Eat. Live. Be Merry!

Rou Gu Cha King @ New World Park

2007-08-02T20:38:00.000+08:00

The remaining part of New World Park along Jalan Burmah opened its doors yesterday 1 August 2007. The earlier opened part houses the famous hawker stalls from Swatow Lane. When I heard that this newer part would play hosts to other restaurants like 600CC, Starbucks and Old Town, I thought I'd pop by during lunch today to check out the place.

The new phase of New World Park is very spacious but most of the restaurants have not opened. It promises Manhattan Fish Market, Starbucks, Old Town, Lok Lok and many other restaurants. While walking around today, we spotted 600CC, Nyonya Cafe and Rou Gu Cha King.

Rou Gu Cha King looked most promising and had more patrons compared to the rest, so we decided to eat there. Rou Gu Cha is mandarin for "Bak Kut Teh" (in Hokkien). The poster inside the restaurant proudly boasted that Rou Gu Cha King can be found in Shanghai and Penang.
Ok, I thought, everything seems promising.

Upon browsing the menu, we found they have a few types of 'Bak Kut Teh' - they had the normal version, the spicy (Ma La) version and even a dried version... And we could also pick and choose our own ingredients which is what we decided to do. They also have a variety of noodles.

We had wanted to order the interesting looking Green Tea rice, but was told it was not available yet as the spices have not arrived from Shanghai. So we settled for the yam rice, a plate of lettuce and a bowl of chinese cruller (yau char kuei).
We also order the Nestum Prawns and the Chinese Pear Dumpling. Since they had tea making sets on every table, we also decided to try their teas. We had wanted to try their Rose Tea, but again were told the tea leaves have not arrived. In the end, my brother chose a tea (can't remember what it's called now) but its the first item on the tea list.

There were quite a few tables waiting but we found the food took quite long to be served. And my main gripe was that the 'Rou Gu Cha' soup was not hot enough. To me the soup should be piping hot...but it was just lukewarm but the taste was not too bad. Even when we asked for a refill of the soup, it was lukewarm.
The chinese crullers were rather dismal - quite hard and cold. But the yam rice was not too bad.

The nestum prawn was more of a fried mashed prawn paste which was normal. When the Chinese Pear Dumplings were served, they looked yummy. But it was definitely too oily for my liking, since it was deep fried with a savoury filling. We just could not bring ourselves to finish them because it was so oily.

Nestum Prawn

Chinese Pear Dumpling

The whole meal set us back about RM55. And in the end, I had more fun making the tea with the tea set and making jokes about the boiling pot exploding if it ran out of water before they refilled it! No, I don't think it will explode la! But it was pretty 'gan cheong' for me watching all the steam come out of the pot especially when I knew there wasn't much water left in it!

The black pot which I thought was going to explode!But otherwise, it was a really lovely tea set!

Would I come back here again? Probably. But not anytime soon. As with all new establishments, they would need some time to iron out any 'teething' problems and for all their spices and teas to arrive from Shanghai!

Support and Sponsor the Brave Bloggers of Blogathon 2007!

2007-07-28T23:42:00.000+08:00

Blogathon 2007 has kicked off at 9pm today. There's a long long list of bloggers who have picked the charities of their choice and will stay up 24 hours to blog, a new post every 30minutes. A most brave and noble thing to do, because staying up to blog for 24hours is no joke. And having to put a new post every 30minutes is even harder!

I've pledged to sponsor Pelf who's picked the Eden Handicap Service Center and Kelwin who's for MAKNA. But there are other Malaysian bloggers taking part in this as well. So do go over and give them moral support and help keep them awake! It's still not too late to pledge (you have til Sunday 9pm).

For those brave souls taking part in Blogathon 2007 - I salute you!

Sky Hotel Char Siew Siu Baak Rice

2007-07-26T23:06:00.000+08:00

Apologies for my disappearance! Have been so bogged down by work...and then when I managed to clear most of it, I immediately laid hands on the last Harry Potter book....and after staying up for 2 nights reading...I FINALLY know what happens.......!! won't go into that...cos it's time for...a food update!

I have been craving for tasty char siew...and I immediately thought of this...

Probably one of the best 'char siew, siu baak' (BBQ Pork) rice in Penang, can be found at a corner kopitiam at Sky Hotel (blue-y building) along Chulia Street. It's been operating for a long time and I think most Penangites would know this place. It is almost always packed and getting a table may be quite difficult, but sharing tables with other strangers is the norm here. All for the sake of good food.

The char siew here is definitely worth a mention. I have never tasted char siew so delicious, with the sides slightly burnt giving a nice crispy bite to it while the sui baak is average.

Doesn’t that look ‘evil’?? Enough to make a person’s mouth water….!

They also have other meats – intestines and duck meat I think. But I always order the char siew, siu baak rice. The rice served here is normal white rice, not the chicken rice variety. You can also opt to include a bowl of soup and a plate of steamed veggie (to make it a healthier meal). Char siew, siu baak rice for 2 including soup and veggie will set you back about RM12.

One more look at the scrumptious char siew…. ok no more pics….am getting hungry just looking at them! And it's almost midnite!

Only open for lunch. Try it and let me know if you adore it as much as I do!

Which Tarot Card Are You?

2007-07-19T22:49:00.000+08:00

I have this thing for tarot card readings, numerology and such... so when I saw this on SweetPea's blog, I just had to do it!! So which tarot card am I?

You are The Wheel of Fortune

Good fortune and happiness but sometimes a species of
intoxication with success

The Wheel of Fortune is all about big things, luck, change, fortune. Almost always good fortune. You are lucky in all things that you do and happy with the things that come to you. Be careful that success does not go to your head however. Sometimes luck can change.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

RM127 meme for charity!

2007-07-19T13:02:00.000+08:00

Have been meaning to do this meme for charity since I got tagged by Pikey. I actually saw this meme earlier on Zewt's blog but was really just too plain lazy to do it!! This was originally started by a guy called Idham who says he will donate RM127 for every completed meme (you have to complete at least 17 out of the 27) before August 26 to Darrul Izzah Orphanage in Bangi. He hopes to collect at least RM10 000 which I think is really noble of him. Hop on over to his blog for more info ya? And better yet, get busy and start doing your version of this meme for charity!

Here's mine:

1. A person is only as good as
2. Friendship is always understanding, supporting and forgiving.
3. To love is to give, to care, to be kind, to accept the good and the bad, to understand, to forgive, to be willing to work things out when it gets rough and to have gratitude.
4. Money makes me happy! And when I’m happy…see no.22
5. I miss my care-free college days.
6. My way of saying I care is by doing what I can to make them happy, even the little boring mundane things.
7. I try to spread love and happiness by
8. Pick the flowers of love and give it to someone who truly cherishes you.
9. To love someone is to accept them for who they are, irritating habits and all.
10. Beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder. I have a friend who thinks Spawn figurines are beautiful!
11. When I was thirteen, what I remember the most was moving to a new secondary school.
12. When I was twenty one, I remember finishing college and coming home and having a real hard time adjusting to my ‘restricted freedom’ and most of all having this huge dilemma of what to do next with my life (still having this dilemma now).
13. I am most happy when
14. Nothing makes me happier than knowing that I did something good to bring happiness into someone’s life.
15. If I can change one thing, I will change
16. If smiles were...........then I...............................
17. Wouldn't it be nice if we could all learn to be more tolerant of each other? Be more selfless and more compassionate to each other?
18. If you want to .............then you have to ................
19. Money is not everything but having money could make your life a whole lot easier!
20. The most touching moments I have experienced is
21. I smile when I am happy, when I am nervous but trying to hide it, when I’m meeting people for the first time, when I’m talking on the phone to my friends or people I like, when I see cute photos of puppies, kitties and other cute furry animals, I smile before I start a presentation, I smile at the security guard at my office building…ok, I’m a smiley person!
22. When I am happy, I tend to be very generous and want to spread the happiness around to my friends and family!
23. If only I don't have to ..............., then.........................
24. The best thing I did yesterday was
25. If I ever write a book, I will give it this title,"...................................."
26. One thing I must do before I die is to make time to do more charity work to help those in need.
27. Doing this meme, I feel like this takes more effort than I thought!!

There! I'm done!

And of course, after you're done don't forget to let Idham know so he can keep track of your post!

I'm going to tag...anyone who is feeling generous and wants to contribute RM127 to charity!

Good Clean Fun & An Act of Kindness

2007-07-16T22:41:00.000+08:00

I spent the weekend in KL with one of my best friends and her friend who was visiting from the US. It was meant to be a chill out pampering weekend - an overnight stay at a hotel, leisurely breakfast and just enjoying the sights and sounds of the heart of the city.

And to my delight, the weekend definitely lived up to our plans! Mainly because of 2 separate incidents. We had planned to go to Rum Jungle on Saturday night, because a friend had told me that they have a mean drummer who plays a great set. As we walked towards Rum Jungle, we were exchange horror stories of the recent car hijacking events, snatch thefts and what not. And being just 3 girls walking along the street, we were extra cautious.

