Happy 2008! - Floggers' Meet at My Elephant, Sec 17 Petaling Jaya

By now you would have read at several blogs of the Floggers' Meet that took place on Dec 28 at My Elephant. But as 2007 is coming to an end, I'll like to put up my post on this gathering too to welcome 2008!

Blogging/flogging (food blogging) has allowed me to make a lot of new friends, near or far. I can only say it's a shame I didn't start blogging earlier because had I knew, I would have gotten to know even more friends!

Well, this time round it was apt that we had a gathering to celebrate a belated Christmas and to welcome the new year. About 40 floggers, bloggers and their guests turned up for this event. As the attendees started turning up at early as 7 pm, it was a chance for some of us to meet for the very first time and for the rest, it was a reunion since the last major gathering at Sandias though some of us has kept in constant contact since then. Food was served at around 8.30pm to the hungry crowd which had earlier kept themselves busy taking photos of the place and chatting with each other. My apologies as some food shots are missing while some were blur as I sat in a dark corner, relying on prolonged shutter speed. The food tasted okay that night but I suppose My Elephant could do better if it was not for the fact that they had to tend to 40 hungry people all at the same time!

Choo Chee Goong (Rivers Prawn in Thai Yellow Curry)

Green Curry Sea Crabs with Gingko & Tofu

Kom's Chicken Wings with Mango & Kiwi Dressing

Pak Choop Pang Tod (Thai Style Vegetable Tempura)

Tom Klong (Northern Thai Tom Yum with Fish Cutlets)

Chillied Lamb - This I really liked! I simply love lamb!

Steamed Fish Thai Style

After dessert was served, we handed out mini awards to the bloggers/floggers in attendance to add some fun to the night. Awards/Prizes given are in brackets.

Most Kissable Lips - Jason (Lip Balm)
Best Earned Nick - "Nipple" Joe (Pacifier)
Activist Food Blogger - Tankiasu (Rocket Logo)
Sweetest Blogger - Christine, Aiwei, Jun, Yin (Sweets)
Handsomest Blogger - Ekeng, Riz, CatsnDogs (Sweets)
Sweetest Blogging Couple - KampungBoyCityGal (a pack of sugar)
Most Poetic Blogger - Nic (writing set)
Almost a Vietnamese Blogger - SC (coffee)
Best Male Cook Blogger - KusahiKeat(wooden spatula)
Most Idolised Blogger - Boolicious (Kiddy plastic cooking set)
Most Enlightened Blogger - Lianne (lightbulb)
Most Flirtatious Blogger - Kenny Mah (condom)
Blogger with a Gender Crisis - Teckiee (boxer shorts)
Hungriest Blogger - Paprika (Carrots)
Spiciest Foodsite - Adly (Cilipadi - Bird's Eyes Chillies)
One of the Best Bakers in Town - BBO (Gardenia buns)
Former (to-be) M'sian Blogger - XLB (Malaysia Flag poster)

Most Recognised Blogger (in KL, PJ, Klang, Shah Alam and even Bangkok!)
- Jackson (Funny specs)

Most Royal Blogger, Queen to King Crab
- Precious Pea (Pepper crab instant noodles)

Celebrity Blogger Of The Year
- Lyrical Lemongrass (Own article with her photos all over)

As for myself, I was awarded the Human Tripod award, thanks to my famous or some would say infamous style of taking photos, resting my camera on my hand! Hahaha...I got a Teddy Box with three sticks of chewing gum inside which I can assemble into a mini tripod they say... and the box itself can be used as an arm rest! :oP

And now, I would like to wish you all a very....

featuring the young, bold and beautiful bloggers!

It was indeed a fun filled night on top of all that food! Here's to friendship and all good things in the years to come...

Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right. ~Oprah Winfrey

Doggone Sunday

I had a chance to follow Precious Pea bringing her beloved Pumpkin for one of his classes a few Sunday morning ago. I manage to catch some owners in action with their four legged best friend.

