You Get What You Give ...

Bonjour Garden Bakery, Kota Damansara

2012-01-26T07:09:00.000+08:00

Glorious Jade and I drove past this green house like structure and immediately decided to pull aside and check the place out.

It was a pretty sight and a rather inviting one. Both Glorious Jade and I were drawn to it. Upon further investigation, the "green house" that we saw is a bakery and part section of Bonjour Garden that serves food and beverages. The dining area was pretty normal to us whilst the bakery section attracted us the most.

It does look rather hot and bright...the temperature at that time was bearable on a sunny day. Maybe it was bearable as one of the air con was running on high or maybe it was bearable as we totally love the setup of the bakery and forgot about the hot weather... I'm not sure, hahaha...

I really enjoyed the Nutty Custard Doughnut (Rm2.50) and the rest of the stuff we bought ...

Glorious Jade was happy with her goodies too ...

We were told by the staff who pointed out to us the pastry chef is a Japanese and was brought in to handle the bakery section. I'll definitely be dropping by again to try out the other pastries and buns. We didn't manage to get the address. Do note that it's opposite I Heart Yogurt (my fave froyo place) at

Jalan PJU 5/13, Dataran Sunway

Kota Damansara

47810 Petaling Jaya

But for now, that will have to wait till I'm back from Switzerland! See you folks in about two weeks time!

Enter The Dragon! Happy Chinese New Year ...

2012-01-21T14:06:00.001+08:00

Yes, it's here again. This time the Rabbit is making way for the dragon to enter!

This was taken at Bangsar Village and is probably one of the nicer and creative one; with the long dragon spiralling down. I found the dragon in Sunway Pyramid scary while 1U's one was not too bad with them recycling part of their underwater Christmas deco.

My Chinese New Year celebration will be in the winter wonderland of Switzerland as I will still be with my family (sans my brother), attending Ethan's graduation. Here's wishing all a very Happy Chinese New Year and Safe Journey to all traveling; whether one is heading back to one's hometown or having a holiday somewhere. Take the time to connect with your family and friends :o)

From The Archives Series : No. 1 Lake Edge Food Fun!

2012-01-16T02:26:00.000+08:00

Chinese New Year is fast approaching and just as some of us have started work in the first month of 2012, here comes another stretch of holidays. By the time all the festivity in the air clears, I'm so relax that I need a jump start or shall I say a good ol' kick in the butt to get back to work! Hahah... And seriously, it will be harder this year as I will be going off soon to Switzerland for a 2 weeks vacation. While I'm excited at the thought of flying off soon, I'm telling myself that I really need to get back into the swing of things as soon as I get back to Malaysia. Hahah...yes, this only means I'll be adding on more travel pics to my folder.

I realise that I have quite a number of food photos which I haven't posted and it seems a shame for these photos to not see the light of day. (Yes, apart from being way behind when it comes to my travel photos!) So, I'm starting a "From The Archives" Series to post such photos! :o)

The first post in this series is the picnic/BBQ at Czar's place in Lake Edge, again...just love this place! Check out my previous posts and pics on Lake Edge HERE and HERE. With Czar around, one cannot possibly go hungry - I call her the Iron Chef :o). Thanks Czar & family!

First on the BBQ pit .. Hot dogs!

Next on the firing line ... chicken and corn

Smokin' them Baby potatoes

And just in case we get hungry while waiting for the food to get cooked, there are other ready-to-eat food to appease us!

Mushroom Bruschetta

Tomato & Parsley Bruschetta

Yam cake - with really generous toppings! Whoa ...

Spaghetti Aglio Olio (Garlic & Olive Oil)

Spring Rolls, Samosa and Fish Fingers

Banana Muffins made by Czar's daughter, Dee ...

Here's to more fun filled and relaxing days ahead in 2012. Life is great, it's always a cause to celebrate ... Celebrate Life!

Feasting With Friends @ The Han Room, The Gardens Mid Valley

2012-01-09T02:39:00.000+08:00

(Non-Halal)

JK, an old childhood friend of mine since primary school days has always enjoyed good food and we have enjoyed sharing many food experiences through the years we have known each other. We would be the ones walking over to Sakura in Jalan Imbi (back in the late 70s and early 80s) and ordering the Nasi Lemak for take away where the two of us would be tucking away in our school canteen. I remember, back then the famous Nasi Lemak (now being served in Madam Kwan's - Sakura's still around but their nasi lemak has never been the same since Madam started dishing out on her own, haha...) was just about RM4.50 or so, it was a luxury at that time and one that we would indulge in ever so often. Yes, those were the days where we would sign autograph books with each school year ending. Remember, those silly things we use to write ? Silly, but since we were so young, we probably thought they were quite poignant! LOL ...

"Drink hot coffee, drink hot tea
Burn your lips and remember me"

"Me no study, me no care
Me go marry a millionaire
If he dies, me no cry
Me go marry another guy"

Our friendship has withstood the test of time; the ups and downs but here we are, still enjoying ourselves when it comes to food. Nothing much has changed with JK and her love for good food. 30 odd years down the line, we are still sharing that love for good food. This post of the wonderful feast we had at The Han Room is dedicated to you JK, my old friend ...

Thank you!

The lovely three layer siew yoke (Roast Pork)

The addictive Paku Vegetable in Spicy Sauce

Three Treasures :-

Treasure No. 1 - Baked Scallop

Treasure No. 2 - Crispy Cod Fish Roll with Chicken Floss

Treasure No. 3 - Lobster Thai style

Golden Crispy Shimeji Mushroom - gotta have my fave mushrooms!

Smoked Potato Roll with Bacon - delightful bites

Kai Lan 2 ways - I'm more fond of the oilier and tastier deep fried shredded leaves :o)

Mini Wok Seafood Tofu - JK's favourite order at most Chinese restaurants and The Han Room's version is packed full of flavours.

Hokkien Noodles (good but Reunion's better!)

and of course with the essential accompaniment

Crispy Lard!!!

Chilled Layered Herbal Jelly with Mango Pudding ... lovely but what was even better ?

Durian Pudding! Looking like a mini boiling pot of mumbo jumbo cauldron (though it's not metal!) from the dry ice effect, there was nothing confusing about the durian pudding that had just the right texture with rich yet not over the top goodness.

As the finale - Three Colour Combo Juice for a festive feel. A mix of juices of two combos, my least favourite was the green cos it was a mix of vegetables! Mom never made me finish my vegetables but let's not blame her ... hahaha...

Cheers! Here's to friendship ...

F riendship

R emains

A nd

N ever

C an

E nd ..........

The Han Room
Lot G243, 246 & 247
Ground Floor, The Gardens Mall
Mid Valley City,
Lingkaran Syed Putra
59200 Kuala Lumpur

Mon-Fri : 11 am - 11pm
Sat, Sun and Public Hols : 10.30am - 11pm
Tel : 603-2284 8833

Hello 2012 ! Peace & Harmony On Earth - United Buddy Bears Malaysia

2012-01-03T02:49:00.000+08:00

With 2011 gone and the arrival of 2012, we face yet another brand new year ... we're already on the 3rd day, out of the 366 days since 2012 is a leap year. Thank God for his continuous blessing and may 2012 be a better for one and all.

"We have to get to know each other better...

...it makes us understand one another better,

trust each other more, and live together more peacefully."

That is the United Buddy Bears motto and 143 bears from all over the world will be on display, promoting peace and harmony, at Pavilion along Jalan Bukit Bintang. Started in Berlin back in 2002, it will be in Kuala Lumpur from 8 Dec 2011 till 15 February, 2012. I took some pics of the bears (about 60 of them! Did these over 2 trips, I might go back again to take those that I missed out on), here they are ... (read up more about United Buddy Bears and their mission trip HERE).

Bear on bear, Czech Republic Bear

Einstein Bear

Who doesn't love, doesn't live

HAPPY 2012, EVERYONE!

Desserts @ Tong Pak Fu, Sunway Giza

2011-12-29T02:34:00.000+08:00

Wandered into Sunway Giza after dinner the other night and ended up at Tong Pak Fu. The bright colours of the interior caught my eye and since the place had a decent crowd, we went in to try out Tong Pak Fu's desserts.

The first to arrive, Black Sesame Creme (RM5.80)... nice and smooth, not too overly sweet.

I tried their Mango Sago Creme with Pamelo (RM7.80) . The creme had just the right consistency. However, this dish would have fared better if the mango was sweeter. Not in season?

Now, the double boiled Pear (RM8.80) was quite a lovely sight to behold. The pear with the hollowed center didn't have much flavour though since it's been boiled for quite awhile. The tong sui had a really clean taste, while some might find it on the bland side (apart from the sweetness).

Overall, pretty good place for desserts - it's getting to be a chore, though a pleasant one, in picking a place for desserts as the "invasion" of dessert places continues. There are just too many to to choose from :o)

Tong Pak Fu

Lot G-6, Ground Floor

Sunway Giza

No. 2, Jalan PJU 5/14

Kota Damansara

47810 Petaling Jaya

Oh, oh, Candylicious Is Here At 1 Utama! - Candy & Christmas

2011-12-23T02:43:00.000+08:00

Hahaha...Oh, oh, indeed! Candylicious is now operating (minus the Gelato counter which is still bare, not sure when that will be) in 1 Utama. So, it's good news and bad news. It is really candy heaven at this place ... Like it or not, this place will surely bring a smile to your place with it's bright and cheery look. And yes, Garrett's here too ... I.Have.To.Resist!!!

Candylicious' version of the Tree Of Life ... hahaha... talk about having sweet dreams.

Giant lollipop swirls as lampshades!

Jelly Belly galore!

A doable line forming at Garrett's counter ... sigh, there I go again! :o) I hope I won't become one of the permanent fixtures here in Candylicious.

While you're here in 1 Utama, enjoy their "underwater" Christmas deco ...

Wishing All A Blessed Christmas and Happy Holidays!

"Sunny Side Up" Cupcake by O

2011-12-19T23:42:00.000+08:00

Does it look like a sunny side up egg to you? It did to me ... was I fooled! hahaha...This is O's (my nephew) version of "Sunny Side Up" Cupcake. It's so cute! One of the rare occasions where I was truly pleased that my nephew fooled me! Hahah..

Lovely...Great job O! Keep it up!

There are many versions out there if one Goggle "Egg Cupcake"...makes me wanna try making one of these cute cupcakes too. Sweet or savoury ones? I would add bacon to a savoury one for sure :o) O, watcha gonna do next?

Memorable For All The Right Reasons - Le Cochon Dingue, Champlain, Quebec

2011-12-14T23:31:00.000+08:00

I had blogged on my tea time at Le Petit Cochon Dingue (Little Crazy Pig) back in October and mentioned about us doing dinner at Le Cochon Dingue (no longer Petit or Little). It's a bigger place that caters to lots of hungry diners for breakfast, lunch and dinner with its French/European flavours. It's a charming restaurant that's been around since 1979 - even before you set foot in...the bright orange boots around the building sets you in mood that's just as bright :o).

Well, I didn't take a photo of the soup we had but the bread basket that we were given was "attacked" - the bread was simply so delicious ... with a slight crusty exterior and its soft fluffy dough on the inside, we all loved it. We had to stop ourselves from asking for more as we had to leave some room for our main meals! Actually, most of the bread and pastries we had in Quebec were all marvelous - they never go wrong!

But even before our mains, this entree was heavenly. Feuillete Escargot ($6.95) tantalised our taste buds and sent ripples of total enjoyment. The snails and mushroom in the almost perfect puff pastry was a joy to eat; flavourful garlicky and smooth white wine cream sauce which was just delightful. I'm not ashamed to say that the plate was completely "cleaned" by me. I mopped up whatever cream there was with the flaky yet soft pastry.

Mom had her usual Salmon fillet that was served with basmati rice and vegetables on the side. The Pave De Saumon ($18.95) made mom happy too :o)

Bavette De Bouef ($18.95 for 170 gm) was great too. The shoestring french fries on the side was a really generous serving - it was like we ordered fries with steak rather than steak with fries. But we ate quick a lot of it with the tasty homemade mayonnaise that came with it. Hahaha.....The medium done steak was juicy and fork tender.''

Cotes Levees ($18.95)- Maple Smoked Ribs was listed under "American Formula" and is also available in 4 course meal which is what Bro-in-law ordered. He tucked into this with gusto and was absolutely stuffed at the end of his meal.

The set came with dessert...wasn't too sure what this was - seems to an oat/cereal layered with some cranberries and served with vanilla custard sauce.

Sigh...another lovely meal in Quebec ... another plus point for beautiful Quebec! hahaha...Make it a point to have a meal here in Le Cochon Dingue, it will make your trip more memorable (for the right reasons of course, hahah...)

Le Cochon Dingue

46 Boulevard Champlain

Quebec, QC G1K 4H5, Canada

Tel : 418 692 2013

Website (they have 3 other outlets)

Friday Quick Bites - Garrett Popcorn Indulgence!

2011-12-09T23:56:00.000+08:00

Once upon a time...I tried Poppycock candied popcorn and it was love at first bite for me. Last checked at Amazon.com, a 30 oz tin is retailing at USD20! Yes, there is a price to pay in the quest of finding true love! hahaha....

Well, one can find Poppycock at some of the supermarkets here but now that Garrett has arrived on our shores (KLCC), nothing beats fresh candied popcorn indulgence!

However, only two things can stop the frequency of such indulgence ...
1) The awareness of one's risk of turning into a diabetic
2) The awareness of a hole being burned in your pocket

Hahaha...these two factors will definitely keep me in check with such indulgence when such temptations are easily available now (it'll be available soon at 1 Utama soon! Have mercy!). With our high cost of living, prices are inflated ... seriously, having spent time in San Francisco, prices of food in Malaysia are so much higher than over in USA. Dollar for a dollar ... our monthly salary only goes a short distance! So, yes, Garrett is selling a small pack of the Caramel Macadamia Popcorn at RM19 while good ol' plain butter popcorn goes for RM9/pack. There are other varieties which I haven't tried yet...

If this big cluster of sweet fragrant caramel laden with almost perfect round kernels and macadamia nuts doesn't choke and kill you, you will live to experience the pure joy of a sugar rush! Note : Only applies to those with a sweet tooth.

Hee hee...of course we shouldn't attempt to take it all in one bite. The bag is made up of big and small clusters but I took a pic of the biggest cluster that I found. However, such sweet happiness is shortlived as a bag of this is usually gone in a blink (or two or three) of an eye.

So, such sweet happiness though short lived can be bought with RM19 ... but you know what I mean, true happiness is something else altogether.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Tis The Season To Be Jolly - Snow Bear from Lavender Bakery

2011-12-05T02:21:00.001+08:00

A quick post to perk one up on Mondays :o). When I dropped by Lavender's Bakery in Midvalley, this bread, the size of my big palm, was the only one left on the tray. It's slightly out of proportion; one hand bigger than the other, one feet smaller than the other, a bow tie with a frayed end and most noticeably - a cross belly button that was off center. When I showed Owen this pic, he lamented that this was one "bad" bear (as in badly made) as the one he had a few days earlier was "better".

