2012 Roundup

It didn't seem too long ago that I had welcomed 2012 with a brighter outlook after having a not so good 2011.  Going into 2012 with a positive outlook and sending out positive vibes made 2012 a very blessed year for me indeed.  Thank God for all his blessings.  As 2013 makes its way in, I look back at 2012 with great memories.  Here's a roundup of my 2012.

I would like to wish all a great 2013 ahead.  May we always cherish our love ones.  Life itself is a cause for celebration.  As I always say... LIVE.LAUGH.LOVE. God Bless Us All.

I traveled quite a fair bit in 2012 ...

Montreux, Switzerland

My first Chinese New Year Winter Holiday!

Pisa, Italy ... 

Florence, Italy

The Mysterious Avengers @ De' Champion Duck, Bandar Menjalara

(NON-HALAL)

Long before "The Avengers" came to town, there was another superhero team; helping to save the world from cholesterol by eating up as much fatty food as possible.  We called ourselves "The Mysterious Avengers" (TMA)... We have since gone under the radar as the authorities were on to us and tried to curb our activities. I now blog on one of TMA's cholesterol conquest with fondness ... Yes, TMA were last seen at De' Champion Duck in Bandar Menjalara ... and this is our story.

Claypot "Shuin Choy" - it was spicy enough but was not as sour as I would like it to be.  I enjoyed the bits and pieces of meat; especially roast duck skin together with the pickled vegetables.

The Drunken Roast Duck was great - the meat was tender and juicy and the herbal gravy with a tad of Chinese wine added lovely flavours to it.  It's a different kind of roast duck...this is good but my fave is still the two stalls in Klang, HERE and a similar herbal style roast duck HERE. Of course, De' Champion Duck is a much nearer alternative :o)

Jennifer, 6 Years On ...

Picture taken from JMYWH's Facebook Page

You're still here, in our hearts ....

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

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

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

(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 :-

Dim Sum @ Grand Imperial, Bangsar Shopping Centre

(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)

Cruising Along, Singing A Song...

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.

An Annual Do? Oriental Pavilion, Jaya 33 Petaling Jaya

(NON-HALAL)

Remembering Jennifer

It's been 5 years ... Here's to you, Jennifer Monica Yap Wai Han!

Photo from http://jmywh.blogspot.com/

Note : Yet another friend of mine has passed on yesterday morning.
Maxine...rest in peace. We didn't get a chance to say goodbye before you left us so soon. I shall not remember that you died, but remember that you LIVED...and that, we will not forget!

2 Timothy 4:7

I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith...

CNY Waistline Damage ... Thus Far

With all the gatherings with friends ... over food and more food during this Chinese New Year period, our waistlines are increasing at an alarming rate.  Who or what is responsible for such a deed?  So it seems that we have been dining out at restaurants and eating all the "auspicious" food that has indeed brought us such "prosperity". Thankfully, it hasn't always been elaborate meals and in between the onslaught of abundance calories, we had some reprieve in some simple and yet delicious meals.  I shall now end my short post with pictorial evidence of such meals that we had shared with much laughter, love and joy!

Popiah (Spring Roll) skin

"Lettuce" eat! Can't help myself.... :o)

Where Exactly is Restaurant Hai Tien Ti in Sitiawan?

My brain keeps thinking that it's the weekend tomorrow. My "personal" calendar needs to be re-calibrated everytime there's a weekday public holiday (especially during mid week!). Just when I think that the weekend is here, my weekend joy gets interrupted...."Maaf, rancangan tergendala"! Ahhhh! But thank goodness it's Friday and the weekend is indeed around the corner. Yay!

Now, it's back to Sitiawan. The thing about eating in Sitiawan is that we just rely on the great hospitality of our friends to bring us around (thank you so much). The places we went to had no name cards, no addresses and look similar ...our Sitiawan friends don't know the addresses too. That's pretty much how things are in Sitiawan and I guess that's the simple charm of Sitiawan :o). Came dinner time in Sitiawan, we found ourselves at Restaurant Hai Tien Ti in Kampung Cina (and that's all we know)....

We left all the ordering to the hosts and soon we had these on our table ...

Toddy! Hic .... hehehe....It grows on you ;o) Toddy by the jug, how sweet ...

Spacious dining area ...where we await our food

Breadvale, Paramount Garden - Added Joy For Year End Celebration

(NOTE : AS AT FEBRUARY 2011, BREADVALE IS TEMPORARILY CLOSED AS THEY ARE HAVING STAFFING ISSUES. I WISH BREADVALE WELL AND PRAY THEY WILL BE ABLE TO RE-OPEN SOON. CALL TO CHECK IF YOU NEED TO).

Happy New Year! Now that it's back to work for most of us...I can only recall with much delight over the celebrations I had in the month of December 2010 while lamenting about going back to work! Hahaha.... I had come across Breadvale during one of my trips to Paramount Garden for my usual Hokkien noodles and I'm glad I did. It didn't start out as a bakery as it was initially a cafe but the proprietors decided to change their business model a couple of months down the line. So, Breadvale is officially only about a couple of months old and has now become one of my favourite haunts .

Their range of buns and cookies are rather good and reasonably priced at the same time plus the proprietors are friendly folks too! I like the Onion Cheese & Ham Bun, even the simple Chicken Ham Bun is lovely as the bun is pillowy soft :o). Most of all, what I love most from Breadvale is their Bread & Butter Pudding!

Foong Foong Yong Tau Foo @ Ampang

When K was in town over one weekend, Ilene and I caught up with him over food (what else???).  Since we both met up with Ilene in Ampang, she suggested that we do a Yong Tau Foo lunch at Foong Foong.  It has been ages since I last ate there and wondered if the stuffed goodies still delivered as it did before.

