Donald & Lily's Corner, Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock, Melaka

We've never been to Melaka together, and it has been ages since I was last there. Hubby and I finally made a day trip there recently, with a couple-friend of ours. They apparently know Melaka pretty well, and took us eating and sight-seeing. We ended up at this quaint little outlet called Donald & Lily's Corner for lunch.

Got to climb upstairs to the actual restaurant. It was very crowded, and we had to share table with another bunch of folks.


The menu board. We arrived late and almost all the dishes were sold out, much to my disappointment. I wanted to try the nyonya laksa as every table seemed to be eating that, but unfortunately, that was sold out too.

So we settled for Tau Kua (RM3.50) which is basically bean curd with rojak sauce on it. I've had better in Taiping, the Tau Kua here was too hard and dry, the sauce was insufficient and lacking a certain oomph.
The Mee Siam (RM3.00) was also so-so only, it came with tau cheong sauce. Tasted like fried bihun with tau cheong. I much prefer the type of Mee Siam which has a strong taste of lemongrass.
We also had the Nasi Ayam Pongteh (RM5.00) which comes with rice, cabbage and sambal belacan as shown in below pic. Ok this was good, I especially liked the sambal belacan.

The Cendol with Sago (RM2.50) was another let down, the ice shavings were too coarse, and overall, it was too diluted. Not enough santan and gula Melaka. I would have thought that gula Melaka would be plentiful in, well, Melaka!

For directions, please refer to AmazingMelaka.com

A 2-bam for us.

Rumah Ku Gallery and Cafe, Jalan University, Petaling Jaya

Having tried and happily blogged on the Rumahku outlet in Brickfields, we decided to give the PJ branch a go. Service here was excellent, with very attentive staff and the ambience was just great! They even have a tiny bell on each table for you to use to summon a waiter. You can check out their website for a closer look; the website even has menus with price listed.

Hubby ordered the nasi lemak with chicken rendang (RM6.50). It was good, very piquant, and yet hubby preferred if it had come with the ayam masak merah. We both have happy childhood memories of ayam masak merah cooked by our respective moms.
And that's what I had, the ayam (chicken) masak merah with rice (RM6.90). It was sweetish and by all means good, and yet somehow it was lacking a certain ooomph that came with the ayam masak merah that we had at the Rumahku in Brickfields. Different chef, most likely.

We ordered a plate of mutton porial (RM6.00) to share. This was basically mutton cubes cooked and slathered in dry curry spices. The mutton taste was not too overwhelming (I'm not a big fan of mutton or lamb), so I actually enjoyed this dish.

It was indeed a rather filling outing for the both of us, with all the rich curry-laden dishes.

Rumah Ku Gallery and Cafe

(PJ)6A, Jalan Universiti,

46100 Petaling Jaya.

Mobile: 012-3131073

Map:http://rumahkuonline.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=13&Itemid=15

Website: http://rumahkuonline.com/index.php

We give this PJ outlet a 3-bam. In terms of taste, we would still vote for the Rumahku outlet in Brickfields.

Duck Springrolls

Craving for Aunt Poi's excellent duck spingrolls, we bought half a duck (RM20.00) and got creative.
The spread: there was the duck (deboned), duck sauce mixed with hoisin sauce, spring onions, coriander, lettuce, green chillies preserved in vinegar, Kampung Koh chilli sauce, and rice paper sheets.

We piled the filling onto the dampened rice paper sheets, rolled them up, and....

....voila! Overstuffed duck springrolls.

You can see the duck pieces in the middle, we were very generous with the portions. It was all crunchy and meaty and fresh. We loved it! Though not as outstanding as Aunt Poi's creation, this would have to do until our next trip to Sydney!

Kai Choy Rice

I had an access of kai choy (mustard greens) from making kiam chai boey. So I googled for a recipe to figure out how to use the kai choy in another dish, and stumbled upon Lily's blog. I decided to try out the kai choy farn recipe she's got posted since it looked pretty fuss-free.

I took the liberty and added lap cheong, ginger, mok nee (black fungus) and Shiaoxing wine to the original recipe, improvised and fried the whole lot rather than just mix-in. Turned out better than I expected, hubby actually finished his whole bowl!

