PRECIOUS PEA

Birthday Boy and A 'Fishful' Day

2011-11-23T16:46:00.001+11:00

Today is my dad's 76th birthday: "Bah, Happy Birthday and wishing you the very best of health!!". My dad (and my Hubby) came over to Melbourne for a visit last month and we took the opportunity to throw an early birthday celebration for him.

I arranged for a family outing on our day off and since I have been wanting to do some fishing, we headed to the Australian Rainbow Trout Farm in Macclesfield which is situated in the Dandenong Ranges. The entry fee ($6 for adults and $4.50 for children 4 - 14 y.o) covers park facilities, fishing rods and baits. Fish caught must be purchased and is charged according to weight. There is a fishing lake for those who wish to spend a day trying their luck but the worker told us that the lake is 'lightly stock'. We plan to have a fishy picnic lunch here hence we gave this challenging lake a miss.

We were hungry and we wanted fish for lunch. And so, we headed to the 'heavily-stocked' pond instead. There are a number of ponds stocked with different sizes of rainbow trouts, and of course, the prices varies as well.

Honeslty, I wasn't too keen on catching Rainbow Trout because this is what I had in mind...ATLANTIC SALMON!!

Within seconds, I caught this 2kgs+ beauty!

While I was still jumping around with joy, my bro-in-law and nephew also managed to catch a salmon each! My bro-in-law's catch weighed 4kgs!!!

Although we wish to continue to fish, we decided to stop since we already have an accumulated 10kgs salmon for lunch! And ahem, price at $24 per kilos, we ended up spending over $200 for the fish plus extra for filleting and sashimi fee.

The lady worker told us that the best time to catch Atlantic Salmon is around May/June before the salmon release its orange eggs. That is why our catch is paler in colour as compared to what we usually had. We took note of that and decided to drop by again in May next year for sure!

While waiting for our lunch to be cleaned, Hubby and Nathan went to the Rainbow Trout pond to fish.

There are ample of BBQ pits at the park for those who wish to grill their catch on the spot. Without wasting anymore time, we digged into our Atlantic Salmon Sashimi. The freshest sashimi I ever had in my life!

Though it wasn't as sweet and flavourful as expected (due to the salmon just released its egg), we were quite surprised with the firmness and 'bounciness' of the texture. Not bad at all.

Nathan requested for the sashimi slices to be grilled and surprise surprise, it was so tasty that the adults immediately stood around the BBQ pit with chopsticks in hand all ready to dig in! My nephew ended up sitting at the picnic table enjoying his lunch alone. Hehe!

Our family's MASTERCHEF !!

Nathan's Rainbow Trout was super awesome!! Aiyooo...we really regretted being overly excited with the salmon pond because the Rainbow Trout tasted even better and way way way sweeter! Next trip, we shall just catch ONE salmon for sashimi and focus on Rainbow Trout. Yummy...I could easily finish off one whole fish myself, ok make it 2!

Grilled salmon fish head lightly sprinkled with salt....yummy!!!! Omega-3 overdosed!!!

Nathan with his satisfying smile. He really look forward to fish again.

Hubby didn't manage to fish but it's ok, wait till May next year.

The handsome Birthday Boy with a big smile on his face. Needless to say, he enjoyed the outing too!

Australia Rainbow Trout Farm is located at:
26 Mulhalls Road
Macclesfield
Victoria, Australia
Melway Ref 125 J3
Phone/Fax: (03) 5968 4711
Opens daily from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. except Christmas day

SYDNEY FISH MARKET

2011-09-21T16:07:00.001+10:00

Where was my 2nd destination in Sydney?

Sydney Fish Market, of course! A seafood paradise for seafood lovers! According to their website, it claims to be the world's second largest seafood market in terms of variety outside of Japan! Apart from supplying seafood to the wholesale and retail market, the market also conducts weekday wholesale auction as well as cooking classes! Not only that, "Behind-the-scene-tour" is available on weekday (booking is required). Sadly due to my short stay in Sydney, we decided to give it a miss. Otherwise, it would be really interesting to witness the auction process, sashimi pavillion (slurps!), as well as a visit to the crab and lobster pen!

Seafood seafood EVERYWHERE!! There are a number of retailers and restaurants at the market, making you feel a little bit lost because you just don't know where to start!

Spotted these very tempting blanched King Crab legs waving at me (I was still in a daze from all the excitement). I am not a fan of cold seafood, otherwise, they would be mine, mine, mine!

Oysters shuck on the spot, nothing gets fresher than this!

Hubby and I started off with one dozen each! I was a little more excited than usual because this was my first dozen of Sydney Rock Oysters!

Two words....EXTREMELY GOOD! Though we didn't go for the highest grade, I was very satisfied with these. It was so rich and milky in flavour, I had 'oyster breath' for the next couple of hours. I am serious about the 'oyster breath'!!

Surprise surprise, I spotted Coffin Bay (South Australia) oysters too! Coincidently, I have just finished watching a HK food program raving how good they were. Since I don't foresee myself having the luxury for a short holiday to South Australia in any near future, I decided to have a go for it.

Time for cooked seafood to fill up our tummies. There are so many restaurants inside the market to choose from and everything looked so good! Spotted every tables having seafood platter, I decided to go for it as well, can't go wrong since everyone is having it right? WRONG!! My mind wasn't working right with all the excitement. I should have known pre-fried seafood cooked in batched and then placed in a bain-marie is a big NO-NO!! What was I thinking???

I couldn't remember how much I paid for this Lobster platter for 2 but definitely not cheap. Lots of chips hidden underneath and the seafood were nothing memorable at all. Ahem, some were even cold! I was so upset with myself for wasting our tummy space quota.

Luckily I bought a pack of fresh Sea Urchin earlier from one the fish stall for only $12.99!

Though it wasn't as sweet and flavourful as those hand-carried back from Japan, I was still very happy with it.

Hubby knew I was very disappointed and upset with myself over the disastrous meal. He suggested to have another meal before we go. We headed over to Peter's Fish Market and bought a raw barramundi as well as half dozen of green-lipped mussels. We pay a little bit extra for cooking charges (they charge according to the weight of your raw seafood) to have them grilled. When Hubby came back with the food, I was so surprised. The fish was wonderfully crispy on the outside while the flesh still juicy and sweet. I don't really fancy mussels but I was hooked. It was so fresh and sweet, so different from those I had before. If only I had tummy space, I will definitely go for more! Thanks Hubby, next time you do the ordering ok?

For more information such as trading hours and how to get to the Sydney Fish Market, check out their website HERE.

Harry's Cafe de Wheels @ Sydney

2011-09-06T15:40:00.000+10:00

I first heard of Harry's Cafe de Wheels many year ago while watching Anthony Bourdain on TV savouring away a very "mouth-watering-looking" pie topped with mashed pea and potato. I told myself back then if I ever happen to visit Sydney, this would be in the top of my must-try list. Fast forward to June 2011, Hubby came for a short visit and I grabbed the opportunity to make a short trip to Sydney. Keeping firmly to my promise, Harry's was our first stop after dropping off our luggages at the hotel.

Founded in the late 1930s, the first Harry's Cafe de Wheels operated in a caravan at Woolloomooloo dockyard. It became so successful, today it has expanded to 7 outlets throughout Sydney. For more of Harry's history, click HERE. We visited the Haymarket outlet since it is the nearest to our hotel.

What's in Harry's menu? PIE PIE PIE AND MORE PIES! But I knew what I wanted....I want the exact pie that Anthony Bourdain had!!! So here it is....Harry's Tiger!!!

As the name suggests, Harry's Tiger is their signature pie consisting of lean beef pie served with mushy pea and buttered mashed potato drizzled with tasty brown gravy. The mushy pea and mash potato was simply marvelous! Fluffly yet smooth and creamy. Delicious! However the beef pie was quite a let down, simply nothing special to brag about. I wonder if it was because I had high expectation or did the mushy pea and mash potato stole all the limelight? Overall, I still enjoyed it very much.

Being a fan of Hot Dog, Hubby had the Hot Dog de Wheels which is also the house special. The smoked Viennese frankfurt was served with mushy peas as wel as chilli con carne, cheese sauce and chilli sauce. It was HUGE! Not recommended to messy eater, ahem...like me!

Hubby was not impressed with the Hot Dog as he had better ones in Melbourne.

I don't mind returning to Harry's just for the mushy pea and mash potatoes. YUMMY! After our first meal, we hurried off to our second MUST-GO destination in Sydney. Wanna take a guess where we went? Well, next post I promise.

For the location and operating hours of Harry's Cafe de Wheels outlets, you can visit this LINK.

FIRST DAY OF SPRING 2011

2011-09-01T12:23:00.001+10:00

Yay! My favourite season is here again! Flowers flowers blooming everywhere. Even Hubby's dwarf nectarine and peach tree is flowering. They are just ooo-sooo-pretty!!!!

Honestly, I thought the trees were dead since it has been dried up for months and left with only twigs. Surprise surprise, they survived the cold winter and I am proud to show off to Hubby that I didn't kill his beloved trees afterall. *phew*

Hubby blueberry tree has grown quite a lot for the past one year. I am expecting lots of harvest this year. One thing for sure, it's gonna be the best best blueberries that money can't buy!

Bunches and bunches of blueberry blossoms. So pretty!! That reminds me to get some netting to cover them as I heard birds love them too!

Another surprising discovery!! Remember the pink tulips I planted last year? I thought I got rid of them after it wilted but somehow, the bulbs were still left inside the ground. So I will be expecting another batch of pretty bloom this year. This time, I will not pull them out and hopefully they will regrow every year.

My veggie patch is all ready for some serious planting. However bro-in-law said for this year, the veggie patch will be his because he already have a big project in mind. He said he gonna plant lots and lots of chili trees to supply to our restaurant business. Well, how could I object to that?

Since I have to give up my veggie patch, this year I will only embark on two small projects. First, I am going to try planting artichoke since the instruction says that I could plant it in a pot. It will be interesting to see how it will turn out to be. Definitely will snap some photos and update on the progress here.

My second project is to grow one of my all-time favourite flower....lavender! Spotted this Lavender growing mix at a Reject Shop for only $6!

I wonder how long it gonna takes to harvest my first bunch of lavenders?

This September is very special to me because it also marks my 2nd year stay in Australia. Yes, it means I have fulfilled my residency requirement. Time flies, isnt it? Another good news is, Hubby already bought his one way ticket to join me here in March 2012. As for my two precious boys, of course they will be coming over too, hopefully the same time or even earlier than Hubby. I really look forward to being with my boys again.... *so miss them*

Authentic Malay Food @ Selera Singapore Asli, Forest Hill

2011-08-24T17:40:00.000+10:00

It's about time to put up a blogpost after a 3-month hiatus from the blogosphere. I have to stop making excuses that my business is taking too much of my time when the real reason is because I have been too hooked up with games (both in Facebook and iPhone). I predict my addiction will only get worse when I get my ipad2 in October (yay!). Anyway, today is my off day and I decided to bring my camera with me to my lunch destination, a place that I have been visiting 3 WEEKS IN A ROW!

I have heard numerous ravings from my Malaysian customers about this Malay restaurant selling very authentic Nasi Lemak Bungkus which is located in Forest Hill, just 10 minutes away from my place. And so, on a raining Wednesday morning three weeks ago...."I WENT, I TRIED AND I AM HOOKED"!!! The restaurant is run by a Mak Cik (it means "auntie" in Malay) originated from Batu Pahat, Malaysia and true enough, the nasi lemak bungkus wrapped with banana leaf is really authentic. Honestly, I find it way better than most nasi lemak bungkus I have tried in Malaysia. Priced at A$5.50, it came with a big portion of coconut-pandan fragrant rice, heaps of crispy peanuts and ikan bilis, cucumber, a slice of omelet and generous amount of the spicy sambal. I find the sambal a little bit lack of sweetness and I thought adding just a little bit of sugar would be perfect. Nevertheless, am very contented with this rare find.

Today, my bro-in-law decided to tag along since I have been raving about this place on and on and on. Of course, the nasi lemak is a MUST!

Apart from Nasi Lemak, this restaurant also offers other Malay dishes such as Nasi Campur, Nasi Sambal Goreng, Lontong, Mee Rebus, Mee Goreng, Mee Siam, Nasi Briyani, Rojak , Sate and even Kuih and a number of sweet Bubur. Mak Cik told me some are only available during weekends as the crowd is not as good during weekdays. Having no idea how Malay Laksa is like, Bro-in-law decided to give it a go. It was rich and flavourful, tangy too. I am a very loyal person, so I shall stick to the nasi lemak till am sick of it.

We also managed to try a few dishes from the bain-marie and my favourite has got to be the fried chicken marinated with turmeric and spices. Bro-in-law was really impressed with the fried chicken that he even had an extra piece before we went off.

Curry Chicken was a big disappointment as it lack in taste and the gravy is too watery.

The beef rendang is pretty decent too!

Sambal Sotong.....one word....SPICY!!!!! No, make it two words....VERY SPICY!!!!

Another favourite of mine, Sambal Ikan Bilis with Kacang (Anchovies and Peanuts) at A$5.00 a tub. Seriously addictive and perfect with rice or eaten as snack. Sadly, they don't have any today.

Seems like I will be hanging around at this restaurant every Wednesday till I am sick of it, but how could one say "NO" to a good plate of Nasi Lemak, agree?

Selera Singapore Asli is located at:
334 Springvale Rd
Forest Hill, 3131
Victoria, Australia
Tel: (03) 9878 0310
Opening Hours: Wed - Sun (9 a.m. - 7 p.m.)
Mon - Tues (closed)

MY FOUR HOURS IN GUANGZHOU

2011-05-11T16:19:00.003+10:00

An opportunity to go away for a holiday is extremely rare and precious to me now. Gone were the days when I could just spontaneously book an airticket and fly off the very next week...sigh. Depriving of a holiday, Hubby decided to squeeze in a 4-day food trip into my "already-very short-12-day" homecoming visit. The 4-day food trip includes Guangzhou, Humen, Macau and Hong Kong..very ambitious, weren't we?

It was my first trip to Guangzhou and I was told again and again, Guangzhou offers the very best of Cantonese cuisine. Mr B, our friend/host in Guangzhou told us before our trip that he will be bring us for a very yummy steamboat lunch as soon as we arrived, so you can imagine how much I was looking forward to it. Well, thanks to the system breakdown at the KLIA control tower, our flight was delayed for more than 2 hours! We were hungry (who said MAS serves good nasi lemak? ) and cold (it was a rainy winter evening) when we reached Guangzhou.

Traffic was bad that evening, so Mr B took us to his favourite neighbourhood restaurant for dinner. He told us that there is a very special dish here that we MUST try. First dish to arrive..."Steamed Salted Chicken with Wine" served with a small bowl of chicken gravy, no no, "chicken essence" more like it! It was delicious! Forget about the calories and cholesterol (not that I care), the crunchy chicken skin was just to hard to resist! The meat was so flavourful and I just love the slightly chewy texture. I could easily finish off the whole plate of chicken myself.

We ordered a bowl of steamed rice to share and I ended up having the most of it because the "chicken essence" I mentioned earlier tasted OHHH SOOOO GOODDD with rice!!!

Feeling greedy, I requested another serve of chicken, this time, just plain Steamed Chicken. A big let down as it was bland and cold. I was too shy to request for another serving of the Salted Chicken I had earlier cos the boys already ordered a long long list of other dishes.

The long long list of dishes of course includes Mr B's 'Must-Try" dish. Can you guess what it was?

TOADS!! Though it looks exactly the same as paddy frog, texture wise, this has more bites to it. Slightly chewier and the meat is so much sweeter. The toads were deep fried in light batter and then toss with Maggi seasoning sauce. Very very tasty!

Deep Fried Eel with Coriander Salad, honestly I couldn't remember how it tasted as I was too busy indulged in savouring every tiny morsel off the toad's bones.

This dish was recommended by the lady boss, who kept asking me to take a bite while refusing to tell me what it was. She was smiling cheekily when I put the first piece into my mouth. Turn out, it was Poached Pig's Tongue! Wasn't as bad as I thought but hey, with so many good stuff on the table, I rather save my quota for other better tasting dish.

And here are some veggies to balance our meal! Watercress with Dace Balls in superior stock. Simple yet tasty.

This dish tasted as yucky as it looked. If not mistaken, this stew dish was Pomelo Pith (the white parts) with Goose Intestines. It tasted soft and mushy, more like a gooey paste than a stew. We ended up sending it back to the kitchen.

