Thursday 28 May 2009

Happy Duan Wu Jie

**Non-Halal**

Today is Duan Wu Jie aka Rice Dumpling Festival. Those who are celebrating this festival, Happy Duan Wu Jie to you and your family.

Should you feel like having some luxurious abalone filled rice dumpling (bak chang), you can head on to Y E Traditional Dumplings. Perhaps you could try their healthier brown rice version.

If you're pressing for time or your favourite stall have ran out of rice dumplings, you can head on to supermarkets to find Kawan's mini alkaline rice dumplings (karn shui type) in the frozen department. I've tried their savoury version as well which is not too bad, halal too if not mistaken.


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Wednesday 27 May 2009

Review: Sweet Chat Café

**Halal**


Goshhhh it's gonna be a few more torturous month before the hot hot spell make a turn!!! Even when we were in a cool mall but our throats seem to get parched faster than usual. So to cool down, we went looking for a place that serves icy stuff and Sweet Chat Café came to mind that day.

If not mistaken, Sweet Chat Café started off in Jusco Metro Kepong. I was intrigued then to see this cafe joined together with The Chicken Rice Shop but it's a pity that the café was at the back portion where there is totally no human traffic at all. On closer look, the café was opened by the same owner of the chicken rice chain. Somehow it got shut down before I got a chance to try them out until I saw one at Mid Valley Megamall. We came here a few times but I never got the chance to take any pics until recently.

I took a look at the menu which is looking good now with expanded items especially the savoury portion which we have yet to try cos it never crosses our mind to come here for meals :p They seems to have added quite a number of local and localised desserts and dishes apart from the usual Hong Kong inspired ones.

I ordered a Mango Passion (RM7.50) drink that came with big chunks of grass jelly, mango puree and cubes, topped with shaved ice and soda water. I really really wish I could have one now! It's so hot that I'm melting. I loved the combinations with the shaved ice melting away, totally not sickly sweet.

Mango Passion (RM7.50)

My boiboi who loves anything soy bean picked a Soy Bean Jelly with Mango (RM6.50). The jelly is soft and smooth, almost tau foo far like but it's not that sweet, hence the mango puree and cubes played the role to sweeten the jelly up. A bit unusual but kinda refreshing.

Soy Bean Jelly with Mango (RM6.50)

The pretty predictable Capt'n Hook ordered their Durian Cendol (RM7.50) as he loves durian and when it arrived, both of us went "Waaahhh"... very sua ku horrr (country bumpkin)??? The portion was mountain tall!!! Best of all they did not stinge on the durian, just look at the huge lump on top. There were generous portion of cendol and kidney beans all over the shaved ice drizzled with the right amount of coconut milk and gula melaka syrup. It also has shiny large sago pearls!!! This has to be every durian lover's dream dessert.

Durian Cendol (RM7.50)

The proprietor happened to be there that day and we gave her feedback of their overall improvement which she appreciated. We also told her their misses and she said they'll look into that. She kept thanking us for our support and feedback. Now, this is the kinda restaurateur we love and respect. Hopefully they could keep up with the good work.


Sweet Chat Café
Lot F-039, 1st Floor, South Court
MidValley Megamall
Kuala Lumpur
Tel: +603 2287 2798

LG-49A, LG Floor
Berjaya Times Square
Tel: +603 2148 7833


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Monday 25 May 2009

Review: Ramen Ton Chan

**Non-Halal**


CIMG9023

Does Ton Chan rang a bell to you?? Yes, there used to be one outlet over at The Curve but it has shut. I've been there but the food and service were both terrible. Not sure what went wrong over there when the fact that Ramen Ton Chan had stood strong over the years at Wisma Cosway just like it's sister restaurant, Tosaya.

tonchan - mosaic

Ton Chan is a simple no fuss restaurant. It's clean and well patronise by the Japanese community. Their specialty is ramen but of course they have other items as well. They made their own ramen using pure ingredients without any preservatives hence their ramen are bouncier, firmer and chewier. They have reasonable price set lunches and dinner. Lunch hours are usually packed with office workers around here.

On that evening we were there, there was this special set dinner which consisted of a bowl of braised pork ramen, assorted sashimi, a side salad, 2 slices of watermelon and a dessert of tutti fruiti ice-cream (no pics). This set was priced at RM25 but since I requested for fresh ramen, an extra RM1 was charged which is fine with me. The texture of the ramen even after soaking in the hot soup was springy right till the last bite! The braised pork which the waitress said "khau yuk" in Cantonese tasted blissful with the right amount of fatty layers (not too much) in between the lean. I drank up the soup till nothing was left in the bowl heh and did not have any after effect of msg, no thirst at all which is superb!

tonchan - braised pork ramen set (RM26)

There is a 10% service charge imposed.


