Review: The Cream & Fudge Factory @ Suria KLCC

Ever since I've stopped working in the corporate world, I hardly ever step my foot in the golden triangle :p We took a trip to Suria KLCC in early April just cause Capt'n Hook want to check something there. As we walk about, seems like there are a lot of changes that happened the past few months. Some shops have swapped lots, some have gone and in their place, stood new shiny stores.



One of which is The Cream & Fudge Factory which replaced The Lawn. I've heard the buzz from Jason and was curious since we're big on ice creams, moreover there seems to be quite a lot of people crowding round the kiosk, so it has to be good eh? Anyway this chain started off in Thailand by Global Franchise Architects, a member of Synergia One, owned by renowned Mouawad family.

Capt'n Hook took BoiBoi to grab a seat while I went to the counter to check what they're offering. Managed to get a couple of menus for the boys to browse through. After we have decided on our 2 orders, I went to the counter to order a Banana Chocolate (RM12.90 for one scoop creation) and Rocky Road (RM12.90 for one scoop creation). I opted for our orders to sit on a waffle bowl rather than cone since we're sharing them. I proceed to pay at the cashier and went back to the counter to take a peek even though the cashier mentioned that they'll send over to our table.

What they did at the counter was to scoop the ice cream into this cold plate and mix in the ingredients based on your choices or order. 2 spatulas are used to mix them all up before scooping into cones or bowls before handed over to customers. So I went back to our table and waited for our order.



After about 6-8 minutes later, our order came looking like this...



Did you spot something that is not there?

Yup, you've got it correct... where are our waffle bowls??? I checked my receipt, well just to ensure I did order the correct stuff and yes indeed, the receipt did indicate waffle bowls. Since I sat next to the cashier, I brought the ice creams to her and ask what happen to our waffle bowls? She apologetically told me they have ran out of bowls and she muttered under her breath that those who are taking orders should inform customers about it! She got hold of someone else to see to me and this person explained that it was weekend and they have too many orders that they can't keep up in making the waffle bowls!

OK I know they're new but not like a few days old. If they have been in operation for a few weeks, they should know that weekends traffic tend to be higher hence would have to prepare more than projected. Either that or just tell customers that they have run out of bowls and just sell the ice cream without waffle bowls or cones which actually cost lesser than RM12.90 (RM9.50 one scoop with one mix).

It's not that I'm petty but if I've ordered something on the menu that include one essential item, then they better have the item on it, otherwise you tell your customer that you've run out of waffle bowls and replace it with something or refund the difference in price. Don't just dump the ice cream on the table and walk off!!!

After some "table thumping" :p [actually I was just trying to dramatised the whole post, no table was broken in the process :o)], they finally took our ice cream away to "fix" it.

And so they came back looking like this... much better eh?? Well, I hope they did not "spit" on our ice cream :o) though. Sighhh anyway the ice cream have melted and they just dump onto the cold plate to freeze them up and place onto the waffle bowls. So in the process, mixed in the decorative pieces as well. Looked kinda unappealing, very disappointed. Could have just place some toppings to make up for what happened, but no!



As for the ice cream, it really doesn't live up to the fuss, or could it be due to our experience that we don't find the ice cream as great? They were bold enough to claim they have the creamiest ice cream on earth but seriously, not in my humble opinion.



It's really sad that the country have the tallest, biggest, best in something but yet our customer service level is still lagging far behind especially in the service industry. Operators and managers should buck up  and work on this, otherwise it will leave an unpleasant sour taste.


The Cream & Fudge Factory
Lot K23B, 2nd Floor
Suria KLCC
Kuala Lumpur
Facebook of the Malaysian chapter

Steamed Pork with Egg

Please excuse me with this pockmarked egg dish with deep river valley running through it. The dish got overheated! This is actually one of my childhood favourite - Steamed Pork with Egg.

I've actually forgotten about this dish until recently when I was at my parents' place, my mom made this for my BoiBoi albeit using chicken meat instead. So I've asked her how to go about it and here goes another guesstimation dish again...

Mix in some cornflour and grounded white pepper into minced pork or chicken. If you have a salty palate, you can add a dash of soy sauce. Set aside. In a bowl, crack in 2 eggs and 1 salted egg. If you really like salted egg yolk, you can add in one more salted egg, just the yolk and omit the whites. Mash the salted egg yolk a little then beat lightly taking care not to create foam. Otherwise the surface won't look pretty. Mix in the meat evenly and pour into a heatproof plate. Steam on low heat for about 10-12 mins.