A big surprise after a big disappointment.....Stir-Fry Kailan with Garlic and Deep Fried Lard won our hearts. Why oh why tasty food has got to be so UNHEALTHY???

Stir-Fry Goose Intestine was my bro-in-law's request. Pretty tasty too!

We went to pick up Mrs B and Princess B after the dinner before heading to our next destination, Humen. Just before we turn off into the highway, bro-in-law spotted a big restaurant at the roadside. Mr B told us that it is famous for eel. Needless to say, we made a pit-stop. True enough, there were LOTS, 3 HUGE tanks to be exact, of live eels slithering around....brrr...didn't feel like taking a photo of it cos it kind of scary to me to see so many eels at one time. Anyway, this is their famous dish...........huh? A bowl of shaved ice with 3 pieces of miserable jellies?

Dig dig dig....tada.......we found fresh thick slices of juicy eel hidden underneath the ice. The preparation of this dish involved poaching the eel and then cool it down with ice, hence the eels were extremely 'bouncy'. A bowl of soya sauce with wasabi was given to go with the eel. I found this new way of eating eel very interesting.

Mrs B said that their Char Siu aka BBQ Pork is famous too. Though I like my meat FAT, but this plate is waaayyyy too fat for my likings. I could barely find any meat on this plate. Too much on the sweet side too.

We spotted this refreshing plate of Garland Chrysanthemum (Tung Ho) on the table next to ours and so we decided to order this salad to boost our appetite, ahem not that we were lacking any..hehe. True enough, it was very refreshing as it was dressed with Chinese black vinegar. The is my first time having garland chrysanthemum raw and surprisingly, it doesn't taste as strong as compared when its cooked. Love it especially pairing with those addictive crunchy peanuts.

The finish off our night in Guangzhou, we polished this plate of Stir Fry Kai Choy (mustard green) with Beancurd. Full of wok hei and only recently, I learnt to enjoy the bittersweet taste of kai choy. Yummy yummy yummy!

A big thank you to Mr and Mrs B for hosting us as well as driving us off to Humen in the middle of the night. And not forgetting, Princess B for being so tolerable and patient with us throughout the meal. Isn't she pretty?

MY PEA IS 8

2011-04-20T00:38:00.001+10:00

"Love at first sight"...yes, that's the best word to describe my feelings when I first set my eyes on Pea at the petshop 8 years ago. I never thought I will end up with a male Shih Tzu because I always prefer to have a female Schauzer or even a Cocker Spaniel. But I just couldn't let my eyes off Pea and so, on that fateful afternoon, an impulse purchase was made. I am so glad I did, cos I am blessed with such a wonderful gentle boy.

Pea turns 8 today but sadly, this is the second time I will not be around to celebrate his birthday with him. However, Hubby promised to give him a big dinner treat tonight.

Pea, I miss you so much and I think of you every single day and I do wish that next year, we will get to celebrate your birthday here in Aussieland. Love you lots lots lots (more than Pumpkin, ok?) *my eyes tearing up already..sniff sniff*

This is my favourite shot of the two boys, taken during my trip back home in February. Can you see that they were holding each others' paws? This is what I call...BROTHERLY LOVE!

MY RIB EYE LUNCH

2011-04-06T16:48:00.000+10:00

Hello everyone! It has more than 2 months since I last put up a post...my bad my bad. I have been so hooked up with the games in Facebook, I just don't have the mood to sit down and squeeze words out from my brain. Speaking of brain, for those who know that I am not feeling too well lately, don't worry as I feel much better now. I was down with needle-pricking type of headache for the past 2 weeks and it was due to inflammation on my neck and lower back. My physiotherapist said that the inflammation is caused by too long hours of standing and stress. Although I can still feel the headache once in a while, I feel way better now and successfully reduce my dosage of painkiller.

It's my day off today and since my neck is still a little bit stiff, I thought it would be better to chill at home. Feeling 'beefy', I decided pamper myself with a good piece of steak. Lucky lucky cos I found something new at Coles (well, at least it's new to me)..King Island Rib Eye Bone with Garlic Butter!! It claims to have won the Gold medal in the 2010 Royal Queensland Food & Wine Show.

A bowl of premix Caesar Salad to go with the steak, surprisingly really fresh and tasty.

I just couldn't resist the palm-sized Portobello Mushroom. I had it sliced and sauteed with the remaining oil and the garlic butter after I finished searing the steak.

The pan must be really hot before putting the meat in to sear and it should be flipped only once. I wanted to enjoy the natural sweetness of the beef so I decided to omit the garlic butter and sprinkled the meat with some salt instead. I used the garlic butter to saute the sliced portobello, trust me, it was a very wise decision!

Now here...presenting my lunch today......King Island Rib Eye Steak with Caesar Salad and Sauteed Portobello Mushroom with Garlic Butter! Not bad at all, tender and juicy, no wonder it claims to be Australia's Premium Natural Beef! *Hubby, are you drooling?*

I love my beef bloody......complete satisfaction!

Till my next post and I hope it wouldn't be too long from now....

手抓饼 Yummy Crepe in Humen

2011-01-21T16:38:00.003+11:00

My blogging bug has been bugging me for the past few days, desperately urging me to put up a post as soon as possible. I don't know where to start because honestly, since I have started the restaurant business I haven't been eating out much and even when I do, my 'used-to-be-inseparable' camera is left at home. I think my camera is lying somewhere in my drawer, I must search for it tonite because I will be needing it very soon for my trip back home. Yes yes....I will be going back to KL next month for a 12-day holiday. Hooray!!! I really miss my two precious brats a lot and of course my Hubby and my dad too!

I will be going for a short holiday as well, covering Guangzhou, Humen, Macau and Hong Kong in 4 days!!! Definitely going to stuff myself crazy with yummy food. And today, am gonna post on my discovery in Humen during my trip there last year. I love trying out hawker food wherever I go. They are cheap and often comes with memorable surprises. And of course, if they are not good after the first bite, down the rubbish bin it goes. Spotting many people surrounding this lady, I went to join the queue as well. What is it? Taiwanese-style Crepe!

I didn't manage to capture the whole process of making the crepe because she was working at ultra speed. I remembered once the thin layer of crepe skin is cooked on the hot plate, she cracked an egg and spread it all over the crepe skin. Then she added some bean paste, preserved radish, chives, spring onions and seasoning before wrapping it up.

You can opt to have it whole or half. I couldn't remember how much it was but if I see her again next month, I will surely put it up here.

I love the crunchy spicy savoury radish that goes really well with the pungent flavour from the chives and spring onions. Very filling too and could easily pass off as a main meal.

Since the wrapper claimed that this is a Taiwanese-style Crepe, probably those that are visiting Taiwan can look out for this too!

I hope to discover more great food on my trip home. And for now, I will be busy counting down and not forgetting creating a list of 'MUST-EAT' food! I hope the blogging bug will continue to stay in my system for quite a while. Signing off now.....................

The BEST BEST Blueberries...

2010-12-01T16:11:00.001+11:00

I have just tasted the best blueberries in the world. Although it was a bit too sour, it was definitely the yummiest I ever had. Why?

Because the blueberries are homegrown and picked straight from MY garden! Hubby bought me the blueberry tree early March this year and since then, I have been waiting eagerly for this moment. Lots of blueberries will be ready for picking for the next couple of weeks...YAY!

Since I am putting up a blog post, I might as well update Hubby on his two babies. Bought these when he was here 3 months ago, a dwarf nectarine tree and a dwarf peach tree.

Hubby, I am proud to let you know, your babies are growing very very well. *Grin*

The trees are pretty small at the moment but they are already producing a number of fruits. This white flesh peach should be ready in a month or two.

Eagerly awaiting for the white flesh nectarines too. I am thinking of freezing some of it and bring it back home for Hubby in February, am sure he will be very very happy.

Hmmm...since I have successfully produced veggies, mushrooms, flowers and now fruits,maybe I should embark on a new project next year.....NUTS!!!! What say you?

CHAMPAGNE CRAB

2010-10-06T15:58:00.000+11:00

Have you heard of Champagne crab before? Well, it is totally something new to me. Bro-in-law (BIL) bought two huge Champagne crab as part of our welcoming dinner for Hubby who came for a 2-week visit last month. The crab looks a little like a mini King Crab, but with the sharp spines along the their legs, it does resemble Spider Crab too. For those in Melbourne who are interested to give it a try, we got it from PP Seafood Plus (No, PP doesn't stand for Precious Pea and I am in no way associated with them..hehe) in Box Hill at $35.00 per kg.

Feeling adventurous, I suggested to have the Champagne Crab cooked with a new twist. Immediately I went to Safeway and grabbed two cans of Podravka Chicken Pate, priced at $1.99 per can. I am not a fan of chicken liver but I find this Croatian brand quite flavourful and most importantly, it doesn't have the strong liver aftertaste.

Ahem...please excuse my finger prints. Simply too irresistible!!

And so....the Champagne Crab pieces were deep fried in the hot oil.....

And finally toss with BUTTER, BLACK PEPPERCORNS AND CHICKEN PATE together with bits and pieces of chopped onions and spring onions.

The end result? A plate of TO-DIE-FOR BUTTER, BLACK PEPPERCORN & PATE Champagne Crab! Tasted SO SO SO SO good. Everyone couldn't resist from having 2nd, 3rd, 4th...ok, make it at least 5th helpings each. Surprisingly, the texture of the crab meat was pretty good. Firm and sweet, almost similar to mud crab. Definitely much better than the King Crab I had before.

As for the crab roes, BIL saved it for another dish...something that I really love....

Tada.....a bowl of Szechuan Hot & Sour Soup loaded with extreme sweetness from the crab roes. Aiyooo..am a very lucky woman!

Apart from the Champagne crab, we also had a few more yummy dishes that worth mentioning here. Actually, hehehe, I want to take the opportunity to introduce on our restaurant's current promotion. Thinly sliced fresh lotus root stir-fried with slices of pre-marinated "NamYue" Pork Belly, a hit among our regular customers. This dish is currently in the special menu until the lotus root season ends.

Also available, fresh Chinese Yam or commonly known as "Wai San". BIL tossed it with black fungus and snowpeas in garlic sauce and not forgetting the crunchy pork lard sprinkled on top. Ooo....so YUM!!

Lastly, my dad's favourite Steamed Deep-Sea Barramundi. Just couldn't help myself from having more rice to go with the sauce.

It was a perfect family reunion dinner and I can't believe that Hubby has already gone back to Malaysia for a week now. My dad is leaving this Friday too, I am feeling so sad now. But hey, at least I have something to look forward to. I am heading home for a short break on 14 February 2011, tickets already booked! I should start compiling a "Must Eat" list from now, so hey, you Makan Buddies out there (you know who you are), please make yourself free ok?

HAPPY MID-AUTUMN FESTIVAL!

2010-09-22T21:31:00.000+10:00

Happy Mid-Spring...oppsss...I mean Mid-Autumn Festival!! I really missed those good old times when my family used to gather under the moon to savour yummy snacks such as boiled little yams, pomelo, boiled fresh peanuts and of course, mooncakes! It is still pretty chilly during Spring night here, so all I did tonight was to lit a lantern, snap a picture and ran back inside to my well-heated room.

With my dad around, we had quite a lot of mooncake this year...7 boxes to be exact! All the mooncakes we had were imported from Hong Kong. Pricey but definitely worth it, especially those from Wing Wah, my all-time favourite brand. I love their smooth and silky lotus paste which I suspected has got lots of lard in it. Their Mixed Nut mooncake is pretty good as well.

A gift from our supplier: Mei Xin (or Maxim) Mooncake from Hong Kong. Spotted this at the Chinese grocery priced at A$50 (approximately RM145) a box of 4 white lotus paste with two egg yolks. Don't quite like it as the lotus paste is too soft and oily for my liking.

I think I shall grab more mooncakes tomorrow as they will be really cheap after the Mid-Autumn Festival. For now, I shall cherish the last two remaining mooncakes! Once again, Happy Mid-Autumn Festival and happy mooncake feasting!

IT'S PINK!!!

2010-09-08T18:56:00.000+10:00

UPDATES UPDATES!!! My tulips are finally blooming and they turned out to be in different shades of pink. Now that I realized how easy they grow, I am going to plant more next year.

Baby pink, so sweet and delicate. So tempted to cut it to decorate my restaurant. But since Hubby is arriving next week, I shall let it be so that I could show off to him.

This is my most favourite of all, don't you find it pretty too?

My beloved Nathan posing with my beloved tulips. Aaahhh....I LOVE SPRING!!!

I Have A Date in Spring...

2010-09-01T09:37:00.000+10:00

Spring is finally here. I have been looking forward to Spring since April because I have a very special date in September. In another 2 weeks, I will get to see my Hubby who will be coming over for a short holiday. I am really excited, so much so I suddenly have the urge to blog! By the way, I feel so guilty of abandoning my blog for so long. My last post was dated back in early June and I almost couldn't remember the password to my blogger account! And I also realized Flickr has introduced new features that I was almost at lost on where to get my HTML code. ...gosh...am so outdated!!

Another reason to be excited this Spring is because this is the first time I succeeded in planting flowers. I bought some Hyacinth bulbs in April and left it at the verandah without much care during the winter months. Surprise surprise, all four bulbs are blooming! It has got wonderful scent too. I am so tempted to place them at my restaurant's counter...hmm...should I??

It has been my daily routine for the past one week to check on my tulips. They should be blooming any day soon. I couldn't even remember what colour I have bought. I shall take a picture and update in my blog once they bloom.

Another flower patch in my garden. So lovely isn't it? I can't remember what they are called but they are just so beautiful.

Hubby's blueberry plant entrusted to my care and I am proud to say, IT'S STILL ALIVE!! In fact, it is flowering now and from the look of it, there should be lots of blueberries this summer. "Hubby, are you proud of me???"

First day of Spring falls on Wednesday (my off day) this year, an added bonus for me. Oppss..time to get ready for my Dim Sum brunch with my dad who is here holidaying for 2 months, followed by some retail therapy and especially looking forward to my Peking Duck dinner. I will update soon....it's gonna be a food-related post I promise!

ASIAN GOURMET HUT

2010-06-09T16:45:00.000+10:00

Harlow everyone!!! Precious Pea is back!! I have been so so so busy for the past 3 weeks because of my new restaurant. Not as easy as I thought it would be. I was so physically and mentally stressed out for the first 2 weeks. I couldn't even sleep at night because my body was aching all over. Not only that, I should have taken photos of all the cuts, burns and bruises on my hand when the business just started.

Things are getting so much better now. Seeing so many returning customers and their praises over the food definitely worth all the hard work. Hehe..someone commented that my Mee Hoon Kueh is the best she ever tasted in Melbourne. *wink wink* Anyway, I promised many of you that I would post some photos of my restaurant so here they are...

Wednesday is my retail therapy day! YAY! Hehehe...i just came back from shopping not too long ago. Shopping is really the best way to destress!

For those living in Melbourne, do drop by at my restaurant, OK? My restaurant is located at:

ASIAN GOURMET HUT
12 Mitchell St
Doncaster East, VIC 3109
Tel: 03 - 9540 7511

HOMEGROWN MUSHROOMS

2010-05-15T20:39:00.000+10:00

I am taking my gardening skill to a new height. I just grew my first batch of mushrooms!! I bought my mushroom kit from Bunnings Warehouse. Not cheap though, at $20 per kit (approximately RM60+), I was initially doubting how much mushrooms I could grow from this small Styrofoam box. But hey, I was way too curious to give this a pass, so I happily carried my new baby home.

There is a packet of mushroom compost and a packet of peat moss inside the box. A simply instruction is included. All I have to do was to spread the mushroom compost evenly over the box, followed by the peat moss.

Have to keep the compost moist at all times. As mushrooms grow optimally in warm and damp conditions, I kept my baby inside the garage.

In less than two weeks, mould appeared all over the compost. YAY!!!!

In another week or so, white round balls were popping out here and there....they are so ADORABLE!

In another 2 weeks, the mushrooms were ready to be harvested. To harvest, gently twist the mushrooms to break away from compost.

I was too busy with my new restaurant and neglected my babies till I visited them yesterday morning. All along, I tot they were button mushrooms but they have turned into Portobello!!!

I did a search in Google and found out that white button mushrooms are the youngest form of Agricus bisporus. If left to grow, it turns into Crimini mushrooms. When Crimini mushrooms are left to grow another 2-3 days, they turn into Portobello mushrooms. Now, isn't that amazing?? Definitely $20 well spent for the experience...now am looking forward to my 2nd harvest, 3rd, 4th and so on!