Upon arrival at Rum Jungle, we grabbed our drinks and took a seat. Next thing we knew, a couple of Aussie backpackers had approached us to talk. We still had our guards up, because really you can't be too careful these days....but they seemed friendly enough and managed to pull me to the dance floor, leaving my 2 friends behind to chat with the rest.

On the dance floor, there were just lots of people, friendly people, who genuinely seemed like they were just enjoying the dancing. At first I was still on the apprehensive but soon, I realized that these people just wanted to dance, which was definitely fine by me and so we danced! A group of Africans were even trying to teach me some of their traditional dance steps! And we danced the night away - no drugs, no alcohol (well, not too much anyways...) and definitely no sex. Just dancing! And just the way I like it! Good clean fun!

The next day, we were recipients of a really random act of kindness. A lady from Port Dickson offered the 3 of us a ride to KLCC because it was raining!! We were in the same lift, and because it was pouring outside I had suggested we take a taxi to KLCC and she overheard us, and just out of the blue told us she was headed there and would we like a ride?
We were stunned for a bit, our guards up immediately, and we were considering if it was safe. I even asked my friend quietly if she thought the lady would 'take us to go and sell'. In the end we accepted the ride and 10mins later arrived safely in KLCC!

We did so many random things that weekend - talking to total strangers and letting them pull us to the dance floor, accepting rides from a stranger... and yet when you come to think of it, these are simple things. Simple things made complicated because the horrors of society today has made us so cautious and fearful.

A risk was taken with that act - the lady risked her safety to give us a ride, and we took a risk trusting her to bring us safely to our destination. I am not in anyway saying that we should trust everyone we meet. But wouldn't it be nice, to live in a world where you don't have to second guess a person's intentions? Where you don't have to be wary of everyone you meet. Where you don't have to be so suspicious all the time and wonder if the shady looking guy walking next to you means you any harm.

It truly is sad how society has changed us, forced us to put up walls around ourselves, made us so fearful, hostile and violent, and taken out of us the ability and the intention to be kind to our fellow man.
Is this what lies ahead for our future generations? A world of fear and mistrust?

How Much To Give?

2007-07-10T20:18:00.000+08:00

"I'm watching you sleep, it hurts a lot
& all I know is
You've got to give me everything
Nothing less cause
You know I give you all of me

I give you everything that I am
I'm handin' over everything that I've got
Cause I wanna have a really true love
Don't ever wanna have to go & give you up
Stay up till Four In The Morning & the tears are pouring
& I want to make it worth the fight
What have we been doing for all this time?
Baby if we're gonna do it, come on do it right"
~ extracted from Gwen Stefani's 4 in the Morning~

How strange that this song says everything that I want to say right now.

A guy friend once told me that you should never give yourself 100% to another person, because when that person leaves you, you will be hurt so badly. So in order to safeguard yourself, always keep, like say 30% of yourself. Never reveal everything to another person, totally.

Meanwhile, a female friend also once told me that the secret to happiness is to find a guy who loves you more than you love him, as this will ensure that he will 'worship' you.

Maybe I am too naive, maybe I believe in something that doesn't exist. And maybe I haven't found the way to find a balance. But for now, I cannot accept those things my friends have said. Because how on earth do you keep a part of yourself from the person you love? How can you keep a part of your heart locked away, as though you're stashing away some cash, for those 'just in case' days? Is safeguarding yourself from being hurt a justifiable reason?

I do not understand. And perhaps, because I do not and cannot understand this, I am singing that Gwen Stefani song over and over again.

Best Tiramisu In Penang!

2007-07-09T20:32:00.000+08:00

I'm still dreaming about tiramisu... Therefore...ta dah.....

The best-est tiramisu in Penang!! Definitely beats all the other tiramisus I've tried in Penang so far...

This bestest Tiramisu (freshly made every day) can be found at Bella Italia Italian Restaurant, Belissa Row, Pulau Tikus Penang. In fact this is one of the best Italian restaurants in Penang... my family and I just love this place, and we go there whenever we celebrate someone's birthday or when we have guests over etc...its just our 'special treat' place! Will definitely do a more in depth review of the place soon...but for now...let's just drool over Tiramisu.........!

How Vain Are You?

2007-07-09T19:46:00.000+08:00

Did this silly fun quiz I read from 5Xmom's site...cos I'm bored even though I know there's this report sitting there waiting for me to read it and make some sense of it....
So yes, apparently I am, quite the vain pot...coming in at 73% just 1% behind 5Xmom!

You Are 73% Vain

You're a little vain, but you also work hard for your good looks.
Just remember, everyone knows you are a total hottie. You don't have to remind them.

How Vain Are You?

Well...what to do, in this day and age, so much emphasis is put on how a person looks. And there's the ol' saying that women want beauty, dun want their life. But, as vain as I may be, I refuse to be a slave to fashion (although I must admit I have no resistance whatsoever when it comes to shoes, bags and earrings....). And I sure as hell will not give up food to starve myself into becoming model thin!
In fact...I'm dreaming of tiramisu right now after reading an old entry in Keiko's blog...my oh my, her food photos are sinfully enticing!!!

Deluxcious Cuisine & Cafe

2007-07-08T14:18:00.000+08:00

Despite the fact that Deluxciuos Cuisine has been around for quite awhile, I have only started frequenting the place late last year when a friend had his son's birthday party there. After that...I was hooked! Deluxcious Cuisine serves Western fusion food and they have really good set lunches and dinners.

So, when my friends who are back from overseas wanted to have a nice dinner, I suggested Deluxcious, since I've never done a food review of the place yet. My friends were thrilled to be doing a blog review with me as well!

So for this review, our panel of judges will be....

My lovely friends and I

We all ordered the set dinner except for myself. The set dinners are 5 course sets which include a salad, a soup of the day, main course, dessert of the day and coffee/tea. Set dinners range from RM30 to RM55 depending on the choice of main course. There's a good selection to choose from, and if you prefer a main course from the ala carte menu, there's an additional RM10 charge.

First up came the salads - which was a smoked salmon salad with a hint of wasabi in the sauce. Everyone thought the salad was tasty.
Then came the soup of the day which was a clear tomato tomyam soup. It was very tasty, not too sour and not too spicy either.

Moving on the main courses, we had the Confit Salmon with Caviar, Red Miso Lamb and the Lobster Bisque with seafood.

My friends and I weren't sure what confit meant and upon asking, we were told that confit is a method of cooking where the fish is soaked in olive oil and cooked in an oven...the outcome would be salmon that melts in your mouth! With that 2 of my friends were sold on the salmon. When the dish was served, it did not disappoint! The salmon was indeed soft and melts in your mouth. But it is a bit raw in the center, so if you don't fancy raw salmon, then it is advisable to request for them to cook it longer.

Confit Salmon with Caviar

I had the red miso lamb, one of their signature dishes. And it was fantastic! The meat was tender and it was very well marinated with a hint of spiciness from the black pepper. A definite must try!

Red Miso Lamb

The other star dishes at Deluxciuos would be the Lobster bisque which came served with mussels and clams in a sweet & sour spicy sauce. Everyone unanimously loved it!

Lobster Bisque

The dessert of the day was Panna Cota topped with passion fruit sauce. But their famous signature dessert is a chocolate torte, so most of us upgraded to the torte for an additional RM6.

The Panna Cota was a nice mixed of soury passion fruit on top and creamy coconut cream.

Meanwhile, the chocolate torte was a hit. It comes served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream which pairs really well with the torte which was slighty crispy on the outside and really chocolate-y on the inside!
Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the food and comments of "Ooh, this is really good" kept coming up from time to time! Definitely worth a second visit!
Other good dishes to try include the steak and pan fried butter fish.

Deluxcious Cuisine & Cafe is located along Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah. Its the lovely white bungalow opposite Citibank and KWSP building. There's also a very very posh looking spa upstairs which is open til 11pm. One sister runs the spa, while the other sister runs the restaurant.

Deluxcious also caters for private functions upon request. To get in touch with them call 04-2610288.

*PS: This is definitely NOT a paid post. I just totally love this place! Try it and let you know what you think!

My (Potentially Humiliating) Pledge for 7/7/07

2007-07-07T12:32:00.000+08:00

Today's a very special day with a very special date. Lots of people all over the world are getting married (I got THREE wedding invites for tonite) and over here on the blogosphere, 5Xmom is launching her new website with a 'blog warming party' where everyone is invited to drop a post and she'll donate RM10 to a charitable cause for each post (up to a max of RM300).

So...since today is special and since its for a charitable cause... I itchy backside and went over to post...and something came over me....causing me to make this crazy pledge on her site.