It was still a cute Snow Bear (RM4.80) to me, in my eyes, it still had all the attributes of bringing me the festive feeling regardless of its imperfections to others. It was there, alone on the tray and still brought a smile to my face. I had to take it home and with the help of Glorious Jade's backdrop, took a pic of it...didn't have the heart to eat it. But it was made for that purpose...so, ate it in the end we did (except for the bow tie). Well, better than to let this white chocolate covered bread go mouldy and thrown away. Now, that would be a waste...

Yes, it's the month of December. Christmas decorations are all up around the shopping malls and Christmas songs being played on loop across the sound system in every shop/restaurant. Let's get into the Christmas spirit. Yup, tis the season to be jolly ... Happy Christmas shopping folks!

Kelantan Delights @ Wisma Consplant, Subang Jaya

2011-11-29T08:18:00.000+08:00

I always remember my trip to Kota Bahru back in 2007 with a dear old friend of mine with great fondness. I miss the wonderful East Coast hospitality from the folks there and of course - the food! You can check out my older Kota Bahru posts HERE. Ever since then, I've been on the search for great tasting food from the East Coast right here in the Klang Valley; while it's good, they just can't measure up to the real experience of dining in East Coast itself. So, when I got an invite from Pure Glutton for dinner at Kelantan Delights, I just had to go.

While of course, eating in Kota Bahru has been more of street/hawker fare, dining at Kelantan Delights was a different experience altogether. I could see how the fine dining concept would work well for this restaurant; there is only a handful of such fine dining Malay restaurants in Klang Valley.

The deco, the well spaced out layout and high ceiling gives an added grandeur to Kelantan Delights, most apt for corporate events & celebrations.

We started off with some appetizers - the lovely Keropok Lekor and some kuih together with Gula Nisseh. The Keropok Lekor was my main focus here, for someone who's not keen on fish - I sure love this finger food snack; piping hot and eaten with the accompanying sweet chili sauce.

Sirih Daun Kodok (RM21.50) - a D.I.Y dish of several accompaniments (Chilli padi, dried shrimps, peanuts, shallots, galangal, lime peel, palm sugar), wrapped in a betel leave (are those indeed betel leaves?). It's an East Coast version of the traditional Thai snack, "Mieng Kam".

Then the rice dishes were served. Yes, the East Coast is well known for their different rice varieties, be it main meals or as desserts or snacks like the ones I had in Kota Bahru. It was no different here as there were plenty to choose from ...

The Nasi Dagang (Trading Rice!) with Kerutuk Daging (RM20) - served with pickled vegetables and hard boiled egg. This is a well known dish from the East Coast and I enjoyed every bite of it. The "dry curry" beef was lovely; full flavour tender beef chunks with aromatic rice.

Nasi Tumpang with Fried Chicken (RM18); authentic as the real thing from East Coast. Hmm..I can sure travel with a few of these Nasi Tumpang in my bag, haha!

The Nasi Kerabu (RM19) is always a lovely sight to behold. The bluish rice gets its colour from Bunga Telang (Clitoria Flower). The Rice Salad is served with finely shredded vegetables; a mix of herbs, leaves and cucumber on the side together with some salted egg and fish crackers. The Daging Bakar (Roasted Beef) is of a slight chewy texture and is something of an acquired taste. I much prefer ...

Nasi Kerabu with Ayam Percik. As good as it was though... I'm still pining for the ayam percik from Yati's in Kota Bahru. Sigh...

Then there's Laksam, the rolled up rice flour is similar to Chee Cheong Fun; though heavier in density. It's served with a spoonful of daging serunding (beef floss) and creamy coconut fish curry together with the herbs and vegetables. It appeals to me as I love Chee Cheong Fun and so, I love the Laksam :o)

The dishes started rolling in...

The Puyuh Goreng (Fried Quail RM23) was deep fried to perfection; crispy and tasty. Next was the Belut (eel) with dried chillies (RM24), and at the bottom, part of FBB's order of Nasi Budu, Gulai Kawah which was served together with a fried kembong fish & ulam vegetables with budu (fermented anchovies) ...

Next up were two different variety of the Barramundi fish, Ikan Siakap (RM49) with Lemongrass (on the left) and on the right, with Betel Leaves (Daun Kodok).

The Tom Yam Kelapa Muda (Young Coconut) was a hit. Spicy enough and with sweet young tender coconut flesh which helped the balance the spiciness of the soup.

Of course, the night would not be complete without some pencuci mulut (desserts).

Starting from the top, that's the Gula Melaka being drizzled onto the Lopes (RM7), made from glutinous rice. Then there is the Pulut Durian (RM9.50) - glutinous rice in a pool of coconut and durian sauce (slurp!) with durian flesh ... strong stuff here. Ah, then there is my favourite Akok ... those are the round brownish kuih you see in the pic at the bottom from the Royal Plate. It's made from a batter mixture of egg, sugar (or gula melaka) and coconut milk, like a richer version of kuih bakar. It's sweet but it's just plain GOOD! Hahaha...The rest of the Royal Plate is made up from apam & the golden strands are called Jala Mas (Golden Net) which is made from the duck's egg yolk, while the Tahi Itik (a white blob at the bottom corner) is made from the duck's egg white. As for the green and red dessert, that's Lompat Tikam, coloured glutinous pudding served with palm sugar and coconut milk.

As usual, as full as we were, we always have room for desserts to end the night on a sweet note. Thank you Pure Glutton once again for the invite and to En Ashari for being a great host to us that night!

Kelantan Delights (Website)

Ground Floor, East Wing

Wisma Consplant 1

No. 2 Jalan SS16/4

47500 Subang Jaya

Tel : 03-5590 2753/019-217 4774 (Intan Razak)

Open Daily from 11 am - 11 pm

Must Visit ! Paillard Cafe-Boulangerie, Quebec City

2011-11-21T23:48:00.001+08:00

Folks, it's back to Quebec and this time round this post is rather photos intensive as Paillard is a must visit if you're ever walking about Old Town especially.

We decided to grab a bite at Paillard; it's rather well known for its sandwiches. The moment I stepped into Paillard, I fell in love with the place.

Inviting enough? Paillard's entrance

The place is spacious and the high ceiling makes this place even bigger. Helps since the place can get quite pack during peak dining hours.

We sat at communal like tables, right along side with some strangers whom we later made friends with during our meal.

I also love the long front counter that runs from one end to the other ...

Right till where the crew prepare the sandwiches at the other end ... nice lines!

We queue, place and pay for our orders and a number is assigned via our receipt. Look for a place to sit at the long table and wait for our numbers to be called in French! Hahaha...we had to enlist the help of our friendly "strangers" to let us know when they were indeed calling our our number to collect our orders.

Chipotle Chicken on Paillard bread - chili mayo, grilled chicken, caramelized onions and cheddar cheese ($7.99). While the ingredients were fresh, the taste was normal but I enjoyed the bread; soft on the inside, crispy on the outside.

Pork Roast on Paillard Bread - Chili Mayo, pork roast, braised ham, Gruyere cheese, carrot salad and dill pickles ($8.49). This tasted better but didn't rock my socks off as I expected it too. Maybe cos I dug out the carrot as I don't like em (except in stews). Hmmm...I wonder if the cold sandwiches would fare better.

and for a sweet ending to the meal, Creme Catalane ($3.25)....delightful crunch on top with a crisp caramel layer. This is the Spanish version of the French Creme Brulee.

Paillard has a lot to offer .. from the sandwiches/soup, pastries and coffee/drinks to ...

... Desserts of course

and more desserts and assorted boxes of tea leaves for sale

Then there's also a gelato counter

And finally the bakery section...Told you that the place is BIG, didn't I? :o)

Sis bought some Wildly items (one of Canada's premier brands) from Paillard's too. The Garlic & Basil Spiced Sea Salt is for vegetables and potatoes. The tulip preserve jar is so cute :o)

Mango & Madras Curry Compote for cheese is just one of the many compotes available. I just love the Wildly range of products and yes I repeat, I love that cute tulip preserve jar.

See, Paillard has a lot to offer under its roof. You have got to drop by if you're ever in the area to have a memorable French bakery experience (even if our bread picks were average fare)!

Paillard

1097 Rue St-Jean, Quebec

Tel : 418 - 692 1221

TeaRoom by Bel Jee @ Wisma Volkswagen, Bangsar

2011-11-15T07:30:00.000+08:00

Ahhh...now for a entry on a little delightful place. Located along a rather obscure place for an eatery, one could easily miss TeaRoom. Do take note, the only car park in the nearby area charges RM6 per entry. One can choose to park illegally across the building but I'm not one to risk my life in trying to sprint across the road should the authorities show up in an attempt to try and escape from getting a summon. So, the RM6 car park it is...

I've passed by Wisma Volkswagen on numerous occasion as I make my way to Wisma UOA to get my monthly Melaleuca stuff. Glorious Jade and I finally dropped by and found this place cosy albeit a "little" warm should the sun be out in full force. We shifted from one "sunny" table to a much "shadier" one when that happened.

We were greeted by Bel Jee herself. As to why she chose this location, Bel told us that she had wanted a place that would allow her to work close to office hours, which meant that she didn't need to open TeaRoom on weekends (oh, TeaRoom is opened for a few hours on Saturdays). Setting up TeaRoom in Wisma Volkswagen meant that she could cater to the office crowd and tackle corporate orders along with cake orders from folks on the outside. She would have the "foot traffic" without having to open in a mall somewhere which would entail longer hours. Clearly, Bel still values her free time though she's an entrepreneur ... good move indeed.

We tried the Chicken Baked Pasta (RM7.80) served with crabstick salad and lovely fresh greens on the side. Though the pasta was on the dry side (it's baked after all), I liked the flavours and found myself digging into this, depriving Glorious Jade's share! hahaha...

The Moussaka (RM7.80) also came served with the same crabstick salad and fresh greens. I found the Moussaka intriguing indeed. The top layer was fluffy; almost omelette like...upon doing a search, I found out that the top layer is yogurt! The minced chicken with eggplant (with onions, tomatoes and capsicum) with the fluffy top was a welcome change and was not heavy on the palate like how some moussaka can be. Tea time became more than a tea time though and we made some room for dessert ...

Gooey Butter Cake (RM4.20) was nice. I like the simplicity of it...a layer of custard on the top with a firm butter cake that went so well together. Yes, simple but lovely indeed.

Sure, I would drop by TeaRoom again ... the "warmth", coziness and the simplicity of it gives the place "character", one which I like ...

TeaRoom by Bel Jee - Website/Facebook

Ground Floor, Wisma Volkswagen

No. 7 Lorong Maarof, Bangsara

59100 Kuala Lumpur

Opening Hours : Mon-Fri 8.30am-6.30pm

Sat 9.30 am- 2pm

Close on Sundays and Public Holidays

Tel :603-2201 1806

The "I Can't Believe There's Pork Burger Here" Post - Restoran D.U. Cafe, Kota Damansara

2011-11-10T07:58:00.000+08:00

(Non-Halal)

I wasn't even sure whether I was gonna post on this but something this good must be shared...Well, the craze over pork burgers is still going strong and some might even think this pork patty sandwiched between two buns is overrated but whatever it is...looks like the craze is still very much alive. From simple eateries to fancy restaurants, a pork burger is no longer a novelty on the menu but still a highlight nevertheless. Yes, given the difference in dining experience in different establishments, prices for a pork burger differs - from as high as RM30 (served with fries and salad) and as low as about RM10.90++ (no sides) at one of my fave places for pork burger, Kissaten. But now...thanks to ML, we have found a new place (new at least to us...).

Now, this was a first for me. A burger stall located along D.U. Cafe in Kota Damansara ... selling . pork . burgers!!!

Well, not just pork burgers as you can read and just look at the prices!!!. Japanese Curry Pork Burger (RM6.50), Cheese Chicken Burger (RM5.50), Crispy Chicken Burger (RM4.50), Black Pepper Lamb Burger (RM6.50) - OOOoooo, this I gotta try next time!, Teriyaki Chicken Burger (RM5.50) and Teriyaki Pork Burger (RM5.50). Yup, we can now treat ourselves to pork burgers at RM5.50 (and best part? No service and/or govt. tax!).

But is it any good, you might ask?

The Japanese Curry Pork Burger
Hip said that it was great, I tasted the curry and the flavours are definitely there. Served on a bed of lettuce, tomato with a sesame bun (and may I say, the bun was nice and soft too!), this burger more than delivered for RM6.50.

Teriyaki Pork Burger

While it looks a bit different from Kissaten's version, this was still lovely to look at. The bun is nice though it doesn't have as much sesame seeds as the bun from Kissaten cos it's soft (softer than Kissaten's actually). It has a good height too - what with the layers of pork patty, egg, julienned lettuce, onions, mayo and tomatoes. The pork patty was juicy and tender. While the teriyaki taste wasn't that prominent, this burger still tasted great...and at RM5.50, we were just grinning from ear to ear. We gleefully licked up the burger's juices which trickled down our palms ... a mess that we didn't mind cleaning up.

Yes, we have arrived home...hahaha! It'll be our favourite haunt for some time...Meanwhile, if any of you wants to come here for a bite - call me along!

Fukuoka Burger Stall

Restoran D.U. Cafe

Jalan PJU 5/10

Dataran Sunway,

Kota Damansara

Great Food @ California Pizza Kitchen, Fahrenheit88

2011-11-04T02:39:00.000+08:00

It was a surprise to me and many others when California Pizza Kitchen (CPK) relocated to Fahrenheit 88. The last time I went to CPK for my Red Velvet fix, it was still in Suria KLCC. Ever since then I never got around to visiting the new location till I was invited to the launch of California Pizza Kitchen's latest menu additions in mid October recently. They still dish out some innovative items now and then (how I fell in love with their introduction of Pesto Chicken Pizza and Cheeseburger Pizza back then in September 2010). While the price range of CPK's items are on the higher scale; CPK delivers more with the generous, fresh and high grade ingredients they put into their servings. Do note that a few of CPK's items contain alcohol; it's denoted in their menu with an "*" next to the item name (I've also done the same here) and you can always check with the staff too.

There're two items which I didn't manage to take a photo of and that's the Wild Mushroom Soup (Bowl RM15, Cup RM11 - puree of Portobello, Shiitake and white mushrooms with a touch of cream and garnished with homemade garlic-herb croutons). It's a heavenly treat for mushroom fans - but some might not take to it as much as I did as they may find the mushrooms too overwhelming. I guess if you like it mild you shouldn't order Wild Mushroom Soup, yes???

Then there's the Spicy Chicken Tinga Quesadilla (RM18 - Crispy hearth-baked flour tortilla with grilled lime chicken, Monterrey Jack and Cheddar Cheeses, chipotle sauce, caramelized sweet onions, roasted red and yellow peppers, black beans and fresh cilantro and served with CPK's homemade ranchito sauce). Eat it while it's warm....yes, the gooey cheeses hangs on to the tortilla, hahaha... a bite of it actually made it look like it was performing a trapeze act minus the performer of course. It still gave a lovely performance! Loved it!