Well, during the two breaks that were given, Pumpkin was absolutely thirsty. But being who he is, he gets distracted even when drinking his water. Hehehe...so cute!

Pumpkin decides to take his place upfront to be ahead of the rest! :o)

There were a lot of doggies in action and I absolutely love this particular Golden Retriever! Along with a few others, they showed off in the agility test, running through the course with their owners.

I think this Sunday will be when Pumpkin graduates, he's come a long way...10 classes in all :o). Read about his first class HERE. Congratulations on your graduation Pumpkin! Hope you'll be a good boy and stay out of trouble! Hehehee....look at that face! "Naughty? Who? Me? Nahhhh...."

Properly trained, a man can be dog's best friend. ~ Corey Ford

Back.....

Hi folks! I'm back...and yes I went for a short break in Johor Bahru and Singapore. Here's a random pic to wish you folks Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays again but this time with a photo from Bugis Junction, Singapore! Guess we are all in a holiday mood, will put up a post soon...till then! Enjoy the holidays.

And as usual, on this day...I would like to leave a message here for my Dad. It's his birthday today...it would have been his 77th. Dad, Happy Birthday! Wish you are around for us to celebrate together. Miss you much....

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays!

Great to see kids and Santa together!

Hanging out at The Street, Curve with such a Christmas ambiance.

The cutest of them all, Christmas in One Utama (taken with handphone)

MERRY CHRISTMAS
&
HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL !

I will be away for awhile for a short holiday. As I don't know when I'll be able to blog next, I would like to wish everyone Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays. Soon, another new year will be in place...how quickly time flies! Do drop by next week and see what's on the menu :o). Till then...

Restoran Hua Xing, Sungei Way PJ

(Non-Halal)

NOTE : They have another branch in Sunway Mas!

Big Boys Oven invited some of us here about two months back and since then I've been back several times with other non blogger friends and family as I like the food here.

Tucked away in a hidden area, I would have not found this place on my own as I am not familiar with Sg. Way at all (but I am now, after the repeated visits). "What? It's at Plaza Seri Setia? There's a plaza there??? It specialises in Hokkien dishes??? You mean we are eating Hokkien Mee?" Well, that was my initial reaction but now I know better! To get to this place, you have to walk through a lane of small stalls. There's only one area (I think!) that has a lane of small stalls nestled in between the row of shophouses there. You can see the plaza at the back and if you look up once you go through, you'll see Hua Xing on the 1st floor (accessible by staircase/elevator). When you find this place, you've basically found the hidden gem!

There are several dishes that I have repeatedly ordered as they are good stuff and old habits die hard I suppose. Here are my faves...

Curry Chicken Bun (RM28/USD8) is really good. I just love dipping the bun into the tasty curry gravy. The bun is crisp on the outside and soft on inside! I can definitely mop up all the gravy with the bun! However, if you want to have this dish, do take note that it's only available on weekends and you must order a day in advance.

Braised Pork (RM18/USD5) - True to it's Hokkien association, this came braised lovingly with dark sauce. The meat is flavourful and tender and it's served together with a plate of alkaline kuih which we are told that it's a good accompaniment.

However, I find that it's probably an acquired taste :o). The braised pork I love, the alkaline kuih, mmm....

Crispy Fried Brinjal (RM10/USD3) - Whoa! I confessed that prior to this, I hardly touch a brinjal (eggplant/aubergine) dish. However, this dish has won me over and I'm proud to say that I now eat other brinjal dishes and I would rate this one here as the best so far. Fried together with bits of garlic, minced dried prawns and topped with spring onions, this is addictive! It's like eating some sort of vegetable french fries. And just like french fries, it's best eaten hot as it tends to soften and get a bit soggy when it gets cold.

Foo Chow (Hokkien) Fishball with meat filling. Also not being a fan of fish, this is surprisingly good! The fishball is fresh and springy and the meat filling inside gave it the extra bite. Coupled with the soup which came with vegetables and seaweed, this is one fishball dish that I definitely like.

