all the time is artic roll. Vanilla ice cream wrapped in a blanket of strawberry jam and swiss roll sponge. It almost makes me want to cry. You know why? Because I just found out after doing a search on google that they have recently reintroduced it back on the UK market in 2008! Crap! I could've had it the last time I was there! Read more about it here.

The Fat Duck - finally!

2010-08-05T13:06:00.011+08:00

Red cabbage gazpacho with pommery grain mustard ice cream. This unassuming dish was probably one of my favourites because it is so simple yet so sophisticated on the palate. It was so refreshing and lovely. Jelly of quail, crayfish cream with chicken liver parfait, oak moss and truffle toast. The waiter brings out a bed of moss and places it on our table. My first thought was, we aren't eating this are we? Then the waiter places our dishes infront of us before pouring what looks like dry ice over the bed of moss. Its like being on a the set of sci-fi movie! Dry ice overflows the table leaving a trace of earth aroma around us.

There is something sinister afoot in the sleepy town of Bray. Mutterings of a mad scientist dabbling in molecules and mayhem! Strangers from all over flock to see this phenomenon that is The Fat Duck. I've been wanting to go for the longest time and finally we had good sense to book two months in advance. Or rather Lem did. The first time she called she got through immediately but they told her she can only book 60 days in advance. So exactly 60 days before the intended date, she called only to be told it was completely full! In the end, we got a table for the following day which was the day before we left London. Talk about cutting it close!

To be honest, I’ve been avoiding writing about my experience at The Fat Duck because I really am at loss for words. There are some experiences that simply can’t be articulated. Describing it at length seems to takeaway the magic. Its like describing a magic show to someone, from the trick to the lighting and music. You know its just not the same as being there. All I can say is that it was worth £150 that was a 4-hour dinner and show really. Any one who has a kid in them would enjoy dining here. I think even the most jaded diner would warm to the experience and remember that there once was a santa claus and all things magical.

I'm wasn't sure what I was expecting to see at the restaurant but I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was quite ordinary looking. Crisp white table cloths and waiters in smart uniforms, it could be a brasserie anywhere. All the better to focus your attention on the main star I suppose. The maitre d seemed to have appeared out of nowhere and was very informative about the menu and asked very thoroughly if there were any dietary restrictions. I told him I was pregnant and he very efficiently explained the things which I might not be able to have and came up with replacement suggestions. Impressive. When the bread basket arrived, I got pale pasteurised butter while Lem and Hunky got a very luscious looking unpasteurised version. First up, a mysterious palate cleanser in the form of nitro poached lime and green tea mousse. While we popped these curious green gems in our mouths, the waiter spritzes lime essence around us to "further bring out the lime in the mousse". I knew then the show had begun.

Snail porridge with jabugo ham and shaved fennel. Salmon poached in liquorice with artichokes, vanilla mayonnaise, golden trout roe and manni olive oil. Just looking at this dish was so wonderful. The salmon arrived with a shiny black lacquer only to reveal that lovely coral pink within. So pretty! Roast foie gras with rhubarb, crab biscuit and braised konbu - divine! Powdered anjou pigeon with blood pudding and confit of umbles - I couldn't eat this as I found the pigeon alarmingly gamey but then again, think it was just the baby. The blood pudding was gorgeous! It tasted like velvety chocolate cream! How does one make something so unattractive appear so luscious?!

For me, there were some more amazing than others both for the showmanship and taste. I think we all agreed that the mock turtle soup was by far the most fun because it was so elaborate and well thought out. We were given a brief introduction to how mock turtle came about and a quick reference to an excerpt from Lewis Carroll’s Alice In Wonderland. The wait staff first laid a soup dish of various strange things before us. Then teacups were brought out and filled with hot water. This was certainly getting “curiouser and curiouser “. We were then presented with a glass box which contained one gold pocket watch for each of us and were given instructions to dunk the watch into the teacup in manner of Mad Hatter and March Hare. Except that this was no ordinary pocket watch; it was infact the most gorgeous consommé, condensed and shaped into a disc and gold leaf was added to create a watch! Isn’t that just so fucking amazing?! We were like small children watching as our watch dissolved into a rich brown consommé. We then poured it into our soup dish and voila! Mock turtle soup. Honestly, I can’t even remember what was in the dish except that there were both contrasting and complimentary textures within a really nice consommé.

The amazing mock turtle soup experience

The other one I really enjoyed was “sounds of the sea”. By far the most surreal experience of the day. If Magritte was to cook you a meal, this would probably be it. Conch shells were placed before us with ipod shuffles cleverly placed in them. We were told to put on the earphones while we ate what looked like part of a beach on a glass platter. Here I had the non sashimi version but I don’t think I lost out in the experience as whatever they substituted the fish with worked wonderfully. The sand was A-mazing! It was salty and sweet at the same time and definitely a lot more pleasant than real sand! And together with the audio experience, it was altogether quite a melancholic experience. I let my mind drift off and guess what? I actually got sea sick and that quickly snapped me back to the restaurant. Seriously, I’m not exaggerating. It was really quite something. My other favourite was the hot cold tea which was self-explanatory. It really was half hot and half cold. How did the do it? Who the fuck knows?! It was just seriously disconcerting having half your mouth feel hot and the other cold! Crazy! It sounds so simple but it packed a big “wow” punch!

BFG - Heston's take on black forrest gateaux with kirsch ice cream. It was delicious but considering the amount of effort, it was little lackluster for me. "Sound of the sea" - a thoroughly disorienting but enjoyable experience. Whisk(e) wine gums which came stuck onto a frame with a map of origin. So cool but so gross, it was like eating a shot of whiskey. Listening to the conch pod. Taffety tart caramelised apple, fennel, rose and candied lemon. For the first time ever, the desserts failed to thrill. Wish I had had the space for bacon and egg ice cream!

Time flies when you are having fun! It definitely did not feel like we had spent three hours in a restaurant by the time we got to dessert. I was looking forward to the bacon and egg ice cream but it had been replaced with Heston's BFG. Black forrest gateaux like you've never had before. We noticed the table next to us had requested for it. Dang! We were sorely tempted but we were so full by then that we figured we would not have been able to appreciate it. The bag of sweets came last. It was aptly titled "Like a kid in a sweet shop". We couldn’t fit anymore in so we took our bag of sweets home with us. The level of detail is beyond what I ever expected. Among the assortment of sweets, there was one called Queen of Hearts that was sealed in a small white envelope. And when I say seal, I mean the posh wax kind of seal! Inside was a super slim white chocolate shaped and detailed like a playing card and it was filled with lovely tart strawberry jam! Taking the first bite was difficult but shame to waste food eh?

Trains run regularly from Paddington to Maidenhead and the journey takes between 30 mins to 50 mins depending on which train you catch. From there its a 5 minute cab ride to Bray. Oh don't try walking. Judging from the cab ride duration, you would think its walking distance when its actually about an hour's walk along a treacherous motorway. We were a little early so we decided to have a drink at the pub next door which is also owned by The Fat Duck. Even the pub menu sounded divine, very comforting pub grub. I know its not the same but if you want to just wing it without a reservation, at least you can be assured that there will be one good meal one way or another. Or you can always visit the other Michelin star restaurant in Bray. Yes, 2 in one small town! How lucky to be living in Bray!

The Fat Duck - click here to go to their website.

Tom's Kitchen

2010-07-19T20:22:00.008+08:00

Yes, I'm still on my London posts. I have a really good excuse for not blogging. As all my blogger friends already know, I am pregnant. And the first three months were really food-unfriendly to put it nicely. To the point where just thinking about food or looking at pictures would make my stomach churn. So there was no way I was going to blog descriptively without throwing up all over the keyboard. But hey, I'm into my second trimester now and the appetite is back! So I've been saving my posts on Tom's Kitchen and The Fat Duck to really give it a post it deserves.

So after all flurry of activity leading up to the wedding, it was nice to chill out back in London. My appetite was not great and the only thing I could really stomach were cold sandwiches and yoghurt. I don't think I've ever eaten so little in London before. Anyway, one night in Hunky and I were watching Iron Chef UK and Tom Aikens was on. I have to admit, I had never heard of him up until then. I thought he was pretty amazing and oddly sexy in a very intense sort of way. So when Hunky suggested we have lunch at his restaurant, I had my fingers crossed that we might catch a glimpse of the sexy chef. Be still my lustful heart. Ahem, anyway... Tom's Kitchen is tucked away on one of the back streets of Chelsea, not too far a walk from King's Road. It has an open kitchen and relaxed atmosphere. No sign of Tom Aiken but that didn't stop me from straining my neck looking out for him. Sigh.

I really wished I had more of an appetite because everything sounded so good on the menu. I only managed main course (lame!) while Hunky had an appetiser, main and a side on my behalf. How does he stay so slim? Sickening! Hunky started with pan-fried foie gras with duck egg served sunny side up and crisp slices of Ventreche bacon. Who would've thought of putting such a rich combination together? It was sinfully good! That runny yolk, crispy salty bacon and sweet buttery foie gras, genius! Next up was Rhug estate cumberland sausages for Hunky and for me, slow roasted pork belly. We also had a side order of truffle and parmesan chips. I don't how we ended up with more carbs when I wanted some greens. I blame Hunky. Anyway the sausages were really lovely. I don't know how to describe it because how descriptive can you be when it comes to sausages right? I will say that you have to taste it to feel the difference. The classic combination of onion gravy and mash with the sausages just make it a dish that you want to eat over and over again. My slow roasted pork belly was unexpected? It arrived looking like a brown millefeuille with a side of creamy mash quenelle. The skin was still surprisingly crisp eventhough it looked like it was going to be chewy. It was tasty but it didn't blow me away. I loved the melt in the mouth texture but I was not crazy about the mustard grain mash. The side of truffle chips was definitely worth ordering. Can't go wrong with hand-cut deep fried spuds covered with shavings of truffle and parmesan right? I would've loved to have gone again but we just didn't have time. We agreed that we would definitely go back again the next time we are in London. Lunch cost around £65 for the both of us including a bottle of sparkling water and VAT.

Tom's Kitchen - 27 Cale Street, Chelsea, London SW3 3QP. Tel: 0207 349 0202

Click here to visit their website

Gem of a burger in Farnham

2010-06-09T12:31:00.008+08:00

Back in Malaysia for a couple of weeks now and was hit by a nasty bug that resulted in 2 days of fever, back ache and complete misery. Talk about bursting the holiday bubble. Sigh, anyway, back to blogging. So I left off at the wedding in Farnham so will continue with a post on gourmet burgers at a pub called Mulberry. We had arrived by train from London and were told that the hotel was walking distance so we went on our merry way. Not far from the station is The Mulberry pub. I was intrigued by the burger menu and managed to convince the bridal party to have dinner there that night. Ironically, I didn't quite feel like eating a burger because I had been eating so many sweets with the bridesmaids when we were packing the sugared almonds for the wedding. It was a Thursday night but the pub was heaving with diners. I had a salad and picked on several burgers around me. Martin's in particular was superb! He had The Highwayman which consisted of gouda cheese, sauteed mushrooms, fried egg, bbq sauce and mayo. Nothing like really good melted cheese. I really enjoyed my two bites worth. Someone ordered the vegetarian burger called Bun Laden. The patty was made of chickpeas and topped with houmous, chilli mayo, tzatziki, tomato, cucumber, red onion and mixed salad. It wasn't great because the whole thing was just so carb heavy and everything just tasted like chick pea.

Hunky had the one with bacon, of course. It was called The Farmer John and had emmental cheese, onion rings, hash browns, mustard and mayo as well. It was pretty darn good. My favourite was The Smoke Signal which had oak-smoked cheese, smoked bacon, apple crisps, rocket and smoked paprika mayo. Never tasted anything quite like it. Gorgeous! Overall, the burgers here are way better than any I've tasted in London. Forget those commercial chains like GBK and Hamburger Union who seem to have really cut corners since they first opened. The patties here are made in house and are juicy with a nice chargrilled flavour but what really makes it are the superb fresh locally sourced ingredients. That really makes a difference. The burgers are priced between £7-£10.

The Mulberry Inn, Farnham - click here to go to their website

Hunky and I came across this plaque when we went exploring the town. LOL!

An English Wedding

2010-05-16T15:01:00.010+08:00

Checklist for An English Wedding

1. Venue

Preferably in the outskirts of London, in a traditional manor-type with idyllic sprawling grounds.

Check. Northbrook Park in the gorgeous country side of Farnham, only an hour by train from London.

1a) Check grounds

Check. Ah yes, the English garden in full bloom. Very nice!

2. Cute as a button Flower Girl

Check. The groom's adorable niece

3. Hand bouquets

Pretty in pink peonies

4. Guest List & Dress Code

Invite good looking people but always make sure they are not quite as good looking as you are. Any guests who attempts to steal the limelight with inappropriate attire will be kicked out.

Check. Yeah, stay out, you poser!

5) The Cake

designed to keep the guests in their seats while the speeches are going on.

Check. Three tiers of chocolate cake with three separate layers of passionfruit, raspberry and chocolate filling. Top tier was reserved for the bride and groom. Gorgeous! The best chocolate cake I've had in a long time. Made with real Belgian chocolate! So lovely! Cake from www.cakeindulgence.com

6) Decorations

Check. Assorted sweets not just for display. Good for keeping energy levels up!

7) And lastly, the Bride & Groom

Check. Looking beautiful and so radiant!

We woke up to a sunny day on the 14th May. Hunky's sister was going to be married to her boyfriend of five years. Its my first English wedding and I still can't wrap my head around having a "wedding breakfast" which was actually "dinner" at four in the afternoon. Despite it being sunny, it was still rather chilly at 14C. The venue at Northbrook Park was lovely. Just what I imagined it would be. It was so nice to just wander around the garden as all the plants and flowers are in full bloom. And the peacock and peahens were the perfect addition to the plush backdrop. After the exchange of vows, we had cocktails and canapes in the garden. Once they finished arranging the tables, we were ushered back in for wedding breakfast. Hunky and I had chosen one of each from the menu so that we could share. Hunky had asparagus with quail egg and smoked salmon while I had the stuffed portobello mushroom with spinach and creamed leek. The colour of the asparagus dish was eye-popping. The bright coral colour of the smoked salmon, grapefruit and cocktail sauce was incredibe against the leafy greens. Taste wise, not as much wow as it looked but still good. The mushroom was not bad but I never like my mushroom cold because the texture gets all spongey and wet.

The mains were roast rack of lamb with red cabbage and dauphinoise potatoes and globe artichoke risotto. The risotto was slightly under done but tasty nonetheless. The clear winner of the day was definitely the lamb. It was cooked just right for me, pink but not bloody. The slight acidity of red cabbage went very well with the rich lamb. And the potatoes! Damn, I could've eaten the whole tray! Dessert was a lemon meringue pie with a compote of summer berries. My god, the berries were even more tart than the tart! Good pie with a nice crisp meringue crust which I prefer to an italian meringue one. After the very satisfying meal, came the speeches. The bride's mother gave a very short and sweet speech while the best man, who is the groom's brother, went to elaborate lengths for maximum embarassment. Hilarious! Cake was served, booze was overflowing and the DJ was belting out the best dance tunes. It was strange to be dancing the "night" away when it was still light outside at 9pm. By this time, my belly was full and feet aching. And when the conga lined formed, it was sign of things to come. Once everyone started to do the macarena, I knew it was time to go. It was a really lovely wedding and so civilised! We left around 10:30pm, just an hour before the whole thing ended. And everyone helped pack up too. So civilised!

Thank you M & M for including us in your special day. We wish you both the very best for the many, many wonderful times ahead!

Evergreen Strawberry Tart

2010-05-07T16:31:00.007+08:00

Oh strawberry tart, how much do I love thee? Let me count thee ways!

(strawberry tart before adding the jam glaze)

Is there ever an occasion that would not benefit from the presence of a good tart? Whether the edible or titillating kind, I think we can all agree that a tart is always fun. Hunky and I entertained some friends this week and no surprise, he made risotto. I reminded him to make sure he cooked extra this time. When we had Bald Eagle and Lemongrass over last, there was barely enough the first round. Then Bald Eagle beat everyone to seconds and that was it. Not a single grain left in the pan. Sigh. Oh well, food always tastes better when there isn't enough to go around right? I took care of dessert and after looking through my usual repertoire of recipes, I decided to make a fresh, creamy and luscious strawberry tart. I haven't made one of these since university and let me tell you, that was quite a while ago. I made a sweet pastry dough, added a layer of chocolate ganache, filled it with creme patisserie, topped it with fresh strawberries brushed with diluted jam. Scrumptious! Even if I do say so myself. Below is the recipe. It may seem like quite a lot of work but everything is pretty quick and easy. Its definitely worth the effort!

Sweet tart dough (from Dorie Greenspan's Baking)

You will need a loose base 9" fluted pan

1.5 cups plain flour
1/2 cup icing sugar
1/4 tsp salt
110g very cold unsalted butter
1 egg yolk

Put the flour, icing sugar and salt in food processor and pulse a couple of time to combine. I don't have a food processor, my mixer worked just fine.
Scatter pieces of butter and pulse to combine
Stir the yolk to break it up a little and pour into mixture
The dough will barely hold together. Turn the dough out onto a work surface and very lightly knead the dough just to incorporate any dry ingredients that might have escaped.
Butter the tart pan and press the dough into the pan. Do this fairly quickly as the dough will start feeling oily in this heat of ours. Pop it into the freezer for at least half hour.
Heat up the oven to 190C. Prick dough all over with a fork. Butter a piece of foil (shiny side) that is large enough to cover the pan. Place it firmly over the dough shiny side down and bake for 20-30 mins depending on your oven. Mine was a little too brown on one side.

Creme patisserie (from Dorie Greenspan's Baking)

2 cups milk
6 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup corn flour
1.5 tsp vanilla extract
60g unsalted butter, cut into smallish cubes

Bring the milk to boil in a small saucepan
In a heavy bottomed saucepan, whisk the egg yolks, sugar and cornstarch together until well blended. Still whisking, drizzle in about 1/4 cup of milk to temper the yolk mixture.
Whisk in the rest of the milk and place pan over medium heat, whisking all the while. It will thicken quite suddenly. Don't worry if it looks very thick and "dry".
Whisk in the vanilla extract. Let sit for a few minutes before adding in chopped up cubes of butter. The mixture will become smooth and silky.
Pour into container and place piece of cling wrap over to prevent a film forming. Refrigerate once cooled.

Chocolate ganache

Melt 125g of plain, dark or cooking chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water.
Pour in 1/2 cup of cream and whisk together. Don't worry if it seizes up, just keep whisking and it will become smooth and glossy again.

Assembling the tart

Pour in ganache and spread evenly around the bottom and sides. Place in fridge to firm up quickly.
The creme patisserie will be quite stiff from the fridge but a good whisk will restore it to its creamy glory. Pour into tart and level the top before placing strawberries on top.
Dilute 1/3 cup of jam with 1 tsp water and heat in the microwave for 30 seconds. Spoon or brush over the top of the strawberries. Voila!

Happy eating!

Luscious, tarty, sweet and delicious, not unlike me!

"Not Another Italian Restaurant"

2010-05-04T22:03:00.021+08:00

Right to Left: Lovely fresh bread from the Favola kitchen; shell pasta baked in parchment paper; moreish and rich wagyu lasagne

Yes, that was my first thought when I heard that Al Nafourah was being demolished and replaced with a hot, spanking, new.... aiyo Italian again? Favola is the latest edition to Le Meridien's list of fine restaurants. I was fortunate enough to be invited to dinner last September along with several other food bloggers. Yes, nine months on, I'm finally blogging about it. And despite my initial scepticism, the meal is still fresh in my mind. For one thing, I found it really refreshing that the flavours were fresh and simple. And despite it being in a hotel, there is something quite warm and down to earth about the place. I'm just a little fed up with all these lun si Italian restaurants which is so wrong in my humble opinion.