PAO XIANG BAK KUT TEH @ Tmn Berkeley, Klang

2010-04-28T15:47:00.001+10:00

While my huge pot of Bak Kut Teh (Pork in Herbal Broth) is bubbling away nicely on my stove, I knew it's about time to update my blog with a new post. The weather has been pretty chilly for the past few days and all I could think of is Bak Kut Teh to warm my tummy. And so, today's post...Bak Kut Teh! During my visit back to Malaysia couple of months ago, I am proud to say, I finally ventured into Klang for food. Driving into Taman Berkeley, we stumbled upon many shops offering Bak Kut Teh, not surprising as Klang is synonymous with this dish.

We decided to give Pao Xiang a try since it was crowded although it was already late afternoon. While studying their menu, I was happy that they serve the meat in individual portion instead of dumping everything in a claypot. I never like the claypot version especially when lettuce, mushroom and fried beansheet are added to "adultrate" the soup. Once, I even came across Choy Sum in my bak kut teh, what a big turn off! Anyway, generally each portion is priced between RM8 - RM8.50 depending on the cut you want, RM10 for tendon and RM35 for sea cucumber.

I like my Bak Kut Teh piping hot, do you? Each bowl is placed on top of a candle burner to ensure every single drop of soup is hot. Personally, I always go for milder TeoChew Bak Kut Teh over the thick Klang Hokkien version. But I am bowled over by Pao Xiang's version. It was full of flavour, not overly thick or bitter and rich with sweetness from the pork. Even my dad and bro-in-law agreed Pao Xiang is way much better than Teluk Pulai. Ok, reason being, they too are not a fan of adulterated claypot bak kut teh. Soup is refillable upon request but i noticed that they are very stingy with the soup.

This is their famous string-tied piece of trotter and it is said that the tying-up process seals the natural pork flavour and prevent the meat from breaking up. It was fork tender and flavourful indeed. In fact, it was cooked to perfection especially the soft yet still chewy gelatinous skin....oooo....needless to say, it was the part where we attacked first, leaving all the lean meat to savour the last.

This, if I am not wrong, is 'Sui Kuat' or small bones. Equally PERFECT skin, equally fork tender meat.

This is my favourite part...known as "Ka Chak" in Hokkien. If cholesterol is not in your dictionary, go for this. Lots of skin and my favourite chewy tendon. Seriously good stuff!

Another sinful serve of trotter, which part? No idea. But one thing for sure, if you like fats you will surely enjoy this.

Multi-layered pork belly........our all time favourite.

Moving on to some 'spare parts'.......tada.....multi-layered intestines. No unpleasant taste but I don't quite like it. I find it a little bit too thick and hard.

Ahh...I could have a whole bowl of pork stomach. So tenderly delicious!

Of course with all the amount of pork fats we had, hot Chinese tea is a must to wash away the oil.

We ended up visiting Pao Xiang 3 times in one week. Why? Cos my dad super impressed with the Bak Kut Teh here. Can you see how satisfying he was after a hearty meal?

They currently have 5 outlets, not sure if the pricing and quality the same for all, but here are the addresses:

Taman Berkeley:
No. 51, Lebuh Bangau
Taman Bekerley, 41150 Klang
Tel: 03 - 3342.9869

Centro Mall:
Lot G127 & G128, Ground Floor Centro Mall
No.8 Jalan Batu Tiga Lama, 41300 Klang
Tel: 03-3348.8869

Puchong Jaya:
No. G-12 & G-14 Jalan Kenari 12B
Bandar Puchong Jaya
Tel: 03-8075.3288

One Utama:
P282 Lower Ground Floor Promenade
1 Utama Shopping Centre
Tel: 03-7725.2599

Pavillion KL
Lot 6.38, Level 6
No. 168 Jln Bukit Bintang
Tel: 03-2148.6388

HaPpY 7th BiRtHdAy mY dEaReSt SnOwPeA !!

2010-04-20T10:31:00.000+10:00

SnowPea turns 7 today. Sadly, I am not be around to celebrate his birthday with him this year. But I am sure Hubby will give Pea a special birthday dinner and lots of hugs and kisses (ok, maybe not the kisses) on my behalf.

Happy Birthday, my dear precious and JiehJieh love you LOTS!! *Muacks muacks*

"Pregnant Lady" Fried Rice

2010-04-09T14:39:00.002+10:00

No-lah!! Am not pregnant! But one doesn't need to find an excuse to savour confinement food, do we? Yumyum...am thinking of vinegared trotters and ginger chicken wine soup at this very moment! Before I dash to the kitchen to ransack my fridge, I better stay focus on my blogpost. I once came upon "Pregnant Lady Fried Rice" in a menu at one of the Chinese restaurant in KL. It is actually Ginger & Egg fried rice. Very catchy name and a perfect one too. Ginger is widely used in confinement dishes to expel wind from the body and is a safe remedy for nausea relief during pregnancy.

Very simple ingredients are used for this dish. All you need is a bowl of overnight white rice, an egg, a big spoonful of julienned ginger and spring onions (for the colour - optional).

Heat up your wok with 1 tablespoon of oil. Crack an egg, put in the ginger and give it a good stir.

Mix the rice into the wok, add seasoning. All I used was a few dash of fish sauce. Alternatively, you could use salt, soya sauce and even chicken granules for extra flavouring. But trust me, just a dash of fish sauce will do. Add the spring onion last and give it a good stir.

Seriously, it only took me 5 minutes to prepare this dish. So easy, so simple and so tasty! If you love ginger, do give this recipe a try! Hmm...maybe I should put this into my menu too..hmm.

THE KING & I

2010-04-01T18:04:00.000+11:00

Few nights ago, my brother-in-law managed to set us a dinner date with someone from the royal family. He is the King of all crabs...KING CRAB!! This is my first taste of a king crab, boy oh boy, can you imagine how excited I was?

Before the King was presented to us, we were served Hot & Sour soup with special added ingredients....chunks and chunks of sweet crab roes from the King! Finely shredded bamboo shoots, wood-ear fungus and Cha Siu (BBQ pork) were also added into the soup for crunchy texture. I find the soup wasn't hot and sour enough but with a dash of pepper and red vinegar, it was very terrific!

King's body was stir-fried with ginger and scallions served over noodles at the bottom of the dish. The noodles were delicious as it fully coated the gravy from the crabs. This is a common style of cooking crabs here. It is one of my favourite style as the gravy is not too overpowering, hence you can still taste the sweetness of the crab.

The crabs legs were cooked with Salted Egg Yolk but I prefer the way we do it back in KL. I find this too oily and I could barely taste the salted egg yolk.

I find the texture of King Crab is almost similar to spider crab and flower crab. The meat is softer and more delicate but not as sweet as compared to mud crab. The King weighed about 4.5 kilograms and costs around AUD330 (~RM1,000).

We met King at The Treasure Restaurant at Forest Hill and prior appointment to meet King is required.

The Treasure Restaurant is located at:
482 Springvale Road
Forest Hill, 3131 Victoria
Tel: 03- 9803.2388
Fax: 03- 9887.8403

FEELING BITTERSWEET....

2010-03-22T18:31:00.001+11:00

In less than 24 hours, I will be heading back to Melbourne. I couldn't believe 2 months just gone like that. I am feeling very bittersweet at the moment. Sweet because I will be seeing my nephew soon. I am also excited because very very soon I will be running my own restaurant with my bro-in-law.

BUT nothing beats the bitter feeling that is tearing my heart into pieces now. I am so gonna miss my two boys. Sigh...

I am just not in the mood to talk about food right now cos I am feeling really bittersweet.
Food posts (lots and lots of it) will resume once I settle back in Melbourne. Ciao!!

YAM PUFFS @ SS3 Pasar Malam

2010-03-04T15:03:00.000+11:00

Getting lost in an unfamiliar housing area during a heavy thunderstorm and congested traffic is not funny at all, especially when everyone in the car (WMW and Jason) were looking forward to a pre-dinner snack! We were supposed to be meeting Andrine at the SS3 pasar malam (night market) to try the yam puffs that WMW was raving about. I stopped the car at the roadside with my hazard light on while waiting for Andrine to rescue us. Since it was still pouring heavily, we decided to head straight to our dinner place. Miraculously, the rain stopped and we immediately made a detour back to our destination! Yes, we are very determined people.

This is my first visit to SS3 pasar malam which is operating every Tuesday evening. I am not sure the exact location of this Yam Puffs stall, so here is a photo of the owner of the stall for you to hunt him down. Oh, there is a Lok-Lok van right next to this stall.

From what I gathered from WMW's post, the yam puffs normally sold out by 6 p.m. We were there at 6.30 p.m. and we managed to grab some to try. I guess we should be thankful for the thunderstorm.

The tasty pork fillings were still lukewarm when I bit into it. I enjoyed every bite of the crispy bits on the puff, the mushy soft yam and the moist delicious pork fillings. It was lovely!! Only RM1.40 per piece!

Also available or shall I say, what's left for us to try...a few pieces of Radish Cake and Pumpkin Cake. I gave each a try. At only 80 sen per piece, it was way better than I expected.

With my tight schedule (there are not many days left before I return to Melbourne), I do wish I could make a return trip to try out other interesting snacks such as Putu Buluh and Apam Manis, so WMW, shall we??

PUMPKIN TURNS 3

2010-02-22T11:48:00.000+11:00

I am so happy to be around to celebrate Pumpkin's birthday this year. Happy 3rd Birthday my dear bratty Pumpkin!! It was a hot hot day yesterday so I gave him a good cold bath.

The many faces of Pumpkin! I managed to snap several photos of him shaking off water from his body, isn't he super adorable?

All clean and fluffy!!!

The serious side of Pumpkin, which is very rare. Actually, he was bored posing for me.

After a tasty chicken drumstick for dinner, Pumpkin had a banana muffin for dessert!

Happy Birthday KinKin!! I will try my best to be home for your 4th birthday next year!!

ROAST PORK @ GOLDEN KIMWAH, Damansara Kim

2010-02-10T14:26:00.002+11:00

I met up with my food buddies for dinner at Sg Way yesterday. I picked up WMW from her place in SS2 and it took us almost an hour (usually only 5 minutes) to reach Damansara Uptown to pick up Jason. We used the shortcut via Damansara Kim, surprise surprise...everyone is using the shortcut as well! We were literally crawling on the road when we passed Golden Kimwah coffee shop, a place where Hubby and I drop by once in a blue moon for breakfast. WMW got excited as that's her favourite stall for roast pork aka siu yoke. Since we barely moved an inch, I made a quick pit stop. WMW jumped off the car to grab some roast pork while I took out my camera and snap a photo of the coffee shop from inside my car. According to WMW, there are two operators operating from the same stall, one during lunch hour and the other for dinner. The roast pork is from the night operator.

At RM13 per strip, WMW bought 2 strips for us to try. The roast pork is perfectly cut into small bite sizes and each piece is proportionately layered with meat and fats topped with golden skin. It was still warm when I popped the first piece into my mouth, verdict? DELICIOUS!!! The skin is crispy, the meat is juicy and the fats...ooo...melts in your mouth. If I get a box of these roast pork each time I am stuck in a traffic jam, honestly, I wouldn't mind at all.

After picking up Jason, we headed to SS3 to grab Yam Puff (that would be another post) from the night market. It started to rain and we got lost in SS5 and couldn't locate the pasar malam. I stopped my car at the roadside with my hazard light on while waiting for Andrine to rescue us. Psstt...WMW was busy praying for the rain to stop, so determined hor? The Roast Pork became my de-stress tool, a very effective one indeed.

We were late by the time we reached our destination in Sg. Way for dinner. With delicious Roast Pork and yummy yam puffs we brought along to the restaurant, Jackson and Justin didn't mind at all. We decided to toss the remaining pieces of roast pork together with our Yee Sang. Sinful eh? Someone should really start off by offering oink oink yee sang...i can almost imagine using suckling pig's skin!

This would probably be my last post before Chinese New Year, so taking the opportunity to wish everyone a Gong Hei Fatt Choy and may the Tiger Year brings you good health, lots of joy and happiness!!

Golden KimWah is located at:
Corner Shop
Jalan SS20/10,
Damansara Kim, Petaling Jaya
The recommended roast pork is available only in the evening.

YAKITORI @ SUMI-KA, Subang Jaya

2010-02-03T10:13:00.001+11:00

I love venturing for food with my Makan Gang as they eat absolutely anything and everything, with boundless appetite being the greatest bonus. Last week, we went around scouting for good food from Cheras to Ulu Klang and finally back to Subang Jaya for our last stop for the day at Sumi-Ka. Sumi-Ka is a Japanese grill house specializing in Yakitori (Japanese style grilled chicken skewer) owned by a Japanese. With open kitchen, oppss...it should be 'open-griller' concept, you can opt to sit along the counter-top to watch the Japanese chef in action. Well, provided you don't mind ended up smelling like a Yakitori from top to toe after your meal.

Judging from the name tag on the bottles of unfinished sake and wine on their cabinet, it is evident that their major clientele are Japanese. True enough, the place was soon filled up with Japanese expatriates coming for 'happy hour' after work.

Being a Yakitori restaurant, there are more chicken dishes in the menu, with a few choices of beef and seafood. We aimed to try as much as we could, and what could be easier than ordering everything in the menu? And so, we ordered 2 skewers of everything under the chicken category ranging from RM3 - RM5 per skewers.

I was never a fan of chicken innards, well, I have changed my mind now. The bite-sized pieces of chicken gizzard and heart were grilled to perfection. Seasoned with just salt, it was delicious! I didn't try the chicken liver but I heard it was good too. Heard of chicken blood vessel?? Yep, I had that too! Delicious!

For the first time in my life, I finally had my first taste of chicken tail. Which part? Chicken backside lah! Initially I was skeptical to try but how could I walk away not trying when my Makan Gang kept raving about it? Once I bit on it, I couldn't stop helping myself to more. Seasoned with salt, it was really crispy and aromatic. Not oily as I expected and definitely no unwelcomed smell. I reckon it was even better than having crispy pork fats. Do try their chicken neck meat too, very soft and juicy.

Take your pick! Chicken Breast Meat with Wasabi, Ume (sour plum) or Mentai Mayonnaise? If you are not a fan of breast meat, skip these and go for tender juicy thigh meat.

I was told the skewer on the left was muscle meat while the one on the right is chicken thigh. Both equally good.

Want something to munch on? How about Chicken Soft Bones?

Chicken meatballs and pieces of chicken thigh with spring onions were drenched in tare sauce. Richer in taste and very yummy too.

My favourite chicken wing was grilled to perfection. Crispy skin with juicy meat. No marinade, only seasoned with salt. Another recommendation goes to the grilled chicken skin. Why all the good stuff so unhealthy hor?

Quail Eggs, who doesn't like them?

Before I go on with more meat, here are some photos of the veggies we had. Complimentary fresh cabbage is given with any purchase while the grilled mushroom and green chilies is in the menu. Sadly, they don't have grilled leek in the menu and I was really longing for that.

Next, we move on to beef. We had the beef ribs with spicy miso sauce and beef ribs with miso sauce. Tender but nothing memorable.

I had the first piece of beef tongue in my life.....verdict?? Not too bad but I would rather save my stomach quota for chicken tail, chicken skin, chicken wings, chicken neck meat, chicken gizzard, etc..............

There are also a number of special dishes written in Japanese characters on a small signboard. Clueless on what they were, we ordered all the 10 dishes. Sliced Eringi Mushroom, Bacon wrapped with something gooey and chewy (clueless) and bacon wrapped with something crunchy, it could be turnip.

Bacon wrapped with Fish Roes.....not bad!!

Unidentified black object in the middle. The waiter told us the name in Japanese. Texture was soft, gooey and chewy.

No idea if this was supposed to be enoki mushroom wrapped with bacon, I guess it should be but I find the presentation quite errmm....messy.

Baked Shimeji Mushroom in Butter Sauce was one of their special...nothing memorable.

Finally, grilled pork trotter seasoned with salt. Savour the crispy skin, then devour the gelatinous bits.....honestly, I was so stuffed by then, I could only take one bite.

Overall, am very happy with the excellent service and the fantastic Yakitori. This is definitely a place I will return in very near future. Booking is necessary as the place is quite small and it was full the night we went. Refer to the location map below and Sumi-Ka is located on the 1st floor.