Special Fish Paste Beancurd - Surprisingly another "fish" dish that made it on my fave list!

The fish paste mixed with the beancurd is lovely. The paste is moist and fragrant, I'm sure you can tell by the photo above (well, moist yes but fragrant, maybe try scratching and sniffing your monitor? Hahaha...Don't blame me if your monitor ends up having dead pixels!).

Fried Potato Flour Noodles (RM10/USD3) - If you're looking for noodles that are different from conventional ones, order this. It's fried together with dried prawns, egg, chives, parsley and beansprouts. This crunchy yet springy noodles is a delight!

A shot of how the potato flour (the white ones) looks like before it's fried. At the foreground, you have the tapioca flour version.

This tapioca flour noodles (RM10/USD3) reminded me of the usual Hokkien fried noodles that we normally eat as it's done in the same way with the same ingredients of meat, prawn and vegetables. However, the texture of the noodles is definitely different. It's nice but I prefer the potato flour noodles to this one.

Well, do try my fave dishes when you drop by this place. Here are the other dishes that I've tried but are not my regular orders ;o)

Ginger Onion Garoupa Fish Fillet - lightly fried and then braised. I like the fact that it has braised peanuts too.

I like chewing on this Fish Maw with vegetables dish. Ooh...another fish dish that I don't mind eating! :o)

Steamed Fish with sour broth - okay, this I didn't touch. I'm usually scared off by how some fish can look like. In this case, this is like a Jack Sparrow fish with short sharp teeth and a mushroom eye patch! Hahaha....However, the folks told me that the broth was not sourish enough and this I told the chef.

The chef - Foo Yoong, like what Seremban is called in Cantonese dialect. She can definitely cook up a storm!

Oh, I tried these sesame and rice puffs during my first visit. Coated with molasses and then crispies, this was an enjoyable snack. According to Hokkien tradition, these are usually given out during weddings (I suppose Hokkien ones). If any of you would like to try this or would like to order for your wedding :o), do call on Mr Loo and I'm sure he would redirect you to his relative that makes these crispy puffs.

Restoran Hua Xing
Lot 1-12, 1st Floor, Plaza Seri Setia
Jalan SS9/2, Seri Setia, Sungei Way
47300 Petaling Jaya

Business Hours : 11.30 a.m. -3 p.m., 6 p.m. to 10 p.m
(Close on alternate Wednesdays - do call to check)
Contact : Mr Loo (03-7876 3288/016-376 7477)

Other reviews : -
Spare Change
KL People KL Food - map included
Living in Food Heaven (Chinese post) - map included

"Eating Hokkien fries (a.k.a deep fried brinjal) is healthier than eating french fries right??? It's vegetable!" - wmw

U.F.O On A Sunday?

Imagine coming home and seeing this scene outside your window. At first, I thought I was about to be attacked by some historical gigantic pterosaur of some sort when I walked over to the window to open it. Let's just say that I stay way above the 10th floor and this is a view that I don't see often :o), I got a shock and my heart almost jumped out! Anyway, I was relieved when I realised a couple of seconds more later that it was only a kite that got snagged somewhere and was fluttering about and flapping against the wall of the building.

I went out shortly and when I got home, it was no longer there. Well, I hope someone else is having better luck at kite flying over this weekend. Kite flying on Sunday, anyone???? Have a good weekend!

Hairy Encounter of the First Kind at King Crab, Petaling Jaya

I know some of you will probably look at this post and have an overdose of cholesterol from the previous posts by other floggers. But this is not only the season for merrymaking, it's also the season for hairy crabs, all the way from China! "This's the season to eat Hairy, Fa La La La La, La La La La!", hehehe....So, while this is still available, I thought I had better blog about it so that to remind some of you who have yet to feast on Hairy (what the hairy crab is affectionately called by us after our dinner date) to go to King Crab soon. For those who still need more convincing that Hairy is something we should try (well, even if you're not keen, just try in once in your lifetime), HEEEEEERRRREEEEeeeee's HAIRY!!!