Basically, I've pledge to post up a pic of me in my belly dance costume here in this blog on August 17 2007. (Don't get any funny ideas ok? Belly dance is FEMININE, not sexy! so says my instructor...)
Reason for this crazy pledge is cos I've got a belly dance performance on that day...and if I want to fit into my costume and look great (ok, i'll settle for looking decent) in it and not suffer maximum public humiliation (now that I've made this pledge)...I've got to get off my ass and start gymming more seriously and eating properly!

This is like... the best way of making an open declaration of my goal man!! Cos now, instead of just me holding myself accountable for my goal, I've got to the whole entire blogosphere (assuming I actually have that many readers la ya!) holding me accountable for my goal!!!
*realizes the severity of my actions, grabs a calendar and counts 42 days til D-Day, slaps forehead and faints*

And oh, before I faint again...this is what I look like now...

*faint*

*wakes up from fainting* Oh yes...I truly am sorry that there haven't been much food related updates recently..will be back really soon with some yummylicious food reviews Ok?

*ok...can finally faint now...properly! FAINT!!*

A Pleasant Surprise!

2007-07-05T13:40:00.000+08:00

Had a very pleasant surprise this morning!

I checked my Nuffnang account and to my amazement, saw that the number of unique visitors to my site had increase to over 100 for yesterday (Wed, July 4)! My usual would range between 20-30, so getting over 100 left me dumbfounded!! Especially since I have not posted anything since Sunday.

So, as I was pondering my sudden surge of traffic, I realized the answer! It was because.... the very famous 5Xmom who needs no further introduction, made a post about this blog on her site!!
Needless to say, I was honored and thrilled to bits!!!!

Thank you 5Xmom!! Hope you keep coming back to visit and hope you get well soon!

Bruised Ego

2007-07-01T16:20:00.000+08:00

My ego took a mega huge blow today. It's easy to live in denial, to turn a blind eye and a deaf ear on something unpleasant. And so sometimes, when someone says something to you thats so very blunt yet so very true, it's hard to accept. Especially when it touches on something so sensitive and so personal, like how a person looks.

I admit, I have never been model thin. And yes, I have grown a little more horizontal over the past year without my realizing until its rather obvious now.
So yes, while I wish the world could be less superficial, and I wish that people could see that there is more to me than meets the eye, the fact is... that the world IS superficial. And the world is always always going to judge a person first on how they look. Heck, even I'm superficial ok?

So ya lar, I may a nice sweet person and all and a guy may really like me for those qualities, but it also doesn't hurt if I look hot to boot, right? (Guys, admit it!)
I know, people tell me that I shouldn't let this get to me, and that I should love myself no matter how I look. But the world is always going to like pretty beautiful things. And yes, you can argue that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. True. But beauty, to a large part of the population's eye right now feels that beauty = slim and toned.

Oklar... my ego is megaly bruised. But I can't blame anyone but myself. For it is I who let my eating habits go astray. It is I, who didn't put in enough effort at the gym. And it is I, who failed to change my mindset and my thinking. So now, its time for me to face reality...and do something about it!

Soy @ G Hotel

2007-06-30T17:02:00.000+08:00

Soy is G Hotel's newest restaurant, opening its' doors just this Monday. It's so new I didn't even know of it's existence and when I was told to go for lunch at G Hotel, I thought I was going to the Japanese Restaurant, Miraku!

Soy is actually one part of the restaurant. The other part is called Sesame, which will only be opened mid July.

This was a really impromptu visit during lunch on a weekday, and I didn't have a camera with me, so had to resort to using my camera phone because the food presentation was just too good to resist! Plus, I had to 'say grace' as a blogger mah! :P

Soy serves Chinese fusion food with a simple two page menu consisting of about 10 starters, 12 mains, a few desserts (all with really lenthy names) and a drinks list.

I arrived a bit late, and so food was already ordered on my behalf. We had three starters - the Garlic Prawn Caesar Salad, Gado gado and Soft Shell Crab XO Sauce.

Garlic Prawn Caesar Salad

I loved the Garlic Prawn Caesar Salad! It was served with just the right amount of salad sauce with cripsy garlic crisps and prawns on a bed of fresh greens!

The gado gado too was not bad. It was a bit dryer than what I'm used to, with minimal sauce but it was still tasty.

Gado-gado

As for the Soft Shell Crab, it was fried with batter and I couldn't taste the XO! Not one of my favourites. I still prefer the soft shell crabs served at Japanese restaurants in a handroll.

Soft Shell Crab XO Sauce

Next up came the mains. We were very ambitious indeed, ordering one main each, even after having 3 starters!! I had the Crispy Pork Spaghetti Aglio Olio, which is actually 'siew bak' with aglio oglio pasta. A nice chinese twist to this popular Italian dish. I enjoyed the spaghetti but the crispy pork wasn't as tasty.

Other mains we had... The BBQ Coffee Cocoa Pork Ribs & Garlic Fried Rice was tasty though the Garlic Fried Rice needed more oomph! It wasn't 'garlicky' enough and tasted rather bland.

The Slow Cooked Pork Belly & Spicy Dried Shrimp Rice was well received. The pork belly was soft and tender but the rice was a bit hard.

The Steam Egg Custard & Tiger Prawns & Shanghainese Noodles looked the best out of all the dishes due to its interesting presentation. And to me, it tasted the best among the four mains.

After all that, we still ordered dessert - the Sweet Yam Pudding with Gingko Nuts served with Vanilla ice cream and Warm Chocolate & Nuttella Tart + Banana Fritters + vanilla ice cream.

Sweet Yam Pudding (also called "or ni" in hokkien)

The Choc Nutella tart...

I was really looking forward to the Choc & Nutella tart, being a huge nutella fan. But to my disappointment I couldn't taste much Nutella. It was definitely chocolate...but no taste of nutella, plus the crust of the tart was a bit too hard. Otherwise, the desserts were passable.

For all that we ordered including 2 drinks and chinese tea, the total bill came up to about RM216.

All in all, I found the food at Soy to be passable. If you're looking for something new to try with interesting food presentation and combinations then Soy is the place. I think the concept at Soy is great and a pretty good try in the direction of the many Chinese Fusion Foods that are available in KL right now. When we asked what food Sesame (its 'other half') would be serving, the manager told us it would be Chinese Fusion Food served as a set meal with about 6-7 mini courses, which kinda reminds me a bit of Eest at Westin Hotel KL. Meanwhile, I wouldnt mind if Soy gave their food a bit more 'oomph' in the taste department!

Lecka Lecka @ Pulau Tikus

2007-06-26T18:55:00.000+08:00

Had previously spied this place earlier on and finally....its open!!

Upon visiting the newly opened Lecka Lecka on Sunday night we were greeted by the ice cream bar...

I have tried Lecka Lecka in KL but it was a long time ago and I couldn't remember what the flavours taste like...so my family and I had a pretty interesting time trying out almost all the flavours. I do remember the outlets in KL having more flavors though. Finally, we settled for Bacio, Creme Brule and After 8.

Bacio on the left and Creme Brule on the right

The waitress told us that there are a few types of basic bases for the gelatos - water mixed with milk, water with yoghurt and water with fruits. All milk based gelatos are 94% fat free while all fruit based gelatos are 99.9% fat free! Cool no?

Since we tried the milk based gelatos, I'd have to say that they don't taste as creamy as say Basking Robbins or Haegen Daez. So I think I'll try the fruit based ones next time as I do believe they will fare better. Also, we found the gelato too soft and was melting rather quickly. Coincidentally, we met the manager Darren, who told us that the texture of the gelato that day was really a bit too soft as the actual texture is supposed to taste sponge-y. But he assured us he had a new refrigerator from Italy coming in soon in time for their Grand Opening this coming Saturday.

With cool and comfortable decor, WIFI, healthy gelatos (they're about Rm5 per scoop) and a good selection of cocktails and alcoholic drinks available, I reckon this place will be the next hip hang out. This Lecka Lecka outlet also serves main meals (mostly Western food). Looking forward to trying their main meals as well the brownies which I heard are really good.

Lecka Lecka is located at Pulau Tikus at the row of shoplots next to the Burmah House Maybank. It is two doors away from Nippon Yataimura Japanese Restaurant, next to Teow Chew Meng restaurant.

Adzuki Mania @ Starbucks

2007-06-23T20:47:00.000+08:00

I must admit I am a Starbucks fan. It is my sanctuary when I need a quiet place to relax over a cup of steaming Caramel Macchiato. It is also my hang out, a place to catch up with friends over cups of Green Tea Frappucinos and Ice Shaken Tazo Lemon Zen. And of course, Starbucks is the place I go to when I have a chocolate craving - their Signature Hot Chocolate is definitely one of the the best hot chocolates around - rich, chocolatey thick and creamy.

For the summer, Starbucks has gone Adzuki (red bean) crazy. There's the Adzuki frappucino (which I find a lil too sweet for my liking) and the adzuki foods - Adzuki Scone and an Azuki Cake. Have yet to try to cake. But the Adzuki scones are to die for! Very buttery with a generous layer of red bean paste...A must try!