Ramen Ton Chan
Lot 1.18-1.21, 1st Floor
Wisma Cosway
Jalan Raja Chulan
Tel: 603-2148 9389
Opening hours: Mon - Sat 12.00pm - 2.30pm; 6.00pm - 10.00pm
Closed on Sunday and Public Holiday

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Thursday 21 May 2009

Sick People's Food

Whenever my brothers and I were sick, we were not allowed to eat anything made out of rice, yup... not even rice congee/porridge. The first couple of days, we would be on mostly plain bread with light milk diet... or most to most we'll have the sweet braided loaf or those sugar topped sweet square bread with raisins all over inside bought from the rotiman on a bike. So can you image how horrible it was when your throat and mouth have this bitter tinge during that time and you have to eat all these bland stuff?!! Urrghhh...

However, things will get better as we recover... still no rice stuff including bee hoon or koay teow but we usually will have "chat tzai funn" (not sure what this is called in English but it's small bunch of noodle bundled with red or pink string, which I hardly see these days and it's not mee suah) or macaroni. They're usually made very plain with plain soup or just mixed with light and dark soy sauce. Still doesn't taste great but way better than plain bread. Sometimes, Mom will buy kurau fish (threadfin or mah yau in Cantonese) to add into the soup with plenty of amaranth (yin choy).

Well, that's what I fed my boiboi with over the weekend who wasn't feeling well since last Thursday. He is better now and is back to school today after his fever came back on Monday afternoon.

I cooked the macaroni slightly softer than al dente for easy digestion. In a another pot, boil some water but not too much since it's only for one portion. Marinaded the fish slices (bones and skin removed) with some garlic oil (just a wee bit) and soy sauce. Chuck in the amaranth first, wait for a while before adding the fish slices since they cook up rather quickly. Dribbled in wee bit of garlic oil like a few drops. Adjust the taste with a wee bit of salt and soy sauce (can just use soy sauce only). Once the fish slices is cooked, pour onto the cooked macaroni and serve.

Sick ppl's food

This is sick people's food but slightly better than eating plain bread!

Tuesday 19 May 2009

Working Like a Machine?




hahahaha...

(this is a sponsored post)

Monday 18 May 2009

Review: Sub-Of-The-Day

I'm always a big fan of bread... of any kind. In fact I would rather have a sandwich for lunch than a rice laden one. Those days, my office were within walking distance to the first Oliver's Sandwich outlet in Malaysia and then followed by Subway Sandwiches and Salads but it's such a sad case that they are both closed down by now.

Italian BMT on bread

Subway is running a Spice Up Your Day with Sub-Of-The-Day promo and it's still on. It's a great saver at times like this. There are 7 different types of subs on promo on different days and all of them are priced at RM7.50 nett for a 6-inch sandwich.

Italian BMT - standard vege

I was there on a Tuesday, and Italian BMT was the sub-of-the-day. Italian BMT has pepperoni, salami and turkey ham and mine is served on honey oat bread with cheese and HAMPALANG (all) veggies and condiments available ie. onions, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, peppers, olives, cucumbers and hot pepper. I topped it with mustard, olive oil and vinegar!!! It was indeed a huge sandwich kekekeke :p cos they were very generous with the fillings even though its a promo item.

Italian BMT - inside

As usual, I enjoyed the Italian BMT very much. Did you know BMT stands for biggest, meatiest, tastiest? I wouldn’t disagree at all!!!

This promo is available at all 31 Subway outlets in Malaysia (click on the store locator).


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Thursday 14 May 2009

Review: Yuzu Japanese Restaurant

**Pork-free**

Yuzu

Yuzu Japanese Restaurant is a sister restaurant of Ninja Jones, tucked away in a quiet corner besides Isetan. The interior oozes a warm and welcoming ambiance. As one walked in further, you'll noticed the restaurant is rather large with each corner decorated in a different setting altogether. There are "rooms" or rather separated dining area for groups according to sizes as well if you requested for one. Their menu seems extensive and there is monthly promotion as seen on their bunting outside the restaurant.

interior

That evening we decided to go for the set dinner which I opted for Yuzu Gozen (RM48) that came with assorted sashimi and sushi; tempura; beef cubes grilled on a stone; teapot soup; chawan mushi; the usual pickled and side dishes plus a couple slices of watermelon to end the meal. The quality of the sashimi was good since they just arrived. The tempura were light in oil. I kinda liked the beef cubes that were set sizzling on a slab of black stone. The grilling and caramalising of the beef smelt great.