What I remember most about the dinner was the seared scallops on a bed of chopped sauteed cauliflower. It was such a surprise because I think all of us thought it was risotto. It was nice to have the crisp texture of the cauliflower against the plump scallops. I also like the risotto with lobster. What amazing flavour! However, the rice was over cooked for me. Otherwise it would've been really good. An interesting dish was the mussels stuffed with chicken in tomato sauce. It sounds a little strange I know but it works. The chicken was very tasty but I think it was the novelty of it that really sold us. Definitely unusual and a talking point for me anyway as I've never had anything like that before. The shell pasta baked in parchment was light and had a lovely tomato sauce.

Left - mussels stuffed with chicken in tangy tomato broth. Right - plump and juicy seared scallops on a bed of cauliflower, gorgeous!

A couple of days ago, Sabby and I went to Favola for lunch. We didn't go for the crudo bar buffet as we were both craving for pasta. The set menu looked good too but we decided not to be greedy. Cuz joined us for lunch so we had a pasta each. I ordered the capellini with shrimp, chilli, mushroom and parsley. Sabby, ever the carnivore, went straight for the wagyu cheek lasagne and Cuz ordered gnocchi with crab dumplings. We were starving and fortunately our waitress was very swift with the piping hot bread and assorted dips. I lurve the bread at Le Meridien. It is oh so gorgeous! There was a really nice potato and pumpkin dip that we devoured within seconds. Lately I haven't had much of an appetite but when my pasta arrived, f%$# me sideways! It just hit the spot! I mean it was such a simple dish but the flavours just came together. It was tasty, subtle, appetising. In fact, I didn't want to share and Sabby liked it so much, we decided to order one more! Its hard to explain because its not as if it was anything special. It just goes to show when something simple is done right, it can be truly beautiful.

Left - simple but so lovely, capellini with shrimp, parsley, mushroom and chilli. Right - gnocchi with crab dumplings with pepper sauce.

The lasagne was as good as I remembered it to be but to be honest I would not have noticed it was wagyu if you didn't tell me. The gnocchi with crab dumpling was actually very nice but I didn't realise it came with a roasted pepper sauce. Its a personal thing because I really don't like peppers in any form except raw or grilled. So despite hearing mixed reviews about the dip in quality, I have to disagree. Every dish was still very clean on the palate and the prices haven't really gone up all that much. Its slightly cheaper than the various Neros but not as much as bang for your buck as Opus or Larisata in terms of pricing. Who would've thought hotel Italian restaurants could be unpretentious eh? Thank you for not having clanging plates and singing waiters.

Favola is located on the 8th Floor of Le Meridien Hotel. For more information, proceed to their website

French, Italian and Chinese in Bangsar

2010-05-01T18:53:00.002+08:00

Pressroom's sexy interior in Bangsar Shopping Complex

There has been much hype about Bangsar Shopping Complex’s revamp. The blogosphere is alight with posts on new eats and of course the much talked about gourmet village. I’ve visited Kuriya and House & Co but I was most keen to try The Pressroom. I've heard mixed reviews and was keen to finally dine there. Initially I thought it was press as in news. After studying the logo, I realised it was the other press. Ah. See what preconceptions do to you? The décor is tastefully done and definitely draws in the more cash-rich crowd of suburbs nearby. The menu is a mixture of French and Italian dishes ranging from escargots to pizzas. It was lunch time and I wanted something simple. There is a separate lunch menu which didn't grab me so I lunged for the nicoise salad instead. A simple salad that can be super delicious if done well. ZY and Sis ordered the red snapper, seabass with ratatouille and squid ink risotto with scallops to share.

My side dish of seared butterfish pretending to be nicoise salad

I was pretty surprised when my salad arrived because it looked more like a side dish and where the hell was the nicoise in my salad? I did not order seared butterfish on a bed of boiled potatoes, quails egg and tomatoes with three stems of fine beans. WTF! If you’re going to jazz it up, at least point it out in the menu to avoid confusion. I don’t know about you but I get very put off when something does not satisfy my craving. Anyway, the snapper came wrapped in an envelope of foil. Very promising as the maitre d came by to slice it open releasing the perfume aroma of curry leaves. Very appetizing! However, the taste was a tad on the bland side. Sis thought it didn’t taste very fresh but ZY thought it was okay. The seabass on a bed of ratatouille was met with much disdain. I don’t know why they ordered it in the first place. I hate food like that because it reminds me of airplane food. It was okay. The fish was nicely cooked and the ratatouille was as exciting as ratatouille gets. The best dish of the day was definitely the risotto. Surprisingly, despite the inky black colour, there wasn’t much seafood taste. Oh it was definitely tasty but more like a cheesy, salty taste rather than a seafood one. The scallops were nicely seared but a tad stingy with only one each between the three of us. Nice ambience but food is lackluster in my humble opinion. I’m still stinging from my RM22++ side dish “nicoise” salad experience. RM220 is a lot of money to spend on lunch that ain’t great (price included two soft drinks and one tea).

The Pressroom is located on the ground floor of BSC, next to LaBodega. Tel: 03 2095 8098

I also ventured to One Bangsar last week to meet my bff from school, Jellybean. I’ve known her since Standard One! We always laugh about how she is a principal now when she was such a lazy bum in school! Ironic. Anyway, we met up for lunch at House Of Tang. One thing good about One Bangsar is that there is always parking. It’s a smallish dim sum menu which was fine by us as we didn’t stray from the classics anyway. Woo kok, cheong fun, har gow, siew mai and char siew soh. There was a bit of communication with the waitress as she spoke only mandarin and a smattering of English. I asked her for lime soda with no sugar. At first she said it was indeed fresh juice but when I asked for no sugar, she said there was already sugar added. Fresh huh? Anyway, what eventually came was honey calamansi with water. Oh well. It was close enough, ish. The dim sum was a bit hit and miss. The woo kok was lovely and crisp with gorgeous wispy deep fried threads of batter but the filling was a tad on the sweet side. The har gow passed the test but the siew mai was kind of tough and meaty. The red rice cheong fun which was a complimentary dish was surprisingly good. Nice crisp texture on the inside surrounded by a delicate red rice skin. We both agreed the char siew soh wasn’t nice. The pastry had a very strong lardy taste to it which was pretty off putting. We both managed a bite and that was it. We shared a tofu fah and that was quite lovely. Very smooth and delicate. Lunch came up to RM50 which was okay I guess. I don’t think I would rush back to have dim sum here but it is a nice and serene place for lunch. It was full but it wasn’t hectic and noisy like more Chinese restaurants

House Of Tang - 63B Jalan Ara, Bangsar Baru 59100. Tel: 03 2282 1111

White Radish Cake

2010-04-02T19:58:00.008+08:00

Above left: just about to be steamed. Why waste? Might as well steam some corn too.

Right : fresh from the wok

I'm down with the flu how about you? Whenever I'm sick I always feel like cooking. So while I was in the supermarket yesterday I noticed they were having a special price on white radish. Not that they are expensive to begin with but I took that as a sign to attempt making white radish cake. Something I've been meaning to try for quite some time already. Its just one of things that should be on the repertoire of every Chinese woman no? Like a moment from Joy Luck Club when mother hands guarded family recipe down to daughter. Only my mum doesn't have anything "traditional" to pass on really. I can make you upside down sheperds pie and square potato pork with croutons? I always thought I was eating Chinese food at home. Who knew? So I turn to Madam Choy. Madam Choy is not a friendly neighbour nor my best friend's mum. She has a beautiful but simply presented cook book called Madam Choy's Cantonese Recipes. Reading through the book you can tell that the recipes are lovely and wholesome with very simple and subtle flavours. I decided to use her recipe and just added some chinese mushrooms. If you are looking for a recipe that will produce something most Chinese restaurants would then this is not the recipe for you. I've looked online and I think the ones who use chicken granules would probably come pretty close. This one has a subtle taste that is definitely moreish. I've put in measurements where it says "season to taste" to save all you tasting raw rice flour mixture. Eugh. Average salt eaters will find this subtle. If you drown your stuff with chilli, soy, salt, pepper, then please double the seasoning!

1kg white radish, grated

600g flour

8 cups water *

100g dried shrimp, soaked and chopped *

2 chinese sausages, skin peeled and diced finely

5 dried mushroom, soaked and diced finely

1/2 tsp five spice powder

1 heaped tbls sea salt

3 tsp brown sugar

3 tbls soya sauce

white pepper

* Water - original recipe calls for 9.5 cups but after checking out other recipes, I noticed most of them asked for the moisture to be drawn out from the grated radish. Mrs Choy doesn't mention anything about this so I just reduced the water and saved myself squeezing duties.

* Dried shrimp - I had tossed them in the oven after soaking to dry them. They were so crispy and aromatic after so I didn't bother frying them.

1. Heat some oil in a wok and fry mushroom, shrimp and chinese sausage together. Add grated radish and five spice powder, continue cooking for a couple of minutes. Add in the salt,pepper,soya sauce and sugar.

2. In a large bowl, mix rice flour with 8 cups of water. Use your hands to mix it thoroughly and smooth out any lumps.

3. Pour into wok and continue cooking. This is the last chance to adjust the seasoning! Pour into a oiled tin and steam for an hour.

This recipes makes 2 x 9" round tins.

The texture produced from this recipe is fairly soft. I think adding tapioca flour would probably make it sturdier. Still, its a pretty simple recipe base that you can build from.

Stir-fried with spring onions and egg for brunch. Moreish!

Ipoh revisited

2010-03-31T09:35:00.006+08:00

Above left; token vegetables - my favourite lotus root, gingko and macadamia nuts. Right - beautiful and gorgeous suckling pig.

I just read back on my last post on Ipoh and it was only a year ago. So why did I feel so much had changed since? I guess people build things real quick over there. There are buildings that seem to have sprouted overnight. Anyway, its been a whole year since I treated my taste buds to some seriously mouthwatering food that only Ipoh can provide. I missed Chinese New Year so I went back for Grandma's 91st birthday instead. I lured Hunky along with the promise of big, fat, juicy prawns and suckling pig. And boy he was one big happy Hunky. We did our usual lunch pit stop at Tien Chun. Thinking back on the noodles is making my mouth water. Lovely, happy sar hor fun. Beautiful, nourishing broth and silky smooth chicken that would make Lians green with envy. I had forgotten how smooth the noodles were and I had quite a bit of trouble gripping them with my chopsticks. So gorgeous!

I don't know what it is about Ipoh but I always feel sleepy in the afternoon. Hunky and I actually passed out and only woke up in time for dinner at Pusing Public Restaurant. It was a full house as usual with two weddings going on. We were treated to free entertainment via karaoke warbling. My aunties who organised dinner over ordered as usual. Blood circulation was cutting off at the waist and the chairs creaked under our weight after all that was consumed. I had copious amount of suckling pig which is always so good here! Not too much fat, super crispy skin and tender meat. Sublime! The other dish that was very good were the noodles. Lots of plump bean sprouts and pork! Of course the night would not be complete without Mrs. Chong's marbled butter cake. Its still pretty good but the icing seems a lot oilier than I remember. The following day we had breakfast at grandma's that my mum had bought for us. Hunky had curry mee and I had mee hoon with sar kok foo pei. Not a big fan of deep-fried goodies but even I have trouble resisting these deep fried babies. For lunch, a few cousins along with a token uncle went to have lunch at Lee Ho Fook. We went there to have one particular fish which they had run out off. Fortunately they had some other really nice dishes like the sweet and sour pork and prawns done two ways; the heads were steamed with egg and the bodies were stir-fried. So freaking good! Especially the heads. They were chock a block full off creamy flavour! I still look at the picture and sigh longingly. Til next year!

Above left - my favourite food picture for now. So freaking delicious!!! Right- the stir fried decapitated bodies. Plump and bouncy!

Penang Prawn Mee

2010-03-06T10:02:00.005+08:00

I've never tried making prawn mee before until very recently. Its so simple! The only problem really is saving up enough prawn heads. Hunky and I don't eat prawns all that often so it has taken us almost a year to save enough heads for the stock. What inspired me to make this dish was actually some lovely looking pork ribs I had bought. I suddenly remembered how delicious the prawn mee at Champs was (this was almost 10 years ago, I have no idea what its like now). It was a steaming hot bowl of pure gorgeousness topped with big and juicy pork ribs. With that in mind, it was full steam ahead. I had already made some chicken stock the week before so I used some of that and topped it up with more water and half a chicken that was in the freezer. I didn't add the chilli paste into the soup as I liked the pure unadulterated taste of the soup so much. This recipe fed 6 adults.

Ingredients

1.5L chicken broth

500ml water

1/2 chicken

1 grocery bag of prawn heads

sugar & salt to taste

to serve

blanched kangkong, 3 hard boiled eggs sliced, deep fried shallots, 30 small poached prawns, 18 pieces of pork rib, blanched mee hoon

chilli paste

Blend together 5-10 dried chillies, 5 cloves garlic and 10 shallots together. Heat oil in wok and fry ingredients together until aromatic

Bring ingredients to boil and then simmer for a few hours depending on flavour and how you want to reduce the soup. I used about a tablespoon of brown sugar and a teaspoon of salt.
Remove all the bones and prawns, then put in the ribs for 1.5 hours.
Shell prawns and clean thoroughly. Poach them in the soup and set aside.
To serve, assemble cooked ingredients in a bowl before ladling hot soup over. Garnish with chilli paste and fried shallots.

On the left, all the shell and bones. To the right, aromatic and delicious stock!

Goodbye Vino

2010-02-28T16:52:00.006+08:00

One of the few photos we have together. None of which shows him looking at the camera. He was the most difficult dog to photograph as he never stood still! This was taken on my birthday 2001 and I wanted a picture with him because we were in matching colours. Thats Bubur lurking in the background. I am asking him to stay - this was as good as it got! Ahhh Vino!

He came to us barely the size of the length of my hand. Erlinda, our maid then, had brought him back from the street. For awhile we just called him Puppy which oddly enough he still answered to up until recently. We already had a golden retriever called Whisky so the natural conclusion was to call him Vino. From very early on, it was obvious to us that he considered us his pack. When he was nearly the size of my sister's shoe he would growl at strangers feet. I don't think he was big enough to see beyond their ankles then. He was such a cutie and quickly won us over. He was not a dog that could be tamed. It was in his nature to wander off whenever the gate was opened and the more you called him, the quicker he ran. I think Vino was the only dog that we've had that actually strutted. It was just so part of his personality. Kind of cocky, neighbourhood bad boy attitude. Bit like Danny Zucko from Grease. They wore the same colour and Vino sure did have attitude. Although I'm sure his "street cred" was probably quite low given he would come home to us. His modus operandi when you first meet him goes like this. He avoids your gaze and he walks away. Just when you think he is ignoring you, he sneaks up from behind and nips your ankles. Yes, he was an ankle-nipper. Not to hurt anyone but more to show "Hey, I own you dude". He will only do this once. He seems to know who he has nipped and when fresh ankles turn up. How can I not be sad to lose a dear companion like Vino?

There are so many naughty things he did in his lifetime. I'm sure he knocked up quite a few bitches in the hood. There was one time he disappeared for days! And I finally found him holed up with his pregnant girlfriend. He was filthy and skinny, I had to drag him back to the house and give him a good scrub. And then he did a strange thing. I had locked him in the house so he couldn't leave and we were both in the tv room. He was lying in the middle of the room when he just gave a really sad and longing howl. Love sick! And then there was the time when he tried to murder his arch nemesis Bubur (RIP) in Magic River. I have witnesses who will attest to this. He really tried to drown Bubur by pressing him down in the water until Bubur was swept away by the current. Fortunately Bubur was fine and I saw Vino in a different light. What a cunning and diabolical son a bitch, literally! I could go on and on about all things mischievous about Vino but at the end of the day, he really was a good dog. He was always there to comfort us in our drunken stupor. He protected us from harm. He always came back because we were his family. We couldn't have asked for a better friend for the past 14 years. Rest in peace old friend, may you get your groove back in heaven.

Gong Hey Fatt Choy!

2010-02-17T14:46:00.005+08:00

Its the year of the Tiger! Will it be more purr and less grr? The year always start off with promises to the friend of the tiger and caution to his foes. I run with tigers. I'm the only prey among them except for the one ox in our small circle of friends. Does that make me a ferocious rabbit? Or am I the tiger's lucky rabbit charm? What I am is a non-believer of anything that dictates my destiny and limits my vision. I've broken enough mirrors to be cursed with bad luck for eternity. You can give me shoes on my birthday (bad luck vs Louboutins? No contest!), you can wear black to my wedding (the bad luck here is the lack of imagination on your part honey), I live in unit no. FOUR! 4 people! 4! Hey guess what? I'm loving my place and perfectly at peace and harmony with it.

I'm not saying that you need to push your luck. Hey if you are already on a losing streak, doubling your bets is not going to help. Walk away, sober up and live to gamble another day! Speaking of gambling, I haven't done very much of it so far. Think I have to round up the girls for a round of mah jong this weekend. Wishing everyone a grrrific new year! Peace and prosperity to us all!

Tamarind Hill

2010-01-21T15:01:00.010+08:00

Tamarind Hill. What a blast from the past. I remember dining there for the first time way back when I did a review for Men's Review. Remember that magazine? Yeah, it was that long ago. I can't actually remember when I last went there for a meal. Probably close to 7 years. Not because it wasn't any good anymore but with all the new eateries and it being tucked away in the depths of Ampang, it simply dropped off my dining radar. Sometime last year Tamarind Hill moved into the KLCC area occupying the lovely space that was once the fine Italian Scalini's, then the very happening Citrus and for a very short stint, Zensake. It was earlier this week when I finally went for lunch. It was strange going up those stairs after so many years. Memories of me stomping down the hill half drunk springs to mind. Those memories seem so seedy in broad daylight. Huh.

The restaurant is quite lovely. It seems to have retained that homey charm and relaxed ambience from its old location. There is ample seating indoors and a long setting of banquettes on the terrace. We were given refreshing shot glasses of tamarind juice while we browsed the menu. Nothing really grabbed us from the lunch menu which sounds pretty reasonable at RM35 for 3 course lunch. We decided to order the Tamarind appetiser platter which consisted of four pairs of their signature dishes. The seared scallops with orange sauce didn't quite go together. Scallops were nicely done but otherwise quite tasteless. The orange sauce overpowered the scallops rather than compliment it. Fishcakes were good. Did not get the chicken and apple rice paper wrap at all. Furthermore the rice paper reeked of dank wet towel. I reckon they must use a wet towel to keep it moist. It really put me off it. I also quite liked the stuffed segment of orange. I'm not quite sure what it was but it was a savoury filling of chicken and peanuts for sure.

We then had steamed river lobster which was really river prawns. The strange thing was they gave us 3 halves. I assume they are normally bigger? Anyway, it was nice enough with the simple lime chilli dressing. Next was the braised wagyu rump cooked in a chilli and tomato sauce. It was salty and that was about it. The texture of the beef was surprisingly tough. The meal was quickly going downhill. Finally, the only saving grace of the meal, the duck and lychee salad arrived. Love the different textures and great balance of flavours. Duck was perfectly cooked and tender. Gorgeous! I'd like to come back again for dinner to try their other dishes. Fingers crossed that it will be a lot more favourable. Lunch was RM190 for the two of us. Bear in mind that we did order all the expensive items.