The Adzuki Scone with an Ice Shaken Tazo Lemon Zen (very refreshing drink!) in the foreground

And oh yes, a Jusco card entitles you to a 10% discount at Starbucks. :)

Expectations vs Disappointment

2007-06-16T16:24:00.000+08:00

Another non food topic again today.

Am rather disappointed today, feeling rather let down and neglected by a friend, who had earlier promised to do something for me. But now it seems like he can't fulfill that promise.

I suppose its only natural to feel some disappointment because expectations were there. And its natural to have some expectations of your friends and your family right? And yet, I wonder if I should feel disappointed? Maybe I'm expecting too much, and maybe I should be more understanding of his situation.

But still... it just makes me feel that he doesn't really value me very much. And that's not a nice feeling to have.

So back to my question... am I expecting too much? Or should I be more understanding and just brush this aside?

I understand that when there are no expectations there are no disappointments. But how on earth do you be friends, put your emotions into your relationships and yet expect nothing in return?

So You Think You Can Dance Malaysia

2007-06-14T23:24:00.000+08:00

Another rant post coming up...so please bear with me for a little, while I veer off topic.
Have been faithfully following So You Think You Can Dance Malaysia since it started and this is the second time I feel so frustrated!
The first time was when Sean was eliminated in the second week. I was totally shocked and thought he did not deserve to be eliminated so early in the competition because I felt he had so much potential. So yeah, he didn't really deliver a great performance that week, but did he deserve to be kicked out just because of one lousy, slightly below par performance?? Definitely not! Despite my mom, my brother and I furiously voting for him, he still had to leave....
But that, is history, and something that I've let go. I still believe Sean is a great dancer and he shouldn't let this dampen his spirits.

Tonight! Another frustrating night, mainly because I 'beh tahan' that blardee host anymore! Yep, the female host. I already didn't like her from the beginning but I just gritted my teeth and focused more on the contestants and the dancing. But each week she got more and more irritating and she made so many fumbles that they had to bring in a co host to save her.

Tonight! wah, she made the biggest fumble yet! While they were announcing the bottom six for the female dancers, the male co host had called both Brancy and Sue. And later announced that Sue was safe, meaning Brancy was in the bottom six. Right after this, the very brilliant female host happily announced "Congratulations Brancy!" (I can't remember what she said exactly after that, except for the very glaring mistake of saying Congratulations Brancy!!) After that, my gosh, both the host 'kelam kabut' already to cover up that mistake!!
I mean, as a Brancy fan, I'm furious la! Dah lah people feel so bad for being in the bottom 6, suddenly you have to go tell people Congratulations! Congratulations?? For being in the bottom 6??? Thank goodness Brancy is still safe!

I think that at this stage, all the dancers are really really good and its tough to see someone go home. So, the least they could do is to handle eliminations with a lil bit more sensitivity! Previously, they even messed up the numbers for voting for the contestants!

Tonight, I'm sad to see Jimmy go home, cos I do think he's great. All of them are actually. To all of you Top 20 dancers...you guys (& gals) are the best!!

And to 8tv, please please please get a better (female) host!

Tua Pui Curry Mee & "O Kio" @ Weld Quay

2007-06-14T20:42:00.000+08:00

One of my favourite Curry Mee stalls in Penang is located along Weld Quay just outside the stall owner's house. If you are travelling with the jetty on your left, Tua Pui (hokkien for 'fat') Curry Mee stall is further down from the jetty, after the Shell station, on the opposite side of the road.
There you will spot a lone stall with a bright yellow signboard.

To me, a great bowl of curry mee is largely dependent upon its curry soup. The curry must be 'lemak' (creamy) enough and spicy enough, and most definitely the chilli paste that comes with it must be fragrant and spicy. What makes Tua Pui Curry Mee special is the variety of 'side dishes' you can add into your bowl of curry mee. The selection being offered here include curry chicken, curry squids, prawns, chicken feet, fish balls and gizzards (all cooked in curry). And when you order these extras, the curry from these sides will be added into your curry mee, thus making the soup thicker and tastier!

I usually drop by this place for lunch, despite it being skin burningly hot! If you prefer, you can also sit in a little corner inside Tua Pui's house so that its cooler.

And as my usual 'ritual' goes, after my bowl of piping hot curry mee, I'll make a stop at this little drinks van just next to Tua Pui Curry Mee.

They have chendol and other drinks here, but I will always, always order the "O Kio". I have no idea what that name means...but the "O Kio" is actually "Ai Yu Ping" dessert. This dessert is more common in KL I think, because this place is the only place I know of in Penang that sells this dessert! What IS an "O Kio" and a "Ai Yu Ping"??
Its basically a jelly with a slight orange hint, topped with some canned lychee, mixed with syrup and fresh lemon juice. This stall tops is up with ice shavings, delivering a refreshingly cool dessert!

The "O Kio" or "Ai Yu Ping" Jelly

This drinks stall is located a few steps way from Tua Pui Curry Mee, at the corner of Weld Quay and Gat Lebuh Acheh underneath a big tree. Open for business most afternoons.
Meanwhile, Tua Pui Curry Mee is open from about 9am-4pm, closed on Thursdays (if i remember correctly!!)

And oh yes....opposite Tua Pui Curry Mee is this heavenly 'goreng pisang' stall...but that's another story altogether...!

Lorong Selamat Char Koay Teow

2007-06-13T21:46:00.000+08:00

Char Koay Teow is definitely one of the must eats when one visits Penang. And Penang is blessed with many places that serve really good Char Koay Teow, one of them being the famous (or rather 'infamous') Lorong Selamat Char Koay Teow.

This place seems to be very popular amongst tourists. And sometimes I wonder if its the koay teow thats the crowd puller, or the infamous less than pleasant aunty who wears a red beret and safety glasses while frying her koay teow!

Recently, on a Saturday afternoon, which also happened to be a public holiday, I took a friend from out of town to Lorong Selamat because she had a craving for Char Koay Teow. And we proceeded to wait in line for almost 40 minutes before we could get our order!

The very very long queue...

Finally! Our Char Koay Teow...

This stall's char koay teow is definitely tasty but most times I'd give it a miss because of the long wait under the hot sun. My favourite Char Koay Teow is still Ah Leng's. :)

The Lorong Selamat Char Koay Teow comes in 3 versions - RM5 for the normal version (without egg), Rm5.50 normal version with egg and RM7.50 big version with added prawns. Business hours approximately 11am-6pm, closed on Tuesdays.

And yes, the aunty is every bit like the description. She wears the red beret and the safety glasses. Doesn't talk to anyone (you order with her assistant) and she continues frying plate after plate of char koay teow with utmost concentration! Just watching her makes me feel exhausted! And...a lil something else I noticed while waiting in line...our Lorong Selamat Char Koay Teow aunty also wears Crocs Shoes!! Original one okay?! :)

The Complete MY List

2007-06-10T13:22:00.000+08:00

The brainchild of Daryl, the final complete MY List is here! I managed to participate right on the day of the closing date! For those of you Malaysian Bloggers who have not joined the list and would like to, please feel free to drop a note to Daryl and I'm sure he'll be able to help you out. Let's group together fellow Malaysian bloggers to help each other and learn from each other! Many thanks Daryl!

