The Nyonya One Restaurant, Sri Petaling, Kuala Lumpur

Back in May, before I left on my Manhattan sojourn, I read this article in The Star. It was about a Nyonya restaurant in Sri Petaling, and since it wasn't too far away, hubby and I decided to check it out. I am a big fan of Nyonya food, after all.

The restaurant is located just opposite/across the road from the Shell and Esso petrol stations in Sri Petaling.

The very friendly proprietor Madam Leong recommended I try the Nyonya Teh Tarik (RM2.50) which was basically milk tea with pandan juice. The pandan was very fragrant, but the milk and tea could have been thicker, methinks. I do think that this combo was a rather unique idea nonetheless.

We both had the pandan rice (RM3.00) which came sans santan, and with some dried shrimps and sambal on the side.

The BMO Chicken (RM8.50) had really strong contrasting flavours. Chicken coated with basil, mint leaves and sweet oyster sauce in a very hot mini wok....it was definitely memorable. 

We also ordered the sambal pucuk paku (RM8.00) which according to the cook, had no belacan. It contained fermented soya beans instead....which was unusual.

The otak-otak kadok (RM12.00) came all wrapped up in banana leaves. It was unlike the one that I'm used to (the Penang version), this one was drier and according to the cook, this dish also contained no santan. I fancied it a tad hard in texture, or maybe it's because my palette is so used to the Penang version which is almost custardy.

The bill amounted to RM37.50 for the 2 of us. I would say the restaurant does try to impress, but I do not quite understand the rationale for not using santan and belacan in their dishes when these 2 ingredients are pretty important in Nyonya dishes. Health concerns perhaps?  

The Nyonya One Restaurant

23, Jalan Radin Anum,

Bandar Baru Seri Petaling,

57000 Kuala Lumpur.

Mobile: 016-7028511 (Madam Leong)

3-bams!

When you get caught between the Moon and New York City

Tomorrow I am flying home to my favourite place on earth....I'm looking forward to long solitary walks in Central Park, gazing at the swans and overarching cherry blossom trees, indulging in existentialist rumination or just enjoying the beauty, day dreaming, content to just be....and not thinking much at all...

New York is exactly as is shown in Sex & The City and Breakfast At Tiffany's...every bit as exciting, thrilling and glamorous; Saks Fifth Avenue, Times Square, all glass and neon interspersed with regal old buildings,....and yet there is nature and so much romance too.....horses trotting on the busy streets...the Empire State Building and imageries from An Affair To Remember.  

I have always been in love with Manhattan, ever since I was a wee child watching in awe a documentary on NYC. The first time I set foot here many years back with my mom, reality matched that childhood fantasy. Been back to Gotham many times since, and it just never gets old. It was at the very top of my list of places I wanted to spend forever in. It still is....

There's this old song that really epitomises how I feel about NYC.....it's hopelessly romantic...  

Arthur's Theme

Once in your life you find her

Someone that turns your heart around

And next thing you know you're closing down the town

Wake up and it's still with you

Even though you left her way across town

Wondering to yourself, "Hey, what've I found?"

When you get caught between the Moon and New York City

I know it's crazy, but it's true

If you get caught between the Moon and New York City

The best that you can do ......

The best that you can do is fall in love

Arthur he does as he pleases

All of his life, he's mastered choice

Deep in his heart, he's just, he's just a boy

Living his life one day at a time

And showing himself a really good time

Laughing about the way they want him to be

When you get caught between the Moon and New York City

I know it's crazy, but it's true

If you get caught between the Moon and New York City

The best that you can do .....

The best that you can do is fall in love

When you get caught between the Moon and New York City

I know it's crazy, but it's true

If you get caught between the Moon and New York City

The best that you can do .....

The best that you can do is fall in love

- Christopher Cross

Home Cooking

I find myself cooking alot these days to decompress after a busy day at work. It is strangely soothing to stop thinking about the next report and presentation to prepare for, and just be doing elemental things like chopping vegetables and stir fying meat. Here's a compilation of some of the stuff I've been dishing up lately.

I like simple green vegetable dishes like choy sum.

And ladies' fingers with caramelised onions and garlic....very tasty.

Fried eggs with spicy birds eye chillies in soy sauce.

Kung pao chicken. My first attempt.... and it proved a success!

Tamarind chicken....hubby liked this dish.

Since it's the mango season, we cut and froze a tonne of mangoes....

...and we made mango lassi : frozen mango, yoghurt, honey, brown sugar, blended to a thick paste...delicious, buttery, sweet, fragrant. The perfect dessert!

Restoran Makanan Laut Wang Chiew, SS2, Petaling Jaya

We were searching for a place to take grand-uncle and grand-aunt out to dinner when we stumbled upon this restaurant in the Popular Food Guide @ Malaysia book. It's in a little known area of SS2 Petaling Jaya, but when we went on a Saturday evening, the restaurant was jam packed with customers, right up to the shoplot corridors.