As easy as that and the reason why mine turned out pockmarked was because I've used my electric steamer that don't allow me to control the heat. So I guess the next time, I cannot be so lazy then.

Chili's Grill & Bar Global Culinary Roadshow

I was invited by Chili's Grill & Bar recently to attend a culinary roadshow showcasing Chili's American Southwest flavours and recipes. Well, I was there late as I had a meeting to attend, hence had missed out the opportunity to catch Michael Winkelman cooking up the latest flavour introduced - Honey Chipotle Sauce which was used in Crispy Honey-Chipotle Chicken Crispers.

Anyhow, I was on time though to taste out the Crispy Honey-Chipotle Chicken Crispers hah! I also got to taste the ever popular Mojito, minus the rum of course (pssst cos it was still before noon :p). Perfect to quench my thirst running in the hot morning from one end to the other end of MidValley Megamall.



As I dug in, I tasted the sweetness of the honey followed by a bit of fire that came from the chipotle (smoked chilli pepper). I usually order the Chicken Crispers and with this sauce for this dish, it gave the crispy chicken a total make over.



Since I was there towards the tail end of the event, after most of the members of the media left, I got the full attention from Dave Anderson, COO of TAS Leisure, the franchise holder of Chili's Grill & Bar in Malaysia. I've mentioned that it's funny that we frequent Chili's but yet I do not have a single blog post :p Dave did asked why and my reply was "Who doesn't know Chili's and the delicious food they serve?" plus I added there are always queue at the entrance! In a jest Dave laughed questioning is it a good or a bad thing lol.

Dave asked me one important question - does the food served looked the same as shown in the menu! In my honest reply, I said they're quite close, totally unlike some fast food chain *chuckle*. Seems like it annoyed him to the bit if the food served at Chili's does not look the same as the visuals. Way to go Chilli's!

Michael was on his way out to check another outlet before flying out the next day to his next destination of this roadshow. Michael resides in UK but he travels frequently to this part as he oversees the business development for Europe, Middle East, North Africa and Asia.

It has been great meeting the people behind Chili's and what say you... to feature a proper blog post on our favourite stuffs on Chili's menu?

Thanks to Chili's Grill & Bar via Creative Geckos for the invite.


Click here for Chili's Grill & Bar locations

Stir-Fried Bitter Gourd with Eggs

If you love bitter gourd (fu kua in Cantonese) like me, you would definitely love this dish. This is actually a stir-fry and not an omelette since the amount of eggs are much lesser.

Halved a medium sized bitter gourd and remove the seeds with a spoon. Then slice them across into thin strips. Sprinkle some salt all over and rub them well to ensure they're coated evenly. I read somewhere that by doing this, it will remove some of the bitterness away, well  I can't really verify this. Let it sit for about 15-20 minutes before washing off the salt and drain away excess water in a colander.

Heat up a wok and pour in some oil. Chuck in some chopped garlic and put in the bitter gourd once garlic is fragrant. Fry the gourd till it changes to a slightly darker colour or soften (I prefer mine to be slightly firm). You may sprinkle some water but not much to help with the cooking process. Season with salt and some black pepper.

Next, pour in 2 eggs that have been beaten lightly. Let eggs set a bit before stir frying. Keep frying till the eggs are cooked through. Dish up and serve with rice.





I'm submitting this for Muhibbah Malaysian Monday blog event. This event is the brainchild of  Shaz (Test With A Skewer) and Suresh (3 Hungry Tummies). Read more here.

Simple Ways With Avocados

As promised, here are some items I did with the avocados presented to me during A Taste of Australian Avocado event. We were given some recipe booklets and I've gotten the ideas to prepare some snacks and salads. Do check out the wealth of recipes in Australian Avocado.

I did a Tuna and Avocado Sandwich which is so simple to assemble. I've buttered 2 slices of wholemeal bread before spreading some tuna spread on one slice. Next, slice up the avocados and place on top of the tuna spread. Sprinkle freshly grounded black pepper and place the other slice of bread over. As easy as 1-2-3. You could actually put on some cheese and grill this sandwich as well.