Fat Rock Cafe, Taman Desa, Kuala Lumpur

We are regulars here, and every time we want to come dine here, I'll say, "Let's go see Uma Thurman". You see, there's a waitress here who bears a striking resemblance to the actress, all slender and willowy to boot.

This time we tried the nam yee deep fried chicken. It was superb, crispy outside with the salty taste of nam yee, yet juicy and tender inside. One of our more inspired choices.

Fat Rock, in my opinion, serves the best pai kwat wong in the Klang Valley. They use boneless pork chops for this dish. The meat is succulent, and the best part is the thick sticky gravy that coats the entire piece of meat. The taste of that gravy has not been replicated anywhere else, including our own kitchen. It has a hint of curry powder in the midst of the usual sweet and sour tanginess. Simply excellent!

Hubby is a fan of baby long beans, so we ordered it. Pretty simple, stir fried with garlic.

The bill came up to RM32.80 which is normal when dining here. The good cooking makes it worth it. Some of my other favourite dishes here are the sambal belacan petai prawns and marmite (boneless) chicken. Truly yummy!

Fat Rock Cafe

Jalan Desa Jaya (at the Faber Towers commercial square, one shop away from 7-11, facing the football field),

Taman Desa,

58100 Kuala Lumpur.

Mobile: 012-3392927 ("Uma Thurman's")

As far as regular tai chows go, this place is definitely a 4-bam.

Babi Guling Buk Anom, Jalan Majapahit, Kuta, Bali

Everytime we saw a piggy signboard, we could not help but be tempted. Though my first experience with babi guling wasn't too great, I was game to give it another go, for hubby's sake. This time, we went to an outlet closer to where we were staying.

The spread of "interesting" piggy parts.

This outlet's babi guling tasted better than the first outlet we went to. I actually finished most of my meal, the only thing I really could not get down was the sausage. Way too pungent.

The spicy soup.

Of course, we had to have our favourite fresh jeruk (mandarin oranges) juice.

This meal for 2 cost INR50,000 or RM18.85. Pricier than the first outlet we went, but at least an improvement in taste.

Still 2-bams for me.

"Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free..."

The New Colossus

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
"Keep ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

This poem by Emma Lazarus is engraved on the pedestal upon which stands Lady Liberty.

Ayam Goreng Kalasan Mbok Limbok Asli Yogyakarta, Bali

From the back of a pick up truck, a business sprouts. We stopped by to sample this Kalasan fried chicken, admittedly because of the big banner in front which boasted that it was an original recipe from Yogyakarta.

The small setup.

The fried chicken had a very light, fluffy and crunchy layer of batter.


Eaten with super spicy sambal and rice, it was pretty good!


Oh and I couldn't resist the pile of salted eggs.

Washed down with a refreshing glass of Sosro tea. It's all the rage in Bali.

Our simple meal for two cost INR29,000 or RM10.90.

Not as good as KFC, but pretty good nonetheless 'cos they use kampung chicken. 3-bam!

President oBAMa!

What Is An American?
By Peter Ferrara, an associate professor of law at the George Mason University School of Law.
http://www.nationalreview.com/comment/comment-ferrara092501.shtml


You probably missed it in the rush of news last week, but there was actually a report that someone in Pakistan had published in a newspaper there an offer of a reward to anyone who killed an American, any American.

So I just thought I would write to let them know what an American is, so they would know when they found one.

An American is English…or French, or Italian, Irish, German, Spanish, Polish, Russian or Greek.
An American may also be African, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Australian, Iranian, Asian, or Arab, or Pakistani, or Afghan.

An American is Christian, or he could be Jewish, or Buddhist, or Muslim. In fact, there are more Muslims in America than in Afghanistan. The only difference is that in America they are free to worship as each of them choose.

An American is also free to believe in no religion. For that he will answer only to God, not to the government, or to armed thugs claiming to speak for the government and for God.

An American is from the most prosperous land in the history of the world. The root of that prosperity can be found in the Declaration of Independence, which recognizes the God-given right of each man and woman to the pursuit of happiness.

An American is generous. Americans have helped out just about every other nation in the world in their time of need. When Afghanistan was overrun by the Soviet army 20 years ago, Americans came with arms and supplies to enable the people to win back their country. As of the morning of September 11, Americans had given more than any other nation to the poor in Afghanistan.