This time round, there are another 12 new items! Feast your eyes on 10 of them....

White Corn Guacamole & Roasted Tomato Salsa with Chips (RM25 - Fresh avocado, sweet white corn, black beans, jicama, green onions, red bell pepper, cilantro, serrano peppers and a homemade roasted tomato salsa served with white corn tortilla chips). I was torn between the two dips which tasted great and had their own merits. The creamy crunch of the White Corn Guacamole and the tangy zing of the Roasted Tomato Salsa - both exceptionally tasty!

Roasted Vegetable Salad (Full RM30, Half RM27 - Roasted artichoke hearts, asparagus, eggplant, red and yellow peppers, tossed in homemade Dijon balsamic vinaigrette. Topped with fresh avocado. Add grilled shrimp for RM14 and/or sauteed salmon for RM16)

Hawaiian BBQ Chicken Pizza (RM31 - Fresh pineapple, BBQ chicken, Monterey Jack and Mozzarella cheeses, barbeque sauce, sliced red onions and fresh cilantro). It's definitely a crowd pleaser with the sweetness from the pineapple and savoury flavours from the BBQ sauce.

Four Seasons Pizza (RM40 - Imported Italian tomatoes, oven-roasted artichoke hearts, salami, fresh mushrooms, mild onions, fresh Mozzarella cheeses and topped with fresh herbs and Parmesan cheese). Found this thin crust pizza pretty normal when compared to their other unique pizzas lineup.

Roasted Artichoke and Spinach Pizza (RM40 - Inspired by CPK's popular Spinach Artichoke Dip, this pizza is a blend of oven-roasted artichoke hearts, sauteed spinach and garlic. Monterey Jack, Mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses and a spinach artichoke sauce. Add grilled chicken Rm10). It would not please meat eaters but this healthy pizza still delivers in flavours.

Spicy Seafood Pizza * (RM40 - Baby clams, shrimp and calamari rings with CPK's spicy marinara sauce, red pepper flakes and Mozzarella and fresh Mozzarella cheeses). This spicy thin crust pizza packs a real oomph and comes across as the most Malaysian pizza I've tasted but a good tasting one for sure. But my fave is still the earlier two that I mentioned in the first paragraph.

Chicken Milanese (RM43.50 - Thinly pounded chicken breast, lightly breaded with panko bread crumbs and sauteed. Topped with fresh arugula, shaved Parmesan cheese and a combination of fresh tomatoes, basil, garlic and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil). This item is such a bagful of flavours; a lovely ensemble indeed.

Olive Oil & Garlic Spaghetti (Chicken RM29, Shrimp RM36, Chicken & Shrimp RM39 - Spaghetti with olive oil, garlic, red pepper flakes, fresh sauteed mushrooms, chopped fresh parsley and Parmesan cheese). This pasta dish was bold in flavours...and I enjoyed every single bite of it. The generous amount of succulent shrimps and mushrooms made this pasta a truly enjoyable eating experience.

Seafood Linguini * (RM43.50 - Linguini with baby clams, shrimp, calamari with garlic, fresh parsley, Parmesan cheese, white wine and red pepper flakes. Tossed in your choice of a light lemon cream sauce or imported Italian tomatoes and fresh basil). It tasted very mild as compared to the earlier Olive Oil & Garlic Spaghetti but should appease fans of seafood since there is such an abundance of it in this pasta dish.

and last but not least, Warm Apple Pie Pizza (RM15 - made with Granny Smith apples with a crispy brown sugar and butter topping, served with vanilla ice-cream). This was the last item brought out and to think that I was too full to eat? Nah, there's always room for dessert ... And a dessert like this deserves to such a sacrifice from the waist line! It's simply marvelous ... the warmth of the apple slices on the pizza dough with the coldness of the creamy vanilla ice cream was really divine. Since this Apple Pie Pizza is locally made unlike the imported cakes, it is priced attractively which means bonus points to a already yummy dessert such as this! This is going to be my favourite dessert order from CPK.

And there's good news to announce...there's no greater time to visit CPK at this new location or for the first time as they are giving a 30% discount off all CPK's NEW creations from now till Nov 15. Terms & Conditions apply, so check at the restaurant.

California Pizza Kitchen

Fahrenheit88 Shopping Mall

Lot 2.02, 2nd Floor

179 Jalan Bukit Bintang

55100 Kuala Lumpur

Tel : 03-2141 2173

Daily Opening Hours : 11 am - 10 pm (last order @ 9.45pm)

Charismatic Canada - Quebec's Parliament Building Part 9

2011-10-30T08:10:00.000+08:00

Happy Sunday everyone....

It's a start of another wonderful day and yes, I'm still swooning about Canada (especially about Quebec!). Here's yet another pictorial post on Quebec's Parliament Building. The place is so picturesque and is filled with statues...actually, can be rather scary at night actually!

Love, love, love...such a pretty place. Love the landscaping here...

Have a great week ahead...and oh yes, Happy Halloween too! Remember, take time to smell the flowers!

Happy Deepavali!

2011-10-26T13:38:00.000+08:00

Wishing All A Happy Celebration!

Testing Android Photography Apps - HDR Camera on Super Kitchen Chilli Pan Mee

2011-10-22T02:27:00.000+08:00

Just a quick post today...I've been checking out the Photography Apps from the Android Market. I've bought a few but there are loads of free apps in the Market that are rather good. One of the free apps that I would recommend is the HDR Camera app. The HDR Camera App takes three consecutive shots at different ISO settings, merges them for stronger colours, depth and clarity. But of course, you obviously have to try to be still while the three shots are being taken, so you will need to have steady hands. I have done some brightness/contrast adjustments to the photo below but the clarity part of the pic is what I would like to emphasise on. Would you have known that this shot came from a phone's camera if I didn't tell you?

Super Kitchen Chilli Pan Mee, Kota Damansara (tastes better than the SS2 branch). Taken with HTC Sensation using the HDR Camera app (with some post editing).

I have to admit that I've been using my HTC Sensation phone to take photos of food nowadays. I only use my DSLR when I'm doing a proper/official food review cos it's a lot easier and simpler using the phone's camera. While of course, it might still not be able to deliver shots like pics from a DSLR, I find that the HDR Camera app does a pretty good job...don't you think so? This is just but one of the few HDR apps around. Camera 360 has this option too with two selections; HDR Light and HDR Heavy which works just as well too. It takes just one shot and changes the settings. However, while this is a simpler one shot HDR app, the processed photo is only available in a much lower resolution. Take your pick and pic, whatever it is...these are sure great additions to pushing the phone's camera limit further; especially when one doesn't have a camera in hand. Have fun most of all...I just love all the phone photography apps. I'll be blogging more on such apps in the near future.

Lim Kee Tang Hun off Jalan Kuchai Lama, Kuala Lumpur

2011-10-17T07:50:00.016+08:00

My first visit to Lim Kee (yes, just Lim Kee sans Tang Hun) was a few years back with Jason. Soon, after a few more visits to this place, the shack was torn down and I wondered where it had gone! Two years later while chatting with a new found friend of mine, I was elated to find out the new location of Lim Kee. I was told it's now located in a proper corner shoplot and wondered whether food still tasted as good as before.

I was indeed excited at the thought of finally revisiting my long lost Lim Kee, now known to me as Lim Kee Tang Hun. So, has any of my old fave dishes stood the test of time (and relocation)?

The Fried Abacus Seeds still tasted good to me. The abacus seeds seem a bit softer as compared to back then. I just love biting into the bits of dried prawns and coriander!

The Fried Tang Hoon (Glass Noodles) with Bitter gourd also fared well. Again, not oily and light ... like the same as before.

We ordered the Fruit Juice Pork Ribs and it came out slightly different from the earlier version. These came in much smaller bite sized (see the earlier bigger sized serving HERE). The fruit juice also tasted different to me, more of an enzyme flavour ... an acquired taste, either you like it or you don't. I couldn't decide as I was disappointed with the change.

Having tasted this wet dish from the old location, we ordered the Fried Sweet Potato Noodles and wondered if it's better now. Well, if you were to compared to the old pic - this is definitely not as wet as before (not swimming in a pool of gravy) which is good news but it was still too wet for our liking. Must make a mental note - remember to ask them for a dry version of this the next time we order it. And yes, you can request for more crispy lard if you want ;o).

Other dishes ordered were a vegetable dish and Kam Heong Lala. Bill came up to RM89 (plus tea) for the 4 of us. In my heart, I wish I was still dining at the old shack; it has lost some of the rustic charm (and maybe taste)...but I have to embrace the change and that I will do. I'll be back ... we'll be back.

If you don't like something, change it;

If you can't change it, change the way you think about it

- Mary Engelbreit

Restoran Lim Kee Tang Hun
2G, Jalan 3/114
Kuchai Business Centre
Off Jalan Kuchai Lama
58200 Kuala Lumpur

Tel : 603-7981 1972

Opens Daily except Mondays 5.30pm - 12 midnight

Le Petit Cochon Dingue, Quebec (& More on Night Quebec!)

2011-10-12T02:35:00.000+08:00

We were feeling a bit peckish as after all that walking around and decided to have some snacks at Le Petit Cochon Dingue (which means "Little Crazy Pig"). This is a cozy little place for one to chill with some coffee and pastries. It was a surprise to me that its bigger premises Le Cochon Dingue is very nearby and while we were having our snacks, we decided that we would do dinner later there too! Hahaha...yes, planning what to eat is very much a part of our holidays, no??? But let's get back to that later....Check out our lovely tea time :o)

What is this place well known for? Sugar Pies! Assorted ones...

Good ol' Tarte Pom Sucre (Apple Pie) $3.25

Tarte Au Sucre ala Creme (Sugar Cream pie) $2.95

Fromage-Fraise Surprise (Strawberry Cheese Surprise) $3.95

The friendly crew letting me take pics while he goes about his routine...The wonderful aroma of freshly baked goodies just fills this whole place up! Yummy!

Le Petit Cochon Dingue
24 Blvd Champlain
Quebec
Tel : 418 694 0303

After we finish our wonderful pies...we walked around a bit further. Did I tell you that Quebec city is a lovely place??? Hahaha...yes, for the umpteen time :o) Quebec, ahhh...Quebec..

and at night...their al fresco nightlife is quite happening too! Along the streets, the restaurants and nightspots get crowded as the night closes in ...

To be continued ... dinner at the bigger and more crowded Le Cochon Dingue!

Happy Hippo Kinder Weekend & Giveaway Winner!

2011-10-08T01:35:00.001+08:00

Happy Hippo's been around awhile but I only got to the real thing recently. It was absolutely yummy! One can't help but smile at Happy Hippo as he's so cute! One of his early appearances was on YouTube, singing "Lion Sleeps Tonight". Check out the video...

And now, here's Happy Hippo .. all wrapped up

Though he's Happy Hippo...he seems to have these flaring nostrils! Hahaha...

...complete with a tail!

It was delicious! No actual pics of what's inside after taking a bite. The following pic tells us what Happy Hippo is made of actually.

Crunchy creamy goodness!

The best things in life are free, they say...well, sometimes the best things in life might not be free, but simple yet they bring much satisfaction. Happy Hippo Kinder biscuit is just one of those things! :o)

Have a Great Weekend Everyone!

P.S. The winner of My Memories Suite has been selected by an independent party. Congratulations Bluey Grey! You have won yourself a USD40 My Memories Suite digital scrapbooking software. You got top marks for doing all the steps and leaving two comments (after perusing almost through the whole "inventory"). I'll be sending you an email soon on how to download My Memories Suite for free. For those who didn't win, you might still want to get a copy for yourself. Here's a special for You Get What You Give readers, MyMemories.com is giving a $10 discount off the purchase price of My Memories Suite Scrapbook v2 software and also a $10 coupon for purchases made at MyMemories.com store buying your own digital kits ($20 value!) Just enter this code at checkout STMMMS37325 to get your $20 value! Copy and paste the code to avoid typos when using it.

Reminder : Oldie Golden Goodie Woo Lan, Brickfields

2011-10-03T07:52:00.000+08:00

(NON-HALAL)

The family use to patronise Woo Lan quite frequently till it shifted from it's zinc roof shack (I remember, they use to have the water sprinklers on to cool the roof in the daytime!) to a proper shoplot. I wonder why we stopped going? Lost its charm due to the move? Not sure why actually. But finally, we did get round to having dinner in Woo Lan; dining on some old favourites. Some things never change...yes, it may be an oldie but it's still a golden goodie! Yup, the family needs to be reminded about this place now and then ;o), we all need a such a reminder (such as this post). It's easy to forget with all the new restaurants that keeps appearing as time goes by (while some fade away in our memories as their doors close for business due to such changes or economic reasons). Are there any restaurants that you have loved in the past and miss; now that it's no longer here?

So, let's us remember ...

Woo Lan looking foreign to us ... but the food remains the same

Salad Prawn

*nom

1) The act of eating

2) An act of affection

3) A sound to express satisfaction through eating

So, yes...all of the above; eating the dishes affectionately (but not loudly! HAhaha....).

Fried Pork Belly

Steamed Fish

Honey Ginger Chicken

Kangkung Belachan - Morning Glory with Shrimp Paste

The friendly neighbour right next to Woo Lan; Srinivasa Bhavan

She glances at the photo, and the pilot light of memory flickers in her eyes

- Frank Deford

Woo Lan

19 Jalan Scott

Off Jalan Sambanthan

Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur

Opens daily except Mondays 11.30 am - 3pm/5.30pm-10pm

Tel : 603-2274 8968

Tea Time @ Tang Shifu, 1 Utama

2011-09-30T02:48:00.000+08:00

(NON-HALAL)

Sometime back when Precious Pea was back here for a short holiday - she and I got hungry after singing our hearts out in Neway and decided to look for some tea time food. Now, I've been curious to try out Tang Shifu's food; two items in particular and suggested to Precious Pea to try out it with me. So, as soon as we sat down, I already knew what to order. Yes, the two items from their menu that caught my eye the most ....

The Abalone Sauce Rice Dumplings (RM9.90) was very flavourful ...The dumpling seems to have a mixture of glutinous rice with some brown rice. The wolfberries added a sweetness to the dumplings, adding more plus points to it. The cool cucumber was refreshing with some walnut and sesame mix topping though I would say that it looked like some type of meat floss was also added to it.

The Black Sesame Bun (RM12.90) came with four hollow bun pieces & a bowl of braised pork. A spoonful of the meat into the hollow bun and a bite later sent little tingles of delight to my mouth. The wolfberries and bits of "wood ear" gave the meat texture and the soft bun completed the whole ensemble of great food harmony!

Both Precious Pea and i enjoyed our tea time here...The prices stated above are ala carte. The items are available as tea time sets (along with some other options) with a drink included. Check it out!

Tang Shifu
LG 321 New Wing
1 Utama Shopping Mall
Bandar Utama
Petaling Jaya

Tel : 603-7727 2772

My Memories Suite Review & Giveaway!