Next, I've made an open sandwich of Eggs and Avocado. For one serving, just hard boil an egg. Once it's cooled down, cubed the egg. Then cubed up half an avocado. Mix the egg and avocado with some mayonnaise, I've used Japanese mayo for more eggy goodness. Season with some salt and black pepper to taste. Spread mixture on buttered bread or toast or even crackers. Crazy goodness here. Loved the creamy avocado combination with egg.



I've assembled this Grilled Chicken Salad which was great for a complete meal of its own. All I did was grill half a piece of chicken breast rubbed with some olive oil, salt and black pepper. Sliced chicken up after letting it to cool down for 10 minutes. Then I shred some carrot and Japanese cucumber with a vegetable peeler; cut tomato into wedges and slice up half an avocado. In a small bowl, whisk some extra virgin olive oil, apple cider vinegar, a little whole grain mustard, seasoned with salt and black pepper till well blended. Toss all ingredients in a big bowl together with some lettuce. To serve, place salad on a bowl and topped with sliced chicken breast.



Another way of serving a salad of similar ingredients as above is to cubed them up and drizzle in extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar and seasoned with salt and black pepper. Toss and serve. As easy as that.



So there you go on my lazy-woman way of serving up delicious and nutritious avocados.

A Taste of Australian Avocados

"Hello", the avocado beacons as I entered the foyer of the lecture theatre of Berjaya University College of Hospitality. The avocados on display looked so fresh and inviting and it's no wonder since I was invited for this A Taste of Australian Avocados event by Agri-Science Queensland in partnership with The Avocado Export Company and brought in via Euro-Atlantic, the importer of hass and shepard avocados.

The event was kicked off and Jodie Campbell was introduced to us. Campbell has more than 2o years in research, development, extension and marketing in Australian and International Horticulture. She gave us and introduction on avocados, benefits and uses of avocados, guiding us on how to select good quality avocados to choosing the right ripeness.



There's always a misconception of avocados being very fattening and it's not helping when the Chinese calls it "ngaw yau gor" (butter fruit). Not sure why it's named in such but I think it's because of the texture of avocado is similar to butter. Do note that avocados are densed in nutrients which is rich in vitamin C, E, K, folic acid and potassium. They are low in sugar and salt-free. They have antioxidant, anti-viral and anti-bacteria properties which helps to lower cholesterol. Best of all, avocados contained mono-unsaturated fats to maintain a healthy weight! Do head to Australian Avocado for the detailed health benefits.



We were taught not to simply poke on the avocado with our fingers to check for it's ripeness. One can check the colour chart or by placing the whole avocado on our palm and just squeeze gently to check for firmness as demonstrated by PureGlutton in the photo below.



Next we have Chef Malcolm of Berjaya University College of Hospitality demonstrating to us on how to prepare Avocado Zimbabui, a very simple dish of beef bacon with avocado served with smoked salmon.



Chef Malcolm showed how to remove the peel from avocado and how to slice them for this dish.



We got to sample some avocado inspired dishes prepared by the university college ranging from avocado  salsa dip, salad, pasta, Avocado Zimbabui and guess what... rainbow coloured macarons filled with avocado cream as filling!



We were presented with a fruit basket that of course contained avocados and some other fruits imported by Euro-Atlantic. I will post up some of the ideas on what I did with the fruits and avocado in my next post.

Thanks to Scribe Media for the invite to an afternoon of very educational introduction on avocados.

May You Be Well And Happy This Wesak Day

Wishing all Buddhist a joyful and peaceful Wesak.

Review: Formosa @ SStwo Mall

**Non-Halal**


Note: This post was originally posted on 12 May but got lost during Blogger's latest booboo.

Capt'n Hook was in Petaling Jaya servicing his car and when it's done, it's lunch time already. We were around SS2 area but definitely not going into jam packed commercial area as parking would sure be difficult. It struck me that there was this new SStwo Mall in the vicinity, and so we decided to check it out. Not very familiar with the place, we went round and saw the roof of the building but can't get anywhere near it lol. Thank goodness for technology, we searched for the address online, then use the GPS to head there.

