Sunday, June 29, 2008

All 2 of Me

This time, I doing a long overdue tag (please don't tag me, I'll either forget or take ages!!!! This one is courtesy of Jacelyn from the other blog Mummy In Vain's Little World


Two names you go by:
1. wmw
2. M.. W..

Two things you are wearing right now:
1. Spectacles
2. slippers

Two things you would want (or have) in a relationship:
1. Understanding
2. Love

Two things you like to do:
1. Karaoke singing
2. Traveling

Two things you want very badly at the moment:
1. Am
2. Happy with what I have at the moment...

Two things you did last night:
1. Had dinner with friends amidst fantastic view!
2. Had a bottle of beer with friends!

Two things you ate today:
1. Biscuits
2. Sunsweet Philipppine Grown Mangoes slices

Two people you last talked to:
1. My sis-in-law
2. KampungBoyCityGal

Two things you're doing now:
1. Doing this tag!
2. Leaving comments on blogs

Favorite Day of the week:
1. Friday
2. Saturday (I live for weekends!)

Two Favorite Holidays:
1. Christmas
2. Chinese New Year

Two favorite beverages:
1. Flat white - for coffee
2. Anything with a bit of alcohol (not too much)

Two things about me! Things you may have/not known:
1. I am away from my home too much till I have a messy house (no time to clean!)
2. I never let bad feelings dwell for long as I don't like feeling bad! I like to keep myself Happy most of the time.

Two jobs i have had in my life:
1. RM15 a day temp worker in a co. under receivership!
2. Temping in the music industry (just for fun) as I love it!

Two movies i would watch over and over: (and do)
1. Bride and Prejudice
2. Seducing Mr Perfect (of course, my Daniel Henney is in it!)

Two place i have lived:
1. Kuala Lumpur
2. Petaling Jaya! Hahaha...

Two of my favorite food:
1. Mee Siam
2. Kuih Tu Tu

Two places I'd rather be right now:
1. My sis's place in San Francisco
2. Anywhere, as long as I'm traveling

Two friends that I hope may like this:
I'll end this here....no need to pass along cos don't want people to pass to me. Hehehe...

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Pan Mee @ Jalan Segambut Selatan, Kuala Lumpur

(Non-Halal)

Going through my archives, I realised this is one place I should blog about but had forgotten. Once in awhile, my friends and I will come over to this part of town just to eat the Pan Mee (Flat Flour Noodle Soup).
Kedai Kopi Dan Makanana Hoi Kee
We'll drive to this place in Jalan Segambut Selatan; Kedai Kopi Dan Makanan Hoi Kee and order from this stall...
Pan Mee Stall

Pan Mee
What I like about it is that the soup is really so flavourful. I normally order the soup version with extra "liu" (ingredients) as I love the the crispy ikan bilis (anchovies). There are two other reasons why I like eating from here too...
Pan Mee - Hand Pulled
Firstly, I like the hand pulled Pan Mee here. Somehow it's not too thin, neither do I find it too thick. There's oomph when I bite into one of these! This hand pulled variety goes best with the soup version.
Green HOT Chili Sauce
Secondly, the chili sauce here is really great. I love spicy food and all types of chili. This green chili sauce is really HOT (and I don't mean in the temperature sense, though for some it might get you perspiring like crazy!). I just love the way the chili sauce goes with the "oomph" pan mee which has such tasty soup! Eh...I don't recall being thirsty but I'm never one to complain about MSG ;o).

And after you're done in this coffee shop, head on outside and you will find a good old fashion mobile mini bakery stall.
Mobile Bakery

Mobile Bakery
Mini in size, but a bakery it still is! From all sorts of buns, tarts, muffins etc. etc., you'll find it here. This sort of Chinese small time bakery items are hardly seen nowadays and cheaper than the usual stalls. The stall owner has his own regular customers; those who like the taste of "old fashioned" buns/tarts whereas I'm sure it might not meet the standards of some other folks who have graduated from such to Bread Story bakeries... and right up to The Loaf. Well, I'm glad that some things haven't change 'cos I could do with some "old fashioned" buns at times :o).

Kedai Kopi Dan Makanan Hoi Kee
Jalan Segambut Selatan
51200 Kuala Lumpur

(Mobile Mini Bakery located just outside the coffeeshop)

Rejecting things because they are old fashioned would rule out the sun and the moon
- and a mother's love
Anonymous




Sunday, June 22, 2008

Exotic Enigmatic Egypt! Part 7

I'm recovering well and will be taking out the stitches tomorrow! Yay! While I can't fully celebrate by having a feast yet, let's head back to my recent Egypt trip ;o)

Now, it was time for lunch and we were rather excited as we were told that we'll be having Chinese (a change from all that pita bread and hummus was most welcomed at that time!) but our hopes and expectation for a yummy meal were dashed when the first dish was set onto our table.