Kitchen Experiments
Elliottwave Signal
Internet-Crazy Blog
Newopps Blog
Make Money Online Review Center
Little Penang
iFlicks
Healing tips and home remedies
Ornamental Fish
 Grasp! Seize! Get hold of it!
Life Snapshot
Mental Freedom, Por Favor
Eat. Live. Be Merry!
Funny Junk Addicting Flash Games Pictures Video Clips
mott�s island
Clinke Bidding Directory Blog
Easy Home Cooking
FrenzRSS.com
Pink Poison Store
Show Me Health Biz
The Undeniable Beauty - Revamped
An Anonymous Journal
Cyberpartygal
Blank Canvas
She Rambles On
charcamayne
Money Online | Adsense Money | Tips For Adsense
Belajar Cara Membuat Blog Wordpress
Usahawan Internet
Peluang Perniagaaan Internet
iNicholas
Made In Penang
Syaf The Geek
snapshots of life with Cheng Leng
iCalvyn.com
Blogging Through Depression & Life
Trying to Save Money
novatech personal playground
Little World Of Thoughts
Sumber Dekorasi & Laman Anda
Menarik.com
INSIDE MY MIND
Sleepy As Usual
 blogs">thoughts ---> blogs
Share Everything In Life
Value Bookshop�s Reading Notes
Tips and Tricks to Happy Parenting
BERSAMA MEMBINA KEJAYAAN
THE BITCH CLUB
datotalrandommessy.grey
Artmaker
BlogWawasan.com
life is beautiful
Adino Online
Penang Homes
Physical-e
A Mom's Diary
Health Freak Mommy
mrdefinite.com - It�s hot
Tracking Movies
SquareCookies
MonkeyWong
Voice of a Glass Doll
Online Article Directory
Bambang
Wise Life Advice
Kaklong Online Portal
Down Memory Lanes
Sleeping Princess
Online Bisnes Forex Marketing Blog
project010
ProTechWang.Com
Bleargh
Pigeon Card
Pianologist
KCLau�s Money Tips
The Great Swifty Speaketh
Mr & Mrs. Imran
If fate allow our destinies to meet
From chopstix to steak knives
Where's My Noose?
Duke Amiene Rev
Mum & Kids In Wonderland
Yum-Yum Cuisine
Software, Web Development and Technology
just another ordinary story
Mummy In Vain's Little World
How To Solve Your Question
F�LLi�g L��V�S
add this to my life
Free Encyclopedia
High Paying Keywords
try-test
arshad's photojourney
EvelynHolic
RajaBLog.info
Lovelymummy's Bay
My Yummy Cruise
Home Sweet Home
Lovely Mummy
OnlineBisnes Malay Blog
Purest of e2wen
MyAnimes MySpace
Blog Badruzamani.Org
Parenting Life
Forum Newbie Bisnes Internet & Blogger
Mohd Sufian
A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words
hcfoo's blog
Amazing Grace
The Sanctuary
Welcome To cHrIstInA_YY's Pink World
Defying Destiny
Dead Boredom Seeking Freedom
Travelogue
An amazing & adventurous journey
Erin
Nurjenna
[B][E][A][U][T][I][F][U][L]
Fluffy's Day Off
My Fairy-Tale
Once Upon A Time
Money Making Blog
Bubba Stuff
Little Raymond's
quaint melody
Seraph Chronicles
Route Brumeuse
Coder's Talk
Reggae And SKA
Art Of ApOgEE
THE VEGEMASTER LIFE
Boonage
Coretan Pengalaman Mat
Silverhorsegunnysack
BLUEAPPLE
scribbles
Diet & Detoxification
Karma Kameleon
Hsien's Dirty Little Secret
The Rojak Blog
keeyit
My Life Online
Fun Stuffs
Donny's Bits
Nicholas Chan's Blog
dream of's DESIGN
strike freedom 115
Truly Malaysia
It's another new day
Lisan's Scribbles
Ramblings of a 22 years old
The Towering Joe
Life's a Breeze
Life's Roller Coaster
AceOne118
In His Time
in His time
The New Sanctuary
a life full of surprises
Sketches of Life
Shannon's Old Space
Pikey Dude
SEO & Online Marketing Blog
ShowMeMoneyBiz.com
Snapshots
kahpengBlog
I am Who I am
yung . silent whisper
Simple Life
One blog.One girl.One story
The World Through My Eyes
Why Malaysia?
Etcetera~Etcetera
Giddy Tigers
Make Money Online: Exploring The Dark Side of Blogging
Xilly's Blog
Malaika Xiao Yu
My Home Recipe
SQKIKI�s Simple Tech
Nukilan Jejari Azhad
ITCHY HANDseng
Just My Lil' Organic Life
Oooh La La...
Weird World of MerapuMan
Fibre Art
The World at My Fingertips
Organic Income
Organic Parade
Shopping Flavor
Daily postings of a chung ling student
Something about LAI
KennyP�s Technology Blog
Women Mumbles
KuKuJian.com
Lyon & Wien
Under The SUN
Crumbs In Life
SotongZai's Flow In the Ocean
allthingspurple
Christene's Kitchen
toxicle.org
[ Wood ] [ Earth ] [ Cheap ] [ Flight ]
COMtech
Ah Ling's blog
Memoirs.:*CRoSs mY hE@Rt
~WoOLaLA~
vivivava Design
My Mothering Corner
Shoppingmum�s Home Office
My Filling Station
Shopping Mum
All about Beauty
Shoppingmum and Kids
datotalrandommessy.grey
Notes from my heart
Joy Montessori
wahlau's online hut
Cedric�s Asylum
mott�s mutterings
Just My Thoughts
 delephant
Incoherent Ramblings
HOT STUFF
Make Money Online with Malaysia Love AGLOCO
MONTESSORIMUM.COM
Funky Cookies
Earn Money Online
PabloPabla's Whatever
Make Money with Blogging
Paris Beaverbanks
Free Links Giveaway
Free Blogger Templates
Blogsreview.Net
Making a Living
5xmom
How to be a Better Blogger
My Women Stuff
Hochiak! Delicious Asian Food
Best Recipes
Champagne Tastes on a Beer Budget
Daryl's Discovery Journey
The fluff must go somewhere

Balik Pulau Laksa!

2007-06-09T20:37:00.001+08:00

Continuing my adventure from the Balik Pulau durians, my friends and I headed off in search of laksa. Usually, people will go for the laksa at Balik Pulau market. But my friend told me, 'Cannot, must go to the one at someone's house one. Nicer.' I've heard of this famous laksa before but have never tried it. And since my friend can vaguely remember where it is, we decided to try and find the place.

Now, I can't really give directions cos I'm so lost in Balik Pulau, but the place is at Kuala Jalan Baru and I have GPS co ordinates of the place!! heehee... N5 21.227 E100 12.05
whatever that means...but I presume if you have a GPS unit and punch in those co ordinates, your GPS will bring you right to the place!

Sure enough, we arrived at someone's house. Its a row of houses opposite a small river. We were told in the afternoons when the fishermen come back, we could buy very fresh seafood off their boats on that river. Upon arrival, I spotted this...

Wah...open only on Saturday and Sunday!

Quickly, we ordered our laksa and waited in anticipation. I must say that we were not disappointed! Our laksa came loaded with lots of fish! Very flavorful and utterly delicious!! Rating: A+

*salivate*

Despite being so full from the durians, I still polished off one bowl of laksa and drank all the soup! (which I don't normally do)

If laksa's not your favourite, you can also choose to have Hokkien Mee/Prawn Mee. I couldn't eat another bite after my laksa, but my other friends ordered a bowl of Hokkien Mee to share and said it was pretty good. But laksa is their main attraction here.

So, the next time you're in the mood for some laksa and feeling a tad bit adventurous...you know where to go!

Balik Pulau Durians!

2007-06-05T17:40:00.000+08:00

Over the weekend, I had the chance to go to Balik Pulau for some durians! A friend knows the owner of a durian orchard, and so organized for us to go eat unlimited amounts of durian, all for only RM12!! Although I've loved durians for as long as I can remember (I used to eat durian rice when I was a kid - pour some water on the rice to make it slightly wet, add in a bit of salt and eat it with durian....yummy!!) I hardly ever went to Balik Pulau to eat their famous durians for the very reason that it was too far and my parents didn't want to take us. But now....muahaha...durian revenge!

Balik Pulau is not really that far (especially if you've got great company), and don't be thwarted by the narrow, uneven roads into the orchards...because in there you will find... durians galore!

and all 'branded' one some more!

Once we got to Uncle John's orchard, we wasted no time...he opened durian after durian for us, each time telling us the 'species' of the durian. I for one, have no idea how to differentiate them... I only know what I like - durians that have 'oomph', don't taste too bitter and have texture that is thick and creamy!

Uncle John doing his thing...

'Green Skin' durian

'D24'

'D11'

'D2'

A very cute and small D2, but very 'meaty' indeed!

I have no idea how many durians I had... I just knew that each one was as good as the next but if I had to choose, I would say I loved the D2 and D24 the best. About an hour later, I couldn't eat anymore because it was just so rich! Uncle John also served us pineapples which I thought were a nice contrast to the rich durians.

After complaining and whining that we were all so full, someone suggested we go for Balik Pulau laksa.... and immediately everyone said yes! So much for being soooooo full!!
Coming up in the next entry... balik pulau laksa....stay tuned!

Coming Soon to Penang....

2007-06-04T11:40:00.000+08:00

heeheehee..spotted this place over the weekend... Can't wait for it to open!!!! Gelato heaven man! and its 99.9% fat free too!

Dragon-i @ Queensbay Mall Penang

2007-06-01T22:28:00.000+08:00

Oooh...finally Dragon-i makes its debut in Penang! I've only tried it once in Midvalley KL and absolutely fell in love with their "Xiu Long Bao". So I was absolutely dying to go to the new outlet in Penang and managed to pay them a visit on Wednesday.

First things first, Dragon-i is located on the 2nd floor Centre Court Queensbay Mall, opposite Swensens and Sakae Sushi. Thinking that I was clever enough to find the place on my own without asking for directions, I ended up walking for 15 mins before I found out where it was. (and that's cos I stopped to ask a security guard too!) So... I ended up at Dragon-i at 7.30pm and there was already a long queue. Typical Penangite behaviour to flock to a new place and wait like hell, when a few months down the road, the place would be 'pak bang' (swatting mosquitoes in hokkien) empty!