Sumi-Ka is located at:
No. 19, 1st Floor, Jalan SS15/4
47500 Subang Jaya, Selangor
Tel: 03-56329312 or 016-2249312 (Mr Kiyoshi Ota)
Email: otakiyo69@yahoo.co.jp

REGAL HOUSE @ One Bangsar, KL

2010-02-01T12:52:00.001+11:00

My first bowl of "Lap Mei Farn" (waxed meat) for the year!!

To me, Lap Mei Farn is a once-a-year delicacy during the Chinese New Year. This year, I am very lucky to sample a range of waxed meat brought in all the way from Yung Kee Restaurant, the famous Michelin-awarded roasted goose restaurant in Hong Kong. True enough, 'branded' stuff really makes a huge difference. I am totally in love with the preserved goose liver sausages which is so rich in taste and the presence of Chinese wine in every bite! The waxed duck was good too. It wasn't overly salty and it didn't have the usual 'oily' smell that you find in waxed duck.

The waiter was scooping the waxed-meat-infused-rice into individual bowls before I rushed over for a photo. It smells so so so good. I would have no problem having it on its own without the waxed meat as it was bursting with flavour. One bite and I could taste bits and pieces of salted fish added into the rice for extra ommphh! Big thumbs up! At the end of the meal, everyone was eyeing for the burnt bits and scrapped the claypot clean!

The Yung Kee Waxed Meat Claypot Rice is available at Regal House at One Bangsar during the Chinese New Year season, while stocks last.

Regal House is the latest addition to the One Bangsar family. The chef is from Hong Kong and Regal serves innovative cuisines inspired by traditional Cantonese culinary styles. Simple and pleasantly decorated, I was told most of the furniture and fittings were brought in from China.

There are five VIP dining rooms on the first floor catered for business or private dining functions. A must to call and book in advance.

I met up with my floggers sisters, Boolicious, AWOL and Paprika on my first visit to Regal House. We were quite impressed with the Deep Fried Lion Fish (九肚魚) in Salt & Pepper (RM13). It was lightly battered and the fish was fine and sweet.

Herb-Crusted Smoke Duck with Fruit Salad, very Western style don't you think? But surprise surprise, it was the star dish of the night. The duck tasted superb! Moist and tender. The garlicky crispy bits on top goes so well with the duck! This is an appetizer dish so you can either request for it to be sliced and shared, otherwise order one serving each at RM18 per serve.

Initially I wanted to try their Beef Brisket Soup but was told that I need to book it 3 days in advance as there are lots of preparation for that soup. So we settled for the Preserved Mustard Green with Pork Stomach Soup (RM68 serves 5). The soup was sweet with slight peppery taste and I spotted few slices of JinHua Ham (expensive dried cure ham from China).

The Deep Fried Spare Ribs with Garlic Black Pepper Sauce (RM25) was not too bad but I find it a bit too salty for my tastebud. Goes well with rice though.

The Hot Pot Kailan in Seafood Sauce (RM23) was served sizzling hot! Tried this dish once in Hong Kong and I got to say, Regal's version is milder but tastier. I love the crunchy sweet kailan stems.

Vietnam Fresh Prawn Pan Fried Yee Mee was done the Hong Kong style whereas I expected it to be the local "Sang Har Meen" version with lots of egg gravy. Not too bad for a change. Our serving with two big prawns was priced at RM76 (price varies depending on the weight of the prawns).

Lastly, Chilled Minty Lemongrass Flavoured Fruit Jelly to end the meal (RM9 per glass). The restaurant's manager insist we should drink the dessert from the glass instead of pouring it out into bowls (we were sharing the dessert). She said it would taste better that way and so we tried. I love the refreshing taste of lemongrass and all the different types of texture in my mouth all at once.
The Lemongrasses!

Regal House is located at:
One Bangsar
63E Jalan Ara,
Bangsar Baru 59100 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-2283.3116
Email: regalhouse@live.com.my

Chinese New Year Set is now available, do call in advance to reserve!

BACK TO MY HOME SWEET HOME

2010-01-26T19:52:00.000+11:00

Many people asked me how did my boys responded after being away from them for 6 months. Initially I thought they would go crazy the moment they hear my voice but I guess furry kids doesn't know how to tell time. They welcomed me with the usual 'welcome home bark', and Pumpkin is still as bratty and demanding...

while Pea is still the one being bullied around. Poor Pea, he is having skin problem again and itching all over.

There are lots of luggages in my room waiting to be unpacked, 2 from Melbourne and 2 from Humen. I went to Humen on the 3rd day after I arrived home for a short food trip. It was a very good trip full of food and shopping! Do you find my new Astroboy hard casing luggage bag cool?

PRECIOUS PEA IS HEADING HOME!!!

2010-01-19T11:55:00.001+11:00

In another 12 hours, I will be at the airport, waiting to board for my flight home to escape the summer heat. I didn't feel as excited as I expected I would be and I think I know why......

Coz I started to miss this boy already....sigh!

But then again, my two furry boys would be so excited when they see me and all the Aussie yummies I bought them. Of course, Hubby too! He said that he haven't mention a single word to the boys about me coming home, a surprise for them he said.

Now now...shall I have Bak Kut Teh for breakfast the moment I step foot back on my homeland??

Oooohh..and some crabs for dinner would really make my day!

Now, I have to continue doing something I really dreaded doing...PACKING my stuff and it seems that no matter how much I took out, my luggage is still overweight!!! And yes, they are all yummies from Aussieland!

To all my buddies back home, see you soon!!!

MY 1st SPANNER CRAB

2010-01-15T14:21:00.000+11:00

I came across Spanner Crab numerous times at the fish market and usually they are already boiled and chilled. I assumed it should be eaten cold, as reheating a cooked crab would certainly spoil the taste and texture. I am not a fan of cold seafood except for sashimi and oysters, hence I never bother checking out Spanner Crab. However, bro-in-law was at Footscray and he managed to buy a live one for me to try.

Some people call it 'Garfield Crab'. Flip it upside down and it does resemble the famous overweight cat. Scientifically, it is known as Ranina ranina and this crab is around AUD20.

Surprisingly, Spanner Crab is really meaty especially on the part of the body. Very thick and chunky.

Bro-in-law decided to steam it with beer. Apart from the usual seasoning ingredients, he put in fresh rosemary too.

Verdict: Very good! The flesh is very firm, very chunky and very sweet. To compare, I would say the texture is almost similar to scallop. And yes, I love this fella very much. I guess it's time to think of more ways to cook Spanner Crab now!

AND THE ANSWER IS........

2010-01-11T12:30:00.000+11:00

I received lots of funny answer to the picture I put up in my previous post. From mee sua to dragon bread candy soaked in honey, worms from the ocean to fatt choy with a blonde dye. Take another closer look, I give you one clue........The spoonful of rich and luxurious delicacy came from this gigantic lobster. Wanna take a last guess?

The answer is LOBSTER BRAIN! Best eaten raw dipped with wasabi and soya sauce. The thousands of small sacs containing rich and sweet juices melts the moment you put it in your mouth. Seriously luxurious stuff! If you prefer it cooked, dump it into a boiling pot of porridge.. I did just that, the porridge turned out so good. I was lost in the moment of savouring the porridge, so much so I forgot to take a picture. Well, I am in the land of lobster so there is always next time!

This more than 3kgs lobster was my New Year's dinner. We had it sashimi style which is perfect as it was really fleshy and sweet. The head and legs ended up in a big pot of porridge as I mentioned earlier.

This 1-kg lobster was my Christmas Eve dinner. Bro-in-law cooked it with sliced ginger and spring onions with egg noodle as base. Very yummy too!

TAKE A GUESS??

2010-01-05T12:23:00.001+11:00

A spoonful of rich and luxurious delicacy....anyone have any idea what it is?

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2010!!

2009-12-31T19:04:00.001+11:00

Pea and Pumpkin would like to take the opportunity here to wish everyone a Happy New Year!!

PICK-UR-OWN CHERRIES @ Red Hill Cherry Farm

2009-12-28T14:28:00.003+11:00

The only thing I look forward to this hot summer, apart from my trip back home to Malaysia in January, was cherry picking! I enjoyed it tremendously when I went with Hubby and my nephew 3 years ago, that was why I really looked forward to this trip again. We went two Sundays ago after I called up the farm to make sure 'pick-ur-own' cherries are still available. I am glad I did as some smaller farms are already closed for the season.

We went to Red Hill Cherry Farm which is one of the tourist attractions in Mornington Peninsula. Cherries are ready for picking from mid November through to early January but to avoid disappointment, do call a day before to check if there are cherries available for picking. On the day we went, there were too many people at the assigned zone (they open up their farm to visitors by section) and by lunch time, all the cherries were GONE. Many people who came much later was turned away and I saw a sign stating that the farm will only reopen two days later.

Yum yum...I was more interested with the 'eat-all-you-can' than the 'pick-ur-own' cherries! Entrance fee is A$10 for adults and free for kids below the age of 10. You can eat as much as you can, but whatever you bring home will be charged at A$12 per kilo. The moment we went into the farm, everyone got really excited and started attacking the cherries.

Plump and juicy...I always go for dark red cherries as they are really sweet and crunchy.

Everyone really enjoyed themselves...look at their faces!!

We didn't bring any home as most of the cherries were cracking due to too much rainfall near harvest this year. We can easily get good cherries from Coles and Safeway at less than A$10 per kilo.

Hubby, I know you must be full of envy now. Next year, we go together ok?

Red Hill Cherry Farm is located at:
61 - 69 Prossors Ln
Red Hill, Victoria 3937
Phone: 03 - 59892237 / 0407 819751
Email: trevorholmes@pac.com.au

King Prawns with Glass Noodle in Sizzling Wok

2009-12-21T12:18:00.000+11:00

Bro-in-law and I spotted fresh King Prawns on special offer at Safeway last week. Grabbed some home and initially we planned to have it steamed until I came up with the idea of cooking it with glass noodle instead. Actually, I was craving for Claypot Glass Noodle with Crabs, a wonderful dish I once had in Bercham (a small town in Perak, Malaysia) many many years ago. Since it is not crabby season now, I was pretty certain that prawns would be good on this dish as well. True enough, it turned out so good that we headed back to Safeway the following cold and pouring night to grab more prawns.

We used lots of sliced ginger, spring onions, garlic, a tablespoon of crushed white pepper and the most important ingredient: LARD! On the first night, we used pork fats to extract the oil and the dish turned out so flavourful and delicious. We ran out of pork fat the second night so we used fats from bacon instead. Big difference, it lack of the 'ommmpphh' aroma from the fresh pork fats.

From 2 packets of glass noodle on the first night, we used 3 packets the second night cos it was so tasty after it absorbed all the flavour from the prawns. Soak to soften before adding it into the dish.

First of all, heat up the wok and WITHOUT any oil, pan fry the pork or bacon fats until golden brown. Then, put in the ginger, garlic and crushed pepper. If you don't intend to use any of those artery-clogging fats, you can substitute with a tablespoon of cooking oil.

Once you get the wonderful aroma from the garlic and pepper, throw in the prawns.

For seasoning, add a touch of magic! Can you spot those droplets from my bro-in-law's finger?? Cool picture eh?? He mixed a concoction of seasoning sauce using oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar and cooking wine.

Finally, put in the spring onions and glass noodle, give it a good stir. Although the original version of Glass Noodle with Crabs I had in Bercham was much soupier, I find this homecooked version not too bad, in fact, not too bad at all! Love the glass noodle the most as it was so tasty. I really hope to try cooking this dish again with crabs next time.

One more thing, just to share my new found love....Jacob's Creek Sparkling Moscato! Very light and refreshing bubbly Rosé with summer berry flavours. Absolutely perfect wine to pair with this yummy dish!

Tis the Season to be Cooking.....fa la la la la la

2009-12-14T11:05:00.001+11:00

Pssstt....wanna get some free cookbooks for this coming festive season? The Discovery Travel and Living has given 5 cookbooks to Masak-Masak to giveaway!!

1. There are two copies of David Rocco's Dolce Vita that takes you to Italy and is an extension of Canadian celebrity chef David Rocco's television series.

2. Two copies of Willie's Chocolate Factory Cookbook by Willie Harcourt-Cooze that describes his chocolate factory story and delectable recipes that include sweet and even savoury dishes.

3. One copy of Kylie Kwong's My China Cookbook where Kylie journeys around China to trace her family roots. The book is beautifully photographed with recipes inspired by dishes she tries on her journey around her ancestors' homeland.

To win a copy of the cookbook, you just need to answer a simple question, "What is Christmas to you?". Email the answer to masakmasakcomp2@gmail.com. The best answer will win one copy of the cookbook. Unfortunately, this competition is limited to residents in Malaysia. You are also entitled to one entry only. This competition will run until 28 December 2009 midnight, so make sure you send your entries in early. Late entries will not be entertained. Winners will be announced on 31 December 2009. For more details, just hop on to Masak-Masak's blog!

Shhh...now it's time to crack my head as I wanna win a cookbook for myself too!

My Birthday Dinner @ Tao's

2009-12-10T18:19:00.001+11:00

First of all, a big thank you to all my friends who left me lovely birthday wishes in Facebook, some via MSN and SMS, and especially those who even called me on my mobile phone, I was so delighted to hear some chirpy familiar voices. Being away from home on my special day is certainly not easy. I was yearning for a cuddle from Hubby and a slimy lick or two from my furry kiddos. But all your wishes really warmed my heart, thank you thank you thank you.

My family treated me to a lovely birthday dinner at Tao's which is located at Bulleen Rd, just 5-mins drive away from home. I just found out that they have another outlet in Singapore. Tao's is famous for its set menu that features the best of both Japanese and French fine cuisine. I find it very reasonably priced too as the 7-course dinner only costs AUD50 whereas lunch is at AUD38 for 6-course meal.

Nathan gave thumbs up for his meal consisting of pumpkin soup, teriyaki chicken and ice cream, washed down by a glass of apple juice. Kids menu is priced at AUD20.

For starter, we were served with the Chef's Seasonal Assorted Platter that came with a piece of sardine (if not mistaken) covered with a slice of radish, pan seared scallops and a wedge of tomato that tasted very strongly of red wine.

There are 5 selections to choose from for appetizer and bro-in-law had the Tao's Style Prawn with Tempura Oysters which is available only for dinner. I ended up having half of this plate since it was my birthday...hehe. I love the freshness of the prawn dipped with the refreshing lime chili sauce but I find the tempura oyster a bit too fishy for me. I am a raw oyster person and usually I don't opt for cooked oyster unless it is steamed with lots of garlic.

ICE AGE SASHIMI!!!! I was craving for sashimi for the past one week and this came just in time!

Next, Tao's Special Chawan Mushi or Steamed Egg which is only available for dinner. This dish is not available for the 6-course lunch which is priced at AUD38, so I assume this small bowl of steamed egg costs AUD12 and don't you think the lunch set more worth it? Anyway, the Chawan Mushi not too bad. Chunks of scallop and seafood hidden underneath the silky egg custard. However my nephew claimed that my plain steamed egg with soya sauce that I cooked for him tasted much better than this...awww...he is so sweet hor???

The waiter told us these were plum sorbet to cleanse our palate but where are the ice???? I shall rename it as plum juice! Nice and refreshing.

There are 4 selections of soup to choose from; Teapot style bonito (below), Ginseng Chicken Soup, Cream of Mushroom and Cream of Pumpkin. Bro-in-law had the ginseng chicken while Sis and I opted for the teapot bonito. Honestly, nothing to shout about as I find it a bit too bland for my tastebud.

Finally, my main dish was served. I was already all filled up by then. There are quite a number of selections to choose from ranging from beef, lamb, chicken, fish, seafood and to even a vegetarian dish. I was torn between having the Hot Stone Sizzling Steak on Bamboo Leave that smell so good from the next table but finally I gave in for the Confit Duck Leg with White Wine Sauce which is available only for dinner.

BAD choice. Duck meat was tasteless. Sauce tasted like normal creamy white sauce. I should have just gone for the steak! Well, never try never know.

Bro-in-law also ordered a fish dish which is only available for dinner; Rockling Sugiita-Yaki with Miso Cream. Again, it failed to impress. Both of us vowed to return for lunch soon for the beef and lamb.

Sis had the Japanese Grilled Chicken with Teriyaki Sauce and surprisingly hers was the best choice. But honestly, I wasn't very impress with the way they served the dish since they emphasized so much on how they focus on presentation of their dishes.

Rice of the day came and went back to the kitchen almost untouched. It was good, very aromatic with lots of good quality dried shrimp but we were really too full

Lastly, sweet dessert to end the meal. My Green Tea Panna Cotta was smooth and not too sweet. I quite like the Creme Brulee too but bro-in-law find it not sweet enough. My sis had fruit sago and was halfway finishing her dessert before I could even take a photo of it.