2011-09-26T14:11:00.000+08:00

Giveaway? You read that right! Read on till the end to find out how you can take part in My Memories Suite Giveaway ($40 value). How did this come about? Let me do a quick recap from the past :o). I still remember what I wrote sometime back in Feb 2007 (5 things you didn't know about me).

I love paper crafts - I buy lots of magazines and books but I never sit still long enough (apart from being on the PC) to do a proper project! Ha ha ha...Here's part of the "library".

And then in January 2008 when I did a tag passed on to me by NKOTB, I had said that one of the things I’ve always wanted to do is to be serious about my paper craft work!

Recently, I was given a copy of My Memories Suite to review and blog on my opinion of it. I now have the opportunity to get some projects off the ground! This digital scrapbooking software that's rated #1 by Amazon and Top Ten Reviews, creates scrapbooks easily (photobooks, cards, calendars and much more too!). Since I had said that I'm usually on the PC most of the time when I'm at home (that is whatever little amount of time when I'm indeed at home!), this scrapbooking software definitely is such a booster for me to start on my projects! Best part about it is that one can even add audio/video to the projects! Before this, projects usually means clearing table space and having my craft tools & kits at hand which which is why I haven't been that serious about it as I want to be. Anyway, I've been checking out My Memories Suite bit by bit and recently did a project.

Here's a screen shot of the software

Starting on my first project, I wanted to do a page with the dogs ... you can design your own album or choose from one of the many design templates. Here, I use one of the pages from the "Out Of The Box-Spring" design. Selecting photos to be used is a breeze, you can just drag the photos from the left panel and right onto the design boxes.

I did some slight redesigning to move (and add) the boxes around and I added the ready-to-use embellishments (Word Art) from the Dog Gone Cute kit and created this. That's it, quick and easy. Okay, you are gonna ask how did I get the picture to be posted here from the album in the first place. Here's how....

Click on the "Share Album" button and you can choose any of the options from the drop down list :-

Export to JPEG (which is the one I chose), Photo Album, Calendar, Interactive Album, Make Movie, iPod-ready Movie and Burn DVD-Video!

I had so much fun making this too, so much so that I need to stay at home more often to start on more projects. My Memories Suite is easy, quick, fun and most of all mess free, hahaha...Actually, it's great for bloggers as we can make collages out of the many photos that we put on our blog, makes it more interesting.

The best part of the post is here...Good news for all! Here's a special for You Get What You Give readers, MyMemories.com is giving a $10 discount off the purchase price of My Memories Suite Scrapbook v2 software and also a $10 coupon for purchases made at MyMemories.com store buying your own digital kits ($20 value!) Just enter this code at checkout STMMMS37325 to get your $20 value! Copy and paste the code to avoid typos when using it.

However, one of you blessed readers now have a chance at getting a FREE download of My Memories Suite v2 valued at $40. Enter this giveaway by doing the following : -

1) Visit MyMemories.com

2) Choose your favourite digital pack or layout and then leave a comment on this very"My Memories Suite Giveaway" blog post of mine. telling me which ones you chose.

3) Click on the Like button located at the top left corner of this post so that you can also share the news about the giveaway.

4) Follow my F.A.T adventures - click the "Join" button located on the right side bar of my blog.

For extra entries, follow MyMemories on their blog or Facebook or Twitter (follow all 3 for an extra 3 entries!).

Closing Date : 6 October 2011. The winner will be announced on 7 October 2011.

ALL THE BEST!

Charismatic Canada - 'Qool' Quebec Part 8

2011-09-23T01:53:00.005+08:00

There is really so much to see (and do!) in Quebec, this was one of the most enjoyable stops we did on our road trip around Canada. Continuing from my previous post on 'Qool' Quebec, here are more sights (oh, there's my dessert pics at the end of the post and there's more to come in future post!) around Quebec town - simply too marvelous for words. Lots of pics but take a look, I'm sure you'll enjoy them as much as my family and I did. When Quebec comes to mind and I start missing it, I just need to look back on the pics and relive the beauty of it.

Happy Friday! The weekend's here again :o)

Street Artist

Beautiful Mural

After all that walking, it's time for dessert ...

Mango Sorbet - wonderfully refreshing!

I got the monkey spoon (how did they know that I love monkeys as there were other animal spoons?) Yay!

To Be Continued...

K3K Benta Kaya Kopitiam - My Latest Love

2011-09-19T02:16:00.008+08:00

Happy Monday! Well, at least try to be :o)...I've been busy and haven't had the chance to blog though I had the intention of putting up a post earlier. Anyway, I want to put up a food post that definitely adds on to my Happy Meter.

I've been going to K3K Benta Kaya Kopitiam of late ... they have been around for awhile but I never got round to it earlier. It was only when a friend told me that they had some rather special toast with different fillings that I felt the pull. Anyway, they do have quite a number of unique items on their menu (one that includes a giant curry puff - it's big, it's as wide as the span of two open palms side by side) and of course, there's their kaya too...There will be more pics gathered along the way but for now, meet my latest love...

Topee Red Bean with Condensed Milk

Serious? Condensed milk? Cos I can't seem to find condensed milk in Malaysia, only sweetened creamer available. Well, I didn't ask but it does have the thick consistency of condensed milk (look at the pic). I really need to ask to confirm cos I want my condensed milk supply to resume! Where is my condensed milk? Susu pekat manis is gone and I have to resort to asking friends to buy a few cans for me each time they go over to Singapore and I even bought some from Thailand. Cis! Sweetened creamer just won't do! Why? We need the government to bring it back, make it more profitable for the manufacturers to sell it so that production can start again! Do register yourself as a voter (make sure it's in time for the next coming election!) so that you can vote. Vote for a better Malaysia...and hopefully it would count as a vote for condensed milk too! Hahaha... Okay, now that I've finished ranting about my loss - loss of condensed milk, that is..hehe...let us get back to my original topic!

Where were we??? Oh yes...Topee Red Bean! I have no idea why it's called Topee except that it's the name of the bread. Pardon my ignorance...It's more like a pizza dough but with less density. This Topee Red Bean comes with red bean filling between two slices of topee and then it's slathered with peanut butter and drizzled with condensed milk (the menu reads Topee Red Bean "shower" with Condensed Milk). I love it! Do tell them to toast the bread longer for extra crisp, it tastes even better! Half set (half circle, divided to two pieces goes for RM3.80, a full set is RM6.80). K3K Benta Kaya has found a new fan! I need to go back more often to try out the other interesting items on their menu. Enough with Papparich, MammaPoor, Old Town, New Town, Georgetown, Hometown ...

K3K Benta Kaya Kopitiam
32 Square outlet
Jalan 19/1
46300 Petaling Jaya

Tel : 03-7954 2131

Other outlets' location : Damansara Perdana, Subang Jaya SS15, Kuchai Lama, Klang Carrefour & Bukit Tinggi

"Sometimes it pays to stay in bed on Monday, rather than spending the rest of the week debugging Monday's code"

- Dan Salomon

Nasi Lemak Panas Yati & Suri - The Tale of Two Colours, Selera Jaya 223 Petaling Jaya

2011-09-13T02:43:00.000+08:00

From croissants in Quebec, I'm gonna get back to something dear to most Malaysians' hearts, Nasi Lemak! I've been going to Selera Jaya 223 at Jalan 223, Petaling Jaya for quite awhile whenever I need a Nasi Lemak panas (hot as in temperature hot!) fix and I bring my friends there whenever they are desperately seeking ~~susan~~ Nasi Lemak panas too. I think the place is open 24 hours (stalls open at different hours though).

However, I have to psych myself up before I head over there everytime. No, not because I want to down 5 packets of nasi lemak (my personal best was a max of 3 packets) but the barrage of "food recommendations" from the vendors/helpers and "advice" on where to seat! They would greet you enthusiastically, giving you names like, "Mee goreng...Nasi Lemak...Roti Canai...Murtabak....Tom Yam...Ayam Goreng...etc etc.... Excuse me, but my name isn't Murtabak, okay? LOL! They would also call out to you, "Kawan, duduk sini (Friend, sit here)", "Mari duduk sini, ada kipas (Come sit here, there's a fan)", "Duduk sini, semua sedap! (Sit here, all delicious!"). That's because each vendor has a demarcated area where they can serve, so income is dependent on where customers choose to sit.

I normally just make my way straight through, without looking left or right with NO eye contact and just zoom in on my favourite area which is around the middle (it's further away from the crowd in front area which is usually more concentrated.

Nasi Lemak Panas Yati. Packets of Nasi Lemak panas, wrapped in banana leaves and plain paper are placed before you on a plate and are usually snapped up fast (if not by you, by other patrons around you). They are never cold but warm and sometimes still hot as it's freshly packed on the spot. At times, demand exceeds supply and we have to wait for the helpers to pack them.

Nasi Lemak Panas Suri (I wonder if Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes know that somewhere in Malaysia, Suri is also famous for dishing out yummy Nasi Lemak?)

When I opened this packet on one occasion, I was mesmerised for a second to see this clean and smooth egg (half a egg, that is). The Red's sambal is spicier than The Blue's. The rice has a slight hint of coconut milk and is lightly salted. The rice can be a tad soft but it comes piping hot. Hot food (when it should be hot) it's just good!

The Blue's sambal looks like it has a more solid element to it but is actually more liquid than The Red's. It just has a better appearance/presentation. The rice grain fares better as it's not as soft . So that's 1 point for The Blue but then The Red pulls 1 point for a draw as I prefer their spicier sambal compared to the sweeter sambal of The Blue's.

So, what do I do? I would have one from Yati's and one from Suri's, though at times I would favour a second round of Yati's. It might have looked like a huge serving from the earlier pics above, but as you can see here ... Next to the essential drink (a must have when eating Nasi Lemak panas is the Teh Tarik), it's just a little rice hill :o).

The friendly drink vendor is mighty proud of his skills and I say he has every right to be. Here he is showing me how it's done! Now, that's what I call a REAL Teh Tarik (Pulled Tea).

The last time I was here in Selera Jaya 223, a packet of Nasi Lemak panas costs RM1.20 (USD 0.40). I come here with a RM1.20 expectation, and that expectation is always met. It's not the best Nasi Lemak that I've eaten but it's good due to other reasons - it's piping hot, it's reasonably priced for that little hill, the joy of eating this with some seriously good Teh Tarik and with friends and last but not least, it's just a Malaysian thing! Talking about sambal and being Malaysian, I love Digi's "sambal" message for Malaysia Day last year. Let's look at it again ...

So, another year has come and gone ... but the message still holds true come September 16, 2011

HAPPY MALAYSIA DAY!

Boulangerie Premiere Moisson, Quebec, Canada

2011-09-09T02:13:00.000+08:00

Boulangerie Premiere Moisson (First Harvest Bakery) was our first stop for brunch. Actually this place is more than a bakery ... well, check out their website (there are French/English versions) and find out more about Premiere Moisson. For your info, they even have a section on tips and recipes like Maple back bacon sandwich with home made coleslaw, Ratatouille Bites, Lemon Weekend Cake with Raspberry Coulis to name a few...so check out their interesting website with the many interesting sections/tabs.

Bakery and pastry stores are in abundance in this part of Canadian region. (Wait till I blog on another such place...) I must say, I love 'em all. The bread/pastries that I have tasted here in Canada are so extremely well baked and it's really simply a bag of flavours with all the different types of fillings available. Sigh, even looking through Premiere Moisson's website make me long for another bite of their goodies.

Be it just a ham croissant...it tasted exceptionally wonderful. Fresh croissant with the outer crispy flake and fluffy on the inside (made with 100% butter!) and fresh slices of ham.

Well, I have eaten Potato Salad with Bacon Bits commercially before but over here, it's Potato Salad with Bacon (not bits, you hear me?). Another wonderful serving of some sinful lip smacking goodness! Even the home made potato salad with bacon that I've tried are still a distant second spot to Premiere Moisson's version as they serve potato salad with their very own home made bacon!

How about some champignon & ciboulette (mushroom & chives) omelette in a crusty croissant? Four of my favourite ingredients together...it can only go so right! :o) Mushroom, chives, egg and croissant! Yumz! It was just so delightful to have such a pleasant meal. I'm missing Quebec :o(

Boulangerie Premiere Moisson

840 Av Honore-Mercier

Quebec City, Quebec

G1R 5N4

Tel : 418-522-1117

(See the website for other locations)

Food, Flora & Farewell in Cameron Highlands - Farewell Ethan!

2011-09-05T02:47:00.001+08:00

At this time of writing, Ethan, my nephew has already embarked on a new chapter in his life. He has just recently left for Switzerland to further his studies, his first time being away from his family for such a long duration.

Prior to this, the whole family took a mini vacation and stayed in Bukit Ruil, Cameron Highlands. I still recall that morning before we were about to start our journey, I had several smses and phone calls from friends asking whether I was still going to Cameron as news about the Cameron Highlands landslide that killed 7 people made the headlines. Bro had called to check with the housekeeper and was informed that the route to Bukit Ruil was not affected and hence we decided to go ahead.

It was a smooth journey and we reached Cameron Highlands in time for tea. Bro had gotten the housekeeper to prepare most of the meals for us for the duration of our stay there. While food is essential, so was the floral sights in Cameron Highlands. The weather was really nice and I enjoyed the low temperature more than some of my family members as I was still walking around in t-shirt and shorts while they put on their sweaters and long pants! But it was a little bit of an ordeal sitting down on the toilet seat cover - one always have to psyche themselves up for the "cold" surface :o). Ethan said that it was a good training ground to prepare him for the cold weather in Switzerland! Haha...(but actually, it's really warm over there right now!).

It was a time of family bonding and also a time of pure rest and relaxation. We slept, ate, went out, ate, watch TV, ate and slept...that was the routine for each of the day, hahaha...Meal times were great (Chinese meal with dishes, western food - chicken chop & ginger cake with custard lemon sauce!, tea time - sandwiches and even steamboat) and so was hanging out with the family.

Here's some pics and collage from the trip - floral and food! No pics of us relaxing and sleeping, hehehe....

Take me home!

Wandering around, checking out the plants

All sorts!

Tranquility up in Cameron Highlands

Back at the house ... food!

Clockwise from top left : Breakfast, Tea time & Steamboat Dinner. Food would all be ready and laid out - all we have to do is just eat! (we don't have to clear the plates, the housekeeper does it all)

We had dishes for one of our dinner - the cauliflower from Cameron Highlands has a greenish tinge and tastes better; prawn fritters, always a crowd favourite and one dish that I haven't had in awhile; a simple chicken dish with delicious gravy and finally vegetable soup with fish balls.

We also had Western - Chicken chop with brown gravy on the side with toast and fries complete with Ginger Cake with Custard Lemon Sauce!

That was in early August and now, Ethan's in Switzerland... gotta get use to not having my dear nephew around for awhile...But then like the pic below says, "We'll see you soon!" Hopefully we'll see you in Switzerland and not only when you are back here in Malaysia. Till then...Ethan, take care!