Chinese Vegetable Soup in Egypt!
Just look at how they served us vegetable soup - ala army camp style!

We gulped down our food to fill our stomachs as we needed energy for our next activity; shopping in Cairo's biggest shopping bazaar, Khan El Khalili Bazaar. So, not much words from me but here are some scenes from this place.

Khan El Khalili Bazaar, Cairo

Khan El Khalili Bazaar, Cairo

Khan El Khalili Bazaar, Cairo
Chilling upstairs
Khan El Khalili Bazaar, Cairo

Taking a break
Someone decided to have a meal at the bazaar - Though after such countless meals like this for the past few days in Egypt, I wouldn't have ordered such a meal. However, I do like the way they served it. All the plates on a big tray and could that possibly be a makeshift vase??? Or is that plant supposed to have its leaves pluck and eaten???? Hahaha....Back to shopping again then!
Khan El Khalili Bazaar, Cairo

Khan El Khalili Bazaar, Cairo

Little Girl Selling Beaded Headpiece
This cute little girl was selling these beaded headpiece for USD1/piece. She was a great salesperson;demonstrating and teaching her customers how to don one.
Khan El Khalili Bazaar, Cairo
From noon till sunset we were shopping at the bazaar. Soon it was time to move on to our next agenda, dinner with cultural performances.


To be continued...

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Chili Espresso, Sooka Sentral

I was traumatized on Sunday morning when I went for my wisdom tooth surgery. It turned out that I had a deeply rooted tooth that was actually the size of a molar that grew sideways (since it didn't have enough room at the back of my lower left gum!). After almost sitting in the dentist's chair for 2 hours, I was relieved when it finally came out after it was split to 3 parts! I was strong at first but 3/4 way through, the ordeal was just too much for me and tears started rolling down. The dentist stroked my chin to console me...hahaha! She apologised that I had to suffer and later she even called on me when I was back home to see how I was doing and said sorry for making me cry. Hehehe...I was surprised that she called, it was a nice of her to do so. Since then, I've been recuperating from my ordeal and decided that I'll post something that I had done earlier for Food Street Malaysia to save myself some time and work and I decided to pick Chili Espresso from the numerous assignments I had. I really enjoyed the simple and tasty fare from Chilli Espresso and have had another round of Mee Mamak when I went there again on my own time.

*****

Not knowing where Sooka Sentral was exactly except for the fact that it's near KL Sentral, I drove and parked in KL Sentral. Do note that parking around Sentral can be quite an expensive affair, the rates are at RM4 for the first hour with every subsequent hour at RM2.20. One can of course, take the LRT to KL Sentral and make your way across on foot like I did. I somehow manage to head into the right direction and found myself staring at a brand new Sooka Sentral building (almost perpendicular to Plaza Sentral and KL Sentral itself) and soon found Chili Espresso.

Chili Espresso

Turns out there are a few new eating spots here and I looked forward to trying out the food at Chili Espresso as it's also by the same team who's responsible for Isthmus KL. Of course, Chili Espresso is based on a different concept from Isthmus KL; a cafe that serves up favourite local meals (well, not so local if one is talking about the Percik Ayam Siam, more on that later...).

Chili Espresso Interior

Upon entering this 2nd 3 month old Chili Espresso outlet here (their first is in Northpoint, Mid Valley City), I felt the immediate warmth from the reddish hues of their interior. Sitting down with Czar, we went about tasting the food here and with Czar, the “Unearthed Iron Chef” (that's the title I awarded her for obvious reasons), Chili Espresso food was put through the taste test.

Fried Mee Mamak
The Fried Mee Mamak (RM11.50) came served on a fiery red plate. I caught a whiff of it before I took a bite and knew it was going be good. Yellow noodles fried with prawns, tomato, potato, eggs in spiced sauce, I loved the way it tasted. It had the “wok hei” (the result of food cooked in a searing hot wok), which is essential when it comes to ALL fried noodles. Czar said it tasted good but would have preferred the noodles to be “more dry” but it was okay by me. If you like it dry or spicier, let the staff know when you order this crowd favourite.

Herbal Nasi Cina Kampong
Now, this was an interesting dish for me to try. The Herbal Nasi Cina Kampong (nasi ulam) was presented in a lovely way, with the several types of ulam (raw vegetables) surrounding the herbal rice like a “moat” on a banana leaf. I destroyed the “moat” easily, mixing the ulam into the jasmine rice together with the sambal belacan that was served separately. The warm herbed rice and ulam mix turned into a fragrant and flavourful delight.