The good thing about this place is that they have menus in English with some pictures and prices which made it alot easier to order. They've got 2 shoplots, one with airconditioning and the other without. Tables were also laid out all over the sidewalk, and at 7.00pm, they were all occupied.

First up, we ordered a choy sum garlic stir fry (RM8.00). Simple and tasty.

We tried the salted pork trotter (RM20.00 for small) which was a chef's specialty here. The pork trotter was very lean with crispy crackling and alot of meat although we ordered a small portion.

The pork trotter came with this special dipping sauce which had a pungent sour-turmeric-peppery taste. Very unique. Grand-aunt wasn't too fond of the sauce, but the rest of us didn't mind it. An acquired taste, perhaps.

The steamed beancurd (RM12.00) with mixed vegetables had a very eggy taste. Very good for bean curd lovers.

This dish was my favourite. The cereal deep fried mantis prawns had a batter that was rich with salted egg yolks (RM12.00). I loved the crunchy, flaky, spicy and salty texture/taste, and ate even the curry leaves interspersed within the crumbly goodness.

The meal came up to RM62.10 (inclusive of rice and drinks) for the 5 of us. They've got an extensive menu, and an exciting crowd of people. This restaurat is very popular and we're surprised not to have discovered it earlier. We'll definitely be back here to sample more of their very reasonably-priced food.

Restoran Makanan Laut Wang Chiew

30 Jalan SS2/103,

47300 Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

Tel : 603-77223662

Mobile : 6-012-6455139

This restaurant is in the SS2 area that is opposite KDU college, across from the LDP highway. If you know where the SS2 Fire Station is, then this is not too far away. If you are on the road (in SS2) parallel to LDP Highway with the SS2 Fire Station on your right, then go all the way straight. Jalan SS2/103 will be one of the roads on your right.

3-bams with alot of potential for more!

Mun Kee Steamed Fish Head, Happy Garden, Kuala Lumpur

Hubby and I discovered this restaurant some time back, pretty much by random...we went to the pasar malam at Happy Garden and since we were in the vicinity, we decided to grab some dinner.

Seeng a large crowd at this (literally) road-side restaurant which coincidentally bears my granduncle's name, we decided to give it a try. We've been back several times since, and it is always crowded on weekend evenings, sometimes to the point of their steamed fish heads being sold out, so it is always a good idea to go earlier.

This time, we tried the salted egg, deep fried chicken wings (RM12.00). See the scrumptious bits of salted egg yolks sticking to the salty batter.....lovely! Since I absolutely love salted eggs, the crunchy and savoury taste of the chicken wings was a winner. Finger licking good!

 This style of steamed fish head is popular with customers who frequent this joint (RM20.00). A fleshy slab of freshwater fish head steamed/garnished with soya sauce, ginger shreds, sliced birds eye chillies, scallions, coriander  and garlic oil, this dish's simplicity belies its wonderful, tasty freshness. We try to eat fish regularly....fish is, after all, good for the brains. And when the craving starts, it's off to Mun Kee for us!

Fish Head King Steam Fish Head (Mun Kee)

New Happy Garden Food Court,

43-A (Gerai), Jalan Lazat 1, Taman Gembira,

58200 Kuala Lumpur.

 Alternatively.....

Chinese Village Pasarakyat (Jalan Imbi),

No. 8, Jalan Melati, Off Jalan Imbi,

55100 Kuala Lumpur.

Mobile : 016-2987876

We love the tasty freshness! 4-bams. 

Tesco Wins The 5-Bam Award

Most women I know like shopping at malls for clothes, shoes, handbags and other branded goods. Me? Yawn. Give me groceries and Tesco any day. Fresh fruits, vegetables, drinks, poultry, meat, seafood, cat food, toiletries top my list the way an LV handbag never would. A Tang's loyalty card is wasted on me, but I cherish my Tesco Clubcard the way I would my credit card. Hubby thinks I'm strange that way....but hey, James Dean royal rebel, remember?

I have a rabid obsession with Tesco. I know there's Carrefour and Giant as well, but after all my years of analysing all 3 hypermarkets' price pattern, Tesco has remained a firm favourite. In general,  Carrefour has the cheapest eggs and dairy products, but they stop being competitive in the fresh produce section (especially the greens). Tesco offers the best price and quality when it comes to fruits and especially vegetables. What I like most is that Tesco regularly clears its stock (I think on a daily basis) by putting their old stock in the "Reduced for Clearance" section....where one can often find gems that are still in perfectly good condition. The other hypermarkets do not regularly practice this, which makes me kinda wonder what they do with their old stock (throw?). Of the 3, Giant is the most expensive...in general. Of course, once in a while, each chain will have promotions for certain items that are the lowest of the low in terms of pricing, but I'm talking overall price, freshness, ambiance and quality comparison here. Tesco wins.