Now I understand why they need to have the see through open kitchen at the front of the restaurant...to keep waiting patrons entertained!!

After a 20 minute wait, we were shown our table and we took our orders quickly.
Surprisingly we didn't have to wait long for our food. First up was the Hot & Sour La Mien (hand pulled noodle), which was a tad bit too starchy for me and not spicy enough. But it was still tasty and given a stamp of approval by my grandpa (not easy to get you know!)

Then came the Cold Pig Shank with Seasoned Jellyfish. This I like! The jelly fish is very much like the Japanese Chuka Karage which is another one of my favourites. And the cold pig shank definitely tastes better than it sounds. It was lovely with the special soya sauce dip.

The famous "Xiu Long Bao" needs no introduction. They even have a write up placed on each table educating customers on how the perfect "Xiu Long Bao" is made and what it should taste like. Definitely a must try!!

Another must try is the Sauteed Chicken with Dried Chilli. This dish, for some reason is much bigger in portion compared to the other dishes. But since I love it so much I don't mind. The chicken pieces are nice, crunchy and spicy!

We also had the Fried Rice with shrimp which was tasty but nothing fancy.

Next came dessert, Mango and Pomelo Sago Cream. It was good, but not something I'm crazy about. I will definitely try the other desserts on my next visit as they have so many!

Service was fast, friendly and efficient...until we had to wait a whole half and hour for our last item - deep fried durian pancake! I'm not sure what went wrong but we just waited... and kept reminding the waitresses...and waited some more!! I was fuming mad by that time, cos we'd already paid the bill and was still waiting! Finally I noticed that there was a note written that we could sms a number for any feedbacks to the management! Wah...so I angrily punched in the sms, and just when I hit 'send'...the pancake arrived.....

It was....rather tasteless to be honest. And definitely not worth the wait. And I'm not being bitter because I had to wait so long. But honestly, the batter was tasteless and the durian...tasted like 'watered down' durian.

But all in all, its still definitely worth a visit despite it being rather expensive for Penang (our total bill came up to about RM113 including 2 drinks) The decor is really lovely, Terracotta style. Plus, the menu is extensive and there are other things I am keen to try out in future.

And what happened to the complaint sms I sent? I actually got a reply apologizing and asking which outlet I went to. After which, they apologized once again and thanked me for my feedback. I do hope that this slight inefficiency is due to the fact that they are still new. Definitely worth a visit, but you might want to wait another month or two for the hype to die down and avoid the long queues!

MY List

2007-05-31T14:03:00.000+08:00

Found out about this really late (today's the deadline!) after reading 5eXMom's page (its seriously very addictive cos she's so witty!)
So what's MY list about? It's the brainchild of Daryl (who blogs about how to earn money blogging...first time visiting his site and haven't had much chance to read more about him just yet cos I'm a deadline here!!) This list is to bring together all Malaysian bloggers under one roof and with everyone linked to everyone, our rankings will go sky high! Since I'm relatively new at this whole blogging thing, but still would love seeing my rankings hit the roof...I'm adding myself to this list loh!
So....if you're new like me, and want to get more traffic....go to Daryl's page down load the list and follow the instructions!
PS: I dont even know if I'm doing this right!! LOL!

My List Participants

The Undeniable Beauty - Revamped
An Anonymous Journal
Cyberpartygal
Blank Canvas
She Rambles On
charcamayne
Money Online | Adsense Money | Tips For Adsense
Belajar Cara Membuat Blog Wordpress
Usahawan Internet
Peluang Perniagaaan Internet
iNicholas
Made In Penang
Syaf The Geek
snapshots of life with Cheng Leng
iCalvyn.com
Blogging Through Depression & Life
Trying to Save Money
novatech personal playground
Little World Of Thoughts
Sumber Dekorasi & Laman Anda
Menarik.com
INSIDE MY MIND
Sleepy As Usual
 blogs">thoughts ---> blogs
Share Everything In Life
Value Bookshop’s Reading Notes
Tips and Tricks to Happy Parenting
BERSAMA MEMBINA KEJAYAAN
THE BITCH CLUB
datotalrandommessy.grey
Artmaker
BlogWawasan.com
life is beautiful
Adino Online
Penang Homes
Physical-e
A Mom's Diary
Health Freak Mommy
mrdefinite.com - It’s hot
Tracking Movies
SquareCookies
MonkeyWong
Voice of a Glass Doll
Online Article Directory
Bambang
Wise Life Advice
Kaklong Online Portal
Down Memory Lanes
Sleeping Princess
Online Bisnes Forex Marketing Blog
project010
ProTechWang.Com
Bleargh
Pigeon Card
Pianologist
KCLau’s Money Tips
The Great Swifty Speaketh
Mr & Mrs. Imran
If fate allow our destinies to meet
From chopstix to steak knives
Where's My Noose?
Duke Amiene Rev
Mum & Kids In Wonderland
Yum-Yum Cuisine
Software, Web Development and Technology
just another ordinary story
Mummy In Vain's Little World
How To Solve Your Question
FáLLiÑg LéÃVéS
add this to my life
Free Encyclopedia
High Paying Keywords
try-test
arshad's photojourney
EvelynHolic
RajaBLog.info
Lovelymummy's Bay
My Yummy Cruise
Home Sweet Home
Lovely Mummy
OnlineBisnes Malay Blog
Purest of e2wen
MyAnimes MySpace
Blog Badruzamani.Org
Parenting Life
Forum Newbie Bisnes Internet & Blogger
Mohd Sufian
A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words
hcfoo's blog
Amazing Grace
The Sanctuary
Welcome To cHrIstInA_YY's Pink World
Defying Destiny
Dead Boredom Seeking Freedom
Travelogue
An amazing & adventurous journey
Erin
Nurjenna
[B][E][A][U][T][I][F][U][L]
Fluffy's Day Off
My Fairy-Tale
Once Upon A Time
Money Making Blog
Bubba Stuff
Little Raymond's
quaint melody
Seraph Chronicles
Route Brumeuse
Coder's Talk
Reggae And SKA
Art Of ApOgEE
THE VEGEMASTER LIFE
Boonage
Coretan Pengalaman Mat
Silverhorsegunnysack
BLUEAPPLE
scribbles
Diet & Detoxification
Karma Kameleon
Hsien's Dirty Little Secret
The Rojak Blog
keeyit
My Life Online
Fun Stuffs
Donny's Bits
Nicholas Chan's Blog
dream of's DESIGN
strike freedom 115
Truly Malaysia
It's another new day
Lisan's Scribbles
Ramblings of a 22 years old
The Towering Joe
Life's a Breeze
Life's Roller Coaster
AceOne118
In His Time
in His time
The New Sanctuary
a life full of surprises
Sketches of Life
Shannon's Old Space
Pikey Dude
SEO & Online Marketing Blog
ShowMeMoneyBiz.com
Snapshots
kahpengBlog
I am Who I am
yung . silent whisper
Simple Life
One blog.One girl.One story
The World Through My Eyes
Why Malaysia?
Etcetera~Etcetera
Giddy Tigers
Make Money Online: Exploring The Dark Side of Blogging
Xilly's Blog
Malaika Xiao Yu
My Home Recipe
SQKIKI’s Simple Tech
Nukilan Jejari Azhad
ITCHY HANDseng
Just My Lil' Organic Life
Oooh La La...
Weird World of MerapuMan
Fibre Art
The World at My Fingertips
Organic Income
Organic Parade
Shopping Flavor
Daily postings of a chung ling student
Something about LAI
KennyP’s Technology Blog
Women Mumbles
KuKuJian.com
Lyon & Wien
Under The SUN
Crumbs In Life
SotongZai's Flow In the Ocean
allthingspurple
Christene's Kitchen
toxicle.org
[ Wood ] [ Earth ] [ Cheap ] [ Flight ]
COMtech
Ah Ling's blog
Memoirs.:*CRoSs mY hE@Rt
~WoOLaLA~
vivivava Design
My Mothering Corner
Shoppingmum’s Home Office
My Filling Station
Shopping Mum
All about Beauty
Shoppingmum and Kids
datotalrandommessy.grey
Notes from my heart
Joy Montessori
wahlau's online hut
Cedric’s Asylum
mott’s mutterings
Just My Thoughts
 delephant
Incoherent Ramblings
HOT STUFF
Make Money Online with Malaysia Love AGLOCO
MONTESSORIMUM.COM
Funky Cookies
Earn Money Online
PabloPabla's Whatever
Make Money with Blogging
Paris Beaverbanks
Free Links Giveaway
Free Blogger Templates
Blogsreview.Net
Making a Living
5xmom
How to be a Better Blogger
My Women Stuff
Hochiak! Delicious Asian Food
Best Recipes
Champagne Tastes on a Beer Budget
Daryl's Discovery Journey
The fluff must go somewhere

Gula Melaka Coffee Rum Cake Recipe

2007-05-30T17:56:00.000+08:00

From time to time, I get very domestic and perhaps some sort of maternal instinct in me will kick in and make me feel like venturing into the kitchen to experiment and (hopefully) churn out mouth watering delicacies!