Yuzu Gozen RM48

yuzu gozen

Capt'n Hook who is not really a fish person ordered Salmon Yuzu Kosho and Saikoro Beef Set (RM40). Some how he liked how the Japanese treat their salmon ala shioyaki and he seems pretty pleased with Yuzu's version. His set came with beef cubes in a hotplate; teapot soup; chawan mushi; pickled and side dishes pluswatermelon slices. As he sipped on his soup... I heard him went "ahhhhhh..." <-- sounds of approval???

Salmon Yuzu Kosho and Saikoro Beef Set RM40

salmon

As it was a week night, service was attentive since the restaurant is not crowded. Capt'n Hooked even have time to learnt how to say "chei-zu tin-bar-te" (thank you in Myanmar language) from the waitress kekeke...

Once we were done, she asked if we would like to take a look around the restaurant which we obliged. We bumped into their chef who is a local Chinese. He went on showing us these strange looking fishes on display. If we have seen these earlier, perhaps one of these would have been on our platter.

fresh fishes

10% Service Charge and 5% Government Tax will be imposed on your bill.


Yuzu Japanese Restaurant
T236, 3rd Floor
The Gardens, Mid Valley City
Kuala Lumpur
Tel: (603) 2284 7663


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Tuesday 12 May 2009

Slow Cooked Roasted Pork with Potatoes and Leeks

**Non-Halal**

Recently, someone bought us a box of roasted pork (siew yuk) but it was too tough since it was mostly composed of lean meat. I've stirred fried some but there were some left over as usually Capt'n Hook would have wallopped all. So with the remainder roasted pork and those that I've stirred fried, I decided to braise them in a slow cooker, hopefully the meat will tenderised along the way.

What I did was, place some potatoes at the bottom most, followed by leeks. As for the roasted pork, I drizzle some oyster sauce, dark soy sauce with a wee bit of water over them and mix them up. Place them on top of the leeks. Drizzle a bit of garlic oil all over. Turn on the slow cooker and cook for about 3 hours.

Slow Cooked Siew Yuk with Potatoes and Leek

Thank goodness the slow cooking did the meat good making them tender and juicy. Ahhh the wonders of technology...

Here are my other ways of cooking using a slow cooker:
Slow Cooked Chicken and Potatoes
Slow Cooked Chicken With Bittergourd
Slow Cooked Pork Ribs


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Saturday 9 May 2009

May You Be Well and Happy

For this Wesak Day and Mother's Day...

wesak


mother

Friday 8 May 2009

Banana and Mango Smoothie Turned Popsicle

Kuala Lumpur's weather is still freaking hot but thank goodness mango season is still on. I've in stock frozen mango in my freezer. Not only that, I've some frozen bananas as well. Yeah I usually freezes bananas to prevent them from being over-ripen.

Banana & Mango Smoothie Banana & Mango Smoothie Popsicle

This round, I blended the mangoes and bananas with some milk (need this to run the blade) using a normal blender, can't use the handheld as the frozen fruits were too hard since I did not remove them from the freezer to sit out for a while. I poured out into 3 glasses and I still have some left. So I took out my popsicle containers and pour in the smoothie. My boiboi and I were enjoying the popsicle a few hours later after they turned solid. Have to finish these quickly as they contained milk.

Felt instantly refreshed!

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Carrot and Pineapple Cake

Carrot and Pineapple Cake 02

This is a foolproof cake that is not only delish but has lots of fibre. I've done a plain carrot cake by omitting the pineapples and added loads of walnuts. Worked as well. The texure of the cake with pineapples are pretty dense though.


Carrot and Pineapple Cake

150g butter
200g plain flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp mixed spice
pinch of salt
1 cup grated raw carrot
1/2 cup chopped canned pineapple
4 eggs
230g brown sugar (I used 200g)
200g ground almonds

Melt butter in a pan and leave to cool.

Sieve flour, bicarbonate of soda, mixed spice and salt together.

Squeeze out half the liquid from the carrot and pineapple.

Beat eggs and sugar in a cake cake mixer till light and thick. Fold in almonds, carrots, pineapple and melted butter.

Pour batter into a greased and paper-lined 18cm round tin (I've used 2 loaf pans). Bake at 160C for 45 mins or till a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.

Leave cake in the tin for 10 mins before turining out onto wire rack to cool.