Ikan Tenggiri
Most of you would know that I'm not a fan of fish and the Herbal Nasi Cina Kampong (RM9.50) comes served with Ikan Tenggiri. However, this fish got my attention as it was fried, topped with chili gravy and wasn't fishy at all (something which I'm quite particular about). Eating the chili Ikan Tenggiri with all the spices, herbs and ulam harmoniously blended together was an enjoyable experience. I personally would ask for extra sambal to kick it up a notch!

Percik Ayam Siam
Next was the “Percik Ayam Siam” (Grilled Thai Chicken) served with Nasi Minyak, Mango Kerabu and some Pappadam (RM14.50) on a banana leaf. The Percik Ayam Siam being the highlight of this dish was put to the comparison test with my favourite Yati Ayam Percik from Kota Bahru. I have yet to find one that comes close to Yati's around Klang Valley and how did Chili Espresso's version fare? It came quite close; a pleasant surprise indeed. The chicken is cooked on lava rocks to replicate the same smoky flavour which was evidently present and the meat was tender. The boneless and cut grilled chicken pieces came topped with spicy coconut gravy (other ingredients remain a secret! Hahaha) and was delicious. The gravy was not as creamy as my Kota Bahru favourite and was also a tad sweeter. Nevertheless, we ate it all up without a single drop of gravy left on the plate (Note to self : Ask for more gravy next time!).

Inchi Kabin
Now, the Inchi Kabin was not on the menu but it seems they do serve this tasty Nyonya version of fried chicken occasionally, so do check on availability. Marinated with spices, the taste of the fried chicken was further enhanced with a special dip; “grandma's” special recipe with added bird's eye chili (cili padi). Czar said it has hints of five spice powder and nutmeg; we couldn't figure out the rest!

Overall, it was a pleasant dining experience at Chili Espresso and I told myself that I will dine here again (which I did!). Added with the pleasant environment and friendly staff, I won't mind paying the pricier parking charges. Chili Espresso : A welcomed “fiery addition” to the local food scene!


Chili Espresso
G-5, Sooka Sentral
Jalan Stesen Sentral
50470 Kuala Lumpur

Opening Hours : Monday-Saturday 8 a.m to 8 p.m

Contact : 03-2785 1938


First Outlet : Unit B-G-5, Ground Floor
North Point, Mid Valley City
No. 1, Medan Syed Putra Utara
59200 Kuala Lumpur
Contact : 032282 6113


*****


And here's my quote on my recent trauma...

Some tortures are physical
And some are mental,
But the one that is both
Is dental.
~Ogden Nash




Sunday, June 15, 2008

Happy Father's Day


Dad...

I loved it whenever you held my hand as we strolled along in our outings.

I loved it whenever I stood on your feet and danced along with you as we "waltzed" together.

I loved it whenever we have whistling duels; you were the one who taught me how to whistle.

I loved it whenever you sang and I would record your singing sessions.

I loved it whenever I placed my head on your stomach and you playfully inhaled and exhaled, bobbing my head up and down repeatedly.

I loved it whenever you towel dried my hair whenever I washed it.

I loved it whenever you shampooed your hair; sculptured it into funny shapes then stuck your head out of the bathroom door and made me laugh.

I loved it whenever you scooped me up each time you found me fast asleep in the living room in front of the TV and then tucked me into bed. At times, you woke me up when you did that but I would still pretend to be asleep just so that I would feel the comfort of being in your arms.

Dad, I love you....

Remembering you on this day and always....HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!


"It doesn't matter who my Father was; it matters who I remember he was"
- Anne Sexton


P.S. Happy Father's Day to all Daddies out there! Have a good weekend...

Thursday, June 12, 2008

China Treasures @ Sime Darby Convention Centre, Bukit Kiara

(HALAL)

Catching up with Kim has always been done over a meal; this time round she suggested having halal dim sum lunch at China Treasures, Sime Darby Convention Centre. I was early and met up with Precious Pea who was there on company business. She told me she would join me for lunch if only she could slip away, hahaha...well you see, she wasn't expecting her lunch to be as good as the dim sum fare in China Treasures. She was disappointed but that didn't stop her from walking me right to the doorstep of the restaurant and we sadly said goodbye to each other :o).