The mall is kinda huge but still very deserted. So we went round checking out where are the dining places which got us walking out into this open air courtyard with quite a number of eateries opened. Opted to check out this Formosa @SStwo Mall since every tables were occupied, sure can't go wrong with this formula when we are dealing with unfamiliar eateries. I'm not sure if this Formosa is of the New Formosa spin-off of Taiwanese fast food version but it doesn't really looked like it though.

Luckily someone left as we walked in, so we got us a table on the walkway, pretty warm though in the current crazy hot spell. Actually we have to place our order at the cashier counter and pay for our food first. They'll give a number signage to place on our table.

There are ala carte items in the menu plus of course set menu. We opted for set since it's the easiest and the pricing should be cheaper or one would say "value for money" I guess from ordering ala carte. The sets came with tea or milk tea but we opted to add in "pearls" at 50 sens each cup and oh yeah what's happening in Klang Valley now? Bubble teas craze are back in a vengeance with the opening of so many bubble tea chains!

I had a red tea whilst Capt'n Hook have the milk version. I liked my tea and the pearls (balls made from tapioca starch) are of the good quality kind where they are not soft and soggy. Theirs are bouncy and chewy, I likey!



As usual, Capt'n Hook would usually go for gigantic piece of deep fried chicken. Over here the Hot Crispy Chicken Set (RM13.90) came with a bowl of rice topped with braised sauce and vegetables, braised egg and braised tofu, crispy deep fried chicken fillet and a glass of Taiwan tea.



Seriously, the chicken is really gigantic and can see the meat is rather thick as compared with the other chain which I will blog about it later on. Even though the meat is thick but it still retained it juiciness. The braised sauce seasoning is just nice for us in which the egg and tofu are braised in. The vegetable that topped the rice is harm choy (pickled mustard cabbage) but they're not of the kind we find in the market. This is less salty and sour and it's really crunchy.



In Taiwanese restaurants, the must order usually is sarm pui kai (3 cup chicken literally). My Three Cup Sauces Chicken Set (RM13.50) has the rice and vegetables, braised egg, a small claypot of Three Cup Sauces Chicken plus the tea. The reason the chicken is called 3 cups sauces is the measurement used to cook has one cup each of sesame oil, rice wine and light soy sauce. The version here is very fragrant with the smattering of basil leaves (the Thai kind). This would really go well with rice porridge!



The rice portion is really huge for me but I liked the fragrant rice that they used and I actually finished all my rice!!!! o.O including my chicken, egg and drink... indeed a feat for me!

Capt'n Hook who is the one usually finishes his rice but didn't, cos his chicken piece was really too much to handle lol. We noticed at least 2 tables did not manage to finish the chicken too, it was really THAT big piece. I gather that one could actually share 2 sets amongst 3 people. If only BoiBoi is around then it would have been perfect for the 3 of us. Would definitely be back to check out other items, though limited but still could be delicious.

Chyniss which is currently under the blogsphere raves is on the upper level across Formosa, might be the next outlet we would like to try. Then there's Capt'n Hook's favourite crepe snacks KikKok just round the corner from Formosa. So if you're around SS2 and don't want to be stressed out looking for parking, then this mall would have been a better option. Parking is still free at the moment.


Formosa @ SStwo Mall
Lot LG-73 SStwo Mall
Jalan SS2/72
Petaling Jaya
Opening Hours: Mon - Sunday 10.00am - 10.00pm

Stir-Fried Tofu, Zucchini and Mushroom

This dish has a rather unconventional ingredients for a Chinese style stir fry as it has zucchini in it LOL. I was trying to clear half of each of the green and yellow zucchini after making the Beef and Guinness Stew and so this was how this dish came about. Surprisingly this stir fry turned out very well with the zucchini oozing it's natural sweetness and I loved those charred bits on them plus the crunch on each bite of the zucchini slices.

Stir-Fried Tofu, Zucchini and Mushroom

1/2 of a medium sized green zucchini, cut lengthwise before slicing into about 1/2 to 1 cm thickness
1/2 of a medium sized yellow zucchini, sliced as above
1 piece firm tofu, cut into thin squares
2 stalks of eryngii mushrooms, sliced into rings
1 clove of chopped garlic
Salt and black pepper to taste

1. Pan fry the tofu pieces with a little oil until golden brown and set aside.

2. Add a little oil (you don't need a lot for this one) into the same pan/wok and fry the garlic until fragrant. Stir in the zucchini slices. If you wish to have some charred bits, just leave them untouched for a couple of minutes before stirring.