Click here to visit Tamarind Hill's website

19 Jalan Sultan Ismail. Tel - 03 21483200

Eat Drink & More

2010-01-14T21:03:00.016+08:00

Last night I was privileged enough to be invited to Starwood Hotels’ launch of their one-stop online portal for their branded food and beverage and spa concepts aptly named Eat Drink & More. "A portal where guests can find fun, fresh and unique lifestyle concepts including food and beverage, spa, weddings, events and more at a touch of their fingertip". We were introduced to a sampler of culinary diversity from both Le Meridien and Westin. It was a night of showcasing the finest both hotels have to offer and I must say, even for jaded ol' me, I was slightly impressed at the attention to detail.

We started at the lower lobby with a brief introduction by General Manager of Westin Malaysia, Kim Powley. He announces that the newly launched portal will be the first time you're able to make a “live” reservation online. I went to check it out. www.eatdrinkandmore.com. The page is easy to navigate and the search options are thorough. I punched in Le Meridien Kuala Lumpur under hotel and Favola, Prime and Latest Recipe turned up immediately. Reservations are limited to two to six diners. You would still have to call the restaurant directly for single diners and bigger groups. You are told immediately if there are vacancies available and you will be prompted to continue with the reservation. I also like the box for additional information which is useful if you have any requests such as a non-smoking table. I am surprised there isn't that option actually. Apart from the dizzying array of eats, there are also spas to browse to make sure you get a complete sensory experience.

The event began at Favola. Loved the Vibetini cocktail! A delicious concoction of vodka, lychee, midori, and cherry. It was cleverly kept cool with an iced disc which was both pretty and functional. We sampled gorgeous anti-pasti from Favola’s crudo bar. Followed by some jaw-droppingly delicious array of goodies from Latest Recipe. I think I am not alone when I say that the wagyu with polenta and cocoa was the best dish of the night. I love the presentation and attention to detail which I guess only the best of the best hotels can offer. It kind of makes me want to have my wedding all over again. Then it was off to Eest where sipped Jing tea and calmed our stomachs before eating more goodies like skewered kobe and foie gras in a sweet and sour sauce, prawn and black truffle har gow and miniature yam basket filled with prawn and mango. Next was the lively and family-oriented Prego where we had mini lobster pizzas, foie gras terrine on toast and spaghetti aglio olio served in paper boxes. Finally, it was Qba where a spread of alcohol-fuelled desserts were waiting. They have churros with hot chocolate! Brings back fond memories. What a night!

Thank you Cheryl for the invitation and thank you to the Westin & Le Meridien for hosting such a well-organised event. Below, a brief overview of the restaurants we visited extracted from the press kit.

Favola

Made to share. Favola has a distinct, cosy and reustic feeling of home in Italy. The restaurant menu reveals simple yet classic Italian fare.

Pretty in pink martini; baby mozarella balls in pesto sauce; assortment of goodies await at Favola's crudo bar

Latest Recipe

An all-day contemporary restaurant featuring new and old recipes of the Eastern and Western gastronomic delights that change daily.

Tender melt-in-the-mouth wagyu with polenta and dusted with cocoa; beautifully presentation throughout, attention to detail; smoked salmon with soba noodles beautifully presented in a ketupat shell.

EEST

A fun-filled restaurant serving up pure Asian culture, focusing flavours and recipes. In its five, varied open Asian kitchens. With Japanese, Vietnamese, Chinese, Thai and Malay cuisines presented with a modern twist, the fine dining experience at EEST is a reflection of a modern day culinary adventure.

Har gow with a twist; delicious crackers bejewelled with salmon roe and herbs; wagyu rendang in a crispy wafer cone.

Prego

A casual and comfortable restaurant to bring the whole family, featuring straightforward yet extensive authentic Italian fare. The relaxed yet vibrant setting is perfect for enjoying a meal with a healthy dash of fun at unbelievable affordable prices.

Silky smooth and decadent foie gras terrine on lightly toasted bread; pumpkin tortellini dressed simply in aged balsamic; cod risotto with parmesan foam.

Qba

A sizzling steak restaurant with Latin American flavours and vibrant hotspot. From the magnificent interior to the live Latin band performances, authentic Latin American cuisines and premium steaks, the biggest Cuban rum collection to the cigar selection – Qba Latin Bar & Grill lets you have a taste of what is a multi-level Latin American experience.

White chocolate-coated egg nog popsicles; a tray of tacos for those that were still peckish; Chef of Qba posing with assortment of alcohol-fuelled popsicles.

Click here to get eatdrinkandmore

Wright Brothers & Borough Market

2010-01-04T17:11:00.023+08:00

Before I completely forget about my trip to London last year, I want to quickly write about Borough market and the lovely lunch I had at Wright Brothers.

Every country I visit, I like to nip down to the supermarket or grocery store just to browse the aisles and decipher strange words in mysterious boxes. Something about all the colour and shapes. Borough Market is a must for me. Its not the best market but its the one most convenient. Don't be fooled that a market means "cheap" by any means. The produce here are noticeable pricier. Many tourists (like me!) come here to browse and buy English produce which we would normally not have access to. After all, where in Oxford Street or Old Brompton Road can you find a specialty butcher that makes his own sausages? Or wine-cured cheese by the wheel and assorted homemade relishes?

I always make a beeline for the cheese stalls first. We bought some gorgeous Comte (also known as gruyere de comte) cheese which is my favourite! And we also got some seriously spicy roquefort. It was so spicy that every time I ate it it made me cry! Now thats strong! We also bought some sinfully creamy foie gras terrine and nice crusty bread to go with it. As usual, I spent more than I expected to. I think we spent £50 just on that and some crappy coffee we bought as one of the stalls. I think it was called Maria's. Don't have the coffee unless you like it instant. Pictured below - our spoils from a Sat morning outing to Borough Market.

Apart from the fresh goods, there also quite a few restaurants here. We didn't make it to Roast this time but will definitely come back for that. We did manage to have lunch at Wright Brothers around the corner on Stoney Street. Its a well-known establishment that promises fresh, juicy and deliciously plump oysters and more importantly for all you alkies, an inspiring list of booze! I can't believe I've never been here before but then again, I didn't really earn quite enough to be blowing £££ for lunch. Okay, okay, I'll admit it! I didn't want to splurge on the food when there was so MUCH to buy at H&M, Accessorize, Selfridges, FCUK,... You get the idea. Anyway, what I love about his place is in its simplicity, in both decor and menu. On the menu are oysters of course, a good variety of starters and a board of daily specials. We were the only people in there under 40 and not dressed in a suit. Hmm... Not surprising given the bleak economic outlook at the time. Cousin S knows this play well and I suspect she frequents this place. We ordered a selection of rocks and an extra dozen of Maldon and Wild Colchester because they are her favourite. I have to say that I don't eat enough oysters to know the difference. For me, I like them small, plump and sweet. The ones that fit this description were the Speciales de Claires. Yum! I found the Wild Colchester to be a little fishy at the time. We also ordered grilled monk fish tail with garden pea and girolle mushrooms. For all you fish haters out there, I know you will not be able to get it when I say that it was fucking gorgeous! So flavourful and rich! Hunky's starter of baked scallops with cream and bacon was lovely to start with. It was a small but sufficient portion. I don't think we could've managed the grilled monkfish otherwise. Wright Brothers is the perfect indulgent Friday lunch. Simple and gorgeous!

Below: the simple decor at Wright Brothers; gorgeous, creamy baked scallop with bacon bits; the most delicious fish I've had in a long while - grilled monkfish tail with garden pea and girolle mushrooms.

Wright Brothers at 11 Stoney Street. Click here for more information.

For more information on Borough Market, click here

TWENTY TEN

2010-01-03T14:33:00.003+08:00

Happy New Year!!! Wishing every one a beautiful and peaceful 2010. December was a month of pure indulgence. Between Hunky's sister's wedding, various kenduris and multiple Christmas feasts, I am feeling like that cat on the left. However, instead of my usual waxing lyrical about how I'm going to be thin and healthy this year, I will save myself the shame and you the boredom and announce that Ravenous Rabbit has a new blogger-in-crime called Mr Tickles! A post on Prego is coming up soon! Until then, hope all of you have recovered from the hangovers and have a great week ahead!

Pictured left is my nephew's cam-whoring cat Cicak.

Sweet Dreams Are Made Of This

2009-12-13T17:17:00.014+08:00

Foie gras mousse on toasted poilane bread

I dream a lot. Awake or asleep but especially when I'm asleep. I have had some seriously bizarre dreams which cause me to wonder if there is some deep, dark, twisted individual hidden underneath. Oh well, maybe not so hidden really. Sometimes I have epic dreams that seem to go on and on. Even after I wake up and fall back asleep the dream continues. And then there are some which are plain obvious. Last night I dreamt that Sabs and I went to the Frangipani Lazy Sunday lunch and I was too full to eat! I felt so full and bloated, what a nightmare! And they served us a whole roast chicken each. Needless to say, when I woke up this morning, I headed straight to the gym to make sure I worked up an appetite. Its the final Lazy Sunday lunch for the year and it was a Christmas-themed one. Mmmm my favourite! There isn't anything fancy, just really good, simple and gorgeous food.

For the amuse bouche we had foie gras mousse on poilane bread. Followed by a deliciously moreish jerusalem artichoke soup with noisette poached scallops and sage butter. Our starter consisted of sauteed girolle mushrooms with a wobbly, perfectly poached egg. The beauty is in the simplicity of the dish. I loved the chewy texture of the aromatic girolles against the soft, liquidy egg. It just really hit the spot! The mains consisted of roast chicken, prime rib and roast lamb shoulder. On the sides were all my favourite Christmassy things like pea and "ham" in cream, sauteed brussel sprouts, roast potatoes, parsnips and butternut squash and pan-fried stuffing (from the chicken). The roast chicken was just perfect. And the stuffing! My god, I could eat buckets of it. It was a chestnut, morel mushroom and foie gras stuffing. Y-U-M! The prime rib was deeevine! So flavourful and juicy. And the black truffle gravy that went along with it just brought tears to my eyes. It was almost sticky and with that unmistakable hint of truffle perfume. The roast lamb was pretty good too but the prime rib won hands down.

We were bursting at the seams by the end of the meal. Still we managed to fit in dessert. After all, how can one eat at Frangipani without eating their sickeningly decadent and brilliant desserts. I helped myself to the yule log which was like a lovely Victoria sponge cake in a roll. And I also had the egg nog ice cream with egg liquer. Heavenly! The fruit cake was way too alcoholic for me! It was like a shot of alcohol with texture. Whoah! I only wished that more of our friends could've joined us. Nothing like sharing a fantastic meal with friends. Oh well, their loss! Sigh. This is what Sundays should be like. Lazy and scrumptious!

Prime rib with black truffle gravy, roast potatoes, pasnips and brussel sprouts

Frangipani - click here for contact details and upcoming events.

Monday Flues

2009-12-03T17:09:00.004+08:00

The strangest thing happened between 10pm Sunday and 6pm Monday. I had the full blown flu-like symptoms and then it was gone! Poof! Just like that. I guess it must've been allergies or something. Anyway, while stewing in self-pity I tried to figure out what to cook for dinner to make myself feel better. I didn't want to make porridge because my porridge is terrible! Its either rice floating in water or starchy paste you can use to put up wallpaper with. Soup? No, I wanted something heartier so I decided on a beef and barley stew. I know, there are at least 3 people I know who will run away screaming at the sound of barley followed by stew. Somehow that sounded very lovely and healthy in my head. And what could be easier right? I love chucking everything in a dish and just leaving it on the stove. I couldn't find any brisket so I bought shin instead. Dang, I needed to sharpen my knives! The damn thing was so muscular and tough! I thought to myself, "Shit, not going to be able to eat this thing for at least four hours!" Two and a half hours later, voila! It was tender and bouncy like a baby's bottom. Patting myself on the back here but it really was quite good and just what I needed. The barley was a nice change to the usual spuds. Plus, it made me feel all nice and healthy eating it! Two days later, it tasted even better. Stew and curries are the same, they definitely taste better the following day.

If you want to be brave and try the recipe, here it is. Portioned for 2-3 people.

300g beef shin, biggish cubes

2 carrots, peeled and sliced into sizeable chunks

1/2 cup barley, rinsed

1 cup button mushroom, halved

1 can stout

1 onion, halved and quartered

3 cloves garlic

sprig thyme & 1 bay leaf

salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in a casserole dish and stir-fry onions and garlic on medium heat until fragrant. Add beef and make sure its not sticking to the bottom of the dish. Pour in stout, herbs and 150ml water. Cover and bring to a boil. Then lower the heat to a simmer for 1 hour.

Then add in carrots followed by barley 15 minutes later. I like my barley with some texture left. The barley will soak up most of the liquids leaving you a lovely rich stout gravy. Mmmm! About 10-15 minutes before the dish is done, throw in the mushrooms. Season liberally. I found this stew needed quite a bit of salt. And depending on your brand of stout, there may be a slight bittersweet after taste of stout left. I think next time I might add some tinned tomatoes to it to balance the bittersweet taste. Anyway, happy cooking!

Duck Rice at Four Seasons

2009-11-30T13:37:00.011+08:00

A short post on an old favourite. Roast duck is about steaming hot plate of rice, token pieces of chinese lettuce and gravy as much as it is about the duck. English ducks are big, robust, meaty creatures unlike the wiry ones back home. Yet, the skin ain't any crispier. In fact, it ain't all that if you think about it. The reason why I always go back to it is because it reminds me of what once was and its the familiarity that provides me endless comfort. I have so many good memories of roast duck rice at Four Seasons. Running to the restaurant in the rain, feeding Bubur roast duck skin (RIP Bubur), farewell dinner, countless lunches with friends and family, ta-pauing on those cold nights and waiting in the car with heating on,... And who doesn't like those freshly cut oranges to clean your palate at the end of the meal eh? This trip I figured out the difference between Four Seasons and Gold Mine. All it really comes down to is a few more pieces of lettuce and one gravy is sweeter than the other. I kid you not. So don't fret if you can't get a table at Four Seasons because Gold Mine is only a few shop lots away!

Four Seasons is at 84 Queensway, London W2. Tel +44 20 7229 4320

Gold Mine is at 102 Queensway, London W2. Tel +44 20 7792 8331

Gastropubs: The Garrison VS Anchor & Hope

2009-11-04T16:30:00.022+08:00

Clockwise from top left: mussels in saffron; pan-fried seabass with white beetroot; apple sorbet and hazelnut ice cream; seabream fillet with cornish crab and squid ink taglierine.

Ahhhh, walk into pubs these day and you can breathe in fresh, clean air. Well relatively speaking anyway. London is now a smoke-free zone. Yaaaaay! Happy days! It is so nice that I can sit in a pub and not smell like ashtray and greatly reduce my risk of cancer from second-hand smoke. I wonder when Malaysia will adopt this policy? In the last ten years, people have really begun to eat well and be more aware of where their food comes from. I'm sure a great part of it is due to the popularity of celebrity chefs and their tv shows. Even pubs have elevated their usual stodgy grub to gastronomic feasts. They are so popular that supermarket chains have gastropub meals. So it was definitely on my list of must-eats. After doing some research on the web, we narrowed it down to Anchor & Hope and The Garrison. We chose them because they had positive reviews and they were easy to get to from where we were. The Garrison surprisingly looks nothing like a pub. Or rather, it looks like a pub that I, and probably most other women, would design. It definitely has a more feminine touch compared to the rest. We met up with my cousins for dinner one night. It was completely full despite it being a weekday. Eventhough they had made a reservation there were only had bar seats left.

Clockwise from top left: my lovely and succulent barbary duck; the view into the kitchen; Hunky's surprisingly delicous sardine and scallops on toast; the packed tables at The Garrison

The menu is certainly seasonal. They must change it very regularly as I tried to look up the menu online and it is totally different to what we had. There are also many daily specials written on the board. We ordered a few starters to share. Hunky's sardines and scallops on toast was really good! Like a fancy bruschetta but with a lot more bite to it. Al’s mussels cooked in saffron was disappointing. The combination of saffron with the not so fresh mussels was quite stifling. I ordered deep-fried marrow with bacon, girolles and spinach. Need I say more really? The outer crust was crispy and golden giving way to an almost liquid centre. It’s a good thing we were sharing it. It was incredibly rich. The main courses were even better. I thoroughly enjoyed my roasted barbary duck with savoy cabbage and pink peppercorn sauce. It was subtle, succulent and divine. Surprisingly, Hunky did not order pork. Instead he had the venison saddle with puy lentils. There were a lot of lentils and not much else. I think he was disappointed because he kept eyeing the braised pork with stewed apple and sweet potato mash. The pork was gorgeously moreish! The venison was really tasty and when paired with the lentils it made the dish rustic and simply gorgeous. He of course regretted he did not go with the pork which happened to be really good! It was comfort on a plate. The kind of dish you want to be eating curled up infront of the telly and its raining outside. Bliss. All in all, I would definitely go back again on my next visit. The only thing I have to gripe about is probably the lackluster desserts. Wow, the apple sorbet was really coarse. It was like eating cold coarsely blended apples. Not quite my idea of sorbet. Oh well, can't win 'em all.

Amazing pot roast of grouse served with a side of lentils and buttered kale

A couple of days later we met up with Hoots and Sam at Anchor & Hope. Its been awhile since I last saw them and now I remember why I don’t see them very much. I love them to bits but boy do they zap all the energy out of me! Anchor & Hope is pretty well known from what I gather. Perhaps the fact that they don’t take reservations is an indication of how well they are doing. All the websites warn of long waits but obviously people don’t mind waiting. We got there fairly early and the dining room was already full. We managed to get a table outside after standing round stalking people who looked like they were leaving. After 45 minutes of Hoots, Sam and drinks, we got seated for dinner.

The menu here changes daily and features lovely rustic pub grub. Stews, roasts and all the other gloriously comforting food. I normally avoid mackerel like the plague. A combination of early childhood culinary trauma and fishy fillets at Japanese restaurants. But Sam’s smoked mackerel with beetroot and horseradish was really quite superb! It was moist, flavourful and delicate at the same time. Hoots roast grouse was amazing! I’ve never had grouse before. For me was like a big pigeon. It was served rare which sounds a little scary but its not bloody like beef or lamb. Who knew? Sam had rabbit stew which was mediocre in a sense that it could have been any meat that had been cooked with tomatoes. Not very exciting. My roast pork loin which was the most popular dish that evening (mine was the last serving left) wasn't great. The meat was on the dry side and frankly lacking in taste. In hindsight, we should have ordered the roast lamb shoulder. It sounded daunting at the time as it was meant for 5 people. The problem was also that not everyone wanted to eat lamb. The table next to us ordered it and all of us salivated with regret. It was a robust atmosphere at the pub and that makes for great eating. I would definitely recommend either of these restaurants if you happen to be in the area.

Clockwise from top left: smoked mackerel with beetroot and horseradish; chopped Dorset crab on toast; lemon delicious pudding; roast pork loin with prune, celeriac and lentils

Anchor & Hope, 36 The Cut, London SE1 8LP.

Opening hours: Tues-Sat 12N-2:30pm / Mon-Sat 6-10:30pm / Sun 12:30-5pm

No reservations taken.

The Garrison, 99 Bermondsey Street, London SE1 3XB. Tel +44 20 7089 9355

København

2009-10-31T03:01:00.008+08:00

Clockwise from top left: Hunky's favourite smørrebrød with shrimp; my roast beef smørrebrød with crunchy deep fried onions and boiled eggs; homemade roast pork by Hunky's old friend; the poor old half fish-half human; Tivoli Garden comes alive in the evening.