Thanks Sis, Bro-in-law and Nathan for the lovely dinner. And for Sis, I love the Coach purse and the pyjama you got me....the colour is so ME!!!

Tao's Restaurant is located at:
201 Bulleen Road, Bulleen, VIC 3105
Reservation: 03- 9852.0777 (booking is necessary)
Trading Hours: 12 pm - 3 pm; 6pm - 10.30 pm
Closed on Mondays
Melway: 32 D7

HAPPY 7TH BIRTHDAY!!!

2009-12-06T16:48:00.000+11:00

My beloved nephew turns 7 today. Happy Birthday Nathan!!! *Muacks muacks muacks!*

My sis threw a small birthday party for him at the Pancake Parlour yesterday. I am glad it was just a small party as it certainly wasn't easy controlling 15 high-on-sugar hyper kids. Only the magician could do it.

The birthday boys (there was another birthday party at the same place) were given a surprise each.

Obviously Nathan wasn't that pleased with a balloon giraffe. He told me just now that he actually wished for a sword instead.

All the kids grew excited when they saw furry Elliot......

Well, well...I was too!!

Guess who made this for the party??? Me! Me! Me! Quite unbelievable hor?? Ok, I must admit, I used one of the pre-mix again but hey, it turned out really good. All the kids loved it, even better than the birthday cake as claimed by my nephew.

See??? My nephew was so busy with my chocolaty rich cupcake and showed no sign of interest on his real birthday cake!

"Brotherly Love" caught in the act! So adorable, aren't they?

Birthday boy with all his new toys. Lucky lucky boy!

THE MAKING OF LUXURIOUS XO SAUCE!!

2009-11-24T12:56:00.000+11:00

When I first heard of XO sauce many many years ago, I thought it was a highly intoxicated concoction specially used for cooking. During my first visit to Melbourne in year 1992, I finally had the chance to try this luxurious sauce at a Chinese restaurant. Immediately I fell in love with this spicy sauce. I didn't end up drunk because there is absolutely no alcohol in it at all. My brother-in-law told me that XO sauce is actually created in Hong Kong and according to Wikipedia, this spicy seafood sauce consisting of roughly chopped dried seafood was introduced in the 1980s which is part of the Cantonese cuisine.

Fast forward to year 2004, just a day before my wedding, my bro-in-law who is in charged of cooking up a storm for my guests during my tea ceremony decided to share his trade secret with me. Back then, I didn't really pay attention to what he taught me. Who could anyway especially when it was a day before your own wedding? I was more concerned if my tulip bouquet could last till the next day or if there would be any acne breakout on my face. What I do remember was his constant reminder that I should never ever share this recipe with anyone else. For the next few years, he was constantly being mentioned by my group of 'Ji Muis' (sisters) who came for my tea ceremony. They just couldn't stop raving about the tasty XO sauce he served together with his special nasi goreng and fried noodles.

Yesterday, my bro-in-law taught me once again his recipe for this sauce. He didn't warn me about sharing the recipe this time but the moment I took out my camera, I assured him that I would not leak out his trade secret by listing the exact amount of ingredients used. Anyway, as an experienced chef, he doesn't even need to weigh or measure his ingredients. The recipe is right inside his head! Don't mistaken him as being selfish, the ability of a chef to make good cooking sauces is the key to survival over here.

The recipe that I am going to list out here is just an approximate because we didn't measure or weigh our ingredients at all. Firstly, we need about 5 big onions and a handful of shallots, roughly chopped. Also finely dice a clove of garlic (not in the picture).

Soak to soften about 200 grams of dried shrimp. Drain well and using a food processor, blend it until it is finely shredded. DO NOT PUT any water into the food processor!

I found this nice cut of salted Ikan Kurau or Threadfin at the Chinese grocery shop. Came all the way from my home country!! I am so gonna buy more this weekend to have it steamed with pork. Yum Yum!! Soak to soften and roughly chop it as well.

If you wanna make really luxurious XO sauce, you can opt to use Jinhua ham; expensive but very tasty. Otherwise, you can substitute with ham or bacon. Of course I vote for bacon especially when there is not much price difference from the bland tasting ham. Most importantly, the flavour from the bacon fats further enhance the taste of the XO sauce. Remove the skin (if any) and finely dice it too.

Most expensive ingredient would be the dried scallop. Soak to soften the dried scallop, steam until soft and drain well. We used about a bowl of soften dried scallop.

My bro-in-law used a red capsicum mainly to achieve a bright red colour. For those who love a spicy kick to it, I thought using red chilies would be a great substitute too. He said if capsicum and fresh chilies not available, substitute with sweet chili powder. Blend the capsicum and drain off excess liquid from the paste from time to time.

I didn't manage to see how much oil he put into the wok but I guess about 2 - 3 cups or enough to cover all the chopped onions, shallots and garlic. Keep stirring over low to medium fire. By the way, the whole process of cooking the sauce (excluding the chopping and grounding) took us about an hour.

Ingredients are added in stages, starting from those with high water content to those with the least. A great tip I learnt yesterday was the way to judge when to put in the next ingredient. When you put the onions into the oil, you will notice big bubbles bubbling away. When the onions start drying up, you will see lots of frothy foam forming on the surface. This is the perfect time to put in the next ingredient!

Capsicum paste went in next. The moment you put in the paste, the big bubbles return. Keep stirring until the frothy foam reappears.

Next to go in....Bacon! Again, continue to stir until frothy foam reappears. MMmm....at this stage, you could smell a wonderful aroma from the sizzling bacon fats.

Put in the salted fish next, followed by dried shrimp.

Lastly, put in the dried scallop.

For seasoning, put in some sugar, salt, oyster sauce and chicken granules (optional). For a darker reddish colour, put in a dash of dark soy sauce. It tastes much better with added chopped chilies. Allow the sauce to cool completely before storing in DRY containers. Remember to use a DRY spoon to scoop the sauce, otherwise it could get spoiled easily. You can serve the sauce as condiment or add some to your stir fry dishes.

On those days when you are eating alone or have absolutely no idea of what to cook for dinner, just put a generous spoonful of XO sauce onto a bowl of hot steaming rice....I can be assured that you will be running back to the kitchen for another bowl of rice! That is what I am gonna do now......yum yum yum!!!

LOQUAT WITH DRIED APRICOT KERNEL TONG SUI

2009-11-17T16:55:00.001+11:00

It's HARVESTING time!!!

No! No! I am not referring to my bountiful crops in Farm Town or Country Story or Farmville or the endless farms I owned in Facebook. Goodness, do you know how much time I actually spent in Facebook everyday tending my farms and restaurants? More than a full-time job! If I could convert all these virtual games into the real world, I am a rich woman now.

Anyway, Loquat is in season!! As mentioned in my previous post, Loquat is also known as 'Pipa' in Cantonese because the pear-shaped fruits resemble the Chinese musical instrument Pipa. Most probably heard of Pipa because of the well-known traditional Chinese cough mixture "King To Nin Jiom Pei Pa Koa" or fondly known as "Ubat Batuk Cap Ibu dan Anak" in Malaysia.

Best eaten only when it is ripe as it could be really sour when it is not ready. It sent my nephew running around the yard screaming when he took a bite of the unripe loquat few weeks ago. Did a bit of 'googling' on loquat and found out that it could be used to make jam, chutney, pie and even wine too.

Since the weather is getting warmer over here, I thought it would be a brilliant idea to boil the loquat with rock sugar and stock it up inside the fridge. Preparing the loquat was not as easy as I thought it would be. Similar to apple, it goes brown very fast. I ran out of lemon so I sprinkled a bit of salt into the pot of water to prevent oxidation. Oh, be prepared to end up with brownish finger nails too!

I added some dried apricot kernels into the drink as they are good for throat and dry cough. Although the two packets below looked the same, they are actually different. One is called Nam Hanh (south apricot kernel?), the other is Bac Hanh (north apricot kernel?). I really could not tell the difference as they tasted and looked the same! I tried to google for an answer but couldn't find any. Anyone could enlighten me on the difference between the north and the south thingy?? Anyway, the apricot kernel is similar to almond taste but at a much milder level, a level that I could still tolerate. But if you really dislike almond taste, omit it altogether.

To make approximately 5 cups of the drink, I used about one bowl of loquat flesh, 1 tablespoon of both the north and south apricot kernels, rock sugar and 2 liters of water and boil it over low fire for about an hour. I love the drink as it is so refreshing and soothing to the throat! I prefer to have it icy cold. Ahhh...time to boil more to prepare myself to this Thursday, a crazy maximum of 36 degree Celcius!!!

So, it's back to harvesting time...well...I mean in Facebook this time..hehehe.

DEAR HUBBY......

2009-11-09T11:10:00.001+11:00

My Dearest Hubby,

Remember I told you the other day that bro-in-law cooked a big yummy pot of stewed brisket, tripe and tendon?? Bro-in-law asked me to snap a photo to show you, so here you are, our lunch we had few days ago. It was even more flavourful after leaving it overnight..yummy!

Look at this chunky piece of tendon! It was braised to perfection...the texture was just right...bouncy and gelatinous. Just the way you like it! Don't worry, bro-in-law promised to cook you a big pot when you are here.

Weather is getting so much warmer nowadays. Gonna be 35 degree Celcius today and it is not even summer yet. I wonder how I could survive till end January. Good news is...all the fruit trees are full of fruits! The row of loquat trees are full of loquats now! I counted, there are 5 trees altogether!!

Whenever I see the loquat tree, I will think of you. Remember this photo I took back in year 2006?? This was the first thing you did when you arrived at sis's place!

Am waiting for a few more days before picking these loquat, known as 'pipa' in Chinese. This is the one they use to make the Chinese cough mixture so I guess should be good for throat. Perfect for the hot weather now.

I have been eating lots of it and they are very sweet and juicy. Bro-in-law told me that I could double-boil it with rock sugar. Sounds good to me, maybe I should boil a big pot and put it in the fridge.

Ooooo...the nectarine tree opposite sis's house is also fruiting! Lots and lots of it too! I think it should be ready by mid December...hehe..just can't wait to harvest them.

By the way, Nathan want to show you this.....a picture of him all powered-up. He said he just couldn't wait to battle you in March! Ggggrrgggrrrr!!!

I just can't wait to see you in January next year. Don't worry, I will definitely be back, you don't have to blackmail me by forbidding Pea and Pumpkin from webcam-ing with me, yah?

Ok lah...I got to sign off now. Be good and take good good care of my two boys. I know you have been doing a good job.

Bye!!

Love,
Wifey

I CAN BAKE TOO!!! Raspberry & White Choc Muffins!

2009-10-27T17:41:00.001+11:00

For those who have been following my blog or know me in person should know that I can't bake. Not that I didn't try, but somehow the end result always ended up in the rubbish bin. A classic example was my big-time failure Meat Floss Swissroll that is inedible at all! But today, I am so excited because I finally baked something that is not only edible, but very tasty as well.

And here, presenting my gorgeous-looking Raspberry & White Choc Muffins!!

Err.....I have a confession to make. The credit to my success actually goes to this premix that I got from Coles supermarket. Yes yes yes...stop rolling eyes there. I know I cheated!!! Well, for big-time failure like me, I need something like this to boost up my confidence (excuse excuse). Anyway, I was strolling down the aisle today when I saw this Coles housebrand muffin mix on sale. The instructions were pretty easy to me, so I bought it and decided to bake it today to surprise my sis when she get home from work.

The box came with a packet of cake mix and a packet of raspberry sauce. It only requires butter, an egg and some milk. SO EASY! I don't even need to dig out the weighing scale and no heavy washing too!

The whole process took me less than 5 minutes!

I found out that I don't even know how to swirl!!! Look at the mess I made.

I am very happy with the end result. The gorgeous muffins turned out really moist and soft. Surprisingly, not as sweet as I thought it would be. Now I am so looking forward to see what other flavours they have as well. Hmmm...maybe I should get a few boxes to bring home next year so that I could bake some for Chinese New Year!! Anyway, got to go make myself a nice cup of English tea to go with my muffins now...ciao!!

LUNCH @ SEK YUEN, JALAN PUDU, K.L.

2009-10-16T18:27:00.002+11:00

While my pot of soup consisting of pork stomach, pork ribs, beancurd sheets, gingko nuts and dried scallops is bubbling away nicely on the stove, I have a sudden urge to do a food post. With the nice aroma of pork stomach and ribs filling every inches of the house (Oppss!! Excuse me, I need to close all the bedroom doors!), I suddenly recalled a very satisfying lunch I had with my Makan Gang before I left for Melbourne.

Our lunch at Sek Yuen Restaurant located at Jalan Pudu was one of the many many meals we had that day. My first visit to this famous old Chinese restaurant two years back was memorable for a good reason. It was the first time I had "Stuffed Duck with Shark's Fin", a very luxurious dish that came with a hefty price tag. You can read all about my first visit to Sek Yuen here.

Being the 2nd stop of the day (we had 2 set lunches at Max iHaus earlier), we decided to go 'light'! Wong told me earlier that I should give their Pork Stomach with Pepper soup a try....and he was right, it was absolutely awesome! The soup was sweet and flavourful with just the right amount of peppery to it. Lots of soft chicken feet to munch on and of course not forgetting the soft yet chewy chunks of pork stomach. Never had such good soup elsewhere before.

The Stir-fry Beef with Chives was good too. Full of 'wok hei' and I just love the taste of chives. I am not so into 'soda-marinated' meat though but I could imagine how lovely this dish would be if crunchy chicken giblets were used instead. I wouldn't even mind a plate of plain stir-fry chives!

Crispy on the outside, the flesh of this Deep Fried Grass Carp Belly was soft and juicy. Drizzled with light soya sauce, a bowl of white rice is a must!

Their Deep Fried Chinese Spring Rolls reminded me of my late mum as she used to make this only during special Chinese festivals. A very time consuming dish and what makes it tasty was the pig's caul she used to roll the pork meat paste together. Pig's caul are thin, transparent piece of fat that looks almost like a net, hence we call it "Jue Moong Yau" or directly translate as "Pig's Net Oil" in Cantonese. Hard to find from the butcher nowadays so the last time my mum made this, I was still a very little girl. Coming back to this dish, Sek Yuen did it well too although I still find my mum's the best. The pork paste was tasty and I enjoyed biting into the savoury crispy skin.

Sitting right in front of the kitchen entrance does have its advantages. Wong saw this dish of Cold Chicken being whisked pass our table. Available in either small or large serving, we were told that they were only left with the large portion. Do order in advance if you intend to try this dish, as ample time is required to thaw this dish. Taken out from the freezer, this cold dish consisting of deboned whole chicken and jellyfish were drizzled with thick thousand island lookalike sauce. Luckily weather was scorching hot the day we went, the dish thawed pretty fast. Looking back at my first post on Sek Yuen, it turned out that we had this before in our 4 - Season Platter! Not too bad but I do find the sauce a bit too rich and thick, perhaps should ask them to serve that aside instead.

Once again, Sek Yuen didn't fail to disappoint. It was a good lunch and memorable too as the taste of the Pork Stomach soup is still lingering in my mind. Speaking of soup, mine should be ready by now. Time to go and grab myself a bowl to warm myself up!

Sek Yuen is located at:
313-1, Jalan Pudu, KL (non airconditioned)
315, Jalan Pudu KL (airconditioned)
Tel: 03-92220903

Tesselaar Tulip Festival 2009

2009-10-12T19:51:00.001+11:00

After the disappointed weekend spent seeking shelter from the rain at the Warratina Lavender Farm, we made a trip back to the Dandenong Ranges the following Sunday and this time round, the weather was perfect! We finally made it to the 2009 Tesselaar Tulip Festival which is an annual event held at the Tesselaar Farm in Silvan, Victoria.

According to their information booklet, there are more than a million spring flowers on show including over 100 different varieties of tulips! Not surprising at all when we were greeted by the amazing colourful tulip field as we entered the farm. We were practically drown in the sea of tulips!! Armed with my camera, I excitedly hopping from one row of tulips to the next, happily snapping away. Imagine my misery when I came home with more than 250 photos and I have to crack my head to select only a fraction of the pics to post up here!!

I am so glad that my nephew is just not into electronic games and boys' stuff. He was as excited as his crazy yiyi (me!).