An American does not have to obey the mad ravings of ignorant, ungodly cruel, old men. American men will not be fooled into giving up their lives to kill innocent people, so that these foolish old men may hold on to power. American women are free to show their beautiful faces to the world, as each of them choose.

An American is free to criticize his government's officials when they are wrong, in his or her own opinion. Then he is free to replace them, by majority vote.

Americans welcome people from all lands, all cultures, all religions, because they are not afraid. They are not afraid that their history, their religion, their beliefs, will be overrun, or forgotten. That is because they know they are free to hold to their religion, their beliefs, their history, as each of them choose.

And just as Americans welcome all, they enjoy the best that everyone has to bring, from all over the world. The best science, the best technology, the best products, the best books, the best music, the best food, the best athletes.

Americans welcome the best, but they also welcome the least. The nation symbol of America welcomes your tired and your poor, the wretched refuse of your teeming shores, the homeless, tempest tossed.

These in fact are the people who built America. Many of them were working in the twin towers on the morning of September 11, earning a better life for their families.

So you can try to kill an American if you must. Hitler did. So did General Tojo and Stalin and Mao Tse-Tung, and every bloodthirsty tyrant in the history of the world.

But in doing so you would just be killing yourself. Because Americans are not a particular people from a particular place. They are the embodiment of the human spirit of freedom. Everyone who holds to that spirit, everywhere, is an American.

So look around you. You may find more Americans in your land than you thought were there. One day they will rise up and overthrow the old, ignorant, tired tyrants that trouble too many lands. Then those lands too will join the community of free and prosperous nations.

And America will welcome them.

Satay "Penyu", Kuta, Bali

If there was one unforgettable cuisine we had in Bali, it must have been the satay penyu. I clarified with a fellow customer and no, it's not turtle but tortoise that went into the making of this satay. Every day we drove pass this crowd at a carpark, and when we tried the satay, we knew then why there was always a crowd.

Under the trees and an overturned umbrella, a makcik and her gang of ladies would be busy fanning away.

One of the ladies would slice the ketupat.

The makcik would be busy grilling the satay.


That's the stash of marinated tortoise satay, waiting to be grilled.

Makcik dips the satays into a pot of gravy before grilling them, effectively sealing the gravy taste into the meat.



We bought a pack of 10 which cost INR15,000 or RM5.66. Worth every penny. The square darker piece was the liver, the only part which I did not take. The satay meat was tender, juicy, infused with spices, and the texture and taste was just like chicken, only better. We ate here twice, despite the long and disorganised queues.





4-bams and no less!

Rumah Makan Muara Kobe, Kuta, Bali

This restaurant serves Batak food, and is famous for its babi panggang (grilled pork), which we enjoyed with a relish.

We had to order the house speciality, of course. The babi panggang (INR18,000/serving or RM6.79) was excellent; smoky and with all the crisp burnt parts, served with "sambal khas ala batak".

Ayam panggang (grilled chicken) (INR13,000 or RM4.90) was pretty good too, still juicy inside whilst all smoky and crisp on the outside, eaten with a squeeze of lime. I think the topping was deep fried ginger shreds.

Lele panggang, otherwise known as grilled catfish (RM11,000 or RM4.15) served with "sambal khas muara kobe", hubby had this mostly on his own as I was not a fan of catfish. Hubby liked it.

This was a sweet, sour & spicy tomato & onion chutney which came with the dishes. Lovely!

This would be one of the sambals. Super spicy!

And another type of sambal eaten with dark thick soy sauce. Spicy and sweet.

I think this was pucuk manis cooked in santan, which also came with the dishes as a (weird) condiment, perhaps.

Markisa, or passion fruit juice (INR5,000 or RM1.89). Passion fruit is grown in Bali.

Jeruk, or mandarin oranges juice (INR5,000 or RM1.89). Our favourite, also grown in Bali.

Rumah Makan Muara Kobe

Masakan Khas Batak

Cab. Rm. Silindung P. Siantar Sumut,

Jl. Setia Budi No. 7, Kuta, Bali.

Tel: (0361) 751 220

Definitely a high 3-bams!