Hokkaido Cake - RT Pastry House

2011-08-26T02:04:00.000+08:00

I've been munching on yummy cakes made by my sis-in-law, (she makes lovely layer cakes - original, black sesame and even green tea ones!). Yup, I'll be the one who is layered alright ... help! And just when things are looking so good and yet so dangerous at the same time, sis-in-law gave me these to try ... and now I'm living my life dangerously one day at a time, hahaha...

The Hokkaido Cake

Stripped for scrutiny ...

Dissected for further study ... like what it says on the box:

Fresh cream in a soft cake made from the purest milk...it's so fluffy I'm gonna dieeeee!!!!!!! Hahaha....with spot on sweetness and light fresh cream, it was love at first bite.

Love now available in a box...6 Hokkaido Cakes for RM13.90. Here's some love you can rely on ;o)

Get love at these four RT Pastry House (call and book love ahead) :-

Locations

"Religion is meant to be bread for daily use, not cake for special occasions"

- Unknown

Charismatic Canada - 'Qool' Quebec Part Seven

2011-08-21T11:30:00.000+08:00

A new week begins and it's back to the daily grind for most of us folks....Here are some sights of Quebec, it's a really pretty place. Looking back at these photos, I miss Quebec.

Have a great week ahead....

Fountain at Parliament Building...

Nothing Canadian about this pic, just that I found these superheroes caricature cute - all locked up in a closed comic shop.

Came night time, it was back to the hotel...looking out from my room window, I could see that night life was just beginning down at the city streets...

As a matter of fact I could see that it was going to be a busy night life rather far towards the horizon....

We had a pleasant night's sleep and look forward to seeing the city sights ... with good weather in tow.

We really enjoyed the sights in Quebec ... it was beautiful and fascinating at the same time ...

As we walked around, we came across a series of jumping cat sculptures. It's a brilliant work of art...the ones that are in the air are actually held up by a thin metal base on the side wall.

As we headed further into the city, we found it to be a colourful place ... even the "redhead" in the pic blended in perfectly to such a colourful city.

To Be Continued....Brunch!

Herbal Roasted Duck @ My Way Roasted Delight, Klang

2011-08-19T08:33:00.000+08:00

I usually go to I-Po in Klang whenever I want to sink my teeth into a good roast duck and have been recommending I-Po whenever anyone asked where they can find such "poultry" in motion!

According to my Klang source, there's a new place in Klang that can give I-Po a run for their money, if not, even better than I-Po. Upon hearing this, I just couldn't wait to try it. So, there it was...about 5 minutes away from I-Po itself, I was brought to this shoplot called My Way Roasted Delight. The Malay words though specifically says "Kedai Makanan Nasi Itik", highlighting just the duck rather than the more vague words of Roasted Delight (with the usual types of other BBQ meats available).

You won't find a row of ducks hanging at the stall area. It takes about 10 minutes after an order has been made before you'll see the staff carrying out a roast duck from the back of the shop. Then you'll be able to see Eugene Lim skillfully deboning the roast duck.

I might not have noticed all these while during my duck meals but this was a first for me....with a few swift movements of the cleaver in hand, the whole back bone was removed in one piece!
Click on "Read More" to see the drool inducing pic of the herbal roasted duck!

*Pics taken with HTC Sensation

Turns out that this is not a plain roasted duck but a herbal roasted duck. The RM45 duck was rather big (definitely bigger than I-Po, the pic above is only half of the duck, we had the whole duck served in two plates). The duck's skin was crisp and fragrant while the meat was devoid of any gamey smell. Served with small plates of light herbal gravy on the side, this duck was indeed scrumptious! The gravy added a plus factor to the already tasty roast duck as the gravy was flavourful with spot on herbs and spices though it was light in consistency.

It's different from I-Po's style, with I-Po serving up a yummylicious hot oil bathed roasted duck while My Way also scores with a herbal variety. I enjoy both styles but now I think I will be in a food dilemma whenever I come to Klang for my roast duck fix ... Which do I go for? I guess I will alternate this two places. I suppose this is one good dilemma to have...Klang's looking even better now!

My Way Roasted Delight

32 Jalan Bayu Tinggi 2A/KS6

Batu Unjur,

41200 Kalng

Selangor

Eugene Lim

016-2666550

03-33238519

Opens at 8 am till around 3pm

Close on alternate Wednesdays

Eugene is still tweaking the operation hours...so, if you're heading there purposely for the scrumptious herbal roast duck, do call ahead just to be sure and check to ensure you don't travel all the way there, only to find the shutters down.

Weekend Desserts! Loving it ...

2011-08-15T02:03:00.001+08:00

A quick post from me...had some lovely desserts this past week which definitely made my "week". Nothing like having a dessert post up on a Monday to chase away the Monday blues ... Life is great! :o)

Something that I eat now and then...love Gelare's freshly made waffle with that 4 dollops of whipped cream, drizzled maple syrup and that premium ice cream (Macadamia Nut in this pic) sitting smack in the center (RM17.50 except special Tuesdays at RM11.50). I love sitting in the outlet while waiting for the order as there would be this heavenly smell of fresh waffles being made :o). Usually shared with a friend or two but I think I could finish this beauty on my own if I wanted to, heh heh...

Gelare @ eCurve, Ground Floor 10am till 10pm

Now, I had just written about Ice Bowl in SS2 just a week ago and someone had left a note about one of Ice Bowl's dessert with Safe egg yolk. Well, the egg yolk in question is from Safegg. Safegg(s) are pasteurized, hence ensuring that they are free from Salmonella and Avian Influenza. Since, I went to Ice Bowl again, I made sure I ordered this special dessert - Special Moonlight Milky Ice (RM6).

What's in it - generous amount of Red Beans, Pearl, Safegg egg yolk on shaved ice with creamer.

I loved it...somewhat like a rich variation of Ice Kacang. The creamer and egg yolk blended well after I stirred the bowl of ice. It has a spot on richness to it that was still easy on the palate. The red beans were so delicious too. Go try this!

Note : Ice Bowl also has something else that is different from Snowflake...apart from the similar "Grass Jelly" series, Ice Bowl has Green Bean series where the ice is made with Green Beans itself.

The address again ...

Ice Bowl

Jalan SS2/63
(same row as KTZ)
Opens at 1pm till 12 midnight daily
Tel : 03-7874 1088

Casse-Crepe Breton, Quebec

2011-08-12T02:09:00.002+08:00

We left Ottawa and headed for Quebec City for the next 3 nights. We checked into Loews le Concorde and had our cuppa first before we decide what to do next.

The hotel is rather nice, however the bed is positioned into a rather tight area and there was a beam running right in the middle as we look up from our bed. Well, I suppose it's cosy ...

Bro in law said that we should have dinner at Casse-Crepe Breton, supposedly one of the famous places for crepes in Quebec. We arrived at Rue St Jean (St Jean Street) amidst a slight drizzle only to be greeted by a queue outside Casse-Crepe Breton.

Damped Rue St. Jean

This was just the beginning...we joined the line and ended up waiting for about an hour and 15 minutes before we got a table! All this while, we muttered under our breath that the wait better be worthed it.

and what can I do while waiting? Take photos through the windows, of course....hahaha...Note how close the distance is from the window to the bar counter!

The front section of the restaurant is a rather small area, not much room for group gathering for sure! Luckily we got a table for the four of us in the back section which was bigger (but not that much bigger).

Err...note how messy the work area is....

I decided to head straight for a dessert crepe, $4.50 - fresh strawberries! Yay...

Whereas the rest opted for savoury ones....bacon and mushrooms

I opened the crepe to see the ingredients inside. I must say that they are rather generous with the fillings. This two ingredients crepe is at $5.

Well, was the wait worth it? I would say no....maybe we waited too long and got tired to fully appreciate the crepes placed before us. The crepes tasted pretty normal for a place that is well known for it. I enjoyed the fillings (strawberries were indeed fresh) more than the crepe itself :o)

Casse-Crepe Breton (Website HERE)

1136 Rue St Jean

Quebec

To Be Continued : The quest is on for the best crepe in town....

Ice Bowl - Original Taiwanese Desserts @ SS2, Petaling Jaya

2011-08-08T00:25:00.005+08:00

There's another new "dessert" kid in town - desserts being the latest food fad for now. Ice Bowl in SS2 has turned this row of shop houses into an even more enticing area.

Entering this less than a week old premise, you get the "Snowflake" outlet feel. Much has been written about Snowflake, so much so, though I have eaten at the outlet in Kota Damansara often - I didn't feel the need to add on to all the accolades this dessert was already getting. From what I can see, the menu at Ice Bowl and Snowflake are almost identical (well, not really...read on). So, one can't help but to compare Ice Bowl's line up with Snowflake's. We all know how packed Snowflake can get. Ice Bowl was packed too and just as noisy but not overspilling at the the order counter (like Snowflake's) when I was there. Just about two customers lining up each time I checked while I was eating there. They have the same modus operandi : Order and pay at the counter, take your "beeper" and wait till the initial dormant beeper goes into "techno" mode. Collect your desserts at the pick up counter.

So, we ordered the Grass Jelly series - Set A (RM6.50) which comprise of Taro, Red Bean, Pearl &amp; Grass Jelly (of course). It was a generous amount of toppings burying the shaved ice beneath.

The red beans were firmer but still soft. Taste wise, it was similar. So similar that one could say that there was no difference but for one detail. What we noticed is that Ice Bowl's creamer is definitely thicker and thus gave a richer taste to the overall dessert. So for me, Ice Bowl's serving fares better. Great for me, as this outlet is not only nearer to where I stay but also pleases my taste buds better as compared to Snowflake.

Now, I don't think that Snowflake has this but check this out - Ice Bowl Home made Special Brown Sugar with Shaved Ice (RM6.90) that comes with 4 toppings that we can choose from a wide variety of 14 different types. Count 'em all : Red Bean, Green Bean, Kidney Bean, Peanuts, Barley, Black Glutinous Rice, Lotus Seed, Pearl, Taro, Taro Balls, Sweet Potato Grass Jelly, Pineapple and this one that was the factor that COMPELLED me to order it ... Caramel Egg Pudding!

The Caramel Egg Pudding was silky smooth firm and tasted okay, which wasn't really the highlight of this dessert as I thought it would be...it was actually the home made brown sugar. The brown sugar made this shaved ice dessert sweeter than I would like it to be. However, the more I dug in, the more I got accustomed to the sweetness and this was when the fragrance of the brown sugar stood out. It was lovely ... so, I'll probably ask for a tad less brown sugar the next time I'm here. However, that's also the reason why this dessert tastes good; the brown sugar.

Well, no more going to Kota Damansara for me. I'm looking forward to going to Ice Bowl again soon!

Ice Bowl

Jalan SS2/63
(same row as KTZ)
Opens at 1pm till 12 midnight daily
Tel : 03-7874 1088

If you're going to walk on thin ice, you might as well dance

- Old Polish Proverb

Friday Quick Bites - Teriyaki Pork Burger @ Kissaten, Jaya One Petaling Jaya

2011-08-05T02:35:00.001+08:00

(NON-HALAL)

Just as I am recovering from my Phuket holiday and getting back to routine, the weekend's here again (Yay!) and come next week, I'm off again for another mini holiday ...

It's Friday (no more jokes/parodies about Rebecca Black's hit, please!), here's another Friday Quick Bites series ... presenting Kissaten @ Jaya One. I had previously blogged on Kissaten for another Friday Quick Bites post too. Check it out it HERE.

*taken with HTC Sensation

One of my faves along with the usual order of Teriyaki Chicken Onsen Tamago Pizza from Kissaten (in Jaya One, though I quite like the outlet at IOI Boulevard too). Served sans the usual potato wedges/french fries ... this beauty is quite substantial size serving and can definitely fill one's tummy! I love the mix of runny egg yolk & the teriyaki sauce along with the moist meat pattie. The burger bun is comes with generous amount of sesame seeds too. I normally 1) cut this into half, 2) remove the top bun and 3) eat this part by part with my fork & knife else there will be messy hands and maybe traces of meal evidence on my Ts! Hahaha....

Both outlets are open from 11am till 12 midnight on weekdays and till 2am on weekends! Woo Hoo! I've asked before, apparently kitchen closes at 1am (if my memory doesn't fail me). Fancy having a Teriyaki Pork Burger at such an hour :o)?

Kissaten
L12A-1-1 Palm Square
Jaya One
72A Jalan Universiti
Petaling Jaya

D-G-57 Block D
IOI Boluevard
Jalan Kenari 5
Puchong Jaya

I would rather be having a burger and beers with my mates but I can't do that when I know I've got to dance

- Michael Flatley

Charismatic Canada - Ottawa Sights Part Six

2011-08-02T01:27:00.001+08:00

Just got back a few hours ago from a mini holiday .... am hitting the sack soon. Meanwhile, here are some sights from Ottawa (another post on the Canadian series). Good night folks...and have a good week ahead!

Sound & Light show - a 30 minute show where the history and culture of Canada is projected onto the Parliament Buildings, usually on nightly from July-September each year.

Our visit to Ottawa was interesting as it was International Busker Festival where artists from around the world showed off their skills on the streets of Ottawa...

We particularly enjoyed this "fiery" troupe that got us mesmerized with their fire handling skills backed by fast tempo music...

While this pic has nothing to do with buskers, I found this Lemonade stall so amusing! Literally a Lemonade stall!

Hope that last pic put a smile on your face! Okay, now to bed....

To Be Continued ...

Purple Cane Tea Restaurant @ KL & Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall, Kuala Lumpur

2011-07-28T02:38:00.002+08:00

I found this post from my long lost archive, all drafted...and now, here it is 4 years later! I have also lost the original photos :o(. Well, I've always enjoyed the food from Purple Cane Tea Restaurant and somehow enjoy dining at the Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall outlet (is that the HQ?) more than Midvalley. Maybe it's about having these Chinese dishes in such a place that adds "character" to it? Hahaha...anyway, it's about time I post this. Enjoy!

***************

Crouching Audience & Hidden Tea Leaves!

Fighting the downtown traffic and finally arriving at this restaurant located in Jalan Maharajalela, calmness swept over me when I stepped into Purple Cane Tea Restaurant. I had no idea why but I guess it might be due to the fact that I was greeted warmly by one of the staff with a very sweet smile who proceeded to usher me towards the table where my friends were already seated.

The retail counter

Looking ahead, I could see that the restaurant was almost at full capacity and just before the seating area, there was a retail counter selling all sorts of tea leaves, tea pots & cups and other accessories. Instead of taking my seat, I delayed myself along the way (much to the amusement of the staff who was there and probably annoyance to my friends as they waited!), I whipped out my camera and started taking photos. What truly caught my attention though was this particular staff who was seated close to the ground and she was brewing tea for customers to sample – with all the pots and cups displayed on a big rustic wood log table just at the side. I joined some of the others who surrounded the table and crouched down to have a better look and was mesmerized by the whole process. The staff began to explain about the different type of tea leaves and even how important it is to follow a certain process, from having the right ambiance, the proper way of brewing tea right down to type of water used for getting a perfect brew.