We started off with Tai Lake Hairy Crab (RM78/crab-USD23/crab). Hairy crabs are steamed over a pot of Zhisu leaves and ginger water to further accentuate the sweet taste of the meat.

Why Hairy is called Hairy!

Look at all that crab roe!!! Given step by step instructions, we slowly broke the shell apart. There are certain parts of Hairy that shouldn't be consumed; the gills, heart and lungs (I kept asking the staff where the heart and lungs were located as I really had no idea where they were!). I was delighted by the haven found inside. The Tai Lake hairy crab wasn't that meaty but that was secondary to the primary importance of Hairy which is the crab roe itself! The crab roe was creamy and sweet, and totally change my perception of crabs in general. I ate the meat with the vinegar and shredded ginger dip. Apparently, that reduces the cooling effect that one might experience eating Hairy. For the same reason, we also had a cup of ginger tea and a cup of chinese Fa Tiu wine with sour plum (I enjoyed drinking the latter!).

Next up was the Yang Cheng Lake Hairy Crab (RM88/crab-USD26/crab). Eaten in the same way Hairy Tai was, I found Hairy Yang meatier and it's crab roe even creamier and packed more oomph! Boy! I was really enjoying my dinner, in love with Hairy but I know this love affair can't go on. Unless, I don't mind going broke and being cholesterol laden! Hairy Yang came wearing a cuff link, or what some would call a tag bearing an ID no. where one can check (if you're in China) whether Hairy is the real deal and indeed is THE Hairy from China.

Next on the menu was Lobster Sashimi. The meat (the glistening area next to the lobster's body in the photo above) was laid on top of crushed ice. The Australian lobster (RM298/kg-USD90/kg) looked really fierce and reminded me of the Predator from the movie of the same name!

Since I am not a fan of raw food, I dipped the meat into the hotpot. The cooked meat was springy and sweet and the wasabi gave it an extra kick! Loved it!

Additional vegetables and tofu were cooked in the hotpot of superior broth! The soup was very delicious, I think I had quite a few bowls of it :o).

Another dish to balance out our meal, we also had stir fried watercress vegetable.

After my whirlwind romance with both Hairys, this Steamed Flower Crab didn't excite me though it was sweet and fresh. I took a small bite and spurned it. LOL! It could not take the place of Hairy. Hairy, you've got it all!

This is usually a standard order whenever we dine at King Crab. This time round, they got the Salted Egg Yolk Squid done quite well. Not oily, it was crispy and so flavourful that this dish was gone in 60 seconds (well, give it another 60 seconds or so, hahaha...)!

The remaining Lobster Head after being "sashimied" earlier was taken back to the kitchen and cooked braised with noodles as the final dish of the night. It was yummy (though I had an even yummier Lobster Head Noodles done by King Crab during my previous visit) but later we were surprised by an additional item.

Lyrical Lemongrass treated us to this wonderful Tiramisu cake in celebration of her recent promotion. It was indeed the sweet ending to the night.

Take note that Hairy Crab season ends in January 2008. So if you're looking for a hairy encounter yourself, do make your way to King Crab soon. King Crab is the biggest importer in Malaysia of Hairy Crabs from China and it seems the ones from Tai Lake and Yang Cheng Lake are the better ones. They are currently having a promotion where you get 1 free for every 5 crabs ordered from the RM38/USD11 range. There are numerous sizes and origins, prices range from RM38 right up to RM118/USD35 for one.

Read other Hairy encounters here :-

Precious Pea
Masak-Masak
Lyrical Lemongrass
Lots Of Craving


King Crab
No. 103-107 Jalan SS25/2
Taman Mewah Jaya
Petaling Jaya
Selangor
Tel : 03-7808 2388

I'm on a seafood diet. I see food and I eat it. ~Author Unknown