Copenhagen. Land of lego, herrings, sexy furniture, mermaids and pastries. Not necessarily in that order. It was my first time visiting Copenhagen and it was wonderful to see the Scandinavian side of my new husband. Husband. I will need some time before I can say it without giggling. Anyway, on the morning that we arrived it was wet, cold and gloomy. Fortunately we were blessed with blue skies from the following day onwards. Still, it was miserably cold. 7C during the day with icy blasts of wind coming in from the sea. Brrrrr. And yet, walking the streets you wouldn't think any one else was cold. I love watching the well dressed women on their bicycles. How do they stay so composed despite the chill? And such great posture! I told Hunky I want to get a bicycle when we get home so I can er...cycle to the supermarket. This was met with a hug and a "You're going get run over lah". Possibly true since they don't have allocated bicycle lanes like in Copenhagen. And of course there is that small problem called Malaysian drivers. Oh well!

Clockwise from top left: I'm a happy power point; delicious, mouthwatering smørrebrød at Ida Davidsen - wheres the bread??; rush hour in Copenhagen; pastries at Reinh Van Hauen; assorted herrings on rye

Hunky had already made a list in his head of all the things he wanted me to try. On the top of his list was smørrebrød. And we had a lot of smørrebrød (I stopped trying to pronounce it after the twentieth attempt) which are open face sandwiches that people eat for lunch. One things for sure, they sure do like their mayo here. Everything has mayo or a sauce that has mayo in it. Hunky's favourite is the shrimp one. Not just any shrimp but cold, deep-sea Scandinavian shrimp (don't quote me on this!). Kind of like having really nice prawn cocktail on dense rye. I like mine with herrings. Admittedly, after staring them for a while I do feel kind of squeamish but eating them is a different matter entirely. I like the sweet and sharp tangy flavour together on that dense rye bread. Mmmm. I like it with red onions and capers, with dill, in curry, I like them all. I also really enjoyed my roast beef smørrebrød at Ida Davidsen that was topped with deep fried onions. I think they started off as onion rings that were deep fried beyond oblivion. So crunchy and sweet! I did crave warm food by the second day. After all, all these cold sandwiches are hardly a comfort when its cold outside. I want hot, cockle-warming soups and stews. Instead we had two rounds of roast pork for dinner. We actually never made to any of the restaurants for dinner on the three nights that we had to ourselves. Mostly because it was so darn cold. And expensive too. Everything is so expensive! I thought London was bad but London is cheap compared to CPH. Those tiny smørrebrød cost on average Kr65 (RM46) and you really need to eat two before you are full! No wonder people in CPH are so slim! They bike around and can only afford to eat one smørrebrød! If I moved here I would be soooooo thin! Oh but then there are the pastries. Danish pastries! No, the ones back home are a travesty! Flakey, crisp pastry filled with all kinds of delicious fillings, mainly cream. They sure do love their cream. Speaking of cream, Hunky and I went to La Glace which is apparently the oldest patisserie in Copenhagen. Its a quaint little cafe located on a side street in the shopping district. The shop front has a big window display with all kinds of pastries and cakes to tease you into submission. The first two times we went it was so busy that we couldn't even get into the cafe. On our third attempt, we went in the morning. I know! Cake for breakfast- how fantastic is that?! I was immediately attracted to the pink icing-topped eclair. I guess I'm just a girl at heart. Hunky had his favourite "potato" cake. It is so adorable! It really looks like a potato. Its a choux pastry that is filled with creme patisserie and cream and wrapped in marzipan and dusted with cocoa powder. It is as rich as it sounds. Thank God for the industrial strength coffee that we had. Mine was lovely and light but the icing tasted odd and Hunky told me it was laced with rum. Huh, who would've thought! Yum!

Clockwise from top: The view from the top at Marble Church, thats Sweden in the distance; to-die-for pastries at La Glace (this is only 1/4 of displayed items!); moreish fish cakes with remoulade at Tivoli Hallen- the consistency is light and souffle-like. Definitely not like the stodgy potato ones. Gorgeous!

I was told that I must try a hot dog when in Copenhagen. I asked if it was really good and I was told that it wasn't. Eh? Its just one of those junky things that people ate I guess. Sure enough there were hot dog vans everywhere and they did not look appetising at all. I was meant to have a hot dog after all. One very cold evening at the famed Tivoli Gardens. We were lucky to have arrived when we did because Tivoli had just reopened for that week to coincide with school break. The place was decorated in a Halloween theme. It was so festive and vibrant. I think most people go for the rides but Hunky and I were happy to just feel the fear from ground level. All the rides I wanted to go on were for pre-schoolers. Oh well. Anyway we had got there around 5pm and watched everything come alive as night fell. So did the temperature! We debated going to Herman at Nimb which is a Michelin restaurant serving up the best of Danish fare had to offer. However after looking at the prices (from RM500 for 4 course), I decided I would rather bring home a tangible piece of Denmark with me. After all, how can I leave without owning something from Poul Heningsen/George Jensen/Arne Jacobsen/something with a -sen in it. We did eat at Nimb - at a hot dog stand serving up "gourmet" hot dogs. It tasted really good but I think we may have just been cold and hungry. It was so cold that I couldn't feel hot the dog was and burnt my tongue. I must be getting old. The cold never use to make me feel so miserable. Blah.

Clockwise from top left: Hunky's favourite "potato" cake; go green! Cycle!; sexy furniture everywhere!; beautiful, delicious and organic pastries at Cascabel; one lonely bicycle, very unusual to see just by itself!

We were supposed to go to Malmö, Sweden on a day trip but we ran out of time as there was still so many things and people to see in Copenhagen. I did get to see Sweden across the sea. We had a fantastic view from the top of the Marble Church on one beautiful day. Access to the roof is only at 1pm and 3pm sharp. We so happened to be there at the time so we decided to go up. I forgot how steep and narrow the stairs can be in old churches. Thank god it wasn't for very long as I was starting to feel really claustrophobic. Shudder. The view was phenomenal and made our knees weak. We also went up to Louisiana, the art gallery not the state, which is located in Humlebæk north of Copenhagen. Its a 30 - 45 minute train ride depending on which train you hop on to. It well worth it because the museum is sprawled over a huge space with amazing views of the sea. It was freezing that day so as much as we wanted to enjoy the outdoor space, it was far too cold to sit for more than a minute. And of course we went to see the Little Mermaid. She is a tiny little thing. I don't know why I always thought she was on a beach but really the view behind her is quite industrial and not too pretty. Anyway, that story is so darn heartbreaking anyway. That Mr Andersen is one twisted individual.

I would like to go back and see the rest of Denmark and maybe some other parts Scandinavia. Still so much to see, taste and feel! First, have to save money! And pray that the ringgit strengthens. Heres hoping!

Tivoli Hallen - Vester Volgade 91, tel +3311 0160

Great place for lunch featuring typical Danish dishes and a small selection of smørrebrød. Delicious fish cakes with consistency of or jien!

Cascabel - St. Kongensgade 80-82, tel +45 3393 7797

Fine eco-friendly cakes and pastries

Ida Davidsen - St. Kongensgade 70, tel +45 3391 3655

A smorgasbord of smørrebrød! Call ahead for reservations.

Reinh Van Hauen - a small chain of bakery that has delicious fresh pastries. Perfect for breakfast or afternoon tea. There is one on St. Kongensgade and another at Magasin food hall.

La Glace - Skoubade 3, 1158 København.

Forget the diet! Make sure to try the "sports cake" and let me know what it tastes like. It looks

like a giant ball of cream!

One thing to remember is that most of these places only open for breakfast, lunch afternoon tea.

Check the website for opening hours to avoid disappointment.

Clockwise from top: Henry Moore sculpture at Louisiana Museum of Modern Art; haute dog from Nimb at Tivoli Gardens; our favourite brand of Luncheon Meat - TULIP!

Food To Go & Macaroons

2009-10-07T15:45:00.007+08:00

Delicate treasures that melt in the mouth

If you think you've tasted macaroons, then think again. I love macaroons but I understand why people don't see the point of this tiny, overpriced piece of sweet pastry. But thats because they haven't tasted the ones at Ladurée! I've always thought I had tasted some pretty good macaroons but these are phenomenal! I know its hard to imagine getting excited over something so small and airy but these are truly exquisite. The crispy shell is barely there and just breaks into a creamy, oozy filling. I especially love the blackcurrant & violet flavour. Although you can't really taste the violet, the blackcurrant is amazing! Its pure fruity goodness held together by an almond veil. Amazing and freaking expensive at £6.95 per 100g. Thank god they are light. Definitely worth a frequent indulgence I reckon!

We've also been to Hunky's old haunts for lunch. God knows he has been dying for a BLT! So of course we had to go visit Pret and EAT. I remember the large Pret in between Covent Garden and Leicester Square. There weren't that many outlets then, now they are everywhere! Several years after Pret there was EAT. I've always prefered EAT simply because I like their soups and pies more. Having said that, this trip I had a junky but delicious swedish pork meatball wrap at Pret. YUM! We had a garden vegetable soup, lovely when all cold outside, and a chicken and leek pie. The pie was a tad salty for me but was tasty and full of leeks. I'm sure there are many more equally as successful chains in London but these are two are by far the most prominent from a tourist point of view. This trip while weaving through some of the backroads between Bond Street and Green Park, we chanced upon Napket. If you think the website looks snooty, lets just say they pride themselves on it. After all their tagline does say "Snob Food". I can only assume they are taking the piss. I like it because its cheeky and it just looks do different from all the other sandwich bars I've seen so far. The bloody chiller has oak panelling for God's sake! Say what you will, I like details. For a £ or 2 more than the other two places, you can dine with Tatler's best. Snort. Hey maybe if I sit there long enough Daniel Craig might come along to buy a goat's cheese & parma ham ciabatta?...

The interior of Napket. Love the stamped napkin holders, faux bookshelves and oak-panelled chillers. LCLY!

1 for 1 to One O One

2009-10-03T14:55:00.014+08:00

Canadian Burger at Hache, check out the "side" greens

Pan seared scallops at One O One. Deeevine!

During my last trip I blogged about some delicious pork chops I had at Randall & Aubin. Hunky and I decided to revisit the place in Fulham Road only to find that it had closed and Hache has opened in its place. I had read about Hache, known as the burger connoiseurs, and their steak-cut burgers. We figured it must've been a sign to dine there as they were having 1 for 1 deal for lunch. Unheard of just a couple of years ago but you'll find that most restaurants are doing great deals to beat the credit crunch. I recognised the interior immediately. Apart from some lights and chairs, I think it looks a lot like the previous restaurant. I ordered the Sicilan which comes with parma ham and mozarella while Hunky zoomed in on the Canadian, honey cured bacon and cheddar. The presentation is less than impressive. I had asked for the breadless option so when the burger arrived it was sitting rather messily on a bed of roughly chopped greens. A much needed input of fibre after all our carb-laden meals! On first bite, it was very flavoursome. A good chargrilled taste. The "patty" is roughly chopped by hand so you get to really experience the full flavour of the beef. Hunky's Canadian tasted a lot like mine. I was disappointed that as a "burger connoiseur" they served us Heinz ketchup. I guess their focus is solely on the patty as it really is no-frills kind of dining. The burgers cost £8.95 each and a side order of chips was £2.95. Would I go again? Nope. After all there is one in KL that is heaps better, seriously!

Red mullet bouillabase

We walked up to Kings Road after that. I love looking at lighting and furniture. I was in wallpaper heaven at Designers Guild. To-die-for! I was also checking out all the kitchen gadgets at Peter Lewis. Swoon! Kitchen Aids and multiple attachments! Cookie cutters and aluminium cast cake moulds. Phwaaah. We also walked up to Knightsbridge and visited Harrods. I like walking around and looking at all these overpriced, archaic and over-the-top items which just make me wonder "Who the hell buy these things?" Still, it was fun looking at the beautiful things and visiting my favourite section of Harrods - the chocolate and pattiserie hall! Palpitations! Excitement or heart attack, not sure. The cupcakes at Lola's (hmmm the website looks strangely familiar eh?) looked promising although we didn't get to try any as we had to go meet my best friend Tank-o for dinner at One O One. Unfortunately we had to dine like geriatrics to enjoy the 50% discount on food bill which meant we had to be seated at 6:30pm. We were the first ones at the restaurant! Ordinarily I wouldn't dine in hotel restaurants in London simply because they are so stuffy and expensive. I read up on the restaurant and it had many good reviews. So expectations were high. One O One is located on the ground floor of Sheraton Tower (right next to the casino, very handy for you gamblers). I went for the "petit plats" option which allows you to sample the best from the ala carte menu. You can choose between 3 to 6 petit plats. I was advised by our waitress that 4 is usually more than enough. And it was. I struggled with my last plate. We started with a really delicious amuse bouche of crab blini and a potato and endive cappuccino. Okay the blini was too stodgy for the crab but the soup was delicious! I could had had a large bowl for dinner and be completely satisfied!

Warm foccacia served with unusual and tasty seaweed infused butter (pictured in background)

First up, native lobster with fennel macedoine salad, king crab pastilla, apple jelly and sorbet. In layman terms, coleslaw-like salad with fennel and flaky samosa filled with king crab. It arrived looking so abstract as everything was miniaturised; from the tiny square of green jelly to the bite size samosa. Everything in parts was delicious but I'm not sure how they came together. Maybe this plate doesn't work when its miniaturised. Still, it was fresh on the palate and great start to the meal. Next up was my seared norwegian scallops with truffle foam and duck foie gras. The scallops were perfectly cooked and so freaking good! The duck liver was good too but again I didn't quite feel the flavours coming together for me. The following dish was red mullet bouillabase with small brittany shellfish ragout and seaweed mouillete. I know its seafood but it smelt unpleasantly fishy. I think it was the actual mullet itself. The dish came with seafood piled under a seared red mullet. The creamy bouillabase is then poured over it. The soup was nice but I wasn't quite expecting so many sea snails in my soup. Overall it was good but nothing to write home about. My final dish was a pan roasted Norwegian white halibut and lobster dumpling, paimpol cocobeans truffle cassoulet and sauce Américaine. This was really, really good. The fish was flaky with a firm texture and the lobster dumpling was the best wanton ever! For dessert Tanko and Hunky ordered chocolate souffle and white chocolate mousse respectively. The souffle was densely packed with chocolatey flavour while Hunky's white chocolate mousse was thick and chunky. I loved the lemon sorbet that came with it. Overall it was a pretty good dinner. I think its definitely worthwhile coming while the 50% discount is still on.

Petit fours with our coffees

One O One - Sheraton Park Tower, 101 Knightsbridge, London SW1X 7RN

Hache - 329-331 Fulham Road, Chelsea, London SW10 9QL

KUL-DBX-LHR

2009-10-02T15:23:00.006+08:00

The view of Hyde Park Corner from the bus

When I boarded the Emirates plane to Dubai from KL I realised that it had been quite some time since I flew long haul. I felt so jakun as I oohed and aahed about the Boeing 777. Leg room! Seats that recline, touch screen entertainment with enough movies to fly back and forth twice! Man, I've been flying Air Asia too much! I think this was also the first time I've ever flown Emirates and the service is top notch. The food, so I was told by Hunky because he loves airplane food, was good too. I think I will be flying Emirates more often. The only annoying thing is the 4 hour layover in Dubai which doesn't seem very long except when you take into the account the time difference and we were struggling to stay awake from 2am-6am. The moment I sat down in the plane, no kidding, I passed out. Damm I'm sounding old! Anyway here I am! Back in London after three years. We've been blessed with very good weather so far. About 18C with blue skies and sunshine. So not London. So much has changed and so much hasn't. The tube is still remarkably unreliable. The streets are still full of litter. Oxford Street is still full of tourists (us included!). Then there is the construction. Old buildings are gone, in its place, semi sky scrapers that really stand out in the London skyline. I love the new statue at Marble Arch. Took me a while to figure out what it was. In my defense, I couldn't move away from the part of the statue that resembled a very fine Rubenesque arse.

Mighty fine salt beef sandwich from the Brass Grill at Selfridges

See those posters hanging from the ceiling? Its a Singapore food promotion! I know! We were surrounded by Singaporeans trying to get us to try Tiger beer, Yeo's, some instant noodle thing as well as moon cake! Choi!

Attack of the killer meringues at the Selfridges Food Court.

We paid homage to Selfridges and its salt beef sandwiches at the Brass Grill. They've moved into the food area and have a bigger seating capacity. The sandwich is a good as ever. That beef is so tender that it just falls apart in the mouth. Mmmm! And that scary turd-like pickled gherkin. So darn good with the beef! Hunky was tempted to have another one but decided to save his stomach for Krispy Kreme instead. Its not a big variety at Selfridges but I was eager to try the Key Lime Pie and Rocky Road. I've had Krispy Kreme in KL and I was convinced that residual oil taste was a result of the oil we used back home. You know what, it tastes the same here! The only difference is the one here has a firmer traditional doughnut texture unlike the soft fluffy ones in KL. The Key Lime Pie was yummy and surprisingly not too sweet. Rocky Road was crap. The chocolate doughnut was dry and the toppin was a lame attempt at rocky road. Well, I'm officially KK'd out. We're off to the gastropub next!

O' Krispy Kreme you be the death of me!

Post Climb Makan in KK

2009-10-01T14:10:00.004+08:00

I know its been many weeks since my last post. I've been busy getting married! Not sure whether I'll be blogging about that. I will say that it was a wonderful wedding that went by too quickly. If only we could stretch time. Sigh... Anyway, found these pictures in my phone so thought I ought to blog about it before I start my London posts.

After our climb we checked into Le Meridien where my other two hens were waiting. We had a very fresh seafood dinner near the waterfront. I think what stayed in my mind more was the breakfast we had on our last day at a coffeeshop nearby. After two days of canteen-buffet-type thing on the mountain, it was nice to see other a different variety of dishes that didn't include sweet sour fish, fried rice and fried mee hoon. Between the four us we tried the house special fried noodles, beef and offal soup noodles and waht tahn mee. Everything was incredible tasty and not too heavy handed on the msg. I especially liked the beef and offal soup noodle. The broth was aromatic, light and full of flavour. The fried noodles were very good too. If I had any complains about it, it would have to be that it was a tad oily for breakfast. The waht tan was probably the best I've had since Ipoh many, many years ago. A proper egg sauce as opposed to starch! And so much "wok's breath"! Very good! Unfortunately I can't remember what the coffeeshop is called but I will post details up later. I'm off, have pubs to visit, sausages to eat and kitcheny gadget things to buy!

Sage - FINALLY!

2009-09-16T14:48:00.020+08:00

Picture top, left to right: amuse buche; mushroom consomme with a heady aroma; foie gras with avocado and fine bean tempura - sick! So sickeningly good! Liquid butter of foie gras exploding in the mouth.

When Sage first opened I couldn't wait to blog about it. I guess it must have been a case of over expectations. I absolutely adore its sister restaurant Cilantro's and Hunky and I were both suffered mild gastricitis upon hearing they would be closed for renovations. Its been more than a year now and Cilantro's is rumoured to reopen end of the year. And still, I have not blogged about this place. Up until now it just hasn't wow'd me. There were a couple of good dishes but to sum the first 5 experiences - underwhelming. Well, you know what they say - sixth time lucky! Or was that third time lucky? Oh well, nevertheless, LL and Boolicious celebrated my birthday at Sage with me. It has been well over 9 months since I last visited. Infact it was FBB's surprise birthday when I last visited. This one meal, was the best I ever had at Sage. Maybe it was a weekday and the service staff are not so swamped with orders. Or maybe the dust has finally settled and Chef' Takashi Kimura's true colours shine. I'm pleased to see that they are still doing their 3-course and Chef's Menu menus. I must remember to come here for lunch.