Pickles
I was on time but Kim was running late. Maybe she somehow knew that I would keep myself busy. The pickles served was a distraction (if only for a while) - not only did I munch on it but I took several shots of it too. Kim arrived just as i had ran out of objects to photograph and I proceeded to let her do the ordering as she's a regular here. We opted to order ala carte rather than attempt to gorge ourselves with their current Dim Sum Lunch Buffet promotion at RM33++/USD10 per pax.
Deep Fried Yam Paste With Chicken
Deep Fried Yam Paste with Chicken (RM6/USD1.80) was served first. I was pleasantly surprised when I took a bite of this. The crispy exterior crumbled along with the very soft yam paste as it melted in my mouth. It wasn't heavy on the tastebuds considering it was deep fried.
Fried Carrot Cake with Chili
The Fried Carrot Cake (RM8/USD2.40) with Chili was really such a tasty dish. Fried with thick beansprouts aplenty (with both heads and tails trimmed!), this was definitely one of the better fried carrot cake dish I've tasted so far. It was flavourful; eggs, dried prawns, garlic and spring onions make this a must order for me when I come back here next.
Steamed BBQ Chicken Bun
Now, I've heard tales of their famed Steamed BBQ Chicken Bun (RM6/USD1.80). It's suppose to be so good that it's as good as the "real" thing (pork's the word). Even Precious Pea told me to eat it without thinking that it's chicken ;o).
Steamed BBQ Chicken Bun
Well I must say, it didn't taste like the "real" thing to me; I tasted chicken but of course! However, I loved how light and fluffy the steamed bun was and the chicken filling mix was tasty. I could understand why this was a favourite of many.
Aromatic Duck
When the piece of quarter Crispy Aromatic Duck (RM25/USD7.50) was brought to our table before it was rolled up, it didn't look good (hence no pic of it!). However, it quickly turned from an ugly duckling (pardon the pun) into a swan when they brought it back to the table; the duck meat along with the skin shredded was rolled with julienned cucumber and spring onion. However, do eat the rolls up as soon as you can as the pancake skin hardened when I ate it at a later time. And so, I found it a tad dry but slathering some extra hoi sin (oyster) sauce on it helped.
Steamed Chicken Siew Mai
The Steamed Chicken Siew Mai (RM7/USD2.10) looked promising but failed to deliver. It was the least tasty compared to the rest; rather bland and boring.

By now, we were quite stuffed but Kim said that she must order her favourite...
Baked Sweet Potato Puff
Baked Sweet Potato Puff (3 of these for RM6/USD1.80). This puff surprised me yet again, crispy flaky exterior peppered with lots of black sesame seed with such a soft sweet potato paste filling. The sweetness of it tasted so natural, hence it was not too sweet but spot on for me.
Mini Egg Tart
The Mini Egg Tart (RM6/USD1.80) was nice but didn't have any WOW! factor for me. Once again, plus point goes to the fact that it was not too sweet.

Good news for those who are HSBC credit card holders - you'll get a 15% discount off all ala carte orders. Am not sure when this offer is valid till though. Well, Kim and I ate and chatted for almost 2 hours before we went our separate ways, promising to catch up over another meal again soon! As I made my way to the car park, I sent an sms to Precious Pea;

Me : I'm leaving now, am so full!
a few seconds later, a reply from her
I grinned as I got into my car...
Precious Pea : My lunch sucks!



Read Masak-masak's review on China Treasures' dim sum HERE too.

China Treasures
Sime Darby Convention Centre
1A Jalan Bukit Kiara 1
60000 Kuala Lumpur

Tel : 603- 2089 3788
Email : chinatreasures.sdcc@simedarby.com

Click HERE for the location map


Sunday, June 08, 2008

Exotic Enigmatic Egypt! Part 6

Hope everyone had a good weekend apart from the petrol price increase episode. By the way, is it me or do the Malaysian roads seem quieter??? I didn't fill up my petrol tank as I refused to be part of the mayhem on that fateful night petrol prices were due to increase by 40%, a crazy 78 sen-making it RM2.70/litre! Grrr... and it seems it will be reviewed monthly? Guess most of us are staying in more, cooking/baking more? Or not eating at all? Hahaha... Well, no more driving to the shops nearby, will have to allocate more time to walk the distance ;o). But then, we'll also have to arm ourselves with mace/pepper spray and all sorts of of defensive aids to thwart off "evil" as I'm sure the "evil" ones will be looking for more victims since we will be more vulnerable, walking on the roads.

Well, here's another pictorial post of my recent trip to Egypt. Remember to click on the highlighted words for more explanation and details. We start off with dinner, continuing from the previous post.