Ice with cream cheese frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

125g cream cheese, softened
60g butter, softened
250g icing sugar, sieved

In cake mixer, whip cream cheese with butter. Add icing sugar gradually, beating well in between addition. Spread icing on carrot cake. Allow icing to firm up before cutting cake.


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Wednesday 6 May 2009

Stir-Fried Beef With Brocolli

Stir-fried Beef with Brocolli

I made a simple stir-fry of beef and brocolli cos my boiboi likes brocolli. Not sure if this is conventional or not but it worked well. I cut the beef into strips and marinade them with a bit of soy sauce, pepper, cornflour and a dash of worcestershire sauce. Quickly blanch brocolli flowerettes in boiling water, drain and set aside. You may run cold water over them to retain a crunchier bite.

Heat oil in a wok and stir in chopped garlic and ginger. When they're fragrant, stir in the beef strips and loosen them up to prevent them from clumping together. When the beef is pink, put in the brocolli and stir quickly. Next pour in a concoction of water (not too much, perhaps around 3-4 tbsp or so according to how much sauce you would like to have in the end), oyster sauce, cornflour and a few dashes of worcestershire sauce. Stir and wait till the sauce is thicken. Dish up and serve hot with rice.


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Monday 4 May 2009

Review: Y E Traditional Dumplings' Healthy Brown Rice Chang

**Non-Halal**


We were at Jusco Supermarket Cheras Selatan the previous weekend. Oh my... the amount of sampling "stalls" were practically at every aisle churning out various samplings from nasi tomato and curry chicken made out of evaporated milk, all sorts of coffee, Milo, black sesame soy milk, cultured drinks, biscuits... you name it they would most prolly have it!!! I think we could have easily done a food crawl there :p heh!

Anyway, whilst we were passing by the non-halal section, we stopped to check out a bunting. The various glutinous rice dumplings (bak chang) pictured on the bunting all looked so delish. On closer look, ohhhh my, it was the famous Y E Traditional Dumplings at Pandan Jaya. I remember reading and watching on telly about their dumplings especially the gigantic one that can serve 10-12! This particular dumpling has a lot of expensive goodies inside which includes abalone!!! Not cheap, I tell you... it's close to RM300 for one!

I was attracted to one particular dumpling, the word "healthy" caught my eyes. The promoter ushered us into the non-halal section to check them out. Since I wanted to grab some bacon so may as well.

YE - Healthy Brown Rice Chang (RM6.80)

I bought one just to try out. This Healthy Brown Rice Dumpling costed RM6.80 but the size is rather big (but then again I have small palms :p). Traditional to their point, the dumpling is wrapped using hemp string which I liked, very environmental friendly and I know it's safe to eat. I'm kinda paranoid that plastic on rafia strings might just leak into the dumplings when cooked on high heat, tell me I'm not alone please...!

YE - Healthy Brown Rice Chang

YE - Healthy Brown Rice Chang - unwrapped

I steamed it up before eating and I could tell the grains were not 100% brown rice but more like multi-grained... brown and red rice plus millet, could have buckwheat too. The fillings not as generous as I would like it but good enough. It contained a slice of Chinese mushroom, chestnut, salty egg yolk and pork slices. There is only a teeny weeny slice of fat and a couple slices of lean meat... too lean (:p very surprising coming from me) cos it's tough. Taste wise, this dumpling is all right. It's like eating my normal meal of multi-grained rice with dumpling ingredients as dishes. I missed the glutinous texture of a normal dumpling.

YE - Healthy Brown Rice Chang - fillings

Capt'n Hook tried their Hakka "pillow" dumpling which he said was all right. Am I missing something here? Hmmm might wanna try out the other famous shop... perhaps soon since Duan Wu Jie is around the corner, 28th May to be precise.

If you fancy checking out the rest of the dumplings like Cantonese Chang, SweetHeart Chang, Crystal Chang, Nyonya Chang, Bamboo Leaf Chicken Chang, Roasted Pork Vega Chang; Golden Chang and etc... do drop by their shop at Pandan Jaya or Jusco Supermarket, Cheras Selatan (not sure about other Jusco though).


Y E Traditional Dumplings
8G Jalan Pandan Jaya 3/9
Pandan Jaya
Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 603-9284 5325
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 10am - 11pm; Public Holiday & Sun 10am-7pm
Click here for Map.

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Blog Revamping

Hello... I'm in the midst of revamping my blog to make my life a little easier. So do not be alarmed as work is still under construction.

Cheers,
Babe_KL
16 Oct 2012