All of us ordered foie gras with avocado and fine bean tempura. Great minds think alike after all. We were curious about the avocado and foie gras pairing. Fat upon fat? Surely not but surely it would be divine! And it was. It was a weird sensation as both fats are merely separated by a thin crispy layer or batter. Thank goodness there was only a small piece of avocado. I might've had a heart attack at the table. The foie gras was perfectly cooked. A little wobbly in the middle. Its like liquid butter on the tongue. Mmmm...

In between courses we were presented with a complimentary cup of mushroom consomme. This was because our main course was taking a little longer than expected. Honestly, we hadn't noticed so it couldn't have been that long a wait. Well, if you're going to give me a freebie I'm certainly not going to refuse. I am so happy that they did because I would not have realised how deliciously aromatic this soup is. The smell! It was woody, perfumey and earthy all at the same time. We felt so nourished and virtuous drinking it and convinced ourselves that the bad foie gras had been cancelled out by all this mushroomy goodness.

The clear winner of the evening- Boolicious' wild rice risotto with scallops and prawn.

I loved my main course! Tender herb crusted lamb rack with a hint of wasabi. I could've eaten the whole lamb! Having said that, the clear winner of the evening was Boo's mind blowing risotto. Yes, I never thought I would ever describe risotto that way. This was just an oxymoron of flavours. It was light and delicate yet rich and creamy. The seafood broth used to cook this must've been from Neptune himself as it was so incredible aromatic. I think I should have left it at that because my Jivara chocolate dessert just tipped me over the edge. It was so dense and rich. Oh man, I just wanted to lie down there and then and go to sleep! LL and Boo chose their desserts better. LL's almond tau fu fah was lovely and refreshing. Okay it was actually a blancmange but it really is a lot like tau fu fah! Boo's light pastry with fresh cherries was lovely to end the meal with. I was also presented with a small cake compliments of Sage. How thoughtful! Thank you Sage for converting me into a believer! I will be back soon!

Thank you Boolicious and Lyrical Lemongrass for a wonderful dinner and restoring

my faith in Sage!

Sage at The Gardens, Midvalley. 6th Floor, The Gardens, Mid Valley City, Lingkaran Syed Putra, 59200 Kuala Lumpur. For reservations 03 2268 1188

Hen's Weekend Mount Kinabalu

2009-09-11T13:21:00.006+08:00

When my BFFs asked me what I wanted to do for my Hen's Night, I don't think they were expecting me to say "Climb Mount Kinabalu!" There were some long pauses, a couple of ahems and then a chorus of "Okay!" Getting drunk, strippers and complete debauchery is just an average night out for me so climbing a mountain seemed more fitting! There were 6 of us altogether and only 4 were climbing. The two lians waited for us in KK while we went to Kinabalu Park. We spent one night at Nepenthes Lodge before starting our ascend the following morning. I would have liked to have spent another day at the park because it really was very pretty and there were lots of trails that were less harrowing than the climb up. So at 8:30am we arrived at Timpohon Gate with our guide Jeremin. The first two kilometres were fine. It was lovely cool morning and we met many hikers and porters along the way. Some of these porters were carrying gas tanks up! How do they make it look so easy? There we were puffing and panting. There were seven stops before Laban Rata and we stopped at each one to catch our breath and to take sip of the untreated water provided in large green tanks. It looks kinda dodgy but really, it was very cool, refreshing and safe to drink (maybe not if you are mat salleh). After Layang-Layang, the final 2km was really gruelling. The air gets thinner and the foliage becomes more sparse. Theres no protection from the strong wind. It didn't feel that cold as we were constantly moving. Once we got to Laban Rata at 3pm, we realised it was 6C! We were definitely not prepared for the cold. Its a nice atmosphere in the guest house as you watch more people appear, you genuinely feel happy that they made it too. The lowest point of the entire trip for me was that one night we spent at Laban Rata in an unheated dormitory at Gunting Lagadan. There was no hot water so none of us took a bath and we tried to sleep around 7pm which was difficult as there were a lot of giggling and banging of doors as the groups of gap-year-mat salls were flirting with one another. None of us got any real sleep and there was one point in the night when the temperature must have dropped below 0C as I could not stop shaking from the cold. 1am the alarm clock rings and we struggle to get out of bed. Deng and Dween decided they could not join Rafs and I up the summit. Deng was still feeling the effects of the altitude and Dween was hurting from the day before. I will admit I half hoped Rafs didn't want to climb. I was, we were all so tired, sleep deprived and cold. Once we got our gear on I think adrenalin from the anticipation began to kick in. Infact, it was not as cold outside as it was in the room! At 2:30am, after a small supper of tea and fried rice, Jeremin came to get us to guide us up our cold and dark ascend to the summit. The first quarter was mainly steps and it help us get warm real fast. Once we cleared the trees however, it was a different story. Suddenly all you see is rock, rope and darkness all around you. It was a very slow climb as your body just screams "Nooooooo!" It was also hard to breathe as it was really quite cold as the wind whips around you. In the darkness, everything seemed intimidating. There is one part where the rope is on one side of you and you are walking along a thin ledge and to your right, is just blackness. After that bit I started freaking out a little bit as it only dawned on me then that I would have to climb back down! Rafs was very good and made me get a grip and focus on the task at hand. Once we reached Sayat-Sayat check point I felt a little better. We didn't rest for too long and continued by ourselves as Jeremin was still chatting with the other guides and he said he would catch up with us. He never did! So Rafs and I stumbled along by ourselves and met up with another group going up. Then we lost them because we kept having to catch our breath. Then for a long time it was just the two of us. It was hard because we had no idea where we were, how far we had to go and it was just so cold. It was a little surreal but we kept each other going. Then the sky started to brighten and we didn't need our headlamp anymore. We still couldn't see up nor down as the mist was so thick. And then finally we heard voices and we realised we had reached Low's Peak! The chilly wind was brutal! And my camera died on me because it was so cold! We managed to take one shot of each other at the peak. And then we just waited for the mist to part. It was like a peep show. The sun would appear and then it would be gone. And then the clouds would part and you see a peak right in front of you. Once the clouds finally parted the view was breathtaking. I've never been up a mountain before so for me, this was really spectacular. It was just so peaceful and beautiful. I'm really happy I did it and that I had my friends with me. I don't think I could've done it otherwise. Thank you guys! Sorry for the pain!

Now, coming down was a different story all together! The descend for me was far more difficult as fatigued set in and the wobbly knees disintegrate altogether! I'm going to be sore for a very long time!

For accommodation, visit Sutera Sanctuary Lodges and I found this website to be incredibly helpful. Do book ahead to secure the lodgings and I would advise everyone to climb in March/April when its not so cold!

Birthday Cupcakes

2009-09-01T17:24:00.005+08:00

Happy birthday to meeeee!

What to do with leftover caramel chocolate ganache frosting? Make some chocolate cupcakes to ice it with of course. I also have a bottle of creme de cacao given to me by my friend who was dating a bartender. Handy! I decided to douse the cupcakes with it. Was tempted to used Hunky's Baileys but he is a little possessive about it. Can't wait to eat them later! My birthday wish - for the earth and its people to heal and become one and at peace with each other.

Happy Merdeka - Long Weekend Baking

2009-08-31T18:52:00.006+08:00

A quickie post. Merdeka Day for me means peace and quiet in more ways than one. Its also a good time to catch up on untried recipes and cleaning out the closet. This long weekend for me involved a lot of cooking. We had some friends over on Saturday and I managed to make a simple Chinese meal of lotus root soup, cold beancurd with sweet and sour pickled vegetable, steam fish with ginger spring onion and soy dressing and a mildly spiced chicken curry. Mum would be proud! The lotus root soup tasted just as good as Mum's. Unfortunately the cold beancurd was a bit of an acquired taste I think! I love it! The following evening Ducky came over for a belated birthday/buka puasa dinner. We had beef fried rice and leftover soup followed by Hunky's tarty lemon tart for dessert.

There is nothing more lovely than the aroma of freshly baked goodies. So I made a banana loaf although I should have let the bananas ripen more. Also I think it needs a little more butter but overall its a pretty healthy banana loaf. Heres the recipe if you would like to try it.

150g brown sugar (you can add more, original recipe calls for 250g)

140g unsalted butter, softened

2 eggs

250g ripe bananas, mashed (I used pisang raja)

280g plain flour, sifted

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp soda bicarbonate

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

Preheat oven to 170C. Grease a 23 x 13cm loaf tin
Beat butter and sugar in mixer until well incorporated, add the eggs.
Then add mashed bananas.
Add flour, baking powder, soda bicarbonate, cinnamon and ginger into the mixture.
Pour into prepared tin and bake for about 45 mins - 1 hour depending if you have a fan assisted oven. Mine is the latter and took only 45 mins.
Leave to cool in tin slightly before turning out onto rack to cool completely.

Dish-turbingly Good

2009-08-23T21:37:00.017+08:00

Above: Roast bone marrow with parsley and capers salad; Boo's pan seared foie gras
Below: Charred to perfection, our US Prime Rib; potatoes roasted in duck fat, it was alright

I rarely venture into Delicious unless I am meeting Crispy for coffee as he happens to live in Dua. I'm still upset that they took away the only dish that I like which was the agedashi tofu with mushrooms. They used to be good about three restaurants ago. When it was just Bangsar and 1 Utama. I spent quite a lot of my weekends there, hanging out with friends and indulging in shoestring fries, decadent death by iced chocolates and abundantly fresh and crisp seafood salad. Now the food quality is too inconsistent to risk when hungry. After many, many months of curiously wondering what they were going to do with the space that occupied the ground floor of Dua Annex, Dish was finally revealed. Dish is the new fine dining concept by Delicious group. It occupies the other half of the delicatessen of Delicious Ingredients. The layout implies casual dining but the menu prices suggest much more. After studying the menu one day with Crispy, I was eager to get the girls to dine here with me. So one Thursday evening, Boolicious, Lyrical Lemongrass, Ciki and I found ourselves sharing a bottle of Cloudy Bay sauvignon blanc over a surprisingly good meal.

Lobster omelette in a pool of buttery lobster bisque RM58

If there is one common complaint about Delicious, it would be the bad service. At Dish however, service is excellent! Shockingly so that I nearly fell off my chair. The staff are knowledgeable, attentive and quite sweet really. Even when they insulted me, I'll come to that later. To start, roasted bone marrow, foie gras and foie gras parfait. The bone marrow arrived looking rather impressive, like 3 mini silos filled with buttery goodness. And after you're done eating them, they make great fashion cuff bangles! Only if you are built like a tiny ah lian of course. The marrow was paired with a parsley capers salad which was a delicious contrast of flavours and textures. I was told that it needed a little more salt by LL and Ciki. Meanwhile I was busy tucking into my foie gras parfait on melba toasts and raspberry jam. It was smooth and delicately flavoured. Of course it paled in comparison with Boolicious' pan-seared foie gras which was to die for! But then again, I don't believe I've met a foie gras I didn't like. For mains Ciki had grilled tiger prawns while the rest of us shared a 1.3kg US prime rib with rocket, roast potatoes in duck fat and portobello mushrooms (all RM12) on the side. The tiger prawns were lackluster and the texture was soft which meant that they were not very fresh. We fared better with our prime rib. It was beautifully charred but a little rare for me. LL and Boo like it like that so I ate the bits around the edges which was covered in fat. If you like fat, you've like this. It came with a couple sauces which wasn't necessary because there was already so much flavour in the meat. I did like the truffle butter but the chimichuri sauce was too piquant.

Above: black forrest pavlova with fresh cherries; gorgeous crepe suzette. Below: my crunchy in the middle orecchiette, my only gripe - little more oxtail please.

For dessert we had crepe suzette and black forrest pavlova. Both desserts were equally as good and were devoured very quickly. The crepes were just the right thickness and orange cognac sauce was buttery and gorgeous. The black forrest pavlova was a chocolate meringue topped with bailey's cream and fresh cherries. Light as a feather but full bodied with flavour. We were also offered some petit fours in the form of a dark chocolate truffle and a lemony marshmallow-like candy. The following week I was back again with Danish Pastry & GF. I had told him about how wonderful it was and he insisted on going there for dinner. I wasn't going to turn it down especially when he was buying dinner! This time I ordered the lobster omelette for starters and orecchiette with oxtail stew for mains. The lobster omelette was served in a pool of lobster bisque. The lobster was sweet and springy in the egg. And even more sublime eaten with the flavourful bisque. The only thing was that it was also incredibly rich. When my main course I arrived, I just ate one fifth of it. I basically picked out all the oxtail bits as the pasta was slightly undercooked. One more minute would have been perfect. This was crunchy in the middle. I was told later that "this type of pasta is cooked this way". If I wasn't so full and delirious from the good food I would have felt indignant but I just let it slide. The chef is obviously talented with an ego of a diva to match. Firm with a bit of bite is good but not when it hurts my teeth Mr Chef. Apart from that, I couldn't really fault my second experience at Dish. The menu would be best described as Australian. Its not huge but offer good variety. Expect to pay RM150 per person on average for three courses. The good thing is that wine is very reasonably priced here.

Danish Pastry's pan roasted duck breast with foie gras and some sort of fruit reduction thing. It was nicely done but the flavours did not come together.

Dish - Dua Annex, Jalan Tun Razak. Open for lunch and dinner. Other reviews - Masak-Masak

Bangsar Seafood Garden

2009-08-17T12:49:00.014+08:00

From left to right: deep fried boneless chicken with fruit sauce; deep fried snapper with bean sauce; stir-fried prawns with special curry

Last Thursday I was lucky to be invited to a food tasting at Bangsar Seafood Garden. Its been a while since I've been to one of these. For me it was as much to do with eating as it was meeting some of the other bloggers. I've only been to BSG one other time and I was not impressed. I was eager to see if the second time would be better. After all, this restaurant is clearly successful. Its been in Bangsar for as long as I can remember and everytime I drive past, the restaurant is always nearly full. There were just over 20 of us, 17 cameras, 10 courses and bottles of alcohol on stand by. Actually what am I talking about. Frat Mustard was already drunk when I arrived!

The evening had its hits and misses for me. It started off with the three dishes pictured above. The boneless chicken was reminiscent of a good lemon chicken without the lemony-ess. I love lemon chicken so this dish was definitely a hit for me. Can't go wrong with chicken and mango. The next dish was a fried red snapper with bean sauce. This was mediocre for me. The sauce overpowered the fish which was what happened with the prawns as well. I really appreciated how fresh the prawns were and found the strong curry far too distracting. Others found this to be delicious just the way it is. To each his own right? My two favourite dishes of the night were the stewed chinese cabbage and cream crab. The stewed cabbage was full of flavour from the dried scallops and mushrooms. The cream crab was so fresh it was practically doing the breast stroke in the creamy sauce. I could have eaten the two crabs by myself. Alas, damn the other 9 people on the table. I think we were on a budget that night as we only got 12 miniscule but very pretty butterfly-shaped buns to eat with the crab. 6 steamed and 6 fried. I was lucky to be able to grab a fried one. The salted egg yolk crab was pretty good too. We already had 7 courses by this time so I only managed half a leg and shared the other half with one part of Le Couple Toy.

There was also fried rice with crab claws that had been stir fried with salted egg yolk. I love the crispy bits with the fried rice. The three dishes I liked least were the egg omelet with crab meat - it was a little on the dry side and a waste off crab meat if you ask me; "braised beancurd combinations" which was beancurd drenched in a strange yellow coloured starchy sauce that offered a mild taste of chicken stock and topped with water chestnuts, potatoes and carrots; mango and sago pudding - I'm just not a fan of gloopy Chinese desserts. Overall I preferred the simpler dishes that wasn't overtly creative. The seafood is superbly fresh so I would recommend cooking styles that are lighter on the palate to really taste the sweet flesh of seafood. What I like about this place is that it doesn't have the usual crazy hectic-ness of a Chinese restaurant. Service is attentive and its a great place to bring our Muslim friends for fresh seafood.

For the month of Ramadan, Bangsar Seafood Garden have several promotional set menus to choose from, the price ranges from RM498++ to RM898++ for tables of 10. The great thing is they are throwing in 1kg of crab for free (valued at around RM60 plus). Promotion period is from Aug 20 to Sept 21. See below for details on the menu.

RM 498+: Appetizer, Shark’s Fin Soup, Chicken with Ginger, Spicy Fried Fish, Lychee Prawns, Signature Beancurd, ‘Kampung’ fried rice, Custard Buns, Dessert

RM 598+: Appetizer, Sharks Fin Soup, Chicken with Plum Sauce, Pomfret with Bean Sauce, Prawns with Sweet Corn Sauce, Steamed “Sang Gan”, Tom Yam Noodles, Banana with “Gula Melaka”, Dessert

RM 698+: Appetizer, Double boiled soup, Roast chicken, Red snapper, Otak Otak Fried Prawns, Braised Sea Cucumber, Oyster Fried Rice, Chinese Pastries, Dessert

RM 898+: Homemade appetizers, Sharks Fin Soup with Pumpkin, Boneless Duck, Curried Garoupa, Braised Seafood, Mango Prawns, Garlic Fried Rice, Banana & ‘Gula Melaka’, Dessert

Bangsar Seafood Garden Restaurant, 63 One Bangsar, Jalan Ara, Bangsar Baru 59100. Call 03 22822555 for reservations.

"Give me a hug"

"Nooo you give me a hug"

"You're so lovely"

"No, you da lovely one!"

*smooch*

"I love you"

About Cakes, Curry & A Salad for A Chiki Monkey

2009-08-10T22:53:00.013+08:00

Its time for baking cakes again. I love trying out recipes. The triumphs, the failures, I love it all. I enjoy the learning curve and Hunky and colleagues get to reap the benefits of my spoils. When I do finally figure out a recipe I get incredibly excited (partly from the sugar high) and then I don't want to eat cake for at least a month after. As much as I love the Hummingbird Cake, I think that whole week of eating nothing but has put me off it for now. Who knew you could be traumatised by too much cake! Now I know why they call it Death By Chocolate.

Here is a picture of my attempt at black and white cake. The cake was too dense for the buttercream. The recipe actually called for a different frosting but it involved too many tools and measurements for someone like me. Easy peasy please. However, the buttercream is to die for! Super smooth and incredibly light and buttery. Gives the Red Velvet cake icing a run for its money. Today I tried another cake which uses caramel. I'm very inspired to replicate a Snickers bar in a cake form but less junky, more posh. So far so good. I don't know if anyone would eat it since most people I know don't like peanuts. The peanut has been treated unkindly. Tossed aside as its posher cousins take over the shelves. The humble peanut is relegated to stalls, wakes and red table-clothed restaurants. Peanut my friend, I will bring you to justice!

Lately I've been getting reacquainted with Asian cooking. I've almost forgotten how to stir fry vegetables and make simple curry. Its just so much easier to make a salad or pasta. I made some nam yue pai guat the other day and it turned out surprisingly well! I marinated the ribs with fermented bean paste, ginger, garlic, rice wine, cinnamon, cloves, pepper, ketchup (yes), dark soy, salt and honey and then simmered the ribs for about an hour before frying them. Mum would be so proud of me. Frying, with oil! It was tender and moist. Lovely! However don't think I will be cooking them often. I can't stand how oily the floor gets. Did I mention I like my floor squeaky? The other night I made a quick curry with the little ingredients that I had in my fridge. Chili padi, lemongrass, dried shrimp, shallots and garlic were blended coarsely. The paste was then fried in hot oil until I started choking from the fumes of the chili! Toss in the chicken pieces, couple of kaffir lime leaves and a little water. Finally salt, some leftover fine beans and freshly squeezed coconut milk. Doesn't look very pretty but it was tasty and light on the palate.