My favourite colour of all....PURPLE! I kept telling myself to behave...no itchy finger! And I was a very very good girl that day... *proud proud*

Isn't this deep purple tulip beautiful? If not mistaken, this is called Queen of the Night. It has got such a mysterious feel to it, don't you think?

I love these bunches in a mixture of pink and white too. I was surprised when my nephew told me that the pink tulips were the nicest among the rest. Cos to him, pink is always for girls and big NO-NO for boys!

So pretty, I should have chosen this for my wedding bouquet! Speaking of wedding, I saw a couple taking their wedding shots at the farm. Am sure it would turn out really awesome. Sigh...if only I could turn back time, I will surely take my wedding shots here too!

Light yellow with pink combo.....sweet!

Red with white combo...also very nice!!!!

In full bloom....not exactly my kind of colour but wouldn't mind to have a bunch of these in my garden.

Last chance to show off its beauty before it wither away....

Apart from the common variety, I was amazed to find lots of amazing hybrid tulips such as these Angelique Tulip. Full of gorgeous baby-pink petals and it resembles Peony! Really beautiful!

Don't really fancy pink?? What about this?? Dark red with white stripes?? Equally as beautiful!
Or these??? Yellow-Orangey bloom??

Dunno the name for this variety but I find it very beautiful too!

Ever seen tulip petals with fringe before?? These are called Fringed Tulips!
Red Fringed Tulips...

I find these Spring Green Tulips so classical and elegant. I can imagine how lovely it would be in a wedding bouquet!

Rose? Nope...this is just a Rose-Lookalike-Tulip!

Enough of tulips for now....time for lunch!! There are picnic area's in the farm as well as various food stalls offering delicious goodies. But what could be better than to enjoy a tasty meal of homecooked fried rice overloaded with 'char siu'??

My nephew said that the highlight of the trip was his packet of blue candy floss!

My sis said these are prettier than the tulips! Tried googling to see what they are called but I couldn't find anything, anyone any idea??
Daffodils!!!

Love these too but no idea what they are called. Are they wild flowers?
Lastly, the Azalea!

On the way out, we spotted this stall selling bright colourful garden decorative windmill. I would have checked out the prices if Obama didn't distract my attention...Obama who??

Meet Obama....a 5-month old Labrador. Lots of 'Seeing Eye Dog' were brought to the farm for a walk, probably to train them before they become a full-time guide dog. Sis asked if I am keen to volunteer by becoming a puppy carer, but knowing with my low EQ, it would be too heartbreaking when the time comes for me to return the pup back to the foundation.

Started drizzling by the time we were about to leave the farm and that was also the time when the crowd started coming in. Everyone was drenching in the rain waiting to get into the farm!!

The queue was at least half a kilometer long..no kidding!!

On the way out, the rain was getting heavier, just like the traffic heading towards the Tulip Festival!! I guess everyone is rushing to the festival cos it is going to end tomorrow.

For more information on the Tessalaar Tulip Festival, check out there website here.

CROCS ATTACK!!

2009-10-06T15:47:00.002+11:00

CROCS at AUD 9.99 (~RM30) per pair; all designs, all colours, all sizes!!! And yes, it's ORIGINAL!!

We were so lucky to have walked into Dimmeys Retail Store last weekend, a place where we only go once in a blue moon. Imagine our excitement when we saw the 'mountains' of Crocs greeting us as we entered the store. We joined in the busy crowd (all women), searching and digging for our sizes....grabbing whatever we could. My first basket of Crocs. Well, at least mine was a small basket, I spotted a women filling up her big trolley with Crocs!!

Also managed to grab some for Hubby, my dad and in-laws!

Bought this on Saturday!

We went back the next day (Sunday) and the day after (Monday) to grab more!

I love these Mary Jane the most...aren't they sweet looking?? I have checked, these are selling at RM129 per pair in Malaysia and I got them for RM30 per pair!!

My awesome Brinjal Purple and Violet Mary Jane. Swapped the straps and it look sooo COOL! I could even go out like this!!!!

Went to the Tulip Festival last Sunday wearing my Brinjal Purple Croc and I blended in with this photo!! Hahaha!!

With so many Crocs now, it's time to beautify them...next mission??? Ebay for jibbitz!!

For Crocs fans in Ozzieland, quickly go to Dimmeys store NOW!!!

WARRATINA LAVENDER FARM

2009-10-01T21:49:00.000+10:00

We are officially into the second month of Spring now...and I have been looking forward to visit the Tesselaar Tulip Festival which has started since mid-September. I was really excited as I always love tulips. Did you know I actually ordered fresh tulips imported all the way from Australia for my wedding bouquet? It was a lovely combination of orangey yellow tulips with beige roses...ahh, if only I have the picture with me now. Anyway, we were all set to visit the tulip farm last Sunday despite the gloomy cloud warning us not to go. Armed with out picnic bag filled with containers of my awesome homecooked nasi lemak and sinful snacks, we decided to try our luck.

Unfortunately, it was raining...err...let me rephrase...it was POURING!! We ended up parking our car overlooking the tulip farm and had a scrumptous picnic inside instead. I was a little bit disappointed, but it turned out that my nephew is even more disappointed.

After the picnic lunch inside the car, we decided to head home since the dark sky is not going to stop pouring anytime soon. On way back, we saw a signboard leading to a nearby lavendar farm. Lavendar is my favourite flower too!!! The lavender farm we visited is called Warratina which is located at the foothill of Dandenong Ranges. Not much to see though as most of the lavendar bushes were pruned to almost bald. Just one row is left with the fragrant purplish bloom. Just googled and found out that the best time to visit lavendar farm is between early Summer to late Summer..*I must jot this down somewhere*

The Blooming and the Bald (behind).

We headed straight to the Lavender Cottage Tea Rooms...what could be better than to have a cup of hot tea on a cold rainy day?

I was totally in love with the cosy tea room. Lavenders were everywhere! There is also a small gift store next to the tea room offering a variety of products made from lavender. Saw a thick cookbook on using lavender in your cooking....I was tempted till I saw the price..gulp!

Initially I thought of having tea but I need my coffee fix so I opted for Latte instead. It is almost impossible to find a bad cup of Latte in Melbourne (homemade doesn't count!).

We ordered a set of two scones to share; one original flavour and the other?? Lavender of course!

Served with cream and homemade raspberry jam, the scones were fanta-bulous! Crisp crust with buttery fluffly texture, good enough a reason to revisit when I am around that area next time.

Saving my favourite picture of all for the last, don't they look so so so so pretty?? As for the tulips...well well, we are going again this Sunday and hopefully it will be bright and sunny *keeping my fingers crossed*!

Warrantina Lavender Farm is located at:
105 Quayle Road,
Wandin Yallock, Victoria (Melways Ref 121 F1)
Open Wednesday to Sunday; 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Website: http://warrantinalavender.com.au

I WON THE 2009 BEST CHEF AWARD!!

2009-09-22T16:09:00.002+10:00

A few days ago, my nephew came home from school with a very mysterious grin on his face. With his hand covered with a jacket, he obviously was up to something. He told me he got a surprise for me and who could have guessed...he presented me with The Best Chef Award Year 2009!! The 'award' was made of clay and it was one of his project in Art Class. Quite unexpected as I would expect he would do something for his mum or dad....obviously I am so touched with his sweet gesture.

How the award came about? Well, my bro-in-law has been bedridden for more than a month now due to severe back problem. To help out, I volunteer to do what I know best..COOKING!! Probably with a new cook in the household, everyone seems to enjoy my cooking. So much so, my nephew insist of bringing rice to school everyday. Everyone said he has put on a bit of weight especially on his puffy cheeks.

I am smitten to the fact that he actually thought of me when he did the clay sculpture. He told me that it is actually a bowl of noodle (the sweet potatoes look-a-like) with meatballs (the potatoes look-a-like). So cute eh??

I took some photos of Nathan last weekend when we took him to watch UP. Just one word...ADORABLE!! Thank you Nathan....Yiyi really appreciates your sweet gesture. MUACKS!!!

Awesome Sambal Ikan Bilis!

2009-09-16T13:11:00.000+10:00

Bro-in-law's buddy came over for a visit on Monday and he brought along a big container of fiery red cili padi a.k.a bird's eye chili for me. All chopped up for convenience purpose and frozen up so that it could last longer in the freezer. I love the cili padi here as it way MUCH MUCH spicier and has got more chili flavour to it as compared to those in Malaysia.

I have been craving for nasi lemak for a long long time and I didn't quite like my own recipe for sambal ikan bilis (dried anchovies). There are some Malaysian restaurants around my area but I didn't want to disappoint myself either. As always, I know exactly who to consult, Boolicious! She forwarded a recipe for Nasi Lemak Bungkus which was featured in past issue of Flavours magazine. No wonder my recipe sucks...there is no garlic needed in this dish!! Anyway, here is the recipe, very easy to cook with very simple ingredients:

Sambal Ikan Bilis (taken from Flavours Magazine)
1 ½ big onions, peeled and finely ground
100ml cooking oil
400ml cili boh (I blended the bird's eye chili into paste..super duper HOTT!!)
1 tsp shrimp paste (belacan)
3 big onions, peeled and sliced
80g brown sugar (I put in more as my chili paste was too hot)
Tamarind juice, extracted from 15g tamarind pulp mixed with 200ml water
80g ikan bilis, deep-fried

Heat oil in wok or a large pot. Saute ground onions, cili boh and shrimp paste until fragrant. Stir continuously. Add sliced onions, brown sugar, tamarind juice and simmer for 5 minutes. Lastly add the deep-fried ikan bilis and turn off heat. Set aside and serve with nasi lemak (coconut rice).

The end result was PERFECT!!! Initially I find the belacan taste a bit too strong as I think I put a little too much but after leaving it overnight, it was even tastier and more flavourful.

I love it so much that I had it for dinner and supper yesterday, as well as breakfast this morning and washed it down with a cup of coffee laden with condensed and evaporated milk. I have been having toast and cereal for breakfast for the past 2 months, I was the happiest woman on Earth this morning!

Bro-in-law immediately called his buddy a.k.a my chili supplier over this morning for lunch. From a small bowl of rice, he ended up having one large plate of rice.....feel so flattered when he said my sambal is of restaurant standard...hehehe. He assured me, more supply of cili padi coming up this weekend...WOOooo HOooo!!!

TIAMO 2 @ Lygon St, Carlton

2009-09-11T15:05:00.000+10:00

When it comes to Italian cuisine, Lygon St is the place to be! Lygon St which is located in Carlton is synonymous with Italian restaurants and cafes offering both indoor and alfresco dining. There are just too many Italian eateries here to choose from, thanks to all the early migration of Italian migrants to Carlton.

Just a day before my Hubby and Dad flew back to Malaysia, bro-in-law suggested to have Italian food for dinner at my nephew's favourite restaurant, Tiamo 2!

Upon seated, I was given two menus; one from Tiamo and the other Tiamo 2. My sister told me that Tiamo 2 serves better quality food at slightly higher price but we could still order from both menus.

My nephew's buddy who followed us to dinner requested for Margherita pizza with an extra egg on top. Simple and delicious BUT I am a meatasaurus, I want meat!!!!!

And so we ordered another pizza to share. Capricciosa with leg ham, olives and mushrooms on thin crust base. Thumbs up! It was a cold rainy night and I yearned for something rich, cheesy and filling....and a glance at the menu, my eyes were fixed on Carbonara with my all-time favourite Penne. Definitely a good choice made that night as I totally enjoyed it very much. Serving too big though. For moderate eater, this serving is enough to feed two pax.

My bro-in-law had the Spaghetti Bolognaise...should be good too cos I didn't hear him complain.

Spaghetti Marinara from Tiamo's menu....came with generous portion of mussels, calamaris and prawns. Hubby and Dad had these and they loved it.

My sis had the maccheroni pasta served with mini meatballs, eggplant, napoli sauce & basil from Tiamo 2 menu. She finished off the whole plate on her own, so shall I say more?

This is my nephew's favourite pasta dish from Tiamo 2.....Spaghetti with Clams and Mussels. Now this is really really really good!! The gravy was bursting with flavour. Suddenly, Hubby's spaghetti marinara from Tiamo tasted bland. We ended up scooping gravy from his plate to eat with the complimentary bread. Now I understand why Tiamo 2 is different from Tiamo. Please note...this is a highly recommended dish if you love clams and mussels.

I was taking a picture of the dish when my nephew started posing for me. Isn't he adorable??

He loves mussels and this is what he did after he finished off with the pasta:
Slurpsss...drink the remaining gravy from the shells...

Suck it.....

Next, lick it clean!

Finally, end it with a bottle of white wine. Nah, just kidding. It was just a bottle of water.

Tiamo 2 is located at:
305 Lygon St
Carlton 3053, Victoria
Opens Monday to Saturday; 9.30 a.m. - 10.30 p.m.
Tel: 03 - 9347 0911

I LOVE KOBE!!!!

2009-09-06T11:47:00.000+10:00

Nope! Am not talking about the sixth largest city in Japan. Nope! Am not referring to those melt-in-your-mouth marbled beef either. I am referring to my first furry friend in Melbourne, Kobe!

Kobe's mummy is a close family friend and I was so excited to be invited to her house to visit her precious baby. Kobe is about Pumpkin's age and he is a mix of Shih Tzu, Maltese and Bichon...I guess he has got the best attributes from all the three breeds, Kobe is really handsome plus a very strong character too.

After a few rounds of chasing one another, Kobe warmed up to me. He loves a good tummy rub just like my precious Pea.

He got such a gorgeous smile, doesn't he??

Kobe's mummy brought me to the kitchen to show me Kobe's food storage. Goodness....it war breaks out now, his supply could last him for half a year!!! Ahem, Kobe is really lucky cos his mummy cooks him beef stew with vegetables (fit for human consumption when salt is added) for dinner.

Furry kiddos in Ozzieland are really lucky. They have so many variety of treats here. Spot the Wings??

How about this 100% baked low fat garlic flavoured rawhide chips?????

Fries from McD for doggies???

Sandals...obviously a gift from last Christmas.

Really a big salute to Kobe's mummy as she even make her own treats from pork liver. I am gonna make this for Pea and Pumpkin next time. Pretty easy, just boil the sliced pork liver and put into the oven for an hour under low temperature.

Kobe's daddy sent me home and Kobe came along too. He kept looking back at me...I think he really likes me! *GRIN*

He obviously enjoys going for car ride! When I got down from the car, Kobe excitedly wanted to follow as well and gave a loud growl. Awww...am missing him already. I do wish Pea and Pumpkin will join me here soon, as I can already imagine the three of them running around the park while we enjoying a BBQ picnic!

MY OZZIE FARM

2009-08-26T12:22:00.000+10:00

There is a small plot of land at the side of my sister's house where my bro-in-law used to plant herbs such as rosemary and thyme. Somehow, this sad plot of land has been abandoned for years and the only thing growing were weeds and grasses. While browsing at the $2 shop with my sis couple of weeks ago, I came across a variety of vegetable seedlings for sale. Since I am so free at home, why not?

And so, one very cold and windy evening with several layers of thick clothing on, I went to clear up the plot of land. My nephew who excitedly told me that he gonna help me decided to stay in to watch his favourite cartoon, Bakugan! I thought the work gonna take me less than 15 minutes but I ended up spending more than an hour clearing the weeds, filling it up with fresh new soil and cleaning up the place (which I dreaded most).

And finally, SOWING time!!! I have planted zucchini, tomato, leek and rocket according to its instruction. I would be very happy if at least one of them grow. I wonder if Asian vegetable seedlings are available here.

5 more days to go and Spring will be here!!! Flowers flowers blooming everywhere. Magnolias! Tulips! Daffodils! Ahhh...am gonna plant those next year.

Anyway, just to share a video that I took last week while I was drying my laundry when the sunny weather suddenly turned into a storm. I was so scared that the trees might fall onto the garage!

ARTICHOKE SOUP

2009-08-21T17:01:00.001+10:00

Honestly speaking, I don't know much about artichoke except for a few occasions where I had it on my pizza and pasta. Artichokes are expensive in Malaysia and not knowing how to cook it, I never bother to explore further. We were doing our weekend grocery shopping at Woolworths and came across a whole bin of artichokes for less than a dollar each! Brother-in-law told me that artichokes can lower cholesterol level and is very high with nutritional values. And hence, we grabbed some home.

When bro-in-law suggested artichoke soup, I was expecting thick creamy Western-style soup. But surprise surprise, it turned out to be the clear Chinese-style soup that I always love. As he was away at work, I was given the task to prepare the soup for dinner. For about 3 liters of water, I used 2 florets of artichoke. Cut off the stem and divide the artichoke bud into half.