Watching the tea brewing process

When I finally joined my friends at the table, I noticed that there were different teapots. There were two of each, one for storing the hot water and the other with the tea leaves which we poured the hot water into. The small metal container that you see in the photo belongs to my friend who had brought along his own tea leaves in it.

This one (along with another pot of hot water) contained one of the house tea leaves – Long Jing Green Tea which has a very smooth and invigorating taste, not to mention a lovely aroma too. I would definitely order Long Jing again whenever I'm dining here.

My friends had already ordered the dishes while waiting for me (they are regulars here) and the service staff brought out the rice first. The rice bowl that was set in front of us looked different. I was informed that it was Green Tea Rice and the presence of tea leaves were evident as one can see.

The rice had a slight hint of tea and had an aroma that was unusually different, different in a good way that is! Soon the rest of the dishes were served promptly and first to arrive was Boxing Chicken.

The chicken pieces were moist and tender. I found it bursting with flavours. That was what I loved most about this dish and it's because of the black tea sauce! The sauce was really fragrant and flavourful and I poured the gravy over my bowl of rice and ended up having a second bowl of rice!

Next on the table was the Homemade Beancurd that came with generous topping of minced chicken and garnished with spring onions. The beancurd itself has a slight crisp skin on the outside with a smooth texture on the inside. Once again, the tea sauce played an important role in creating a wonderful ensemble of such a simple yet wonderfully delicious dish.

We also ordered the Stir Fried String Beans with Tea Mill and Pickled Radish. This dish was cooked to almost perfection and we like it for the fact that it wasn't that oily too. The pickled radish provided an added “oomph” to the crisp string beans that had been stir fried just right making this dish a crunchy delight! Purple Cane Tea Restaurant's dishes are paired with tea or shall I say, tea leaves are paired with food. They are the first to introduce “Tea Cuisine” and this first restaurant opened its door in 1997 to customers like us who would like something different from the norm.

We left some tummy space to try out the sweet desserts and ended up ordering Almond Beancurd and Green Tea Peanut Paste. I'm not a fan of Almond but after trying some of this Almond Beancurd in Black Tea, I will give Almond a second chance! Once again, the sweetness was spot on and made this a refreshing and unique dessert.

A creamier dessert variety, the Green Tea Peanut Paste was enjoyable too. It was smooth and light and there was definitely an aftertaste of tea with each spoonful I took and it has now become one of my favourites! I had developed a love for Chinese Tea when I was a child as my dad would let me drink right along with him whenever he brewed a pot of it. However, I had somewhat taken Chinese Tea for granted and didn't know the culture behind it and had just plainly enjoyed it for what it is. That was then but now; since my previous and first visit to Purple Cane Tea Restaurant, I have a better respect for tea leaves!

The dishes that I tried were light but yet flavourful. It does seem to be an healthier alternative when compared to the usual Chinese dishes with the addition and infusion of tea leaves. I learnt that tea leaves had a lot of benefits; apart from what I had already known – not just for cutting down the oil or using teabags to soothe my tired eyes. I found out among the many other benefits that one can also use the tea sediments to fertilize plants! The dishes weren't oily or salty and these factors made this dinner a pleasant meal. Coupled with the fact that service was friendly and prompt too, we made a promise to return to Purple Cane Tea Restaurant again and again for our dining pleasure and the betterment of our health!

Purple Cane Tea Restaurant

The KL & Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall

No. 1, Jalan Maharajalela

50150 Kuala Lumpur

Opens daily from 11 am – 11 pm

Tel : 603-2272 3090

Fax : 603-2272 3281

Website

J Tean Kitchen Fusion Bak Kut Teh @ SStwo Mall, Petaling Jaya

2011-07-25T02:40:00.003+08:00

(NON-HALAL) - Warning : Lots of delicious photos ahead

It's been a while since I got around to accepting a food review invitation since I've been busy running around and when J Tean Kitchen extended one, I did - mainly because it's a stone's throw (well, make it 10 or so but who's counting? hahaha..) away from my home. Not only did the group of us had the opportunity to taste some delicious food but it was also that day that I was introduced to James Tean, the owner of J Tean Kitchen. I was glad as I finally met the man behind the wonderful Tean's Gourmet Malaysian Traditional Curry Laksa paste. I normally buy packets & packets of them for Mrs Pitt and friends who are residing overseas. It's always a hit with the food crowd. Well, Tean's other paste are all pretty good too as Mrs Pitt has tried several of the varieties and told me they are all GOOD! Malaysians overseas must have these in their pantry!

Anyway, back to meeting Master Tean himself (as he's popularly known by that name), we sat down with him and had lunch together. As we took photographs of the dishes, he brought us through the story of how J Tean Kitchen came about. It has much to do with the support and encouragement of his friends who mooted the idea of him doing a restaurant business using his over 30 years of expertise in the food manufacturing industry with his line of Tean's Gourmet products (e.g. like his famous Bak Kut Teh herbs & spices pack for instance). Hence, J Tean Kitchen was born ... and now begins our feast with some East meets West fusion dishes.

Ahhh...lovely. Braised Pork Bun - Tender braised pork slices sandwiched between a nice soft and fluffy steamed mantou (Chinese bun/bread). Well marinated and goes well with the mantou and julienned vegetable. One of my regular orders during my repeat visits here...

RM7.90 for three of these fluffy yummy babies!

And for soup lovers at (RM4.90 each), try out these two delicious range that are served with puff pastry....

J-BKT (Bak Kut Teh) Soup without the "Bak" (meat), lovely herb & spices soup with assorted mushrooms

I love the J-Pumpkin Soup (another favourite order of mine). It kinda reminds me of drinking a lighter consistency of some gravy that one can find with crab dishes. There's a bit of spice and it's creamy and has assorted mushrooms too. Delicious stuff!

For a heartier soupy meal with meat, try the J-Porky Pie (RM19.90), a rectangle puff pastry top covers pieces of pork (half lean and half fat), simmered in special herbal sauce that is a bit spicy. Yes, it's hearty enough to fill a man's tummy.

How about THE Bak Kut Teh? The meat were tender and one can tell that good cuts were used and I loved the mushrooms too. The mixed herbal soup (which to me is more important than the meat itself) tasted just right for me, not too strong and flavourful enough. However, I'm sure when it comes to Bak Kut Teh and its soup, it's different strokes for different Bak Kut Teh folks :o) A serving of Pork Belly, Ribs and Stomach goes for RM20.90 whereas a serving of of just Pork Belly or Pork Leg or Single Bone is RM10.90. Order some rice that's topped with fried shallots to go along with it and if you do, remember to make sure you have the BKT Essentials ...

Raw Garlic and Cili Padi (bird's eye chili)

Moving on to even more meatier stuff...

The J-Ribs (M34.90) was fork tender and marinated well enough with J Tean's special sauce (a.k.a. the secret sauce!) after being pre-stewed with special herbal spices. It's served with lovely potato wedges and a dollop of coleslaw salad and more special sauce.

The J-Curry Ribs (RM16.90) was lovely and had a familiar taste. Yup! Tean's Gourmet Curry Paste is used for this dish - no wonder it's familiar and tasty. Great taste and lovely powdery potatoes! You can opt for pasta to be added for an extra RM3.

The J-Knuckle (RM38.90) came in one solid piece and we asked for it to be cut up into smaller bite size. Once again another great dish, served with potato wedges, coleslaw salad on the side and their special sauce. I love the crackling skin and the tender meat, another well marinated job. Pre-stewed first in special herbal sauce, it was then cooked to golden brown.

Next ... burgers!

I adored the J-Porky Bun (RM16.90), served with potato wedges. A longish pork patty served on an equally longish fried mantou instead of the usual round bun. I usually share this and the staff knows that most folks would as this is a big serving. The staff comes with a pair of scissors ready in their hands when they serve this and will ask whether we would like them to cut it into smaller portions (usually four).

By now, you might ask - do they serve anything else apart from pork? The answer is YES!

They have the J-Chicken Burger (RM7.90) with a regular round bun. But if you love pork and would like to still have pork, they have J-Pork Burger at the same price too.

Potent stuff! Chinese Wine Chicken (RM19.90) was great. The portion here would be enough for two persons with a large appetite. Generous with Chinese Wine and ginger, this dish was really full of flavours and the gravy would go well with a bowl of rice (or two!).

I was informed that Fried Radish Cake Tempura is available for Tea Time Specials (2pm-6pm). At RM6.90 it comes with a cup of coffee. I have yet to try it again as I never dropped by within these hours. I am looking forward to eating it again, as it's yummy! They are running breakfast sets too (10am-12pm) though I've yet to check out their new items like Mee Suah (wheat noodles) BKT and Fried Radish Cake (to name a few) that comes with a cup of coffee too.

There's also other desserts like the Melaka Rainbow - sweet stuff; gula melaka & coconut milk with chewy jelly and sago. There's Golden Beach Dessert too which is milky pumpkin cream that has bits of water chestnut and sago.

Let's hope more folks will visit SStwo Mall with the slight increase in tenants, especially one like J Tean Kitchen. I know that I go there more often nowadays because of J Tean Kitchen and also there's a Chatime outlet there now :o); the latest drink fad (it's nice but don't know why some folks are so into it). It's been pretty quiet, I hope business and tenants will pick up with increasing foot traffic to the place. So, why not go over to SStwo Mall since there's a good reason to now? ;o)

J Tean Kitchen

Lot G-58 Ground Floor

SStwo Mall

40 Jaln SS2/72

47300 Petaling Jaya

Tel : 603-7954 0819

Opens 10am till 10pm daily

Read FatBoyBakes & PureGlutton's take on our food review that day.

Hello To The Weekend!

2011-07-23T01:12:00.001+08:00

Here's to another weekend! Live.Laugh.Love :o)

My two furry friends are ready for the weekend too!
Haha...they are such good boys, keeping still for me to take pics of them.

Kenny's Seafood Porridge @ SS2/4A, Petaling Jaya

2011-07-19T02:32:00.004+08:00

I've been patronizing this area of late for several reasons :-

1) Uncle Cheng Special Beef Noodles - read post HERE
2) Mee Diau, Mee Jawa & Dumplings - read post HERE

and for something else that I've eaten now and then but have yet to post till now,

3) Kenny's Seafood Porridge

I didn't recall the stall having the "Kenny" sign on it during earlier times but now this stall has a name...

Kenny's Seafood Bubur (Porridge). You can see Uncle Cheng's Special Beef Noodles shop on the left in the background.

Most of you would know that I'm not a fan of seafood, so I usually order the Special Porridge (RM5.50) each time I drop by Kenny's stall. What's in the "special" porridge?

Century Egg, Spring Onions, Crispy Fried Anchovies (Ikan Bilis), Crispy Vermicelli, Peanuts, Squid, Fish (but I opted for Chicken instead of fish).

Remember to order the essential side dish ...

Youtiao (Chinese Crullers), the ones here are crispy crunchy!

As I didn't want soggy crullers, I would eat them bit by bit, one by one, putting only a few in at a time :o)

Kenny's Porridge stall is quite well known for dishing out yummy porridge. I keep telling myself that I should try out some of the other selection but I keep coming back to the same thing. I would like to try their Beef Porridge (RM6, extra RM1 for additional beef ball) next time. During the most recent time I dropped by, Kenny was serving up some specials for the day like Fresh Scallop & Concubine Abalone Porridge (RM11). They even have Beef Spaghetti! (RM8, Chicken RM7) I was told that since their beef was delicious, they decided to whip up their very own homemade Beef Bolognaise sauce as they had request from their regulars to do so after they tried the Beef porridge. So, there's a lot more on the menu for me to try ... but for now, porridge anyone?

Directions : Coming from Taman Bahagia LRT on your left, turn right at the traffic lights. Then immediately take the left turn, that would take you to SS2/4A. You will see a row of stalls out in the open. You will come across Kenny's Porridge Stall within the first few stalls whereas the other famous Kedah Assam Laksa (for the Mee Diau and Mee Jawa) stall is at the end of the row. Kenny's open around 5.30pm till late and close on Mondays.

Eating @ The Grand, Ottawa

2011-07-15T02:48:00.001+08:00

And now back to my Canadian post for awhile. Continuing from the previous Canadian post where I highlighted some sights, let's take a look at our dinner that we had in Ottawa on the first night. After walking up and down the streets for awhile, we finally made up our mind to dine at The Grand, settling for something Italian.

The Grand's brick building is lovely to look at and does have some grandeur to it. It was packed and we had to wait a while before we got our table, sitting outside. We enjoyed the fresh air and cool temperature and I didn't really get a chance to take photos of the interior. When I did go in to go to the washroom, I came across this ...

I just love looking at the photos on the wall ... it evokes a very nice and warm feeling

Of course the complimentary bread basket was brought before us and while the food took quite some time to arrive, we enjoyed the soft bread - dipping it into the balsamic vinegar & olive oil. We were famished, thanks goodness we had the bread to munch on first.

The Nizzarda Salad (Nicoise?) $13- Arugula with Italian tuna, potatoes, eggs, red onions, tomatoes, green beans, sicilian anchovies, lemon & olive oil. Every mouthful was delightful!

Fried Calamari, $10 (but of course! It's one of my favourite food) was fried till golden brown and was spot on with the slight batter crunch and calamari that was perfectly cooked.

Now, the pizzas here were truly authentic. The Grand prides itself in delivering traditional Napoletana pizza done right in a wood burning oven. Here you have the thin crust Funghi Mushroom $16 - made with cream of mushrooms, mixed local mushrooms, truffle oil, white mozzarella! So flavourful!

The Calvini Pizza, $16 - with sausage and mozzarella was just as good

While the photo of the Linguine Vongole, $17 doesn't do it justice. The pasta was simply delicious - I couldn't stop eating it. Generous amount of clams (no shells!), white wine & olive oil and added chilli flakes from me made this pasta dish a real palate pleaser.

Thus dinner was enjoyable ... and after a meal like that, we walked around to enjoy the sights of Ottawa.

To Be Continued....

The Grand Pizzeria & Bar
74 George Street
Ottawa Ontario, K1N 5W1
Tel : (613) 244 9995

Head Over Heels In Love with I Heart Yogurt, Kota Damansara

2011-07-11T07:57:00.002+08:00

I love this! I Heart Yogurt has won me over. I'm head over heels in love with their froyo (frozen yogurt) - it's yummy and prices are reasonable. It's my current favourite place for my yogurt fix. What's not to love?

Usually two flavours are available...original and seasonal. The one that I've been eating, Mango; it varies from time to time. You can have it mixed or in single flavour and it is available in three sizes -

Simple Snack (RM8.50 with 2 premium toppings)
Meet Me Halfway (RM13.50 with 3 premium toppings)
Larger Than Life (RM17.50 with 4 premium toppings)

After getting your order with the premium toppings (they have over 40 types for us to choose from!)...move on to get even more. For a limited promo period till further notice (no specific dates given)-head towards the left side of the service counter and there are a myriad of different toppings where customers can help themselves to, as much as the cup can fit (only once...no repeat trips please). Gasp! Have I gotten your attention yet??? Quick, go treat yourself to some froyo love at I Heart Yogurt now (before promo ends..but then even when promo is over, it's still worthwhile going). So as I said, I've been making trips here...Look at my "baby", hee hee...