Moving on, I was honoured to be invited to Nigel and Allan's Pot Luck dinner for fellow flogger from afar, Msiagirl. I decided to bring pomelo salad after reading all about Rama V. Except that their version is a lot fancier with abalone. Mine was just humble chicken and shrimp. I don't know why it never occurred to me to make it before as it is incredibly easy and wonderfully refreshing given the hot and humid nights we're having lately. Ciki text me today with compliments about the salad. So here it is Ciki monkey! You will need juice and zest of 2 limes, 1 tablespoon palm sugar/brown sugar, 1 chili padi, 1 stalk lemongrass sliced very finely and 3 tablespoons of fish sauce. First muddle the juice, zest, sugar and lemongrass like you would a mojito. Ah, I sense I have piqued your interest! Then add the rest of the ingredients and adjust according to taste. This measurement is for 1/3 - 1/2 pomelo segments and enough for two monkeys! Don't forget the coriander and toasted peanuts. The nuts are a must!

Seasoned one chicken breast fillet with salt and pepper. Pan fry on non-stick skillet for about 3 minutes on each side. If you butterfly the breast it will cook much faster. Clean, shell and devein 6 medium prawns. Bring some water to gentle simmer with some salt added. Poach prawns for 30s to 1 min. Until it turns opaque. To assemble just throw everything together and toss in the dressing. Crushed peanuts right at the end. Voila. So easy right? Now, your turn to make for me!

Shen-zam!

2009-08-03T14:14:00.006+08:00

Piping hot creamy oozy salted egg custard centre.

When my sister returned with 3o dresses after a shopping trip in Shenzen, I knew I had to visit this wondrous place at some point. Two weeks later, she had booked us on a trip. Yes, she was going again. So couple of days ago Rafs, Sista and I boarded our Air Asia flight into Shenzen. Sista had planned our trip for maximum shopping time- our hotel was directly across the shopping centre! Seriously. Railway Station Hotel looked pretty dodgy from the outside but it was surprisingly decent. The beds were extremely firm! And the sheets, very clean and crisp. The only thing I would have to gripe about is the manky carpet. Yuck. This was the first time in my life that I've ever used the paper slippers they provide in hotel rooms. The carpet was just screaming "FUNGAL INFECTION!!!". Anyway, we basically spent the following day in Lao Wu shopping centre. We had breakfast, lunch and dinner at the same restaurant. Sista had already checked out the eating places previously. She is surprisingly efficient when it comes to things she is passionate about. The food here is so much nicer than the stuff we had in Beijing, probably because we were in Guangzhou after all. Dim sum was lovely. Very fresh and refined. Even better than some of the places in Hong Kong.

"Chan Village Noodles" - culinary genius Chans! Well done!

We discovered a dish here. Like proper tourists that we were, we pointed at the table next to us and ordered. It was called "Chan village noodles" which consisted of hand cut rice noodles stir fried with pork ribs, garlic, soy sauce, chilli and spring onions. I'm sure there were other ingredients but I could only decipher those flavours. It was just so simple and deliciously comforting. The other thing Sista and I were surprised by were the superbly light and crisp crullers. Wow! I am not a fan in KL so I didn't even bother trying it here until Rafs kept insisting how wonderful they were and she was right. I especially love the steamed custard and salted egg bun. They were so good I nearly cried! I just could not get enough of it. I wouldn't say the food was dirt cheap. Around Crystal Jade pricing but so much better! I'm still not sure what the name of the restaurant was but in English it simply states "Laurel Group Restaurant". What a totally decadent trip! The only sight seeing we did was the view of lush green mountains from the window of the restaurant. I would definitely go again with my girlfriends. Great shopping, good food and cheap mani & pedis, its a great girlie weekend!

Click here for a review from another Laurel Group fan.

Clockwise from left to right: spinach dumplings; soft and fluffy mashed yam buns; Shanghai dumplings; my favourite salted egg yolk bun; steamed century egg layer cake;

steamed pork ribs

Dining NY style with Ding & Dhong

2009-07-23T10:15:00.011+08:00

Roast chicken with lemon jam, watercress salad, pumpkin cake with oriental style belly pork, NY style striploin steak & steaks plump and juicy in the pan

My friend Ding married her Dhong two years ago on a bright sunny day in Sydney. These two were made for each other, like apple pie and ice cream, coke and hamburgers, you get the idea. Ding can't cook to save her life so its no wonder she married a man that can. The boy is a whiz in the kitchen! And we somehow managed to rope them into cooking for us. At first it was 6 people, then it became 7 and finally it was 9. Poor Ding was a little stressed on the day. Nothing worse than not having enough food right? They arrived at my place around 4pm and began preparing for the big feast. I did say to Dhong, a simple dinner will do really. And please don't cook too much because I can't deal with leftovers. What does the man make? Pumpkin cakes, NY style steaks with red wine gravy thing and balsamic and olive oil roasted baby roma tomatoes and parmesan fries, watercress salad with feta, walnuts, honey and mango, roast chicken with lemon jam and oriental style oven roasted belly pork! Is the man nuts? Mildly.

We started off the evening with some sauvignon blanc, oven roasted belly pork, watercress salad and pumpkin cakes. The pumpkin had been oven roasted, seasoned, mashed up and pan-fried. Served with a dollop of creme faiche, miso reduction, grated coconut and toasted sesame seeds. It was a nice smooth contrast to the savoury belly pork which was tender but still with some bite to it. The watercress salad was light and refreshing on that hot evening. We took a small break in between the meals and Sabby entertained us with her notorious escapades while Dhong fried up 9 steaks on 1 griddled pan. Each striploin steak was about 250gm each with a nice chunky piece of fat attached to it. I managed about 3/4 of the steak and polished off all the lovely roasted baby romas and parmesan fries. The red wine gravy thing was very good! Bit stingy with the sauce, only 2 tablespoons each! Then there was the roast chicken "just incase we didn't have enough to eat"! The lemons were thrown into the oven as well so it was caramelised and jammy. It was nice but too bitter and overpowering for me. And finally, dessert which was my only contribution to the dinner. A Bailey's cheesecake as requested by Ding. I added a layer of chocolate ganache to the base which upped the initial recipe of PG13 to 18SX. Deliciously decadent! Thank you Ding & Dhong for cooking such a brilliant dinner!

Bailey's cheesecake, Ding & Her Dhong

Marathon x2 - Singapore & New York

2009-07-17T21:53:00.008+08:00

My knee is all better and I can't wait to run in the Standard Chartered Singapore marathon! I will not make the same mistake as I did last time by leaving it to Hunky. I will now take his credit card and register for the both of us! Voila, why didn't I think of that before? Oh well, important to learn from one's mistake. Click here for more information. Lets go! I've already made a bet with Beef - last person to finish has to buy breakfast at P.S Cafe!

Recently Sara Wilson of Fresh Air Fund contacted me to help get the word out about the upcoming NYC Half Marathon happening on 16th August. The Fresh Air Fund is still looking for runners and sponsors to join their Fresh Air Fund-Racers team for the NYC Half-Marathon. This is a great way to participate in NYC's premier summer road race while helping Fresh Air Fund children. Last summer's NYC Half-Marathon was a huge success and the Fresh Air Fund-Racers raised more than $125,000. We are also still in need of Friendly Town hosts for next month. Host families open their hearts and home to a NYC child who would not otherwise have the opportunity to escape the hot, crowded city streets. Click here for more details. Happy running everybody!

Royal Selangor Cafe

2009-07-16T16:01:00.004+08:00

A familiar guest at weddings and a must to bring when visiting friends abroad. Royal Selangor pewter. Its one of those places where you never think of going unless you are buying a gift or you have friends from abroad wanting a "truly Malaysian" product. I love their signature melon teapot and photo frames. The last time I visited the Royal Selangor Visitor Centre, I brought my two Aussie friends to the School Of Hard Knocks. They were able to have a go and banging out their very own pewter bowl. I think it was very therapeutic especially for Hogey who was particularly agro at the time. More recently, they have added a cafe within the building. It is a lovely space with lots of natural light and a small koi pond with humongous mutant kois. Seriously, what have they been feeding the kois? Ex-employees? They are huge! If there was a Biggest Loser for fish, they would be worthy contestants. Back to the cafe, it was my first time dining there last Friday. I was fairly quiet at the time as there weren't any tourist buses. The tables were all occupied by employees. And there was me.

It is a simple cafe that has a small menu consisting of salads, sandwiches and cakes. What is really nice here is the daily local menu. Monday is nasi lemak, Wednesday is Hainanese chicken rice, and Friday is asam laksa. I can't remember Tuesday and Thursday (probably because it wasn't something I like!). I always say I am not a fan of asam laksa but whenever I eat it, I do enjoy it immensely. Its the noodle that I am not so keen on you see. I am prejudiced against fat noodles. I much prefer waifs like mee sua and bee hoon. It was on the encouragement from the manager that I ordered the asam laksa. I'm so glad I did! The broth smelt so sour, spicy and sweet all at the same time. And it really was very good. It had just the right balance of the three. It was spicy enough to make me reach for a tissue but not enough to burn a hole in my stomach. And it was sour enough to make my mouth water now as I recall the hot aromatic broth. So much for not liking the noodles, I ate it all! TGIF! By 1pm, the asam laksa had sold out. I don't think they make that many portions which is probably why the stock tastes so concentrated. And only RM8.90 for a bowl. I also had a slice of lemon cheesecake with raspberry topping (RM8.90). Very nice! It was simple, smooth, creamy and fluffy at the same time. What a lovely way to spend Friday afternoon.

So if you find yourself around Setapak, make sure you come and try the food at the Royal Selangor Cafe. I would estimate the pricing to be very similar to Secret Recipe, so do yourself a favour and come here instead. The food is made with a lot more love I can tell you that! The best part is parking is easy and free! Call 03 4145 6186 to check on the daily specials which do change occasionally. The cafe is open 7 days a week from 9am - 5pm.

Click here for directions

Republic Of Randomness

2009-07-07T16:53:00.007+08:00

I've had this post in my drafts folder for over a month already. I was quite disappointed with the meal and I thought I ought to give it some time so I might look back at it with a more impartial view. So here goes...

I had read glowing reviews about Hakka Republic at Menara Hap Seng. I know, like you I assumed it was a Chinese restaurant. The decor may have Chinese accents but the food is about as Chinese as Prince Charles. Hunky and I were excited to try this new restaurant that served "steamed wagyu". Up until quite recently, Menara Hap Seng had been MUI Plaza for as long as I can remember. Its an odd place similar to Menara Weld. After 5pm its completely dead. Good thing is parking would be in abundance! Hunky and I walked from Changkat Bukit Bintang. The 10 minute walk would've been a 40 minute drive as the roads where completely congested at 7:30pm. The place certainly looked promising as we exited the glass lift and into the restaurant. I like the voluminous ceiling and sexy lighting. Definitely a place for first dates as the lighting is very forgiving. Not the best place for a blogger to take photos especially when you have a compact like mine. We were seated in the dining area, facing the surprisingly green courtyard which I never knew existed. What is truly impressive about this place is the thick wine list. Thanks to a enomatic wine serving machine, its possible to have a single glass of the finest wines.

Pastry & Gf turned up and we ordered a bottle of chianti (RM266+) to share with our meal. For starters we ordered the steamed wagyu and seabass sashimi with spinach salad and yuzu dressing. We wanted to have foie gras terrine but it was not available that night. It was with much anticipation as we waited for the steamed wagyu to arrive. Perhaps I had gone on about it a bit too much. When it arrived in the bamboo steamer everyone just looked at it doubtfully. It certainly smelt nice. It was impossibly tender. The meat just melts into nothing. Don't expect flavour as this is purely for texture's sake. The ponzu dipping sauce complemented the meat perfectly. The seabass sashimi was nothing spectacular but I had a problem with the local spinach that they served us. I felt the texture too coarse for the sashimi, I think baby spinach would've been nicer. On the upside, the wine was lovely.

Do you know its been so long that I have trouble recalling my main course. Thank goodness I took a photo of the menu. Grilled garlic, mustard and herb crusted Black Angus tenderloin (RM72, 180gm). It was accompanied with chilli roasted potatoes and portobello marsala reduction. I don't remember the potatoes being spicy but they were lovely. The reduction was aromatic and intense. The tenderloin itself was a delicious cut of steak but it was completely overpowered by the crust. I remember I had to scrape off the crust to truly appreciate the meat. Hunky had slow braised Black Angus beef cheek with creamy polenta (RM52). It was delicate, tender and devoid of complaint from Hunky. He did comment that "the one at Frangipani is better". I have a feeling he might just have been ever so slightly biased. Pastry ordered the wagyu steak with blue cheese infused butter (RM120, 180gm). I had a bite and it was much better than the steamed wagyu. It really is just the novelty of it being steamed and served in a bamboo basket. If its flavour you are after, go with the steak.

By this time, I decided that I wasn't going to do dessert. Somehow I just knew that it would be disappointing. I have super high expectations for desserts. It doesn't have to be lavish. It just has to make me feel like I just died and gone to heaven. Too much? Anyway, they ordered three desserts to share. Hunky of course had to have Baileys infused croissant and butter pudding (RM18), Pastry had chocolate fondant with vanilla ice cream (RM22) and Gf had vietnamese hot coffee chocolate cake with Kahlua foam and coffee ice cream (RM25). This was probably the most disastrous part of the meal. Where do I even begin? The baileys was barely infused into this rather stodgy lukewarm lump. Chocolate fondant was nice enough but a little stingy on the portion for that kind of price. "Vietnamese hot coffee cake"; the cake was not hot, it barely tasted like coffee and it was dry! Very disappointing.

To summarise, my impression of Hakka Republic is first and foremost a wine bar that happens to serve food. I appreciate their efforts to pair a selection of wines with every course which is great for people like me. I think their huge wine menu is fantastic and it would be perfect if they improve on their menu. Unfortunately when you charge this kind of prices, expectations will be high. Our bill for that evening was just under RM1000.00. For that kind of price, my friends and I expect to be wowed.

For more information and contact details - Hakka Republic . More reviews: A Whiff of Lemongrass, Masak-Masak, Cumi & Ciki

Splash of Colour

2009-07-02T21:55:00.004+08:00

I think I'm suffering from post-race depression...

Its barely been 5 days since I ran my first mini marathon. It feels odd, like a faded memory that you're not sure is really yours or that you've heard it repeated enough to convince yourself that you experienced it first hand. I see pictures of myself but my brain doesn't compute. Has it only been 5 days? I think I'm going to have to consider Ciki's idea about running the 11km Adidas King Of The Road race on 2nd August! My knee is finally feeling better so I'm going to try and run this Sunday.

Meanwhile, to cheer myself up I've been eating colourful food to make me feel happy and virtuous. Bought some ciabatta from Artisanas and placed whole heads of garlic and bell peppers in the oven. Grilled some aubergine slices on the non-stick griddle pan. Twenty minutes later, aromatic and caramelised goodness ready to be layered on my barely toasted ciabatta. I did want to add some cheese but the block I had in the fridge smelt very suspicious. The sandwich would not be complete without some green pesto and fresh organic tomatoes. What a deeply satisfying vegetarian sandwich! I love the sweet smokey taste of the roasted garlic spread and salty sharp pesto against the sweet peppers. Mmmm, I could eat this everyday!

KL Marathon 2009 (& carbo lunch at Bar Italia)

2009-06-28T20:41:00.009+08:00

I did it! I really did it! The past several weeks leading up to the event I was filled with self doubt. Two weeks before and I still hadn't done a full 10km. Then there was also the problem with registration. Hunky's colleagues who were suppose to drop out decided that they were running the race after all. How bloody inconsiderate. I had almost abandoned hope. On Thursday, I suddenly remembered Facebook! Within half an hour, a friend called up to say she was dropping out and I could take her place (Thanks Shireen! Get well soon!). On Friday, battling rain and KL traffic, I arrived at Dataran Merdeka to get my race pack only to find hundreds of people stuck in a queue that was not moving. The rain had caused some power failure which caused the organiser's system to fail blah, blah, blah... It took me close to 2 freaking hours to get my bloody bib. Some woman in the next queue even fainted. Dramanya. Well, I knew for sure that I would run the race faster than it took me to get my race pack!

Last night I slept fairly well and woke up to the sound of rain at 5am and Hunky trying to convince me not to run. "Its raining you know, I don't think we should go". My reply, "We're going". I think we repeated this conversation about 4 times before he gave up and got out of bed. We were very early but the place was already buzzing with activity. By 6:45am, all the kiasu people were lined up to go. FBB, AC, CS, Hunky and I were practically the last ones. The atmosphere was amazing and the sun was just barely out. I wish I had brought my camera with me to snap some pictures. Ignorance is truly bliss. I had no idea what I was in for. Hell, I didn't even know that the race had started because it took us a while to get past the starting line. When we crossed the start, it was already 7:05. It was amazing for me to see the mass of what looked like white ants slowly marching up the ramp towards Jalan Tun Sambanthan. Soon after, I had lost sight of AC, CS and FBB. I was not quite prepared for the steady upward incline of the run. Thank God I've been running on a incline at the gym. Still, this one felt like it was going on forever. At the halfway point, the soles of my feet were starting to hurt. Annoyingly, Hunky was barely breaking a sweat while I was puffing and panting in a very unladylike way! At this point, all conversation had ceased. All that could be heard was the steady thumping of weary feet on the tarmac and the incessant beeping of my heart rate monitor. I insist on wearing it because I tend to push myself too far. By the 7th km, everything was starting to hurt. My knees, my back, even my abs. Abs? What abs? Never knew I had them. The last 3km stretch was misleading. I thought we were home free on Jalan Raja Laut as I could see the runners just on the other side on Jalan TAR. Unfortunately, the earlier turn was for the 21km runners. I just remember thinking "Awwwwwmannnnnnnn!!!". We carried on until we hit Sultan Ismail before turning onto Jalan TAR. That was probably when I picked up the pace. Clocked in at 7:25am. 1 hour 20 minutes or so. My first (very mini) marathon!

We met up with Lyrical Lemongrass was still waiting for Bald Eagle to complete his 42km. (Well done Bald Eagle!). It was great to see Nigel and Allan of Just Heavenly waiting at the tent too and they were thoughtful enough to nourish us with water and bananas. Thank Heavenly because the queue for the drinks was impossibly long! No sign of Cumi and Ciki while I was there. Hope you guys had a great run!

I was feeling sore but energetic which I came to realise was just the adrenalin still pumping away. Once I got home and had a shower, I was suddenly very tired. I resisted the urge to nap even though Hunky had dozed off in front of the tv. Shortly after, we met up with Rafs and Dween at Bar Italia for some much need carb overload. After all, according to my HRM, I burned 890 calories today! I ordered the orecchiete pasta with cream, pepper and grilled ham. It was hearty, simple and exactly what I needed. Hunky ordered a ham and cheese panini which was rather small and expensive at RM32+. Are they nuts?! Service was also pretty erratic despite us being the only ones there. Rafs and Dween did not get their food until we were 80% done with ours. And we are not fast eaters let me tell you. Dween's aglio olio was so-so. Rafs wolfed down her spaghetti with courgettes and prawns in tomato sauce so I'm guessing it was good. The ice cream is homemade here and bloody fantastic. The large portion which is a hefty 2-3 scoops is RM26+. We tried the coffee and hazelnut. Both equally as moreish. I would not recommend coming here just yet as they have many issues to iron out still. There are some lovely things on offer at the menu but just be prepared to to fork out money and wait for food and service.

Bar Italia is located at 29 Jalan Berangan. Get more details from A Whiff Of Lemongrass

Meng Kee

2009-06-07T22:05:00.005+08:00

Don't mess with Aunty with the cleaver. Look how well seasoned that chopping board is.