Give it a good rinse to discard any dirt in the center of the bud.

As for the meat to go with the soup, it is entirely up to you. I have tried using both chicken and pork on separate occasion. Personally I always prefer chicken soup for the sweet chic aroma. On my next attempt, I shall throw in some dried scallops, dried octopus or even dried oysters. I can already imagine how good the soup will turn out to be. Yumzz! Anyway, the picture below was the meat I used for the artichoke soup on my second attempt. Why I put this picture up instead of the chicken?? Well...spot that dark maroon colour piece of liver-lookalike thingy? Try guessing which part of a pig it belongs to???

I was horrified when I saw it. It looked like a long long piece of tongue!!! Bro-in-law told me it was some sort of a pig's internal organ. I was not convinced! I guess he didn't want to scare me off but I am pretty sure it was a piece of pig's tongue. The smell when cooked was exactly like pig's liver. I didn't dare to eat it and I was told the texture is like spongey loofah.

Simmer the artichokes and meat in a pot of boiling water on low fire for 2 hours. Season with a little bit of salt and tada....a very nutritionous bowl of clear and sweet artichoke soup. Absolutely perfect on cold rainy days.

While I was googling for artichoke recipe, I came across some really interesting photos. I have never heard of artichoke flowers before...aren't they beautiful???

Picture taken from HERE

Picture taken from Wikipedia.

Now now..back to googling to see how I can plant this in my farm....not Pea Farm in Malaysia but my new farm in Melbourne which I am going to share with you soon.

Have a good weekend!!!!

Phở Dzung @ Richmond, Melbourne

2009-08-17T15:09:00.000+10:00

I was checking my calendar for some possible dates for a short holiday and found out that today is exactly one month since I stepped foot into Melbourne. I can still recall just a month ago, I was crying badly at this very moment as I leave my house to the airport. But hey, today am very happy as life is great and I really love it here very much. Except of course, the constant longing for my two boys and Hubby makes me sad. They are doing great back home and here are some shots I took of my boys while we were 'Skype-ing' the other day.

During a lunch with WMW before I left, she asked me "What is the first thing you gonna eat when you reach Melbourne?" and without a need to think, "Phở" of course! Melbourne offers great Phở or Vietnamese Flat Rice Noodle with Beef and Chicken Soup, thanks to the large Vietnamese community here. There are so many Vietnamese restaurant in Melbourne offering Phở and other Vietnamese delicacies but my all-time favourite is still Phở Dzung also known as Yung Kee which is located at Victoria Street in Richmond, Melbourne. This is also the place where I had my first bowl of Phở back in year 1992. Despite everyone that I know telling me the quality here has deteriorated, I find it still as good as before. Even my sis and bro-in-law insisted that another restaurant just a few shops away is much better but I tried, nah...I still insist this place is much better.

For the Phở, three sizes are available; small (AUD7), regular (AUD8) and large (AUD9) and you can have the rice noodle with your choice of either beef or chicken as well as brisket, tendon, tripe, coagulated ox blood or etc. Trust me, for a Malaysian's standard, a small portion is more than enough. Also available, Vietnamese spring rolls, grilled chicken or pork chop on rice and assorted beverages.

Beansprouts, basil, mint and lemon wedges....a MUST to go with the Phở.

And of course, red hot fiery chilies to spice thing up! I love the chilies here as they are spicier and has got more chili flavour than those in Malaysia. Anyone want me to bring some seeds back to Malaysia to try growing it??

My dad had his noodle with chicken meat, a choice that I would never make cos I feel that Phở must have beef in it, unless of course if you cannot take beef. The broth is not as sweet as those with beef too. Told him that but he still insist, well, his choice.

I had my all-time favourite rare beef with chicken. With the piping hot broth poured over the noodle, the thinly sliced rare beef was cooked to perfection! Yummy!! The beefy broth is really tasty and usually I will finish it off till the last drop!

Hubby had rare beef with tripe. Am surprised that he didn't go for beef combination.

Look at the generous portion of pinkish sliced rare beef ....this was my sis's order. Her broth is much richer in taste, thanks to the essence of the rare beef.

This place remains my favourite till I can find a better one, will let you know once I do!

Phở Dzung is located at:
Richmond - 208 Victoria St, 3121 Victoria
Melbourne City - 234 Russel St, 3000 Victoria
Operating Hours - 7 days a week
8.30 a.m - 10.00 p.m. (City)
8.00 a.m. - 9.00 p.m. (Richmond)

Also check out KY's recent ravings about this place HERE.

MURES @ Hobart Waterfront, Tasmania

2009-08-12T16:10:00.001+10:00

We were told that dining at Mures is a must as it is well-known for superb seafood (caught by their own fishing boats) with spectacular Hobart waterfront view. Mures lower deck offers cheaper dishes such as the usual deep fried/grilled fish and chips as well as fresh seafood for takeaway at reasonable price. There is also a sushi bar at the lower deck which we didn't get to try. Of course, Mures Upper Deck offers a much better view, really good food (as we were told..) and ahem, very much pricier too. Booking is a MUST too as the place is always packed.

At the side of Mures, there are many tiny floating boats? shops? or whatever they call it selling fresh as well as cooked seafood.

It was cold, I was hungry and it was way too early for our booking at Mures Upper Deck, hence Hubby went to grab some food to soothe my growling tummy.

Calamaris and chips!!!!! I was too cold and hungry so I got to say that it was one of the yummiest calamaris and chips I ever had. Only vinegar provided and I hate soaking my chips in vinegar. Tips tips: bring a bottle of chili/tomato sauce with you wherever you go!!

My nephew loved the chips too!

After the light snack, we went to check out the Mures Lower Deck and discovered we should save our money on the chips and indulge on fresh seafood instead. Fresh oysters at AUD13 per dozen, slightly more expensive than Barilla Bay but equally as good!

We spotted fresh swordfish and had it sashimi-style. Soooo rich, buttery and sweet.

After the second round of light refreshment, we went for dinner at Mures Upper Deck. Very nice and classy settings and the items on the menu, ahem impressively pricy too! I opted for the Prawn Fest menu that came with an appetizer and a main dish for slightly under than AUD35. Hubby had the same set too and this is his Caesar salad as appetizer.

I had the BLAND chowder instead and I didn't like the fishy smell that came from the bits and pieces of fish. In the end, I finished off Hubby's Caesar salad instead.

For the main, Hubby ordered a disastrous dish....Honey Soy Tiger Prawns served with Steamed Rice. It was utterly SWEET, more like dessert than a savoury dish. Hubby seldom complain about his food and no matter how awful, he would still finish his food instead of wasting it. This, he couldn't even take a second bite. I was grinning cheekily cos I almost ordered this dish as well but when I saw the word steamed rice I knew it was a risky bet.

My TASTELESS pasta with scallops and smoked salmon was another disappointment but at least it was still edible after putting some salt and pepper into it.

I didn't take picture of the other disaster dishes the rest had that night but as I recalled Ben's fish was raw inside (it was sent back to the kitchen and it came back still dry outside and raw inside, eventually the order was cancelled), my dad's medium-rare steak was fully cooked and burnt at one side, my nephew's mussel was cooked in SALT water. Nothing was good except for the Caesar salad. We were wondering maybe the food is cater more to the Aussie's tastebud (no way cos Aussies love their food)? Or maybe the chef is on leave? But but but how could it go so bad for every dishes we ordered?? Anyway, we left the place with half empty stomach, just as sick-looking as the octopus here coloured by my nephew at the restaurant.

Feeling so disappointed for the expensive lousy dinner, we went to Woolworths to grab some groceries and headed home to cook a feast.

Great chef at work.....

Bacon & corn salad and assorted greens prepared by Ben, another great chef.

Ahhhh.....fine dining at home...delicious tender lamb shank cooked by my brother in law. I feel so proud and lucky to have such a wonderful cook as my brother in law...hehehe.

If you wanna give Mures Upper Deck a try (hope you have better luck with their food), just check out their website here. Mures Lower Deck is worth a visit!

OYSTERS!! OYSTERS!! @ Barilla Bay, Tasmania

2009-08-03T20:12:00.000+10:00

This is Barilla Bay Tasmania - heaven to all oyster lovers! Barilla Bay (as in the real bay) is located right behind this building. Dining at the upper deck offers spectacular view of the bay but for those who opt for takeaway, the gourmet deli offering an extensive range of Tasmanian produce is located at the lower level. Oyster farm tour is available too and booking is necessary. Since we were too early for the tour, we decided to head off to some wineries before returning to Barilla Bay in the afternoon.

But but but, we just couldn't resist the temptation of having a dozen or two or three right at that moment...and in the end, we ended up having 5 dozens! Takeaway oysters are way much cheaper than having it right at their deli. If I remember correctly, a dozen only cost less than AUD11.00 and even cheaper for unopened oysters. And so here we are, feasting at our car.

My bro-in-law actually packed a bottle of his homemade sauce specially to go with the oysters. It was GOOD!!! But I enjoyed having it with a squeeze of lemon juice to enjoy its natural sweetness. Nothing beats having fresh oysters at its source!! Ooolala...I so love Barilla!!!

The shore-based farm tour took about 45 minutes and we were shown on ways to breed oyster, the process flow and right till we put it into our mouth. At the end of the tour, each of us were offered an oyster each, opened right on the spot. Eh?? Only 1??

A basket loaded with fresh harvested oysters. Yummy yum yum...if only I can have it all.

A shot before I glided it down my throat. Sooo full of sea flavour...salty and sweet!

After the tour, we were asked to return back to the gourmet deli area and guess what?? We were greeted by more oysters!!!! Ooolala....

We ended up buying 10 more dozens to bring home for dinner.

For those who doesn't fancy raw oysters like my dad and nephew (he said it tasted ugly!), oyster omelet is just as yummy too!

Barilla Bay Tasmania is located at:
1388 Tasman Highway
Cambridge, Hobart
Tel: 03-6248.5454
Email: info@barillabay.com.au

For further information on the farm tour and booking, check out there website HERE.

MY FIRST TRIP TO HOBART, TASMANIA

2009-07-27T22:33:00.007+10:00

Yay! Finally am back to the blogging world. Sorted out all my photos yesterday, phew, not an easy task but am glad that it's finally done. Gonna post about my Tasmania trip first before I start talking about all the good food I had in Melbourne for the past one week.

Being my first trip to Tasmania, I was pretty excited as I always wanted to visit this beautiful place, in particular the Cadbury's factory and of course, the Tasmanian Devil. Within hours after we arrived from Kuala Lumpur, we were back to the airport again to catch our flight to Launceston.

We had quite an unpleasant encounter with our initial car rental company and we spent almost 2 hours at the airport to sort things out. Finally, we got our Tarago from Avis.

From Launceston, we drove to Hobart where we rented our holiday house. The journey took more than 2 hours but the scenic view along the way was spectacular.

The clear blue sky, the sparkling blue sea, baa-baa white woolly sheeps, moo-moo cows, wineries .....ahhh....such a relaxing sight.

I love this shot so much. So 'poster' feel! My model was very very cooperative that day...haha!

We drove pass a number of historical towns with very old Victorian sandstone buildings. This photo below was taken at a town called Ross on a mid-Sunday afternoon. Funny, where is everyone? Actually, I find it spooky and I don't think I want to spend a night here.

Doesn't it look like a scene from a horror movie?

We had lunch at Richmond, another heritage town which is about 30 mins drive from Hobart city. Hubby was very satisfied with his order.

My cottage pie was good too with lots of bacon bits on top of the mashed potatoes.

Sis and Christy shared the scones...heard it was pretty good.

I can't recall what this is called, spinach pie I think. The rice with spinach fillings were wrapped with filo pastry and then baked. I didn't like it but my sis and nephew loved it.

Wine tasting at wineries, a must when you visit Tasmania. Lots of wineries around and bro in law took the opportunity to stock up his collection. Free delivery too if you live within Australia. By the way, his order should be arriving soon.

I love this boutique winery the best. It's called Puddle Duck Winery.

Bottoms up!!!!

Why I like this winery?? Well...because of him. Meet Bazil Brown, he is famous you know.

He was featured in a book on Wine Dogs - working and relaxing dog in the winery.

But I like her more....Bazil's wife I assume. Much gentler and friendlier. She was checking me all over, must be the smell of Pea and Pumpkin.

There you go, just a short summary of my Tasmania trip and more to come. Calling out to all oyster lovers, check out my next post cos I am gonna make you drool!

GREETINGS FROM MELBOURNE!!

2009-07-23T21:44:00.003+10:00

Hello everyone!!! This gonna be a short post as my sis's pc and internet access is pretty slow. Will sort it out next week and then I will be back to the blogging world!

Just to let everyone know that am settling well here in Melbourne. I have got so much to tell, so much to share on my Tasmania trip, and of course the wonderful yummy food I had for the past few days. Thanks to all the well wishes in my previous post, am sure I will settle well here.

Hubby will be flying off tomorrow night...sigh...gonna miss him a lot a lot alot. But well, I need him to be back in Malaysia, otherwise how do I webcam everynight with my precious Pea and Pumpkin? Hehe!

Anyway..hope i will be able to put up my first food post in Melbourne next week. Till then...ta!

Farewell Malaysia; G'day Melbourne!

2009-07-17T04:02:00.001+10:00

I could not sleep...in just another 12 hours, I will be sitting on the plane ready to take off. Yes, today is the day that I am flying off to Melbourne to fulfill my 2-year permanent residency requirement. As some of you are already aware, I will be doing the 2-year thingy alone, whereas Hubby and my dad will not be joining me so soon. Not that bad considering I have my sister and her family there to take care of me.

I could not sleep because I feel a terrible pain in my heart. The pain of knowing that I will not be able to see my two beloved boys for quite some time. I know Pea will be really depress for the next few days as he is extremely attached to me. Just couldn't stop the tears from streaming down my face whenever I think of bidding them goodbye when I leave the house to the airport. I know I will miss them terribly.

Pea and Pumpkin, once Jie Jie find a job and get a house, Jie Jie and Gor Gor will bring you to Ozzieland to be an Ozzie Dog yeah??? Jie Jie promise!

And of course, my Hubby too. Although he is accompanying me to Melbourne for a week, I know the following week will be tough for me. Gosh...am sure going to create an emotional scene at the airport when I send him off.

Anyway, I would like to thank all my dear friends who gave me many kind wishes, encouragement and support as well as themany many wonderful farewell lunches and dinners. Do keep in touch and I know we will.

Tears aside, I am very excited too cos living in Melbourne is something that I always wish for. For sure, I will update on my new life and of course....yummy discoveries too! I won't have any internet access for the next 3 days cos we will be heading to Tasmania for a short family holiday so do pop by soon yah???

BYE BYE for now!!! *wiping away my tears*

A Wonderful Day @ The Pet World Malaysia 2009

2009-07-06T02:49:00.004+10:00

Anyone went to the Pet World Malaysia 2009: The 2nd Malaysian International Pets and Aquatics Exhibition held last weekend? I sure did, on the first day itself too. Together with WMW, we spent more than 7 hours at Mid Valley, of course that includes a long lunch session at a Korean restaurant. We were there at 10.00 a.m. on Friday, 3 July 2009, maybe a bit too early as some exhibitors were still busy stacking their products on the shelves. But we were just in time for the Dogs Grooming Competition.

The Poodle must be thinking "My hair!!! My hair!!!". If I knew earlier, I would have volunteered my two boys to these contestents.

I like her creation the best! A Mohawk Schnauzer!!

This poodle attracted a lot of attention too. Just look at the right and left side of her body. So cool isn't it? It was done by a student of a grooming school.

A really huge black poodle...look at her puffy pom pom head and the pom poms on her back and leg. So elegant looking. Very difficult getting a nice shot of her as she is so black, most of my pictures turned out one black patch! Very friendly owner too as she asked me to pose with her dog and volunteered to help me snap a few photos.

Many people brought their pets too and I had a great time taking pictures of the dogs but trust me, it is a challenge to get a good shot as they couldn't seem to stand still. Here are some of the more presentable photos:

A miniature Schnauzer...used to be my dream dog and always thought of owning one. In fact, before I got Pea, I was torn between choosing Pea, a Shih Tzu against a Schnauzer puppy. Am glad I chose Pea and he is the most wonderful dog ever.

A Pekingnese!! A very obedient girl, unlike my bratty Pumpkin who couldn't even sit still for 5 seconds.

Is this a toy dog or a real dog?? Very sweet looking fella.