3. Stir in the mushroom and tofu next. Sprinkle some water all over, be careful with the amount as the zucchini would expel some liquid whilst cooking. Season with salt (about 1/2 to 1 tsp) and black pepper (amount depends on your taste). Stir to mix and taste. Quickly dish up and serve with rice.

Review: DIET (Do I Eat Today?) Cafe

We finally made it to DIET Cafe after all the raves in the blogsphere, phew! Capt'n Hook called in advance to check where is their exact location which actually got us rounding the business centre twice due to unclear directions. Anyway, this shoplot is located in the centre part which faces a little green patch. Parking is easy on weekend evenings but Siew Siew our efficient server informed us that it gets difficult during the day where double parking is rather rampant here.



I had wanted to sit nearer to the entrance where it was brighter but it was too close to a couple who were smoking at the first table. Seriously that was my only complaint about this cafe... as in having a smoking section inside the air-conditioned area without any partition or exhaust fan to extract the smoke out. We sat the furthest inside which is not far away from the entrance anyway, dimly lit (that explained why my pics looked so terrible) and still could smell the cigarette smoke. Perhaps I have an extra sensitive nose for ciggie smoke, totally not cool.



Anyway the decor is kinda chic but yet there were some soft touches of country style knick knacks and flowers. According to Siew Siew, during the day, the cafe looked different due to the lighting and the mood changes towards cosy and could be themed as romantic as night falls. Seriously, this cafe really looked very out of place in Cheras Business Centre lol, not only the decor but the food served as well. Was glad though that so far business has been good for them as it's very hard for us from southern Kuala Lumpur to enjoy such food and environment within short distance.



We scanned through the drinks menu and they have an impressive list of drinks and mocktails made of fresh fruits and vegetables. Prices are very reasonable too. Soft drinks here are not exorbitant unlike most restaurants.

Amongst the drinks we have were Herbal Ginger (RM10) which I can't comment since I didn't get to try. Since I was  feeling a little heaty, this thick cucumber and mint in Moisturiser (RM8) did the trick to cooling down the body.



We have actually ordered a whole lot more of items from the food menu but because it was Easter Sunday, the cafe was packed to the brim during the day, hence a lot of the items we have wanted were sold out :( Poor Siew Siew was so apologetic as Capt'n Hook gotten frustrated and asked her to let us know what they have instead.

For starters we have a Sauteed Butter Mushroom (RM10) that is served with toasted French bread slices. Loved the fact that fresh button mushroom is used and there were fair amount of sauce in the bowl for us to mop it up with the bread.



Then we have a Bacon Cheese Roll (RM10) which is essentially beef bacon rolled in cheese served with a little salad. Not impressive as the beef bacon is tough and according to Capt'n Hook, it has a beefy/gamey taste.



As they have ran out of seafood risotto, we both opted for Mushroom Risotto (RM18). The risotto is cooked to perfection and creamy to boot with a rich mushroom flavour. It was served with parmesan chips, lovely.



BoiBoi ordered a Classic Club Sandwich (RM16) which came really huge which I doubt I could finish but our boy gobbled down the entire sandwich except for a small piece of bread. Turkey ham, chicken slices and egg can't go wrong with him since they're all his fave especially eggs! Over here you can pick your choice of bread which we have opted panini bread. This sandwich is served with thin kumara (orange sweet potato) crisps. Nicely deep fried and not oily at all.



Capt'n Hook had ordered Olio Seafood Spaghetti (RM24) for MIL but she didn't eat it, so we nibbled on some and I find the spaghetti was done al dente, tasted good too. She had wanted some mashed potatoes which Siew Siew gladly made it happened as it was not in the menu. This was supposed to be in the Bangers and Mash which they have ran out. The mash, I like cos they used real potatoes, not instant stuff, served with an onion sauce. I find the sauce nice to go with the mash but MIL complained it was too sweet. Well, she's a Hakka and not used to having sweetish taste in her savoury dishes. The sweetness is the natural goodness from caramalised onions.