I prefer baking though, to cooking mains. (It is my hope that I will one day ‘graduate’ to cooking main dishes) And so, when a friend passed me a recipe for Gula Melaka Coffee Rum cake, I pounced on the chance to try it out, especially when I found out she got the recipe from a famous chef when she took baking lessons from him.

I find baking to be very therapeutic but this time I was on a very tight schedule and only managed to start baking at 9pm! I had promised I’d bring the cake along for our day trip to Ipoh the next day and I had to honor it. Being unfamiliar with the recipe didn’t help and I had a tough time grating the very hard block of gula melaka. (probably the next time I’m gonna try melting the whole block instead!! wonder if it'll change the texture of the cake??)

But finally, I had creamed, mixed and folded everything and it was ready to go into the oven.

Before going into the oven

My cake 40 minutes later

I took half with me on my trip which was polished off (even after the very filling Foh San dim sum!) and I found out that the other quarter I left for my mom disappeared in one day!

So, I can safely say that my cake was a hit!

Looks yummy, yes?

The RECIPE:

Ingredients
8 oz butter
6 oz gula melaka – grated
8 egg yolks (Use grade C eggs, I found out those are large eggs)

Coffee Mixture: 2 teasp instant coffee
1 Tblsp dark rum
1 teasp each coffee, rum and vanilla essence

Sieve: 8 oz plain flour
2 teasp baking powder
1 teasp salt

2 oz castor sugar
2 egg whites
2 oz mixed fruit tossed in a little flour

Method
1. Cream butter and gula melaka (4 minutes)
2. Add Coffee Mixture
3. Beat in egg yolks
4. Fold in Flour Mixture
5. In a separate bowl, whisk the 2 egg whites and 2 oz castor sugar (at max speed for 3 – 4 mins) and then manually fold the meringue into the cake mixture.
6. Finally fold in the mixed fruit

Bake
Using a 8” – 9” round or funnel tin (greased & floured)
350ºF for 20 mins, then 325ºF for another 20 mins

*Special Notes:
Bagan restaurant in Penang also serves Gula Melaka Cake, but I think this recipe differs from theirs mainly because this one has fruit mix.

Ipoh's Foh San Dim Sum (Highly Recommended!!)

2007-05-28T23:45:00.000+08:00

Over the weekend, a few friends and I decided to go on a day trip to Ipoh. Bright and early on Sunday morning, we left for Ipoh and arrived in time for breakfast. We were headed to the famous Foh San for some really good dim sum (only the lure of good food could get me out of bed so early on a Sunday morning!!) I was excited because I’d never eaten at Foh San and was desperately deprived of good dim sum in Penang. We arrived around 9.30am and it was unusually packed (due to the school holidays)!! It was chaos everywhere. People were standing by the tables, waiting for the existing patrons to finish so they could grab a table. But all the waiting was definitely worth it when I was presented with…

The 'polo pau' has got char siew chicken filling inside

Dunno what this is called but its chewy with mushroom chic filling

Yam Paste with meat

Fish skin dumpling

'Siew Mai'

7 of us had to squeeze into a small little table and we were worried there wouldn’t be enough space to put the dishes. But we didn’t have to worry about that for long, because everything that arrived didn’t last long on the table before disappearing into our very satisfied tummies! There were so many things to eat, but so little stomach capacity!! Finally our long awaited ‘char siew pau’ arrived.

I am a big fan of paus especially char siew pau…and biting into the Foh San ‘char siew pau’ sent me into pau heaven!! The char siew was cooked with Chinese red wine giving it a very disctinctive flavor, unlike any other I’ve tasted in Penang.

I was also quite surprised to find that service was actually quite good, despite them being so overly busy. We still had out teas refilled with hot water and the waitress checking on us from time to time to see that everything was in order. Usually at chaotic dim sum places like this, everything is self service to the point of fighting with the next person to get food!

My other personal favourite at FohSan - Fried 'Pai Kuat'

Mushroom dumpling

Steamed Fish Ball and steamed 'pai kuat' in the foreground

Puff pastry with chic and mushroom filling

I had soooo much dim sum that I had to skip lunch while we continued our journey to buy pomelos and salted chicken.

Pomelos from 'Hentian Limau'

The salted chicken here is said to be more moist

On the way back, my other gastronomically inclined friend and I began to contemplate wild thoughts of driving all the way to Ipoh the following Sunday for dim sum and back!
Trust me, we just might do it!

Teik Seng Foodstall @ Carnarvon Street

2007-05-26T17:26:00.000+08:00

I have to admit, that while I'm born and bred in Penang, I have the worst sense of direction ever when it comes to roads around Penang Road. All those small, narrow, some of them one way streets off Penang Road (eg Chulia Street, Carnarvon Street, Kimberly Street, Rope Walk...etc) are just a maze to me! And for the life of me, I can never get them quite right...!

So when I drove some of my friends to the famous Teik Seng foodstall along Carnarvon Street, I just drove like I knew where I was going (but was making wild guesses inside my head!) Worse come to worse, I'd have to call my grandpa and ask for directions loh!!

This place has been around for a long time (according to my grandpa) and its always packed. Penangites love their food and would brave the hot sun and the crowd, especially if its cheap and good!

This place is famous for its pork stir fry with soya sauce or "Char Siew Bak" and they can make it spicy (by adding chili padi) if you wished. This dish has been officially dubbed 'toxic' by my brother because of the amount of pork fat and oil it has....but I always say "eat first regret later" and trust me, this dish is worth throwing caution to the wind! *salivate*

Next up is the equally delicious curry fish. Since I'm not a fan of fish head, we decided to have it cooked with 'ikan bawal' (white pomphret) instead. Another favourite is to cook it with stingray. The curry is just nice, not too spicy with a tinge of sourness. Comes with generous helpings of ladies fingers. I like this curry poured over my white rice!

We also ordered butter prawns and stir fry veggie. The butter prawns were very tasty and the veggie was fresh and not too oily!

All in all it was definitely a tummy treat! Oh and just one other thing I noticed about this place... the owner of this coffee shop must like clocks. Because the whole shop is just full of clocks!! Different wall clocks of all shapes and sizes! Thank goodness, they don't chime...otherwise, can you imagine what it'd be like when the clock strikes 12?!

PS: Sorry, no photos of the wall clocks...got too distracted by all the good food!!

Seafood Porridge @ Sg Tiram

2007-05-24T23:50:00.000+08:00

There is little kopitiam at Sg Tiram (along Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah, on the way to the airport, after the factories Osram, Bosch and Amphenol) which is famous for its seafood porridge.

This kopitiam is popular with the factory crowd as it is nearby and opens for breakfast. For breakfast, they serve simple items like nasi lemak and fried bee hoon. For some reason, the best seller is their ‘roti bakar’, which is really actually very normal and something you can easily prepare at home. But like I said, for some reason, their toast bread with butter and sugar just sells like hot cakes. In fact, its so sellable that they even have it at night, for dinner! No complaints there, cos I’m a sucker for toast bread with butter!! Yummy!!

During dinner, patrons will go to the counter and pick the various types of seafood that they would like with their porridge, ‘bee hoon’, ‘mee suah’ (rice flour noodle) or yellow noodle soup. You can choose from a variety of fresh fish slices, fish balls, prawns, crabs, fish cakes, pork balls etc… When I was there recently, I picked fish slices with ‘mee suah’ soup. The soup was flavorful and the fish was fresh.

Other choices available include satay and salted chicken. Both items are not bad and tasty.

They enjoy very brisk business and you will need to go early during dinner in order to get a table without having to wait. Some people have commented that their food is not really that special, while some find the seafood porridge/noodles a bit expensive (depending on what you order, but average bowl is about RM6-8). But, business is booming for them!

After enjoying the food here several times, I recently noticed the name of the kopitiam! This signboard is not noticeable from the road, but you’ll be able to recognize the kopitiam from the big “salted chicken” banner outside the shop. Happy eating!

Jiu Jiu Szechuan Restaurant @ Autocity Juru

2007-05-19T07:01:00.000+08:00

Was around the Autocity Juru area for work recently and decided to try one of the fancy looking restaurants at the new phase of the Autocity. Actually you can't really see Jiu Jiu Szechuan Restaurant because its located on the first floor, but its bright interesting looking logo beckoned...

The interior was cosy with red walls and dark wooden chairs. My brother originally thought it was some fast food szechuan place with cheap set lunches...but oh boy, were we wrong!!

Upon walking in, we knew this was no RM10 per set lunch place. I do not know much about Szechuan food but would equate it to hot and spicy tastes. People who can't really take spicy food will like the fact that the menu advices the customers of the spiciness of each dish, indicated by the number of 'chilies' next to each item. After browsing through the rather extensive menu, the 2 of us ordered a "Ant climbing up a tree", Jiu Jiu's signature pork ribs, "Xiu long bao" and a long beans stir fry rice set.