Meet Whitey...a Maltese from Subang Jaya (there is a MPSJ dog licence on its collar). I was complimenting how pretty she was until the lady owner politely corrected me it should be how handsome he is. Opps!!!

Whitey is pampered to the max with lots of beautiful doggie clothes his mummy bought for him. His mummy couldn't decide to transform Whitey into a ladybird or a bumblebee...so WMW and I kept persuading her to buy the Bumblebee...

and I think Whitey agreed too! She ended up buying more than 3 pieces @ RM40 each!!

I have friends and relatives used to comment how dog-crazy I am but they should see this.

Another sweetie!!! For my next dog, I wanna get a poodle. (HUB!! Are you reading this?)

Went to the NutriEdge booth to grab some doggie biscuits for my boys since they were giving 20% discount. Bumped into the owner of NutriEdge Malaysia with his Siberian Husky. See the husky at the background poster?? Yes, it's the same dog.

Such a beautiful dog. He has got very soft fur. After taking a picture with him, I gave him a gentle hug and I can imagine how comfortable it would be to have him on the bed on a cold winter night. (HUB, I also want this as my next next dog, can?)

SPCA and a few other doggie shelter homes where there to offer puppies for free adoption. Sadly I can't bring anymore home.

There were even puppies for sale. This fella is worth RM1,000.

Moving on from dogs, there were lots of beautiful cats too. Although am not a cat person, I love cats with long thick fur, just like this kitty below. If I ever keep a cat as pet, I wanna have a kitty like this.

Or this one is fine with me too...BUT...

keep me away from the Tiger!!!!

or the leopard!!

Wanna see some magic act??

Hahaha...this bird certainly in need of a good bath!!!

Hello?? Say something...Hello?? Harlooww??? Helllllllooooooooo!!!!?????? This bird must be thinking why a mad woman kept 'helloing' to him.

New movie screening soon.......THE ATTACK OF THE YABBIE!!!

From the fun cuddly pets, we move on to display pets. Strictly for viewing pleasure and not to be cuddled. Phyton anyone??

A few youngsters from the Malaysian Tarantula Society were manning the booth and happily enlighten us on the characteristic of these creepy crawlies. They were trying to convince us that tarantula could be a good pet. Of course, I was not convinced and am sure the first thing Hubby will do is to grab the nearest can of Ridsect!!

This tarantula is all black in colour but when taken with flash on, you can see that the leg is in blue.

Freebies!!! Got some for myself too. Past issues of Petster. Read a couple of issues before and quite informative.

Freebies for my boys!!

Bought the NutriEdge doggie biscuit for my boys..and guess what I got from the lucky draw? A toy dog!! I was thinking of getting another bag of biscuit so that I can get two toys. Otherwise, they will be fighting over it. But in the end, I didn't. Because it wouldn't make a difference as Pumpkin will end up having both, as usual.

The fighting began the moment I brought the toy dog home..

Watch this video to see how fierce Pumpkin is and the warning sound he made at Pea.

As expected, Pumpkin always get what he wanted. BRAT!!!

PET WORLD MALAYSIA 2009; 3 - 5 July 2009

2009-07-02T11:53:00.000+10:00

Calling for all animal lovers! The 2nd Malaysian International Pets and Aquatics Exhibition will be held from tomorrow, 3 July 2009 till this Sunday, 5 July 2009 at Mid Valley Exhibition Centre from 10.00 a.m. - 9.00 p.m. Entrance fee is only RM5 for adults and RM2 for kids!

I was told visitors can bring their pets along to enjoy the many activities lined up such as games, grooming competition, 1st national rabbit show and etc. Nah, I won't be bringing my Pea and Pumpkin as they are too much to handle especially Pumpkin who goes crazy whenever he is out.

Latest photo on the lil'monster...Pumpkin!

Oooo...based on my past experience at such exhibition, there might be some freebies for your furry kids at home too! I am very excited and definitely going tomorrow..anyone interested to come along?

GUAN HWAT RESTAURANT @ SEKINCHAN

2009-07-01T01:40:00.001+10:00

My Makan Gang wanted to make a trip to Kuala Selangor for some grocery shopping and instead of stopping at our favourite seafood restaurant in Bagan Pasir for lunch, this trip we made an exception. We went further up and made a stop for lunch at Sekinchan instead. Apart from being a fishing village, Sekinchan is also famous for producing rice! Oh..and on the way to this town, you will also see lots of roadside stalls offering local produce such as mangoes, corns, salted fish and at times live clams too.

There are quite a number of seafood restaurants in Sekinchan. Our pick was Guan Hwat Restaurant, a blue wooden shop which is rather difficult to miss once you make a turn into the fishing village.

This restaurant was listed in the 'Northern Selangor" good food guide featured by Flavours magazine too.

The moment I stepped into the restaurant, I was shocked. Pieces after pieces of tissue were scattered all over the place by previous diners. It was such an eyesore. We were there at 11 a.m. and it could be possible those tissues were from the night before, but Wong said it could be from the breakfast crowd. He reminded that this village produces rice and many paddy farmers have their meals early. How true. According to the guide book, this place opens from 7 a.m. till 2 p.m.!

Wiping away the tissues from my thought, let's focus on food now. Our first order was a little out of expectation. We were asking for prawns and we were given a choice of either oyster sauce or chili. Now, the thought of having prawns cooked with oyster sauce seems weird to me. Never had it cooked that way before so we thought the chili was a better option. We were expecting big whole prawns, shelled with heads. And this was what we were served instead.......

It was shrimps (I won't call it prawns) all chopped up and cooked with chili paste. A little out of expectation once again, it was quite yummy! Spicy and aromatic, goes well with rice! Priced at RM11.

We were told they had fresh white snapper that day, so we opted to have it steamed. Not exactly Thai style but it came with lots of sliced onions and lime to zest up the dish. At only RM15, cheap. Tastewise, it was just okay, no wow factor.

With so many variety of clams out there, I still find this version the best. I remember growing up eating only this kind of 'lala'. It has got much sweeter and firmer flesh. This dish (RM10) was wonderfully cooked with spicy soy bean paste, in fact, I love this dish the most out of all other dishes we ordered.

Their Crispy Sole with Taucheo (fermented soy bean) was also recommended in the food guide. . Honestly, I was too contented with the Lala dish, so I didn't quite pay attention to this.

Baby Shark meat soup (RM8) is their specialty here. Basically, the soup tasted exactly like salted vegetable soup and it came with shark's fillet, fishballs, tofu, tomatoes and of course salted vegetables!

I expected the shark meat to be tough but surprisingly it was soft. No fishy smell too. Being a soup lover, I enjoyed every drop of the sweet and tangy broth.

Restoran Guan Huat is located at
Lot 2942 Jalan Bagan,
Sekinchan, Selangor
Tel: 012-292.8986
Open from 7.00 a.m. - 2.oo p.m.
Closed on Tuesdays

Also attached, the location map taken from the food guide...hope it helps!

LIVE FROM KRABI

2009-06-29T14:22:00.003+10:00

Yes! Am at Krabi airport now. With 2 hours to spare, there is nothing much one can do at this small airport. So here I am, spending 2 Baht per minute on internet access just to kill time. This would be the most expensive blog post ever.

The weekend spent at Krabi was fantastic...lots of food and a great fishing trip too. More pictures next post! I will tell you about how my biggest catch fell right on my feet! Ouch!

Till then....ciao!!

STEAMING HOT DISHES @ K.T.L Restaurant, Cheras

2009-06-23T23:04:00.001+10:00

Another gem discovered recently, thanks to my Makan Gang members who are ever ready to bring me around for good food. This time round, they brought me to a place in Taman Segar, Cheras that offers only steamed dishes. I wouldn't call K.T.L restaurant a restaurant, it's more like a stall or shack located on a divider between the mainroad and a row of shophouses. But hey, this is exactly the kind of place to expect great yet cheap food!

Spot the roof covered with blue plastic? K.T.L is located right in the middle of Jalan Manis.

With probably around 10 tables, do try to beat the lunch/dinner crowd if you wanna dine with comfort without having hungry diners standing behind you with the 'hurry up' glance. This place is crowded both weekdays and weekends, regardless of lunch or dinner time. Do follow FoodforThot's advice too: Order your fish while waiting for your seat to avoid disappointment!

So, what does K.T.L stands for? Kong Tau Lou or directly translated as Bald Man. It probably refers to the shy owner who is also the chef of this place.

Fresh fishes are delivered daily. Three choices to choose from; red tilapia, snakehead (sang yue) & carp head (soong yue tao) and you can have the fish steamed in any style that you like such as ginger paste, spicy soy bean paste, clear soya sauce based with optional chopped red cili padi.

On my first visit, it was a foodcrawl session and usually that means to avoid rice if possible. However, the moment I put a spoonful of the Spicy Soy Bean gravy into my mouth, I immediately requested for a plate of rice. Personally I like it a lot and one of the best I ever had. The gravy was thick and rich with soy bean (taucu) flavour with just the right amount of sweetness. Very very spicy too! Just the way I like it! Yumz...and since then, I returned twice just for this dish!

Steamed Herbal Chicken...well, it could be a great dish on its own but sadly overshadowed by the wonderful steamed fish.

I was looking forward to this dish on my 2nd visit; Steamed Pork with Salted Fish. Such a homely dish but it was a big disappointment. The pork was a bit tough due to oversteaming and probably low grade salted fish was use. Lack of the 'salted fish' pungent aroma.

Another favourite dish of mine here is their Steamed Egg Custard. Done silky smooth! Simple dish but yet hard to achieve such consistency, well, at least for me. I find it so comforting gliding the egg custard down my throat to ease the spiciness of the steamed spicy tilapia. This is a MUST order dish!

No stir fry veggies here so try having it blanched for a change. Healtier way to eat your greens too!

All the above dishes only cost us RM55.50 for 5 adults including a pot of tea and 2 plates of rice to share. Such an auspicious number since the 5 of us went on a Friday in the month of May, seated at table 5, ordered 5 dishes and the bill came up to RM55.50! With Magnum right across the road, needless to tell you what we did next right? No, we didn't win anything! Haha!

I was still craving for the steamed fish so we returned the following week, this time we ordered Snakehead aka Sang Yue drizzled with soya sauce and sprinkled generously with chopped red cili padi. Another winner dish too!! I couldn't decide now which I like more...how?? Easy, just order both on my next visit!

To get there, do refer to the map below here.

Restoran K.T.L is located at:
Gerai No.3A, Jalan Manis
Taman Segar
56100 Cheras, Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 017-8727567, 012-3087311,014-3223613
Closes every Tuesday

A DATE WITH KIKKO @ Pure Glutton's Home Sweet Home

2009-06-16T13:02:00.001+10:00

Meet Koji, the super porn star! Hahaha..just kidding! I first met Koji early January this year when I went into Pure Glutton's other blog called Raynebows. She posted up the whole process of how Koji ahem .... lost his virginity upon meeting Venus, a very attractive Shih Tzu. Wanna see how Koji and Venus fell in love? Check it out HERE.

Koji, the proud daddy!

Two months later, Pure Glutton's status upgraded as she became a grandma to 3 princesses. She only get to choose one puppy to keep and so Kikko was the lucky one! So when Pure Glutton invited a few of us food bloggers to her house last Saturday for a mini makan session, I was excited cos I finally gets to meet Kikko and of course, the proud dad Koji!

The many faces of Kikko!!

Pure Glutton is a wonderful cook too! She prepared a nasi lemak feast for us, everything from scratch. We were told that the curry spare ribs were cooked the day before so that the flavour is fully absorbed into the meat.

Piping hot coconut rice, all ready in line for us to feast on.

A shot of my nasi lemak before I emptied the plate. It was good, pssttt...Pure Glutton, your sambal rocks!!!

The presence of FatBoyBakes (FBB) usually means the presence of some goodies from him. We were lucky to be the first to try his new creation: Black Forest Tart! Seriously, it was good! Chocolatey but with the generous amount of cherries tucked in between, it wasn't that rich either. Very very good stuff! It should be available for sale soon I hope.

Ahhhhh....Durian Cheesecake, one of FBB's famous creation!

There were also two plates of local dessert aka Kuih Muih which were left untouched cos we were overly stuffed.

It was a great makan session and I had a blast time playing with Kikko! She was certainly the star attraction of the day (apart from the food of course!).

Once again, thank you Pure Glutton for being such a lovely host and the wonderful lunch! I hope we get to meet again soon cos I am already in love with Kikko!!!

PEA'S MEAT FLOSS SWISS ROLL....BLUEKK!

2009-06-10T15:46:00.001+10:00

My recipe book on "Elegant Swiss Roll" has been sitting on the bookshelf collecting dust for more than a year now. I thought it would be great to spend my time baking since I am so free at home. For those who doesn't know me well, baking is certainly NOT my cup of tea. I don't mind spending few hours brewing prawn stock or a day preparing a roast duck, but when it comes to baking...I really dread the whole process especially the measuring and the cleaning part!

The only reason I bought this recipe book was for this recipe: Meat Floss Swiss Roll. I usually get mine from Bread Story for RM3.20 per piece. Sure looks yummy, isn't it?? The photo was taken straight from the recipe book and certainly not my creation.....why? Because mine turned out to be ... ahem...very different...

Something gone wrong somewhere...my swiss roll turned out to be a thick slab of crepe!!! It was like a layer of buttery dough!

I don't know what went wrong as I followed the instructions from A-Z....sigh...well, at least my butter cream turned out good.

Swiss Roll...i mean, Crepe...fresh from the oven!

Close-up of my failure...bluek!! The 'crepe' was doughy and tasteless. One word...AWFUL!!!

Even my ever-supportive dad said so......sigh.....it went straight to the rubbish bin!

I went to Bread Story the next day for a piece of their yummy Meat Floss Swiss Roll to soothe my disappointment. That's it.....the recipe book will remain back to the bookshelf for a long, long time.

SIM HAP KE @ Taman Connaught, Cheras

2009-06-04T00:31:00.002+10:00

Latest discovery and ravings from my Makan Gang : SALT-BAKED LALAs (clams).

I was quite unlucky to be turned away twice at Sim Hap Ke Restaurant located at Taman Connaught. It was closed on both the days I went. I got luckier on my third trip. Together with my Makan Gang, Boolicious and WMW on a foodcrawl in Cheras last Friday, we made our 2nd stop at Sim Hap Ke.

My request was simple, a serving of the Salt-Baked Lalas to satisfy my curiousity! The clam smells as wonderful as it tasted. It has got a very nice aroma from the burnt salt but it wasn't salty at all. It was cooked perfectly too; juicy sweet and no fishy smell detected. This dish also won the approval from WMW, a non-seafood lover.

Look at the charred bits on the clams. Tasty stuff!!

The rest of the dishes didn't fail to disappoint either. The Stir-fry Pig's Intestine with Dried Shrimp was one of the best I ever had. Certainly no unpleasant odour that I usually fear whenever I order this dish. Full of wok-hei and the bits and pieces of drief shrimp and chilies were so tasty.

Being a regular, the chef recognised my Makan Gang and knew exactly what they will order to go with the dishes. A plate of fresh iceberg lettuce was served instead of rice. I find this dish is slightly salty on its own, but PERFECT when wrapped with the lettuce. Healtier too!

Deep Fried Squid Salt-Pepper Style...another great discovery. It was lightly battered and deep-fried to perfect golden brown. But it was the taste of the thin batter that impressed me. It reminded me of the 'Kentucky' chicken flour that my mum used to buy from the supermarket. Very very tasty!

In terms of taste, the gravy of this Steamed Spareribs with Black Bean Sauce would go perfectly with rice. However, it was the spareribs that I didn't quite like. It was very soft and I could taste the presence of lots of corn flour used to tenderize the meat. Nevertheless, after having all four dishes, I can conclude that the chef is really good in 'flavouring' his dishes. Don't think MSG is added here as I didn't hear Boolicious, who is MSG-intolerant complaint after the meal.

No itemized bill but the 4 dishes above costs RM63. They do have lots of interesting dishes with photos pasted all over the wall... it makes ordering a brisk! I spotted 'One Barrel Chicken', 'Frog's Leg with Vermicelli' and a stewed lotus root dish that I wanna return to try. I hope I have time to do another visit before flying off to Melbourne.

Sim Hap Ke Restaurant is located at:
26 Jalan Waras 1
Taman Connaught
56000 Kuala Lumpur
Operating Hours: 11.30 a.m - 3.00 p.m.; 5.30 p.m. - 10.00 p.m.
Closes every Thursday
Tel: 012-319.3381