Pic taken with HTC Sensation

This is the medium cup. The three complimentary toppings that I usually choose : Kit Kat fingers, Strawberry "Rocky" biscuit sticks and Oreos (plus points as the Oreos are in pieces and not in powdery form like some places, I love crunching into it with the yogurt). For this order, I went on to the side and added white chocolate bits, white and milk mixed chocolate bits and strawberry wafer rolls. Bliss! Yes, I paid only RM13.50 for this cup of froyo.

What's more, I Heart Yogurt gives back to the community too! With every cup we purchase, 50 sen will go to a chosen community project....that's where their HEART is. There's just so much to love about I Heart Yogurt! Yup, that's where MY heart is :o).

I Heart Yogurt (Facebook Page HERE)
No. 19-1, Jalan PJU 5/13
Dataran Sunway
Kota Damansara
47810 Petaling Jaya
Tel : 03-6150 3823

Opens from noon till 10.30pm Mon-Thurs
till 11pm on Fridays and Saturdays
Opens from 2.30pm till 10.30pm on Sundays
However, during the times that I've been here on weeknights, the place has stayed opened till 11pm/midnight or so (depending on walk-in customers). So, if you're in the area late at night and crave for some froyo...drop by as it might still be open :o)

Friday Glee : Sentidos Tapas, Jake's & Spice of India @ Feast Village, Starhill

2011-07-08T02:26:00.001+08:00

The last part of the food pic series on Starhill's Midsummer Nights Feast 2011 ends with this post (today is also the last day of the event). For further enquiries and reservations, do call +603-2782 3855.

We start of with Sentidos Tapas and then Spice of India and Jake's. There were just too much food that day and by the time I made my rounds, it was too late to cover Shook!, Village Bar and Tarbush (making it a total of 13 participating outlets) and didn't get the names of some of the dishes. It feels like I didn't meet the time of some Masterchef Australia series, hahah...asking questions, taking photos and food tasting, hahaha....(leaving out the main part, cooking!) So, enjoy the pics as much I had enjoyed rushing from one outlet to another :o)

It happens that Sentidos Tapas was also launching some new items on that day. They call it "Out Of The Box" Tasting Menu - inspired by The Fat Duck. Here's part of the new line up :-

Yummy!

US Queen Scallop touched by Paprika Emulsion

Jake's favourite dishes : Cream of carrot soup, Ribeye & Strawberry cheesecake

Spice Of India's offering ...

It's Friday....Have a safe great "yellow" weekend! :o)

Read Midsummer Nights Feast 2010 HERE.

Dear Father,

2011-07-05T01:09:00.002+08:00

If you were still here, we'll be celebrating your 81st birthday this year
If you were still here, we'll be out eating all your favourite food
If you were still here, we'll be watching the new Hawaii Five-O series
If you were still here, we 'll be going for our weekly movie outing

If you were still here, we'll be enjoying ourselves on holidays
If you were still here, we'll be singing and recording our songs
If you were still here, we'll tell you constantly how much we love you
If you were still here....

Remembering you Dad on your 13th year

Love always,
wmw

Monday Happiness : KoRyo-Won, Pak Loh Chiu Chow & Luk Yu Tea House, Starhill

2011-07-04T02:02:00.001+08:00

Continuing with even more pics from Starhill's Midsummer Nights Feast 2011 ... Happy Monday! Have a great week ahead.

The Samgyetang (Korean Ginseng Chicken) has a rather potent ginseng flavour and packs quite a punch. I loved drinking spoonfuls of it and munching on the bits of glutinous rice.

Enjoyed the BBQ Beef Short Ribs (Bulgalbi) - The meat was tender and flavourful as it was really well marinated.

KoRyo-Won

LG6, Feast Village, Starhill

Tel : 603 2143 2189

Opening Hours : Mon-Sun 12pm till1am

Crab & Prawn Meat Balls

Abalone Platter

Pak Loh Chiu Chow
LG12, Feast Village, Starhill
Tel : 603 2782 3856
Opening Hours : Mon -Sun 12pm till 1am

Baked Honey Glazed White Prawns

I loved how it was arranged with almost such precision, I felt a bit bad for spoiling the arrangement when I took a sample.

Luk Yu Tea House

LG8, Feast Village, Starhill

Tel : 603 2782 3850

Opening Hours : Mon -Sat 12pm till 1am

Sun & Public Holidays : 10am till 1 am

To Be Continued ...

Enak KL - Starhill

2011-07-02T07:51:00.005+08:00

More food shots from participating restaurants for the great Midsummer Nights Feast (on from July 1-8), Starhill. Have a great weekend!

Roti Jala Udang Gulung Sayur

Lacy pancake wrapped with prawn & vegetables and lightly sauteed with spices, served with curry gravy

Clear soup with dory

Grilled Salmon with spinach in golden coconut gravy with pumpkin on the side

Roasted Chicken stuffed with "dagang" rice, delicious "gulai" gravy with cummin, coriander and fennel

Pulut durian vanila ais krim
Glutinous rice and durian served with creamy vanilla ice cream

Enak KL

LG2, Feast Floor, Starhill Gallery

181 Jalan Bukit Bintang

55100 Kuala Lumpur

Tel : +603 21418973

Gonbei San, Starhill - Itadakimasu!

2011-07-02T06:49:00.001+08:00

How about this lovely pic taken from Gonbei San, Starhill ?

Lovely assorted sushi

ITADAKIMASU!

Gonbei San

T2, Relish Floor, Starhill Gallery

181 Jalan Bukit Bintang

55100 Kuala Lumpur

Tel : +603 2782 3801

Fisherman's Cove, Starhill - Midsummer Set Menu

2011-06-29T08:00:00.009+08:00

Hello there! It's mid week already...and I have to do my taxes (hahah...every year I tell myself to do it in the month of February at least and every year, I end up submitting it on the last day!). Well, doing taxes won't dampen my spirit...not when there's good food around :o).

Continuing the Midsummer Nights Feast series, here is Fisherman's Cove 4-Course Midsummer Set Menu at RM148++ per person.

Appetizer

Momotaro Tomato stuffed with Flower Crab Mousse,

flavoured with Basil Pesto

Soup

Celeriac Cream Soup served with Pumpkin Tempura

Main Course

Poached Grey Spotted Grouper with Extra Virgin Olive Oil

accompanied with Roulade of Vegetables and robust Butter Miso Broth

Dessert

So delightful!

Fisherman's Cove

LG10 Feast Floor,

Starhill Gallery

181 Jalan Bukit Bintang

55100 Kuala Lumpur

Tel : +603 2782 3848

Fax : +603 2782 3818

To be continued ...

Opening Soon - Royale Vietnam, Starhill

2011-06-27T02:36:00.036+08:00

Here's the first of several highlights on the other participating restaurants from the Press Conference of Starhill's Midsummer Nights Feast 2011 - Master Chefs of Elements.

Royale Vietnam is due to open its doors soon come this end June and folks will be pleased to know that there will be yet another place for some great tasting Vietnamese food. Check out the pics ... and then check out the restaurant itself! Happy Monday everyone :o)

I like the pho that was served, tender beef slices and beef balls in clear tasty broth.

The Goi Cuon (Fresh Spring Rolls) were rolled and served on the spot for us to sample.

Obviously, the Goi Cuon were as fresh as they can get. But the dip with shredded carrots and ground peanuts was really delicious and added points to these fresh spring rolls.

Cute display of Deep Fried Spring Rolls - these little rolls were BIG in taste. Crisp on the outside and meaty on the inside, these little fellas were aromatic and packed a punch. So good that you can eat it on its own (without the chilli dip).

Such intricate work of foodart...here's a "peacock" proudly displaying ....

Lovely looking "fan" of sliced egg rolls - made with fish paste and salted egg yolk.

Well, this isn't a food shot but I was amused by this Vietnamese chef who also seems to be an avid photographer :o)

To be continued ... more food from Feast Village, Starhill

Midsummer Nights Feast 2011 - Master Chefs Of The Five Elements, Starhill Gallery

2011-06-21T02:16:00.001+08:00

Yes, it's that time of the year again! Starhill Gallery's annual Midsummer Nights Feast in Feast Village will be on from 1-8 July 2011, presenting the Master Chefs of the Five Elements, namely Earth, Water, Air, Fire and Space.

EARTH -“Tribute to Mother Earth” by 3-Star Michelin Chef Benoit Vidal from France

WATER - “Land of Ominiscient Waters” will feature 2-Star Michelin

Chef Moshik Roth from the Netherlands

“It‟s not always about luxury and exclusive products, but rather the combination of fresh tasty products – that's the basis of good food.”

“Cooking is more than behind the stove. It runs on ideas with experimenting and daring.

And those ideas come at the strangest moments.

It always comes suddenly …. in places you would not expect ...”

AIR - “A Breath of Fresh Mountain Air” will be masterminded by

Chef Manabu Ogawa from Pirka signature restaurant in Hilton Niseko Village, Japan

FIRE - “Celebration of Culinary Passion” will showcase the creations

of Master Chef Jason Koppinger, Certified Executive Chef from the United States

“I never forget to attribute much of my culinary skills to spending so much time with my grandmother, mother and aunts in the kitchen. Cooking was always the center of every family gathering … not with just small pots and pans but … cauldrons and huge vessels that could feed 40 – 50 people at a time!”

“In professional cooking … I believe that every one in the team should have an understanding what we are setting out to achieve. The Chef‟s vision and what he expects his diners to have, taste and experience must be communicated to everyone from the stewards to the Chef de cuisine.”

“Last but not least, fresh ingredients will yield a fantastic result.”

SPACE - “Inspired Interpretations of Space” will delight diners with creations

of YTL Corporate Executive Chef Wai

“I love to watch how other chefs use ingredients I've never seen, smelled or touched before,”

This is the way I can learn many new things”

*All Master Chefs' photos courtesy of Starhill Gallery

Eight exciting nights of culinary authenticity are now available for booking and is limited to 130 seats per night at RM385 nett per person and RM50,000 nett for corporate bookings. For further enquiries and reservations, do call +603-2782 3855.

As part of the "Joy to the World Community Services", Midsummer Nights Feast will also host fun-filled culinary and food activities for under privileged children from the “House of Joy”, founded by Reverend and Mrs Tang Chee Sing - a special initiative by Mr Joseph Yeoh, Vice President of YTL Hotels & Resorts and YTL Land Sdn Bhd.

To Be Continued ... More highlights from Midsummer Nights Feast Press Conference and food galore from the 12 participating restaurants from Feast Village!

Happy Father's Day!

2011-06-19T00:30:00.003+08:00

Dad, Happy Father's Day! Thanks for all that you have done ... we love you dad-for the times you comforted us; for the times you protected us; for the times you spent being there for us; for the times you loved us, for the times when you were mischievous, not just as a child but even as as a dad ;p

It's funny, but I guess sometimes we forget that you were a kid too before we came along, hehehe...

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

This goes out to all Dads, have a great celebration. Celebrate this special day with all dads and remember...tell your Dad that you love him. I wish I could...

Fish Ball Noodles @ Penggaram Mee, Batu Pahat

2011-06-14T01:57:00.005+08:00

I remember the time I had my first taste of Penggaram Mee, it was about 18 years ago. I recall loving it and during my short stay of 3 nights in Batu Pahat that time, I ate a bowl of Penggaram Mee every night! Thanks to my bro-in-law and family, they took us for the noodles every night and even packed a few packets for us to take back to Kuala Lumpur. They called it Penggaram Mee because the stall was located in Jalan Penggaram - also known as Hakka Street (for the Hakka folks were aplenty in that area). From that time till now, there were only two other occasions that I got to eat the noodles again - once more a decade ago and the latest, in 2011! Yay! Bro had to travel to Batu Pahat for work and he got his local friends/colleagues to track down the stall (he had tasted it too in the past and was looking forward to eating the fish ball noodles again).

Apparently, the stall is no longer located there and had shifted. Now, my bro followed his friends around and they told him there were two stalls selling Penggaram Mee; operated by different vendors who were related to each other. Are there Batu Pahat folks out there who can fill me in as to where these two stalls are located currently? Well, while this still remains a "mystery" to me ... what's more important is that bro accomplished his mission and came back with a few packets of Penggaram Mee for me!

Of course, it would have tasted so much better if I had the chance to eat the noodles at the stall itself but this was the next best thing! The handmade noodles had a light airy texture to it and was still as delicious as I recalled. One can opt for normal or for a spicy version where some grainy chilli sauce is added - I love the spiciness of it.

Now, aren't those the tiniest fish balls you've ever seen? These home made fish balls were springy despite its tiny size and were nice. I found their home made fish cakes a tad salty though (don't seem to recall them being that way back then) - maybe it's because it's Penggaram (Salt?) Mee? Hahaha....

Well, despite that ... I absolutely enjoyed my Penggaram Mee. I hope I don't have to wait another decade to eat this fish ball noodles again. Batu Pahat anyone? :o)

Dim Sum @ Grand Imperial, Bangsar Shopping Centre

2011-06-09T16:42:00.000+08:00

(NON-HALAL)

This must be the fastest post I've ever done after an outing..I figured since I was gonna post the pics for my girlfriends up on Facebook, I might as well post it on my blog too. This was an lunch outing that we had today! Carol and I had just decided to meet up yesterday itself and managed to get a few of us out too.So, yes... for those who usually run out and buy 4D numbers/lottery at the slightest oddity - this could be one of those times :o).

I've been to Grand Imperial in Bangsar Shopping Centre before but never did take photos till today. I usually have dim sum here. So, when the girls met up today and were deciding where to go in Bangsar Shopping Centre, I threw in my vote for Grand Imperial and there we were shortly after. As in all gatherings, we talked more than we ate. We covered everything within the short two hour lunch - business, beauty, legal matters and LIFE of course but I must say that we did quite good on the orders. . While the slim one lamented that we ordered too much, the few of us looked at each other with raised eyebrows as we didn't feel the same. Hahaha...

Our favourite, which warrants two orders was the Salted Egg Yolk Custard Bun ... delightful little buns :o)

Of course, we had the roast pork too. We love the fork tender, melt-in-the-mouth pork but yet with the ever crunchy skin. Grand Imperial is pretty consistent with this dish.

The Fried Carrot Cake was flavourful but was a tad wet today.

For something simple, the shrimp wantons deliver - a truly "filled" wanton with lovely clear broth.

The Abalone Loh Mai Kai (Glutinous Rice) was nice but it was pretty much the usual standard.

We love the Shredded Pork and Century Egg Porridge - with generous amount of Century Eggs bits (me likey!). The viscosity was just right; while being thick enough it was extremely smooth ... no visible rice grain in sight. It might have been blended prior to cooking to produce such a result. Whatever it is, we love it!

Yes, we enjoyed the food and the great company as usual ... there will be more - gatherings and food, hahaha. Let's just hope that we don't go overboard with ordering - but then to us few, we never seem to ;o).