Its been a long time since I've indulged in a bit of char siu. By that I mean about three months I reckon. Ever since I moved to my new place finding good Chinese food here is like looking for a straight man in a gay bar. So when my good friends Ding & Dong wanted to have char siu I was only too happy to oblige. Meng Kee is not my usual char siu place. I usually frequent Aunty at Jalan Angsoka/Bedara because she has a small but good selection of vegetables to go with the greasy, artery-clogging stuff. This place is heaving at lunch time so its really best to dodge the boss and head off for lunch before noon. And then there are the louts who "assist" with parking spaces. Hard to dodge those. At the end of the day its all worth it. The char siu is just as tender and moist as I remember, with just the right amount of caramelised bits around the edges. However you don't get much bang for your buck these days. Its RM8 for a portion of char siu rice and really, there is hardly any char siu. I'm going to make a guesstimation and say its about 100g worth. But then again, you can't really put a price on good char siu can you? If you haven't been to Meng Kee, you must've been living under a rock. Old post on char siu

Meng Kee - open for lunch, Mon to Sat. Jalan Tengkat Tong Shin, opposite Number Eight Guestohouse.

Marathon Update: I can't believe its almost here! 3 weeks away and I've only broken 5km. My knees are not making it any easier. Do or die, I want to complete 7km sometime this week. And thanks to Hunky, we didn't get to register in time! So now we'll be masquerading as his colleagues who have dropped out. Do I look like a Richard or a Fuad?

Take A Bow - Al Nafourah

2009-06-03T17:15:00.003+08:00

Hotel restaurants are often overlooked when looking for places to eat. Unless of course it happens to be:

A Japanese restaurant (extra woohoo for weekend buffets)
Wedding banquet at Chinese restaurant
Ramadan buffet (packed with 80% non-Muslims!)
If you've purchased a priviledge card that comes packed with dining discounts

So it was No.4 that brought Lyrical Lemongrass and I for lunch at Al Nafourah (Le Meridien Hotel). Judging from how full the restaurant was, LL was just one of many who needed to take full advantage of the free dining voucher before it expired. Our free Al-Jabal set lunch consisted of a chicken pate-like starter with pita bread and a butter fish stew with heavily spiced cous cous. The combination of the cous cous and light broth was incredibly appetising. The only thing we were disappointed with was the dessert. It was a strange concoction of 10% apricot and citrus tasting jelly topped with 90% cream that had been infused with dessicated coconut. I looked around the restaurant and we were the only 2 who didn't like it. Every other table had emptied their glass. Huh, guess we're just spoiled by the Peanut Feuillantine Cake! Al Nafourah is a funny old place. Everyone I know has said how much they like it, especially the ambience in the evenings and the vivacious belly dancers is always a bonus. However, it is always forgotten compared to its sister restaurant Prime. It is probably for this reason that Al Nafourah will be closed sometime in early 2010. A spanking new restaurant will be taking its place. To prepare for the closure, the sumptuous semi-buffet and belly dancers are no longer. What a shame. Guess I am going to take Hunky there solely for its romantic setting and ala carte menu.

Al Nafourah is closed on Sunday and Monday. For more information and to download their menu, click here

Sushi Tei

2009-06-01T21:17:00.014+08:00

I dream of blue skies and wide open space. Tree lined streets which have proper pavements. I dream of beautiful designs where form meet function. I dream of street lamps which do not sprout plastic mouldings of hibiscus on top. Driving around KL last week, I am continually rocked by bad design, bad planning and over developed suburbs. The once exclusive Damansara seems to have stretched virtually into Sungai Buloh while Mont Kiara spills over to Kepong like Nigella's overflowing bosom. Its not like we have a shortage of space, so why are we building upwards and cramped so tight that we have no space to fart without your neighbour in the next development hearing you.

I don't hang out much in the 'burbs but the great thing about it is that there are always hidden gems in the form of family owned restaurants, second hand shops, etc... Recently I found myself in Tropicana City Mall with Rafs looking to try this dreamy croquette that she and Cuz had been raving about. We had to do a couple of u-turns and detours as the access is so badly planned. It was about 7pm when we arrived at Sushi Tei. It was a pleasant looking Japanese restaurant with a sushi conveyor belt. The manager came round and offered us a complimentary glass of wine each. Cuz who arrived late did not get a glass so we very graciously gave her our share. Secretly we were plying her with drinks so that she did not notice we already started eating without her!

I was please to see that they had hiyashi chuka on the menu but unfortunately it was nowhere as nice as Dontakus. The faux ham was disgusting. Kinda like chewing on salty cardboard. The portion of agedashi tofu was pretty standard, I am yet to taste bad agedashi. Sashimi was fresh and tasted so sweet that I was convinced they had washed it with sugar. I'm sure they didn't, it just tasted that way thats all. By the time Cuz arrived, we had already polished off the tofu, sashimi, some sort of fritter that looked and tasted a lot like cucur udang and soft shell crab maki. Then it was down to the good stuff. The pièce de résistance - creamy corn croquette. I am told that one portion used to have two pieces. Now its the same price but only a single piece. Well, got to make money somehow. I am super fussy about eating "deep fried" food. A tiny whiff of stale oil is enough to put me off eating it. I am pleased to say, the croquette here passed the test. It was super crispy outside and ooey and gooey on the inside. Definitely moreish! Cuz also ordered some unagi wrapped in egg. Nice, tad sweet but pleasant enough. She also ordered some beef teriyaki and beef roulade stuffed with enoki mushrooms. The beef teriyaki was tender but am surprised that they did not fry the thick slices of garlic. I am told that the beef roulade was tender and delicious but I did not try any because at this stage my pants were cutting off my blood circulation. I blame the expanding croquette. Dinner came up to just under RM50 each.

For more information and location of Sushi Tei restaurants, click here

Calm your Zens-es

2009-05-24T21:51:00.014+08:00

You know what is even better than being enlightened? Being enlightened repeatedly. I guess that must be what they are trying to achieve at Zens Korean Barbecue at One Bangsar. I haven't been to this area in a while and I was surprised to see quite a few changes. Notably the closure of Rick's Cafe and the opening of several new restaurants, well new to me anyway. Zens is not your typical Korean looking restaurant. It is sparse, zen-like with some pretty touches. If I have to fault the place, it does come off a little cold and the A4 framed pictures of golf courses is questionable. My guess is that the proprietor is a keen golfer. Run by a Korean family, the service is warm and friendly. I had seen father and son(?) during my first visit with Cuz. Last Thursday I think Boolicious, Splashie Boy and I saw mum and grandma. The best part of this place is that fellow Koreans dine here. Surely that is always a good sign. And oh, they have pork!

There isn't anything new or surprising on the menu here. The usual barbecue offerings, bulgolgi, bibimbap, etc... What they do well here is the pancake which is filled to the brim with spring onions. The result, a crispy and fragrant pancake that is unlike the usual stodge. Thats probably my favourite dish here. I hear from Cuz that the bibimbap is very good. As for the three of us, we tried the fresh rib eye which looked fantastic in the picture. I must say, the real thing looked just as appealing. Although we felt it was not worth the RM62 for the three Kate Moss-sized "steaks". Boolicious and I chanted "No pork" three times to get the point across when we ordered the spicy kimchi soup. Once the hot steam evaoprated, chunks of fatty pork bobbed up to the surface of the feisty red soup. No means no people! So poor Boo and I had to eat it all by ourselves. Honestly Splashie Boy didn't miss much. It was surprisingly like tom yum but more sweet and less tangy. Still, it was very tasty and full of pork and clams. I was telling them how much I enjoyed the cold noodles when I was in Korea several years back. Eventhough it was spring and slightly chilly then, I had cold noodles for lunch everyday while my mother and late-aunt watched on in horror, muttering something about "gastric", "indigestion" and "rheumatism". Sad to say the one here doesn't quite match up but it is a fairly good substitute. The noodles are extremely slim and impossibly springy! It was tricky to eat. Please do not order this if you're on a date. Heck, you shouldn't even be having Korean if you're on a date. Garlic and fermented bean paste, how well do you want to know each other on your first date eh?

For dessert, Cuz (who happened to be celebrating her friend's birthday in the other room) gave us a slice each of Peanut Feuillantine Cake from Le Meridien. This is a hidden gem of a cake that is only available by special order from Le Meridien Hotel. Layers of japonais, peanut butter, peanut brittle and chocolate, freaking hell! Multiple orgasms people! One tiny square of this sinfully rich cake is enough. Patting our distended bellies, we were still dissecting the Peanut Feuillantine when the proprietor came over with complimentary dessert which consisted of shaved ice, red bean and diced pineapple. Eventhough we all said we were too full, we still ate it anyway because it was so refreshing and light after that heavy meal. We spent RM150 between the three of us. It isn't cheap but its not anymore expensive than other Korean barbecues in KL. I would definitely come back because the restaurant is properly sectioned to set apart smokers from non smokers, ample parking and I want to try the hot pot in the cosy outdoor dining area. Ommmm....

Zens - One Bangsar, 63G-G, Jalan Ara, Bangsar Baru 59100, Kuala Lumpur. Tel 03 2282 9007

RORO Retro

2009-05-11T18:16:00.008+08:00

I don't know about you but when I was a in school my parents never gave me pocket money nor did they pack me any snacks for recess. Come to think of it, it was never really necessary since recess was at 10am and we finished school a couple of hours later anyway. But then I realised that I was missing out on the glorious junk food available at the school canteen. Satay ikan, Chickadees, Twisties, Nutella, Sumi jelly, Moh Fah Goh and Mamee to just name a few. The all contain the nutritional value equivalent of cardboard but they were oh so irresistable. Incidentally, right up until I was in my late teens, I thought it was Mr Moh's fah goh. Yes, thats what you get when deprived of chinese education.

While wandering around Wisma MPL (formerly HLA) I chanced upon one of my favourite childhood snacks of all time! RORO! I don't even know what the hell these are supposed to taste like. Shell shaped crackers of some sort. I don't remember them being so "airy". I got the feeling they were more dense before. Anyway, they taste like...Well, they taste like... Nondescript seasoning of sorts. Kind of like chicken salt mixed with seafood flavouring. According to the package, it contains wheat, starch, potatoes, vegetable shortening, salt and permitted flavourings. And only 60 calories per pack! Well its quite a lot considering a bag of these are only 12g. I'm glad I found them, it was fun but it didn't quite live up to all my memory of it. Its always like this isn't it? Memories start to fade and to compensate the details get more embellished over time. Now, it only I can get my hands on Arctic Roll. Mmmm....

Fong Lye on Jalan Imbi

2009-04-27T20:44:00.010+08:00

Sometimes we can be so blind sighted by the familiar. My friends and I always go to Oversea Imbi but for once, I remembered that there were other alternatives, like Fong Lye. So on this rare occasion we found ourselves at Fong Lye for dinner. We had just watched Coming Soon at Pavilion. I am a horror movie buff but this is only horrific in the sense that it was utterly rubbish. Casper the friendly ghost is more scary then this ghastly Thai flick but I digress. Fong Lye has been around for a long time and is only a few doors away from Oversea. So you will forgive us that we always forget it as the shop frontage is all of one shop lot and in dark green where else Oversea takes up four (?) shop lots and it brightly lit in RED! I don't know why I feel I need to justify. I can go out of my comfort zone. Really.

As usual, we ordered more than enough. Surely these are signs that we are turning into our parents. Gasp! The surprising winner for the evening was a dish we were trying for the first time. Crispy fried pork fillet that was served in delicate slices. It had a crisp shell while the meat was still tender and moist within. I love the hint of nam yue (fermented bean curd) and mandarin peel. Definitely moreish. I also liked the crispy rectangles of tofu and braised yam with pork. Ding's favourite was an aromatic braised chicken dish that was infused with basil, dried chilli and mandarin peel. Its one of those dishes that you either really like or you might find overwhelmingly perfumed. I think I was most disappointed by the congee itself which was worse than congee I make and thats saying a lot! Its just short of rice floating in water. Not good. The claypot aubergine was very forgettable. Infact, the most memorable thing apart from the pork was probably the titbits they gave us at the beginning. I really liked the spicy and tangy lotus root. Delicious! Of course for those of you who don't live/work around Imbi, you can always visit the outlets at Gardens Midvalley or Desa Sri Hartamas. The menu is a little different but you get the gist of it ie. Taiwanese porridge.

Unfortunately my photos don't do the food justice. My current phone has an amazingly lousy camera. Its a Sony Ericsson Walkman series and while the sound is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G, the camera function is shockingly poor. I can't wait until the phone I want comes out.

Hot In The City

2009-04-23T21:18:00.007+08:00

Sweating in bed should only happen after a vigorous session of hot and sweaty sex. Instead, I was lying in bed, sweating into the mattress despite having the air con on full blast. It was so uncomfortable, even if Daniel Craig has been lying next to me, I would've just asked him to get me ice water and stop radiating so much manly heat! I have officially melted into a puddle of sweat. It has been so unbearably HOT! Last night I had some friends over and we actually ended up sitting on the marble floor because it was so much cooler. My girlfriends were so hot that they took of all their clothes and pranced around naked, splashing water on each other. Yea. No, not really. Made you hotter though! However they did change into shorts and t-shirts of mine. Hunky made a superb risotto but I was feeling so sweaty and gross. The risotto felt too heavy, too warm. We all had ice cream after hoping that it would cool us down but no such luck. This evening I was determined to be as cool as a cucumber. What I needed was something light, cool and virtuous, like a roasted pumpkin salad with feta, wild rocket, romaine, tomatoes tossed in a wholegrain mustard and honey dressing. I made sure to put lots of lemon juice in the dressing to make it nice and tart. Ahhhh it was sublime! I never thought I would say this but I really hope it pours tonight!

Robson Heights Seafood Restaurant

2009-04-17T22:40:00.006+08:00

Ever since the sisters and I gathered here for dinner about a month ago, I have been back three times. Coincidentally, always on a Thursday. By here I mean Robson Heights Seafood Restaurant. What a neighbourhood gem! All those years when Rafs was living in the neighbourhood, this restaurant was always overlooked. We had heard that it was; expensive, a ngak kwai loh place, mediocre, blah blah... As to whom we heard it from, none of us seem to be able to recall. This is why its so important to take whatever you read/hear with a pinch of salt and go try it for yourself. Heck, this place is good! Why drive so far out for seafood when you can get it right here. So close to Midvalley, you can dine and dash to a movie.

And like all good Chinese restaurants, we were not given a menu. However, all their signature dishes were conveniently printed on the wet towel packet. Yes, the towel we have to pay RM1 for. Why is it okay to be get charged for what is essentially a wet napkin and some token nuts at Chinese restaurants? If it was any other cuisine customers would kick up a big fuss. Anyway, back to the food. All I can say is, the seafood here really is fanbloodytastic. I've tried the recommended claypot river king prawn with glass noodles and sang har meen. They are both equally delicious. The prawns are fresh, plump and springy with good head. That doesn't sound right but you know what I mean. The sang har meen is almost creamy from all that brain juice. Again, doesn't sound right but you know what I mean. The claypot version is like a really gorgeous bowl of prawn noodle. Aromatic, flavoursome, delicate and moreish. My next favourite dish has to be their baked pork rib with honey sauce. Mind-blowingly good and unbelievably tender, it would make Rob Rainford drop to his knees and cry. And last but not least, crabs. I've tried steamed with ginger and wine, salted egg yolk and marmite. They are all good because the crabs are fat and bursting with flavour anyway.

So next time do yourself a favour and when you're done shopping at Gardens drive 1km to Robson Heights Seafood Restaurant and have good Chinese food without the Gardens price tag. However, if its ambience you're after, you ain't gonna find it here. A chinese restaurant is a chinese restaurant is a chinese restaurant...

Robson Heights Seafood Restaurant - 108 Jalan Permai, Off Jalan Syed Putra.

Tel: 03 2274 6216

Other reviews: A Whiff Of Lemongrass, Masak-Masak, You Get What You Give, Kampung Boy City Gal

Status Quo

2009-04-11T09:50:00.004+08:00

Can someone tell me what happened to January, February and March? How can we be in April already?! It just isn't possible and yet here we are. The Standard Chartered Marathon is looming ever closer and I still can't break through the 3km mark. I'm not sure whether its psychological but every time I hit 3km, my legs tell my brain, "I don't wanna do this anymoreee!". Well, it is an improvement from running for only 2 minutes in January I guess. I've been running around KLCC park once a week for 3 consecutive weeks already. Its actually quite pleasant in the mornings. Its nice to get some (semi)fresh air and people watch. The kwai lohs doing their morning run before heading off to work at 8. The group of kwai pohs power walking to the latest gossip. Men who shouldn't be in yellow lycra wearing yellow lycra and a t-shirt that doesn't cover what it should. Super fit elderly people that make me feel both slightly embarassed and inspired. And while I go round and round the track, I picture Bald Eagle and Ciki next to me, telling me "com'on, com'on". And thats great, but then I automatically think about LL and Ciki's blog and so I get hungry. When it comes to exercise, I am like a 4 year old - the first 5 minutes is fun, after that, next!

Ironically, I've actually put on weight from all this exercise. I feel healthier but heavier. Must be all that muscle eh. The truth is, its from eating. Exercise makes me hungry! Doesn't help that there was 2 weeks worth of baking when I was trying out recipes and overdosed on frosting. I can't help myself, if I see a bowl of frosting I need to dip my fingers in there. I'm happy to say, the experimentation went well and I no longer feel any desire to eat cake! Ever! After days and nights of eating out, I decided to make a simple and healthy meal forHunky and I. Mee sua with Hong Kong kai lan and homemade meat balls. The meatballs obviously did not have the springy and doughy texture of the ones in the stalls but I prefer it this way. I like knowing what goes into my meatball. Finely chopped ginger, garlic, onions and water chestnut. They were perfect! Just what I needed. To finish off the dish, some deep fried garlic. Of course this meal would not have materialised if it wasn't for the delicious chicken broth which was bestowed upon me by my dearest Mum. Mum who once told me very seriously (imagine it in Cantonese, the effect is better), "I'm telling you, you better not be anorexic!" Um, is it any wonder why I am so delusional?

Tonkichi - Dontaku Reincarnated

2009-03-20T13:38:00.008+08:00

What is about deep fried pork that make us Chinese drop down on our knees and surrender? I had heard about Tonkichi from a few of my friends who must pay homage when in Singapore. Its quite different from other Japanese restaurants. If you are hoping for sashimi, maki or sukiyaki, you will be sorely disappointed. The theme here is deep fried and pork. Is it any wonder that the place is packed at three in the afternoon? We had to queue for 15 minutes but I was reassured over and over again by Cuz and co that it was well worth the wait. I am told that they used kurobuta pork which is basically the pork equivalent of Kobe beef. I ordered katsudon of course. I haven't had katsudon since Dontaku. Oh Dontaku, how I miss you. Cuz and co ordered some potato croquettes and tonkatsu. The sets come with unlimited rice, miso soup and very finely shredded cabbage which is lovely with the vinaigrette. I don't know how they deep fry the meat but its super crispy, not oily and it definitely does not have that awful reused oil taste and smell. In a nutshell, if comfort could be formed in a bowl it would be this. The first bite was like coming home after a long absence. The pork was tender and juicy on the inside. And the fluffy rice was moist with chup, onions and egg. Sigh. Definitely swoon worthy. I'm glad this place is not in KL, I think I would have trouble staying away. So if you are in Singapore, head on over and indulge in some deep fried goodies. Click here to visit their website.

While we were wandering around, I came across this poster and thought of Hairy Berry. Too bad we missed you HB!