Sign me up as a Tesco life member. Truly. I monitor weekly prices of goods/food/whatever and hubby takes me to Tesco for me to destress after a long week's battle. I literally decompress at Tesco....walking into Tesco's beckoning doors is a weekly ritual and an experience that to me, is akin to a kid walking into Disneyland. The weight lifts off my shoulders, the mood lightens, the excitement builds. It never gets old. I am Tesco's biggest fan. If I didn't work where I'm working now, I'd probably be working for Tesco as their Chief of Procurement (ahhh what a dream)....LOL!

I trawl Tesco's website at the end of every week, to get the latest promos to feed my "aunty" instincts. ( I do not understand why Giant and Carrefour do not religiously update their websites on a weekly basis - such a waste of a perfectly good advertising resource!). I wish that Tesco would send their weekly fliers to my residence, unfortunately they don't. So website it is, and the weekly newspaper adverts of course. Last Friday, the website advertised  frozen pizza at RM6.90/box...usual price is probably around RM10.00 I'm guessing (well Jaya Jusco sells their pizza at RM10.00/box, same size). Had to buy! Had to buy!

So I drove to the nearest Tesco after work and had a good old time examining all the latest products. They were introducing a new line of in-house brands (apart from the existing Tesco Choice and Tesco Value), and many of the goods and food items were being sold at introductory prices.  

Finally got to the frozen foods aisles, and found that they had many varieties of Tesco Choice pizza going for RM6.90. There was Hawaiian Chicken, and some other chicken-related flavours. I took a box of Four Cheese Pizza (350g) and put it in my cart.

I took 4 boxes of Beef Pepperoni Pizza (RM6.90 for 400g), and into my cart they went.

This was how the Four Cheese Pizza turned out, after we added even more cheese (mozarella, parmesan, cheddar) and ham toppings at home!

In my opinion, the Beef Pepperoni Pizza tasted better than the Four Cheese Pizza because it had more tomato gravy on it. No regrets here! Great value for money.

So yeah, Tesco is my fix. And I was overjoyed when I recently found out that they were in the midst of building a Tesco in Old Klang Road (diagonally opposite the main wet market).....oh so near to our crib. Construction is underway and it is scheduled to be completed in 2011, by which then it will take us all of 5 minutes to drive to Tesco. Yay! Tesco rules! 

The Vienna Almonds Experiment

As I wrote previously, we fell in love with Vienna Almonds from The Nut Shop. Last weekend, we finally summoned up the courage to caramelize sugar for the first time, in an attempt at making our own Vienna Almonds.

We used a mixture of brown and red sugar. Besides the sugar, here were our other key ingredients : 1 pack of raw almonds (I left the other pack untouched, just in case we messed up) and 1 vanilla bean. I think RM29.90/kg for almonds was reasonable, but then again I'm no expert at prices of baking goods. We bought a whole pack of vanilla beans from Bali some time back....can't remember the price but it was definitely alot cheaper than in Malaysia, since they actually grow vanilla in Indonesia.

We toasted the almonds....

...and caramelized the brown and red sugar together with a split vanilla pod and some butter.

Once the sugar was caramelized, we chucked the whole load of toasted almonds into the mixture and stirred till they became all sticky and gooey. Then, we laid out the almonds on baking paper to crystalize. End result : almonds that tasted like toffee. It didn't quite turn out like the Vienna Almonds from The Nut Shop, as the caramelized sugar coating the almonds tasted grainy rather than smooth. Hmmmmm....still wondering how/where we messed up.....

Homemade Roast Chicken with Baby Potatoes, Carrots and Onions in Creamy Gravy

Chicken was going cheap at Tesco last Friday (RM3.99/kg), so I bought an entire chook for only RM6.90. I decided on the spot not to have the butcher cut it up into pieces since it was a nice, plump, symmetrical chicken.

We marinated the chicken overnight with lots of herbs and spices : salt, pepper, paprika, rosemary, oregano, bay leaf, chicken stock powder, ginger powder, lots of fresh garlic and butter (stuffed under the skin and in the chicken cavity), and a whole orange up its behind. We were judicious with the western herbs as hubby does not quite fancy their strong taste (I call it the Christmas tree taste). Together with a bunch of baby potatoes, cut carrots and onions, we roasted the chicken in the oven at 250 degree Celcius, covered in foil for about 1 and 1/2 hours, before putting it in the broiler to brown. It's important to cook the chicken slowly in the oven, covered in foil so that it becomes really tender and yet still remaining juicy inside. Uncover the foil only when it is cooked and you're ready to brown it. We transferred the cooked chook from the oven into a broiler to brown the skin.   