Dinner under a tent - AlEzba Restaurant
Dinner under a tent - Al Ezba Restaurant. We got stuck in a 2 hour jam (suppose to be a half hour trip to the restaurant!). By the time we got there, we were really hungry!

Mini BBQ
Along with the usual side dishes, each table was given a mini BBQ pit where we had some lovely meats; chicken, beef and lamb. They were really tasty-either that or we were just too hungry that taste didn't matter. Hahaha...The meats were tender and full of herbs, spices and were well marinated. Eaten with the bits of capsicum and onions, we got the staff to refill the pit constantly (we were hungry, remember?)

Cute lights
I liked the cute and simple lights here in the restaurants!

DSC_1073-1
The next day, we stopped by Montazah Palace but was told that tourists weren't allowed in (seems their policy changes from time to time). Hence, only this shot taken from outside the gate.

Quaint house by the River Nile
I really liked this quaint looking house located by the sea in the same area across from Montazah Palace. This is just a section of a bigger house.

DSC_1121-1
We went to the Museum in Memphis which had this large statue of Ramsesses II. They had found in six broken pieces in 1882 and it weighs a total of 83 tons! Don't ask me why I took it at this angle :p

Souvenir stall
A souvenir stall in the area. I like those hanging small colourful carpets, regret not buying any :(

'Entrance to Mortuary Temple, Step Pyramid Complex
We then went off to Saqqara to see the Step Pyramid, this is the only entrance to the mortuary located at the south east corner.

Hypostyle hall stone columns
Upon entering, we went through this hypostyle hall that has stoned columns resembling papyrus bundles.

Step Pyramid, Pyramid of Djoser, Saqqara
Here's the Pyramid of Djoser. According to Wikipedia; during the Third Dynasty of Ancient Egypt (27th century BC), the architect Imhotep built Egypt's first step pyramid, the Pyramid of Djoser, by building a series of six successively smaller mastabas (an earlier form of tomb structure), one atop of another. Later pharaohs, including Sekhemkhet and Khaba, built similar structures. The first step pyramid was built for Djoser (or Zoser).

Pyramid Of Djoser, Saqqara
Look how big it is compared to the people in the foreground.

Bird with the cobras - Cobra Enclosure Wall, Step Pyramid complex
A total of 9 Cobras are featured on the enclosure wall around Step Pyramid. I thought it was a nice shot of the bird being next to the stone cobras, trying to fit in to be one of them??? Read more about this place HERE.




To be continued...




Thursday, June 05, 2008

The day I baked...Cream Cheese Brownies

Owen was free since it was school holidays and he asked me whether I wanted to bake anything as his hands were itching to "create" something. I had remembered Teckiee and her post on baking Cream Cheese Brownies which she said was an easy task. I even had the opportunity to taste some of Teckiee's brownies and it was really yummy! Teckiee used the recipe she got from Joy Of Baking but she had cut down the sugar by half and still found it sweet. So, I cut down the sugar slightly more than half but apparently after checking in with Nigel, that could be the reason why the brownies turned out more dense and fudgy than Teckiee's or the one pictured in Joy Of Baking. Nigel said that sugar also plays a role in the cake texture and when I lessened it, I made it more dense...well, at least that was one of the possibility. He said that I could substitute same amount with eggs or milk (eggs more preferable as milk could make the brownie turn out to be more moist than it needs to be). By the way, for those who are keen, do take note that Just Heavenly will be conducting their first session of baking class soon. Click HERE for more details.

Ingredients
The ingredients - bought an hour before we started baking!

Cutting the choc block
Owen cutting the choc block smaller

Melting the chocolate and butter
Melting the coarse choc and butter over hot water

Cream Cheese Brownies, layering
After putting slightly half of the brownie part (leaving the rest for later), put in the cream cheese layer evenly.

Cream Cheese Brownies, before
Then put in the remainder brownie part over it in dollops and I did the marbling effect with a toothpick.

Cream Cheese Brownies, done
After 30 minutes in the oven, this beauty appeared!

Cream Cheese Brownies
Cream cheese with dense fudgy brownies!

Owen and I worked together on it, and he was my hand model for the photographs. Check out Ethan's post on this (he took nicer photos than me...I was rushing to go off and didn't spend enough time on the brownie shots after it was ready).Well, I must say that after about a good 2 decades or so of not baking, these Cream Cheese Brownies were easy to make. And even if the brownie part turned out more dense and fudgy, the overall taste was great and I loved how they turned out! So, to those who want the recipe, here is the link from Joy Of Baking again (but remember to take note of the sugar part, do adjust according to your sweet tooth or not so sweet tooth).


Doing this was indeed a "piece of cake"! - wmw