Grand Imperial Restaurant
Lot T5 3rd Floor
Bangsar Shopping Centre
No. 285 Jalan Maarof
Bukit Bandaraya,
59000 Kuala Lumpur

Tel : 2283 1118 (Location Map)

Charismatic Canada! Part Five - Ottawa

2011-06-06T02:12:00.007+08:00

This time, we drove off from Toronto and headed towards Ottawa. Have I mentioned that Canada is a lovely place? Hahaha...Here are some pics of Ottawa, enjoy! Have a great week :o)

I fell in love immediately with the Marriott Hotel ... count them, count all 7 of my pillows and bolster.

and of course...the coffee machine in the room. All hotels that I went to in Canada have a coffee machine in the room. God bless them!

Here's the view from my room. My! What clean windows they have

Didn't I say Canada is lovely? Even their post box is so lovely!

Finally, after participating in all those Terry Fox Run ... came across the Terry Fox statue designed by John Hooper. It's located across from the Parliament Buildings at Wellington Street

Parliament Buildings @ Parliament Hill ... more on it later

Nearby, here's the Fairmont Chateau Laurier. This castle like hotel has been around for almost a century and is one of the attractions in Ottawa

A reflection of Fairmont Chateau Laurier. They REALLY do have clean windows!

The famous Rideau Canal. When winter arrives, this canal becomes the world's largest skating rink - 7.8 kilometres long Rideau Canal Skateway. How cool is that?!

To Be Continued...

Moo Cow @ Hartamas Shopping Center, Kuala Lumpur

2011-06-02T02:05:00.006+08:00

Another "cool" entry ... after Vivo's Blueberry Pizza, what's next? Here's yet another way to stay cool during our Malaysian heatwave ... Moo Cow located on the 2nd Floor of Hartamas Shopping Center at Sri Hartamas.

(Pics taken with W995 Sony Ericsson)

I really like the taste of the original, it's creamy. Not like some other tart yogurt I've tasted, Moo Cow's frozen yogurt didn't get me "making" a face or squirming. :o) My only wish is that they didn't crush the Oreo topping till such a "powdery" state. If only they just broke the Oreo cookies to bits, letting us have a crunch instead which will add a different texture to the frozen yogurt.

It's RM9.90 with one free topping for the original (you can add an additional topping for another RM1), it's a BIG cup! The seasonal flavours are at RM10.90 (add a topping for RM1). You can also find Moo Cow on the 3rd Floor @ The Gardens, Midvalley. They had two flavours; wheat grass and root beer in the month of May. I'm looking forward to tasting their June flavours; honey calamansi and kopi (coffee). Yay!

Viva La Vida @ Vivo, Tropicana City Mall Petaling Jaya

2011-05-30T01:51:00.026+08:00

Ah...time flies. Mrs Pitt has come and gone and now I'm easing back into my old routine. It was great to have Mrs Pitt around and I only wished she could have stayed longer but all good things must come to an end. It was a crazy two weeks that we had, crazy but nice as it meant two weeks of family time. Mrs Pitt came back smack in the middle of our infamous Malaysian "heatwave"-we were "melting" in the sweltering heat. Hahaha....well, Mrs Pitt survived and she's now on her way back to San Francisco for a cooler reprieve while the rest of us are trying to cope with the heat.

I just realised that I never got round to taking Mrs Pitt to try out one of my favourite "cool" desserts.... Located nearby at Tropicana City Mall (errr....on a side note, was shock to read about the topless Vietnamese woman who had fallen to her death from the condo and onto the mall car park driveway area, not sure which condo it was, mine or next building!...err...sorry I digress!).

Okay, back to the good things in life...where was I??? Oh yes, my fave dessert in Tropicana City Mall. Presenting.....

The blueberry pizza on its own is ok but eat it with ice cream and it becomes lip smacking good! You can choose the ice cream flavours but I like it best with vanilla ice cream (I usually add an extra scoop of vanilla ice cream). Try it!

Meanwhile, here are some of the other fave orders whenever I'm at Vivo, Tropicana City Mall. I somehow find that the food here tastes better than the one in Curve....all the better for me, as it's nearer. Try this outlet at Tropicana City Mall and see if you agree with me :o).

And love it I did ... Fresh shiitake mushrooms slow fried with butter and garlic, finished with home-style creamy tomato sauce. Yes, it's rich. Yes, it's flavourful - nothing like tucking into a pasta meal like this when I love mushrooms, butter and garlic (precisely)!

Oh...last but not least, I must mention the savoury pizza that I like to order too...Bed of Mushrooms (I love mushrooms, remember?)....Generous toppings of mushrooms, almond flakes, cream cheese with pesto sauce. I usually order the thin crust pizza. Yes, it's really "VIVO"licious.

Vivo has quite an extensive menu and while I've not been able to try out every single item, I have found my Vivo favourites. I didn't like Vivo before (the one in Curve) but Vivo in Tropicana City Mall changed my mind.

Vivo @ Level 1

L1-55, Tropicana City Mall

No. 3 Jana SS20/27

47400 Petaling Jaya,

Selangor

Tel : +603 7726 7217

Have a great week folks!

Kyoto House @ Dundas Street, Toronto

2011-05-24T02:27:00.011+08:00

Now, there were mixed reviews about this place. Kyoto House Japanese Restaurant serves ala carte and also All You Can Eat $13 lunch and $19 dinner. Approaching with caution as bro-in-law did a print out of eateries in the area, we were aware this wasn't top in the list. However, it seemed to be what we were drawn too among all the other eateries in this particular area after we walked round the few blocks a couple of times! We entered Kyoto House and found it to be a rather cozy place. Deciding not to go for the buffet, we ordered ala carte instead. We gave our standard Japanese fare order and wondered how it would be. It should fare better and definitely safer than ordering something that was different from the usual. So, was it as bad as some of the reviews about this place?

Special Sushi $9.99 Bro-in-law enjoyed this ...

Unagi Don $11.99 - generous serving of unagi on a bed of rice.

Katsu Don $9.99 A usual crowd pleaser, this was pretty good

Tempura Udon $9.99...

...served with Tempura on the side. Fried beautifully and stayed crisp till the last bite of the udon.

Maybe we didn't go in with high expectations and the dining experience here turned out to be pleasant. I wouldn't say that it was great but we definitely didn't have a bad experience at Kyoto House like some folks did. But I guess, different strokes for different folks :o) If you happen to be in the area, you can come to a verdict of your own.

Kyoto House Japanese Restaurant
143 Dundas Street W
Toronto ON M5G 1C5
Canada

Tel : (416) 585 2223

Cruising Along, Singing A Song...

2011-05-19T01:33:00.005+08:00

It has been a crazy week - spring cleaning my place (still Work In Progress), Mrs Pitt's arrival, work ... but play must go on :o) Just before the madness went on again, I had a wonderful weekend break. I had done this in the past and enjoyed the experience but this time round was different. No competition but plain relaxation! Yes, it's back to the Royal Selangor Yacht Club, cruising aboard Baby Tonga.

Aruba, Jamaica ooo I wanna take you

To Bermuda, Bahama come on pretty mama

Key Largo, Montego baby why don't we go

Down to Kokomo

We'll get there fast

And then we'll take it slow

That's where we wanna go

Way down to Kokomo

HERE'S TO THE ARRIVAL OF YET ANOTHER WEEKEND SOON, YAY!

Yummy Bao @ Restoran Saviour, PJ Old Town

2011-05-14T01:58:00.011+08:00

(NON-HALAL)

Would have posted sooner but Blogger had some problems ....well, better late than never!

Have A Great Weekend Everyone.....

Google Doodle - Mr Roger Hargreaves 76th Birthday

2011-05-09T01:35:00.007+08:00

This was just to cute not to post ....

There are 16 Google Doodles on Google.com today, celebrating the 76th Birthday of Charles Roger Hargreaves (9 May 1935-11 September 1988). The Google Doodles feature some of Roger Hargreaves' characters. I've made a gif file of them .... enjoy!

Here's a list of the 16 characters :-
Little Miss Chatterbox
Little Miss Curious
Little Miss Magic
Little Miss Naughty
Little Miss Shy
Little Miss Tiny
Mr Bump
Mr Dizzy
Mr Forgetful
Mr Funny
Mr Happy
Mr Messy
Mr Rush
Mr Slow
Mr Tickle

You'll see all 16 of them with each new page upload (just press F5 to refresh the page) :o)

By the way, did you know on May 21, 2010 Google's Doodle was an interactive Pac-Man game, celebrating it's 30th anniversary that day. It was so popular that Google set up a permanent link (for now...) for those who would still like to have a go at that game. Play Google's Pac-Man HERE.

Have A Great Happy & Productive Week Ahead!

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-08T23:13:00.002+08:00

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY, MOM!

AND TO ALL MOTHER'S AROUND THE WORLD TOO!

A man’s work is from sun to sun, but a mother’s work is never done. – Author Unknown

To be continued .... Celebration makan time!

An Annual Do? Oriental Pavilion, Jaya 33 Petaling Jaya

2011-05-03T14:27:00.006+08:00

(NON-HALAL)

"Man who stand on hill with mouth open

will wait long time for roast duck to drop in"

- Confucius

Note : You would have realised that of late, I've been typing less and inserting more text into my photos instead. This is the prevent them from being "stolen" (yet again!) as it makes them harder to crop/photoshop my photos.

Memories...& Pun Chun Restaurant, Bidor

2011-04-28T02:02:00.001+08:00

I had the opportunity to drop by Pun Chun in Bidor while on the way back from one my my quick out of town trips...I was swept away with nostalgic memories of the previous time I was in Pun Chun, Bidor. It was one of the stops we made during our Drive For Food. Our group, Fantastic Four/ACT (Apple Crumble Team) were one of the finalists. It's been a while and posted in the past, but let's just take a trip back in time. We had the most fun coming up with our team submission video to The Star which was the one that got us picked to be in the finals. It always bring a smile to my face whenever I think about that time and see the videos we did. You'll see some familiar faces there .....enjoy!

So, stepping into Pun Chun, Bidor after all that time brought a warm feeling and yes, it was also a hot sunny day :o). But I knew what to order, it's ingrained into me.

Read about SS3's delicious Woo Kok HERE

Pun Chun is famous for their Duck Drumstick Noodle, which I don't really like as I don't like eating drumstick. Check out Pun Chun's blog and their own highlights.

Memory is a way of holding onto the things you love,

the things you are,

the things you never want to lose.

~From the television show The Wonder Years

Pun Chun Restaurant

38 & 40, Jalan Besar

35500 Bidor, Perak

Tel : 05-434 1554

Hot Dogs For Breakfast! Toronto, Canada

2011-04-25T02:13:00.022+08:00

As mentioned from my previous post on Canada, we got to try the hot dogs for breakfast in Toronto. There are several mobile hot dog vendors (3 of them) within walking distance from Sheraton Centre and City Hall. Ahh...The Original Bavarian Bratwurst Wagon Co.

You just gotta have the experience!

Uncle Cheng Special Beef Noodles @ SS2, PJ (New Location)

2011-04-21T01:57:00.006+08:00

I had written about Uncle Cheng Special Beef Noodles a few years back when Julian was still operating a stall in the Restoran Khasiat coffee shop in Section 17. However, Julian got a place a couple of months back in SS2 (No. 54, Jalan SS2/4A) and is now operating in a shop lot of his own.

I'm glad it's still in Petaling Jaya and rather nearby and I've been making my rounds there once again. I just love the beef cuts and broth - yummy! I like the dry noodle (it comes with a bowl of soup on the side) while some prefer soup noodle. Take your pick together with your selection of beef cuts :o)

Check out Julian's Facebook page for more info and location map. Remember to call and check whether the place is open. MOOOOooo...... :o)

Here's To Mondays ...

2011-04-17T23:56:00.001+08:00

Had a lovely weekend (mainly boosted by West End Stars Concert! It was really good...), so much so, that Monday looks good too, hahaha....I shall do a short post with some miscellaneous pics (taken with my handphone again) to greet the week ahead. Have a good one folks!

I Really Gotta Go!

Should have bought it! Since then, I use this line for food that I don't eat! Hahaha....

Oh well, it's time for me to call it a night....Till then...

Ko Hyang Korean Country Delights, NOW @ One Mont Kiara!

2011-04-14T02:18:00.026+08:00

(PORK-FREE)

Yay! One of my fave Korean eateries is now nearer to me. Ko Hyang opened recently in One Mont Kiara and I've been going there pretty regularly since it's near to my office. I've blogged on Ko Hyang at The Gardens, Mid Valley City before, read about it HERE.

By now, most folks are aware of this well known simple Korean food eatery but there's one thing I concluded from eating at Ko Hyang, One Mont Kiara. Can you handle the truth??? Hahaha...Come closer to the monitor screen now.... Okay, ready? Wait, will I regret telling you folks this? Will I find myself waiting for a vacant table after this? Will the quality be compromised when it starts getting crowded? Okay, okay...here goes.

While Ko Hyang @ The Gardens already dishes out delicious Korean delights, Ko Hyang @ One Mont Kiara does it EVEN BETTER; both in terms of taste and presentation. (You can do some comparison by clicking on my previous post to check out the photos there with the ones posted here - these recent ones were taken with my Sony Ericsson phone though). I haven't tried the other locations at Sunway Pyramid and Fahrenheit 88, I wonder how they fare.

I usually have either Kimchi Fried Rice, Jap Chae or Dolsot Bim Bim Bab. Remember that I said that it's better here at One Mont Kiara in terms of presentation too? Check out these photos and the ones on Ko Hyang's website...The presentation is almost the same as the pictures on the menu, WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get), unlike The Gardens.

Did you look at the pics from their website? See what I mean? This is the Dol Sot Bim Bim Bab-Stone Pot Rice with mixed vegetables, chili paste and your choice of beef or chicken.

Jap Che - look at the garnishing. Notice the julienned omelette? They actually separate the egg white from the yolk (just like the pic on the menu), thus adding even more colours to this delicious stir fried glass noodles with vegetables. Again, you can have a choice of beef or chicken (it's always beef for me!). This noodles are fragrant and not oily.

I love the Pa Jeon here, this seafood pancake with spring onions and squid is usually a must order for me. Ask them to pan fry it a bit longer, it's tastier with burnt bits, making it crispier. That's the way I like it!

One still gets the usual Banchan (side dishes), and yes, Ko Hyang's Kim Chi still rocks! I really love Ko Hyang's spicier version and it's just so addictive. For your info, they do sell the Kim Chi in a 250g container for RM5.

Note : Ko Hyang's outlet in One Mont Kiara has a dinner promotion on till June 30, 2011. They are giving a 10% discount on orders of RM30 & above and 15% for orders RM50 & above. As for lunch deals, main meals comes with a free drink.

Ko Hyang Korean Country Delights

One Mont Kiara, Unit L1-21 (Level 1)

No. 1, Jalan Kiara

Mont Kiara

50480 Kuala Lumpur

Korean proverb

남의 떡이 커 보인다

Others` ddeok (rice cake) looks big.

"The grass is greener on the other side of the fence"