Well, to make up for the shortcomings in shortage of dishes, Siew Siew served us complimentary desserts, not one but all 3 items! BoiBoi asked for ice cream which they just have vanilla flavour served with a berry compote. The Apple Crumble is served in a crispy filo pastry shell filled with soft cubed apples topped with small bits of browned crumbles and a scoop of vanilla ice cream in a pool of vanilla custard sauce. Yummy!

We were also served a Bread and Butter Pudding. The pudding came looking like a piece of cake in a pool of vanilla custard sauce topped with plump raisins and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. I loved this as the pudding is really rich and buttery but not a good thing after a full meal. Luckily it was shared heh.



Seriously the prices are pretty reasonable and the best part was having it right in Cheras! I can't wait to check out their breakfasts here since there were so many rave reviews. There were so many more items too to try out and explore.

Hope to be there again soon ;-)


DIET Cafe
27 Jalan 3/101C
Cheras Business Centre
Cheras
56100 Kuala Lumpur
Opening Hours
Mon-Fri: 10.00am - 12.00am (midnight)
Sat-Sun: 8.00am - 12.00am (midnight)

Braised Pork Belly with Mui Choy

**Non-Halal**


Mui Choy is a type of preserved mustard cabbage. It has 2 varieties which is the sweet (teem) mui choy or salty (harm) mui choy. The sweet variety come in darker colour where else the salty one is more greenish in colour. Mui Choy is every Hakka household staple which others have learnt to appreciate as well. Mui Choy is generally braised or stewed with pork with pork belly being the most popular part known as Mui Choy Munn Chu Yuk or Mui Choy Khau Yuk.

My mother being a Hakka has learnt some of these dishes from her mother and we all enjoyed them tremendously as these dishes are usually being turned low-fat and low-sodium by my mother. They still tasted good nevertheless.

So here is how, the 3rd generation in the family, cooks this dish which I think my grandma would roll her eyes in her grave :p all caused I've used the pressure cooker to hasten cooking time and to really soften the meat until they melt in the mouth.

I've used the sweet mui choy which need to be washed off all the grit especially on the inner folds of the leaves. I've soaked mine for around 1 hour and even though they're "sweet" but in actual fact, they're quite salty as well. I would say 3-4 hours with changes of water in between would have done a better job in removing the saltiness.

As for the pork belly, I managed to get the portion with quite some chunks of lean meat. I also cheated by removing quite a bit of the fats layers (I can hear my grandma screaming at me in Hakka!!) then sliced them to about 1/2 - 1 cm thickness.

I actually did braised them on the stove but after 45 mins or so, the meat does not give me the melt-in-mouth texture. So I poured them into the pressure cooker and cooked it for about 15 mins and voila... perfect! My recipe is still a little too salty hence have to be tweaked to reduce the saltiness. I gather that one ought to start with lesser seasoning and slowly build it up by tasting the dish as it cooks.



So here is my recipe (adjusted) in guesstimation:

Braised Pork Belly with Mui Choy

1/2 strip pork belly (around 500 - 600g)
2 strips of sweet mui choy, soak and cut into 1 - 2 cm length
3 slices of ginger, cut into strips
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 tsp oyster sauce*
1/2 tsp soy sauce*
1 tsp sugar*

* seasonings amount varies, depending on how salty is your mui choy. I supposed layering the seasonings slowly adding bit by bit and keep tasting until one find the right balance

1. Sliced pork belly into 1 cm thickness. I've asked my butcher to remove the skin. Roast pork (siew yuk) can be used too.

2. Wash mui choy thoroughly under running water especially the inner leaves to remove the grits. Soak in a bowl of water for 3-4 hours and change the water a couple of times in between. Then slice them into 1 - 2 cm in length, do remove and discard the woody parts towards the root.

3. Heat up some oil and fry ginger and garlic till fragrant in a wok (or can do it in the pressure cooker) before adding the meat. Just stir the meat around (I did not brown them). Stir in mui choy and mix well.

4. Pour in just enough water to cover and add in the seasonings. Remember to slowly layer the seasoning so that you can adjust the saltiness. Keep tasting.

5. When it comes to a slow boil, put on the lid (follow your pressure cooker instructions) and cook for about 15 minutes. When done, release the pressure and dish out the braised pork belly with mui choy and serve with rice.

I'm submitting this for Muhibbah Malaysian Monday blog event. This event is the brainchild of  Shaz (Test With A Skewer) and Suresh (3 Hungry Tummies). Read more here.