Saving The Best For First

2009-03-17T10:45:00.010+08:00

When I was a child I used to love mixing up my food. It took me a long time to realise that layhdies did not eat like that. I loved mushing up the vegetables with gravy and creating a bowl of chup-py rice. I love gravy, I am part Hakka after all. When it came to chicken, I always saved the best, the drumstick, for last. It was only until calories became a factor that best came first. Always. If it ain't worth the calories, I ain't eating it. So I am going to blog about the best meal in Singapore which happened on the last night of our holiday. I had heard many good things about Ember. Its attached to a boutique hotel called 1929 in Chinatown. Its a small restaurant that seats not more than 30 I reckon. Be advise that you need to book in advance and that their opening hours are very restricted. Lunch from Monday to Friday. Dinner on Friday and Saturday only. Now I remember why I never made it to Ember all those other times. This trip I made it a point to plan out our meals. After a disgusting pre-show meal at the National Library the night before, we were really looking forward to Ember.

Its a sizeable menu considering how small the space. The space is modern but cosy with surprisingly well lit tables. How blogger friendly! They served us piping hot tomato bread from the oven which I made a point to not eat too much of but we still asked for a second loaf. What makes this place different from the fine dining restaurants in KL is the service. The service here is very personable. I believe the manager actually touched my shoulder when she was talking to me. It was done so naturally that it did not feel out of line. It friendly and familiar vibe not associated with these kind of restaurants. I enquired about one of the starters which had piqued my interest. "Crispy tofu with foie gras-mirin sauce and truffle oil". Does that not sound gross to you? In my head, the combination just didn't seem to work. She assured me that it was a house specialty and I should definitely try it. Must've been the shoulder touching thing because I believed every word she said. There was an option of adding deep fried stuffed zucchini flower for an extra SGD5. What the heck, I wasn't about to scrimp now. When the tofu arrived, I contemplated the foie gras sauce which was in an unfortunate shade of something that did not belong on a plate. The moment the sauce hit my tongue I was in shock. "This sauce is FUCKING INSANE!", was what I said to Hunky before shoving some tofu and sauce towards him. It was quite an amazing dish. The tofu was delicate on the inside but completely crispy on the outside. There was also a thin layer of paper thin mushroom slices between the tofu and crispy crust. The subtle, almost bland tofu complimented the intense sauce so well. It really was as exquisite as the manager had described. The zucchini flower although delightful, merely paled in comparison. Hunky's scallop and parma ham salad was lovely and light on the palate. The scallops were lightly seared and plump like a well fed cherubic baby on the beach.

For my main course I had the Chef's special for the evening which was miso crusted lamb rack. It was served with a tiny serving of potato gratin and what tasted like teriyaki flavoured aubergine. I was told that it was a special sauce which ingredients cannot be revealed. But the manager did tell me that the aubergines were "specially grown...from Gent-ting". Anyway, the chops were served medium rare which was a tiny bit bloody for me. They were flavourful but I don't think you can really go wrong with a good piece of lamb anyway. Hunky ordered pork of course. If there is pork on the menu, he will zoom in on it. When the belly pork arrived, it looked subdued and almost plain compared to my robust chops. Pan roasted belly pork on a bed of savoy cabbage with pomme puree and pork jus. It was simply, in Hunky's words, "Fucking fantastic! Best roast pork EVER!". I must say it was particularly nice piece of belly pork with just the right amount of meat-fat ratio. The tender succulent meat flaked off with a mere caress of the fork. Fanbloodytastic I tell you what.

Hunky managed to fit dessert in. I don't know where he finds the space and where does it all go? So unfair! I can put on weight just looking at cake. He ordered (also his default dessert if available on the menu) warm valrhona chocolate cake with vanilla bean ice cream. According to the expert, the one at Tanjung Jara is still the best. Overall, its one of the best meals I've eaten in awhile. We both agreed that it was even better than both our favourite restaurants - Frangipani and Cilantro. Service could be better. Apart from the manager, the other wait staff were not great. Still I highly recommend the place. Even if its just for the tofu dish, simply because its so unique.

We payed SGD200 for both of us with a two glasses of wine & bottled water. Ember is located in Hotel 1929, 50 Keong Saik Road, Chinatown. Tel +65 63471928/1929

Pork Ribs Ala LTG

2009-03-02T13:39:00.004+08:00

One night when Hunky and I were feeling hungry and flicking channels, we stumbled upon License To Grill on AFC. My brother loves this program. Hell, I think he gets as turned on by LTG as he does Nigella Feasts. I think every man wants a kitted out bbq grill. It just reeks of testosterone and machismo. On the other hand no woman wants to stand infront of the grill and smell like smoke and meat. Although, I'm sure this could be bottled into a successful fragrance guaranteed to intoxicate any hot blooded man. Anyway, back to the program, Rob Rainford was roasting a killer rack of pork ribs in his giant shiny grill. Hunky was salivating and collecting a small puddle of drool around him. With that image imprinted in my head, I found myself wandering into the haram section of Tesco. Which by the way, is an ocean of calm compared to the pasar malam-like atmosphere in the halal section. And there it was, a 1.5kg rack of ribs waiting to be carted home. I didn't watch the whole program so I had no idea what he marinated the ribs with. I decided the safest bet would to do a pseudo Chinese style. For the marinade I used honey, salt, soy sauce, kicap pekat, star anise, black peppercorns, sesame oil and crushed garlic cloves. Its hard to gauge how tasty it should be but the marinade was a good consistency and tasted very intense. I then left the ribs soaking in the marinade for 2 days. It wasn't meant to take so long, we just haven't been home for dinner.

Into the oven at 180C for 1 hour. I'm always paranoid about undercooking pork. I turned the meat twice and basted it with more marinade. It was perfectly cooked but all the sugar caramelised and burnt fairly quickly. I didn't even use the grill function. I think I will cover it with foil next time for the first 45 minutes. Anyway, it was very tasty even if I have to say so myself. Ahem. Hunky was a happy camper. I made some mash and a grapefruit salad to accompany the pork. The mash was too heavy for the pork actually, for the first time ever Hunky and I hardly touched our mash. For me, I would've preferred it with a little bit of gravy but hey, it was a great meal to end the week.

Breakfast Series 01 - Express Eggs Benedict

2009-02-26T09:41:00.005+08:00

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day for me. It sets my mood for the rest of the day. Well, eating mood anyway. I'm a big time snacker so the more dissatisfied I am with a meal, the more I am inclined to snack. Which is why its so important for me to satisfy a craving, if any, first thing in the morning. I do miss living at home when there are so many more options. Fried mee hoon, nasi lemak, fried rice,... Breakfast items in my kitchen consist of bread, muesli, eggs and fruit. Bawwwwring. This morning I decided I wanted to have eggs benedict. I just bought some fresh kampung eggs and a loaf of L'Artisan organic rye, but I ain't going to make hollandaise at eight in the morning. So I made a cheat's version instead using mayonnaise, wholegrain mustard and a splash of balsamic vinegar. I found the vinegar essential as it just lifted the heaviness of the mayo. Its not hollandaise but its pretty darn good for 30 seconds!

As for the poached eggs, when I was boiling the water I realised the last time I poached an egg was more than 4 years ago. Damn, what did Gary Rhodes say again? I just remember that one had to poach them in barely simmering water

and to swirl the water to make mini whirlpool effect just before you ease the eggs in. The whirlpool is to help he whites stay together as they tend to form wispy white threads that separate. The first one was close but the second one was much better. The whites were smooth and egg yolk, partically cooked with just the right amount of ooziness. I don't use vinegar because I detest the taste on the eggs. There are all kinds of recipes online telling you how to poach the perfect egg. You want the fail safe way? Break the egg into cling wrap, tie it up tight and chuck into simmering water. Otherwise you will need:

a small pan. Fill with water, at least 3 inches deep. Break egg into bowl. When water comes to gentle simmer, make mini whirlpool and slide egg in. The water shouldn't be simmering at this point.
If you want it runny, take it out immediately after whites are cooked (1 min). You can also lift it up with a slotted spoon and give the yolk a very gentle prod to check the doneness.
1 tablespoon mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon wholegrain mustard and splash of balsamic vinegar
And there you have it, poached egg with cheats hollandaise and wild rocket on rye

Good Food Hails From Ipoh

2009-02-24T18:47:00.008+08:00

Lamb & Dough enjoying lunch at Tien Chun

Curry mee (with roast pork), hakka mee, ngah choy kai, chee cheong fun, sah hor fun, pork satay, hiong pang, sah kok foo pei and tofu fah are possible names of my unborn children. Imagine how deliciously happy you would be when you are cuddling Hiong Pang and giving Chee Cheong Fun a kiss. Awwww, makes me want to pop one out. But for now, they remain as Ipoh's heavenly gifts to mankind. I don't go to Ipoh very often so when I do, I try to fit in a much food as my stomach can fit. We arrived just in time for lunch but first we had to have a bowl of birthday noodles at Grandma's. Then Aunt B arrived with Siamese laksa which we also had. It was delicious. If I remember correctly, it was homemade. Then we went off to Tien Chun as usual. I know most people don't think its all that great but for us its full of memories and we go there mainly for old times sake. Mind you, after only eating Old Town hor fun, the one at Tien Chun reminded me that there is nothing like the real thing. And it wasn't even that great on that day but it was already miles better than the stuff you find in KL. Its the water I tell ya. Its all that chalk. Anyway, we also indulged in pork satay. Oh, this is one place where you can find chee charp satay (pork innards). The satay is not great. Shocking I know. Skewered pork grilled over charcoal fire, not great? Yes, it just tends to be on the dry side. The popiah was very good that day.

Before we left on the following day, we headed over to another restaurant favoured by the family, Pusing Public Seafood Restaurant (Mun Choong in Cantonese). We had freshwater prawns stir fried with soy sauce and spring onions. It was D-licious as always. All that lovely oily gravy is fantastic when mixed into fried rice, which we also had. The best dish of the day, steamed Soon Hock. I had just about written this fish off after two bad overpriced experiences in KL. One at Noble House and the other at Lai Po Heen (Mandarin Oriental). It was overcooked and rough. Why was I paying Soon Hock prices for barra-freaking-cuda tasting pile of crap?! Thank you Pusing Public for restoring my faith! This soon hock was cooked to perfection. The texture was smooth, firm and utterly delectable. Theres nothing better than steamed fish (when cooked right!) and white rice with soy sauce. Mmmm... We had the token vegetable of course. Stir fried lotus, lily bud, gingko and macadamia. Sweet, crunchy and appetising. We ended the meal with red bean soup which I heard was good. It wasn't until we were near the highway when I realise I had forgotten all about wun tao long and rojak! Sigh, somebody ta pow for me!

Best soon hock I've eaten in a while!

Pusing Public at Jalan Verasamy, Ipoh. Tel: 05 2419348

One Night In Ipoh

2009-02-22T22:31:00.009+08:00

The most beautiful girls hail from Ipoh, which explains why I fall in love with my reflection in the mirror every morning. Yes, my creamy skin like the smoothest tofu fah, red lips like a rose bud and a delicate demeanor to match. Snort! If the first line was true, then I think I was seriously short changed. The women in my dad's family are indeed blessed with creamy complexions but there is nothing delicate about their demeanor nor robust size. Every year when we meet for the big occasions, its easy to spot the in-laws. They are thin. The rest of us, well, we're shapely.

My grandmother, my only living grandparent, celebrated her 90th birthday this weekend. It wasn't a lavish affair. It was mainly family, distant relatives and old friends. We celebrated at Oversea and a few of us cousins decorated the place with balloons and ribbons. We took some family portraits but it was such an ordeal. Try herding 30 of your most boisterous relatives. Hah! Its no wonder we don't take family portraits often. Ten minutes later, two of my aunts are shouting at everyone to "leave" and everyone scuttled off to the restaurant. Halfway through the meal, I realised that something was missing. Well apart from some relatives who have departed and family who couldn't make it. It was too...Civilised. Gone were the days when heated arguments between siblings would ensue after a couple of whiskeys. There were near fights, with utensils too, tears, vigorous finger pointing,... In between, my late father always trying to calm him siblings down. My father always said he was a lover not a fighter. Ah, I quite miss all the drama actually. Now, everyone is much older and less passionate about fighting. Even my very feisty grandmother has mellowed. To be honest, I didn't like her much when I was growing up. Not many of us grandchildren did. She never hugged us and was quick to discipline. Now, I completely understand. She had 9 boisterous children and really, did she want to spend "quality time" with 30 more snot faced brats? I bloody wouldn't! However, at the ripe old age of 90, my grandmother now resembles a grandmother. She no longer colours her hair a dark aubergine. She doesn't criticise anymore. Instead she imparts wise and powerful words that reverberate for days and years after.

Dinner at Oversea was mediocre. We had hot & cold starter platter, sharks fin soup, roasted suckling pig with glutinous rice, steamed kampung chicken with what looks and taste like luncheon meat, sweet sour deep fried garoupa, noodles and lotus buns. The suckling pig was really outstanding! It vanished in 2 minutes on our table. There is more meat with the crispy skin and beneath that glorious fattiness is a bed of glutinous rice that has been soaking up all the lard! The rice was too oily for me. The noodles was really good. But the one that my sis and I was waiting for was Mrs Chong's butter cake. No one makes butter cake like Mrs Chong. For as long as I remember, there was no other cake, year after year, birthday after birthday. Its always marbled with chocolate, and the icing is always cream with green leaves and pink flowers. It was just as good as I remembered. I only managed 3 small slices. That night, I had major indigestion from all that rich food. After dinner, we all hung around the family home and spent most of the time reminiscing and watching the next generation play the same games we once did.

Happy 90th Birthday Grandma! Thank you for your wise words and giving me my fun, mischievous and kind father, my amusing aunts and uncles and nutter cousins!

Mini Vay-K to KK

2009-02-18T13:39:00.012+08:00

clockwise from top left: do people really get their ears cleaned at barbers?; tom yum meehoon with prawns; Lamb having his babycino; roast duck noodles; giant cockels! Run for your life!

Sometime last year...

Sis: Hey you want to come to KK with Lamb and I?

Me: *gasp* No thanks

Sis: Comelaaah. Com'on, you should spend some quality time with your nephew. Now that you have moved out, he is quite lonely you know...

Me: Er...

Sis: I'll pay for your trip

Me: Okay!

Sometime last month...

Sis: Our flight is at 9:50am ya

Me: Huh?

Sis: Our flight to KK lah

Me: (still blank)

Sis: Don't tell me you forgot

Me: No, no of course not... Remind me again?

That was how I ended up on a mini vacation to KK with my sister, nephew and Pal. I've never been to KK. And if I had remembered I would've planned a trip up Mount Kinabalu. It was a little too late so I guess I'll just have to visit again. I like KK. It reminds me of Ipoh but with better weather and surroundings. It has the old charm of a small town. Even more idyllic when placed next to the sea. Pal's friend Judy was kind enough to pick us up from the airport and ferry us to lunch at a kopi tiam famous for its tom yum noodles, fish head mee hoon and deep fried tofu. Restoran Janggut is located at Hilltop and is only opened for lunch. It was extremely busy when we got there and took quite awhile for our food to arrive. The noodles were tasty enough but surprisingly mild. We also ordered a side dish of deep-fried goodies which was fantastic for soaking up the soup. Pal ordered her favourite pickled chicken feet. They look like a plate of aliens when it arrived. Blanched and tossed in a sweet and sour dressing with raw onions, its a little too gelee for me.

On the whole, based on the places we went to, I found that the food in KK was light on the palate. I think most of my friends would find it slightly on the bland side. I loved it! I loved that there was no msg anywhere! Two dinners at Chinese restaurants and on both occasions, I didn't feel parched in the slightest. Wonderful! On the down side, I truly absolutely detest corn starched sauces. Bad chinese food has ruined hot and sour soup and chicken sweetcorn soup for me forever! I now avoid anything that even looks like it has traces of corn flour in it. So it was to my horror to see almost every dish at the Chinese restaurants we went to drowning in gloopy, glossy, thick sauce. Ugh. On our first night, Judy took us to dinner at Restoran New Lu Yang. It seems like a neighbourhood tai chow with an emphasis on seafood. They don't serve pork here. Infact, a large number of places don't serve pork. I gather its because there is such a large population of Indonesian workers here. Most of the wait staff were Indonesians. Anyway, one of the better dishes at Lu Yang was the black pepper venison but I wouldn't make it a point to go there specifically for that dish. The second night was a little better. We went to a restaurant called Garden Seafood which is located on the road that leads to KKIA. Infact, its only about 5 minutes from the airport. Every now and then we would hear the roar of a plane's engine much to my nephew's delight. We had a very nice fried fish with sour mango salad and spicy calamansi dressing. The fish was very fresh (we saw it being scooped out of the tank) which always helps. We ordered crabs with cream sauce. Again, it was more like cream starch. Shudder. I can't remember much about the rest of the dishes. Obviously they failed to leave an impression. Perhaps we just ordered the wrong dishes.

We spent two nights at The Jesselton. It claims to be a boutique hotel. It definitely belongs to a bygone era. The rooms are clean and the shower works but you can tell the hotel has seen better days. However the location is fantastic as there are plenty of places to eat and its walking distance to the jetty. We caught a speed boat to Sapi Island. Apparently the least crowded among the 5. Oh, there are quite a few counters at the jetty. Go to the ones in the middle as they are more popular and therefore have more frequent trips back and forth the islands. Anyway, Sapi island still looked pretty darn packed to me despite it being low tourist season. The shallow part of the sea was crowded by Chinese tourists snorkeling. At around 3pm the crowd dissipated and it was lovely and serene. The island was also full of monitor lizards. BIG monitor lizards. They were kind of creepy and cute at the same time. Hmm, I know a few quys that fit the same description. Anyway, there was little Hongkie boy telling his dad that he had seen komodo dragons. And his dad is telling him not to tell lies. Few minutes later, "WAAAH chun hai yau koh-moh-doh dra-guns ah". The island shuts down at 4pm so we only got to enjoy one hour of serenity. If you come with a tour, there is an option of including a meal. We saw all the tourists enjoying a big buffet. We were one of the few locals who ate at the cafe on the island. Its more like a mamak stall really. It might have been the heat and hunger but I swear the fried mee hoon and fried rice was surprisingly good!

Clockwise from top: starchy cream sauce eeew; fish head noodles; pan mee with sui kow and beef ball (???); pickled chicken feet

Lamb was surprisingly awake but still hungry when we got back. So Sis and Pal went to a bakery nearby and bought tonnes of buns back. Old fashioned chan pow filled with all kinds of filling. Red bean, coconut, pineapple, peanut and custard, we tried them all! Thats one thing we noticed about KK. They like 'em bakeries. Every fourth shop sold some carbs of some kind. No wonder I was 2kg heavier when I got back. On our last day, we had pan mee for breakfast at one of the many coffee shops around our hotel. The pan mee was strange. I've never had sui kow and beef ball in my pan mee before! And no chilli! How odd. We were not completely satisfied so when we walked past another cafe and saw roast duck noodles, we quickly ordered a plate to share. The noodles were springy and lightly seasoned. The duck was pretty tasty and tender. Before we left for the airport, we had lunch at Sugar Bun Cafe. I love Sugar Bun in Kuching but the one in KK wasn't as good. Think they were missing the key ingredient - MSG! Anyway, KK is a fun place to visit even if you don't dive. Mind you, its not as cheap as we expected. The prices are more or less the same as KL if not more. For example, our pan mee breakfast cost RM5 per bowl and the tom yum mee hoon with prawns on the first day was RM10 per bowl.

Marathon update: I've been back on the treadmill since being sick, etc. I'm doing 1 minute spurts for now. Its all my knees can handle for now. I'm happy to say that my stamina has already improved after 3 sessions. I tell you, there is an inner Florence Griffith Joyner in me dying to get out. If only I could shed the marshmallow padding on the outside. Sigh...