For the gravy, we kinda cheated and used the Lobos Chicken Gravy Mix that we bought from Thailand. It's creamy and very umami-ish, similar to the sauce you get on KFC's mashed potatoes.

We took the roasted vegetables and stir fried them with the Lobos Chicken Gravy Mix and added evaporated milk to make it thicker.

Our roasted chicken dinner with an orangey twang. The entire roast chicken lasted us 2 meals. Delish!

Another Bimbo Alert

This company seems to be coming up with a series of bimbo adverts in The Star. Here's another one I spotted from the same company.

The usual bimbo with the big boobs peddling her wares.

This time the "read sad story" was about Lynn Cheng who had male (so-called) "friends" sexually harass her about her less-than-endowed chest and how she felt inferior and embarrased by her natural state and decided to jack up her breasts from size A to size B. (Way to go, Lynn! - I bet that solved your self-esteem issues overnight!). Women like these should just grow some brains instead of boobs. 'Nuff said.

Bimbo Alert

As far as bimbotic adverts go, this one takes the cake. I was flipping through the pages of The Star this Tuesday (13th April 2010) when I chanced upon this advert somewhere in the Metro pages. Staring at me was a bimbotic spokeswoman smiling vacuously and proudly displaying her "assets" as if she were nothing but a walking piece of billboard for breasts. Any woman with an IQ shallow enough to agree to being a spokesperson for such a tacky, trashy and tasteless advert....must surely not be doing herself many favours in the brains department huh?   

Check out the "real sad story" that bears testimony to some women's unfathomable imbecility...

You know what's "real sad" about Janet Lim? That she allowed her breasts be the sum of her entire self worth, self-esteem and confidence. That she could only feel "complete" with 2 newly-enhanced pieces of lipid-filled flesh protruding out of her chest. Pathetic. She needed a therapist more than she needed new breasts. Personally, if anyone had the audacity to comment about my physique (washboard?), I'd like to see him in court with a sexual harassment lawsuit up his behind. Unlike Janet Lim, I would not bend over backwards and spend money to jack up my boobs just to stimulate the excitement of some crude, sociopathic trash. Probably the same kind of trash who wolf-whistles and makes those disgusting sucking noises at women walking by.

It irritates me to no end that society (and yes that includes women too!) places so much premium on women's looks and mammary glands! Enough already with all this push-up bra cleavage nonsense! Women (except maybe for the occasional bimbo) are sentient, intelligent human beings with talents and abilities not even remotely related to how we look. A woman is not the sum of 2 breasts on legs for men/women to ogle at! Get that through to your thick, bimbotic skulls, Janet Lim and Ms Spokeswoman Bimbo of the Year!

Chok Dee Thai Restaurant, Jalan Burma, Penang

On February 14th 2010, we celebrated hubby's grandma's 96th birthday at Chok Dee Thai Restaurant in Penang. It was also Valentine's Day and Chinese New Year, so this restaurant had its CNY Set Menu for 6 persons at RM198.00 + 10% Service Charge (rice and beverage not included).

It's a cosy little restaurant on Jalan Burma, same side of the road as, and not too far from, Heritage Hotel.

There were 5 of us consuming a set meal meant for 6, the portions were indeed generous. We started with the Seafood Tom Yam Soup, which the waiter efficiently divvied up between the 5 of us. They were pretty generous with the prawns. This was good although it could have benefitted from a more sour and lemongrassy tang.

The appetizer was fish/prawn cakes. These were pretty darn good, with a lot of fish sauce tastiness. I liked how the chilli dipping sauce complemented the savoury cakes.
 

The stir fried Thai style mixed vegetables was a simple dish, but very tasty and teeming with scallops.

This was my favourite dish of the night, stir fried chilli paste squid with salted duck eggs. Pieces of salted duck egg yolk were crumbled all over this dish....almost like a treasure we were all looking forward to finding in each spoonful of squid.  

Another hit was the Thai style lemon steamed fish. Loved the sour, sweet and spicy gravy on this dish. In fact we loved this gravy more than we did the Tom Yam, and ended up drinking this gravy like a soup!

So engrossed was I in the dining experience that I actually forgot to take a photo of the last dish, Thai Curry Paste Prawns with glass noodles. It was a big serving of wok fried large prawns and noodles in gravy that tasted like Chickadees (really!). Very addictively good! Too bad I don't have the photographic evidence here.

The meal, with rice and drinks, came up to RM246.30 for the 5 of us. Slightly pricey, but it was Chinese New Year + Valentine's Day after all.  

Address: 231-D Jalan Burma,

10350 Penang.

Tel: 04-2291492

 

4-bams for a terrific meal in cosy ambiance.