Lazing around Sitiawan

The holiday came and gone and we're back at work.  Luckily, the weekend is just around the corner, YAY!  Continuing with Sitiawan, we came to realise that Sitiawan folks are friendly people as it was the case with Charles and his family.  Believe it or not, the whole group of us even hung out at his neighbour's house - yes, someone whom we just met for the first time!  After picking up the paus from Yee Si and filling our tummies with Kampua Noodles, Charles took us back to his house to clean up and rest.

Then he told us about his neighbour who has the best botanical garden in Sitiawan and brought us all over! The friendly neighbour gave us a warm welcome and asked us to make ourselves at home (to which at this time, I went round taking photos of his lovely garden).

Life is Great & It Keeps Getting Better - Continuation

It's Monday .... now that we are kinda back in the swing of things from all that celebration, chances are some of us are probably feeling pretty bummed out as we sit in the office.  Maybe all one needs to be happy on a Monday is to look for a reason to be?  Hahaha....Life goes on ... and yes, it keeps getting better.  So for those having the Monday Blues, it'll be Tuesday in no time :o)

Here's more pics to thank the gracious host/hostesses for all the great invites into their homes and for the warm hospitality extended ... (Once again, my apologies to those that I did not cover here and in the past as some photos are missing and I might not have taken any photos in the first place).  Well, after this - it's back to work.  Thanks for dropping by and here's wishing you a productive week ahead.

A big THANK YOU to the WONGs for I have quite a number of sumptuous meals in your abode.  I always enjoy the delicious meals lovingly prepared - steaks, lamb rack, roast pork!  My wish for you all is that there will always be an abundance of  good things (which includes good food of course!).

Life is Great & It Keeps Getting Better

As I was going through my photos, I realised how blessed I have been to be in the midst of friends, not only in times of celebration, merry making moments but to have such folks in my life as I travel on this journey - not alone but in the company of friends.  Some has come and gone, some new arrivals, old friends whom I might not see that often but definitely know for sure that they are HERE for me.  I have written posts on some friends  who have invited me into their homes (to those that I didn't, sorry that I couldn't cover all who did! But nevertheless, thank you for being a gracious host/hostess).  I figured before another batch goes "missing", I better blog on them.  Of course, food and friends do go together as we all know and here are some food shots (and some furry ones too, you'll see what I mean later) that were taken during our celebration of friendships together. 








PureGlutton - This was a first, she invited us bunch of strangers for nasi lemak at her house.  We had then only exchanged comments on each other blogs and her bravery led us to some delicious food in her home.  


Of course, we got the eat other goodies brought by the rest of the bloggers and enjoyed playing with Kikko!  Thank you once again!

The Making of Gimbap

After shopping for the essential ingredients from Desa Sri Hartamas, I went over to Korean Princess's home and got our hands busy, rolling up some Gimbap (well, Korean Princess did way more than me as I was busy taking photos and had to keep my hands as clean as I can, gloves or no gloves).

Sprinkle sesame seeds onto rice and pour some sesame seed oil into the rice, then mix them well.


Place a large seaweed sheet on the bamboo mat, shiny side down and spread the rice evenly over the seaweed.  Start from the bottom with a margin of about half inch and work your way up with 1 1/2 inches at the top of the seaweed . 


Then lay out the cucumber, eggs, crabstick and pickled radish across.


Roll the bamboo mat slowly and carefully.  Remember to apply even pressure on the bamboo mat.


Unroll the mat and you can then apply some sesame seed oil onto the roll for added aroma like we did.  Make sure you have a sharp and wet knife (once again, we coated the knife with sesame seed oil and it worked well) and slice the roll. Remember not to saw but to cut firmly down so that the Gimbap will retain its round shape.

맛있게 드세요

Enjoy Your Meal!

Sin Yee Kee Beef Noodles @ Pasar Besar Seremban & Legend Premium Tower

Enroute to Port Dickson last month with Ash, we decided to stop by the Pasar Besar Seremban for yet another beefy adventure at Sin Kee Beef Noodle stall.  I have been here several times (blogged about my first visit to this place a long while back in 2006 using my little Samsung camera! Check out my ancient post and old pics HERE).  As usual, I ordered my fave beef noodles with beef balls and tripe.  I love the gooey gravy and the whole works here (something Ash was not accustomed to and didn't enjoyed as much as I did).

Look out for stall no. 748

RM5 of gooey goodness in a bowl :o)

Remembering You....

Wishing you were somehow here again...
Wishing you were somehow near ....

Sim"pho" Satisfaction ...

There was an onslaught of all those Yee Sang and dishes after dishes of artery clogging rich food - a grand celebration during the festive period of Chinese New Year. Actually, while being thankful that I am and also in the company of folks who loves to eat and to have such a luxury when compared to the less fortunate, I look forward to something simple most of the time. "Simple" in itself is also rather subjective, depending on different individuals. To me, simple can be just as satisfying at times (putting aside my failed attempts at cake baking or trying out new recipes!!!!) and best explained that a simple meal is one that puts the warmth not only in my tummy but my smile. This was such a meal, another invite .... a home cooked one (yes...just like my earlier "Hearty Meal" post). This time round for ... Vietnamese Beef Noodles!

Thanks Korean Princess & Queen for the fabulous Phở. I am honoured to be the sole guest in your kingdom and to be able to partake such a meal :o). I would also like to thank my other friends too for all those other occasions where great food were prepared with blood, sweat (the hot weather is a killer!) & tears (from those onion slicing, hehehe...) and most of all, for inviting me into your home . I'm truly blessed indeed!

TGIF .... Here's to the weekend! Have a great one :o)