The "ant climbing up a tree" (translated literally from the mandarin name) is actually a spicy vermicelli dish that's stir fried with minced meat. It was really tasty and I loved it! Some might find it a tad bit too oily though.

The signature pork ribs came with chili powder on the side. The taste was rather bland to me (probably overshadowed by the vermicelli dish?) Still, the meat was very tender. And what impressed me was the fact that the waiter actually gave instructions to the kitchen to half the portion, since there were only 2 of us. Very sensible indeed!

Next came the "Xiu Long Bao" or mini steamed meat dumplings. Having tried this dish before in Dragon-i in KL, I must say that I prefer Dragon-i's version to Jiu Jiu's. The "Xiu Long Bao" at Jiu Jiu is a bit bigger than normal and the dumpling skin was a tad bit too thick. But biting into the dumpling, you can still taste the burst of flavorful meat inside.

My brother's favourite is the long beans stir fry with mince meat. This dish has always been a family favourite and I must say that Jiu Jiu does this popular dish justice. The long beans were crunchy enough, salty enough, with just the right amount of mince meat. Yummy!

Jiu Jiu also offers a range of teas either by the pot or by the cup. I love trying out different types of tea combinations and was spoilt for choice here. In the end, we ordered a Pu Er Rose tea and a Long Jing Chrysanthemum tea. Both were lovely.

In the end the bill came up to about RM60++ which was quite reasonable for the service and the food. Like I mentioned before, the waiter was sensible enough to instruct the kitchen to half the portion of the pork ribs (and of course the cost!) to ensure that we didn't end up with too much food!

I would definitely come back for a second visit!
Jiu Jiu has another branch on Penang Island, at i-Avenue (next to Bukit Jambul Complex).

So jealous!!

2007-05-18T11:58:00.000+08:00

My first 'rant' post. Somehow, I knew when I started this blog that this day would come. That's why got the 'rant and raves' thingy in the intro mah...

Anyways...I'm ranting, but not really in a bad way. Just in a very jealous way!! Cos my great group of gal pals in KL are having a drinking party tomorrow and of course I WON"T be there...cos i'm stuck here in penang. OK lest anyone misunderstands...my friends and I are definitely not drinking 'kaki's... heck for as long as I've known them (hmm..close to 8 years now?) I've never ever gone drinking with them. We're a more karaoke-redbox-newway going kinda gang. AND I've only gone clubbing with them ONCE (and that's just cos one of them was getting married).
So...imagine my surprise when I saw an email invitation for a drinking session this saturday!

They'll be crashing at a friend's house, probably drinking vodka, Kahlua and Chivas mixed with green tea and coke (not all together!!), eating greasy junk food and cake, talking nonsense, do a lil crazy dancing maybe? and generally have a REALLY great time. AND...i'm gonna miss it. Jealous-nya!! To the max man!

But I know they'll miss me, and being the sweet great friends that they are, they're gonna drink a shot of Chivas each on my behalf!! muahahaha!

PS: I am, by the way, not much of a drinker. Seriously.

My Holistic Journey...

2007-05-10T20:32:00.000+08:00

Armed with new found zest for a healthier slimmer me... this is my Holistic Journey...so far...

Day 1
Upon waking: 1 cup of warm water with a slice of lemon (as recommended in the book)
Breakfast: Rice Flakes with Rice Milk (both items bought from Cold Storage)
Lunch: Yataimura’s Teppan Chicken with veggie, 1 raw salmon sushi, 1 inari sushi & green tea

Feelings: mid morning near lunch – dizzy (effects of removal of toxins??)
4pm – hungry, eyeing biscuit tin, but resist....

Dinner: 2 muesli bars (too sweet and filled with wheat!!) Was rushing to Kulim for work and just grabbed whatever I could find in the kitchen....

Day 2
Upon waking: glass of water. Was running late. No time for lemon slice or breakfast
Brunch: Half a smoke chicken ham sandwich and chips. With a low fat ice chocolate from starbucks…. Everything didn’t taste as good. Sandwich was too salty. My favourite Ice choc didn’t taste as nice. Being on this diet is supposed to change your palate, so that you don't crave the foods you used to like. Has my palate changed so suddenly or am I just feeling guilty that I'm eating 'forbidden' foods?
Dinner: Reclaim myself by having a banana & yoghurt with a drizzle of honey

Conclusion: This holistic detox diet thingy needs a lot more effort than I thought. My meals will need to be pre-planned and looks like I'll have to prepare my own meals to bring to work until I figure out places that serve 'healthy' foods that I can eat on this detox. Food has always been a big part of my life but its also one that's always easily overlooked. Most times we don't spend any time at all thinking about what we're feeding our bodies with. And we get so used to just eating whatever is convenient or available, which most often than not, are not too healthy for us. Looks like I need a do-over!!

Joshi's Holistic Detox

2007-05-08T18:30:00.000+08:00

Veering slightly off topic here by discussing this holistic diet (still food related!!) I read about recently. Its a book called "Joshi's Holistic Detox - 21 days to a healthier, slimmer you for life"

Now that sounds like a real good promise aint it? So I read the book over the weekend and in conclusion Dr Nish Joshi's principles are to return our bodies to its natural alkaline state. He claims our bodies have become unbalanced and acidic due to high consumption of meat, white flour, caffeine, sugars and processed foods. He encourages us to eat foods that are as fresh as possible, thus giving our bodies the best nutrients we can derive from these fresh foods.

So I figured, hey, this sounds quite interesting and since I've always been telling myself that I would eat better and healthier, I thought, why not give this a shot?

Therefore, armed with his Top 10 Detox Rules in mind...I set out, very positively, to a healthier, slimmer me...in 21 days!

Dr Joshi's Top 10 Detox Rules:
1. No red meat
2. No dairy products (goat cheese and live bio yoghurt is allowed though)
3. No sugars and other sweeteners(except honey, preferably organic and raw with no added sugars)
4. No yeast and yeast products
5. No alcohol, fizzy drinks & caffeine (except green tea)
6. No nuts (except seeds and pine nuts)
7. No biscuits, cakes and doughnuts
8. No artificial flavourings and condiments such as ketchup, mayonnaise, vinegars, mustard etc
9. No breads and pastas (except brown rice)
10. No fruit (except bananas)

Chee Cheong Fun @ Macalister Lane

2007-04-03T17:03:00.000+08:00

I must admit that I'm not a big fan of Chee Cheong Fun (rice sheet rolls) unless, the Chee Cheong Fun is from the stall at Macalister Lane. I can't help it, I'm picky when it comes to my Chee Cheong Fun because, in my humble opinion, not everyone can make a yummy-licious plate of Chee Cheong Fun. It takes a certain skill. The 'fun' or rice sheet rolls need to be just the right thickness and not too soft or too dry. Plus, I must make sure that the person who makes my Chee Cheong Fun is willing to 'open' the rolls. What do I mean?

Well, first, for those not in the know, Penang Chee Cheong Fun is a world of difference from the KL Chee Cheong Fun. In KL, this dish is served with 'sides' like fish balls and stuffed ladies fingers much like Yong Tau Fu. But in Penang, all you get is the 'fun'. No meats or sides. Some may argue that this means the Chee Cheong Fun has hardly any nutritional value, except maybe carbs... but hey, its not like you eat it every day right?

The Penang Chee Cheong Fun comes with the rice sheet rolls usually mixed with dashes of sesame oil, 'he ko' (prawn paste), 'ti chiao' (sweet sauce) and chilli sauce, topped with sprinkles of sesame seeds. Some people claim that adding some peanut butter into the mix makes it taste better....but I have yet to confirm this. My favourite Chee Cheong Fun stall at Macalister Lane (the small road right after Hong Leong Bank on Macalister Road) makes a mean plate which looks something like this....

Best of all, the uncle 'opens' or unrolls slightly the rolled up noodle just before cutting them up. This way, its easier for most of the noodle to be coated with the sauce. And what you get is mouthfuls of yummy soft and smooth chee cheong fun, slightly salty and slighty sweet!

Best Pan Mee in Penang!

2007-03-31T11:41:00.000+08:00

When I was younger, I'd never tasted Pan Mee before. I only discovered this delicious off white homemade noodles made out of flour, when I studied in KL. I remember tasting my first bowl of pan mee at a road side stall along the streets of Wangsa Maju. And have been a fan ever since.

When I came back to Penang, I was most disappointed to find that there were no good Pan Mee stalls in Penang, until.... I discovered this little gem, 'Hou Mei Yuen' kopitiam, tucked away in the flats opposite Vistana Hotel, near Bukit Jambul Complex.

This kopitiam only sells Pan Mee, served dried or with soup. The 'mee' (noodle) comes in 2 varieties - thick and flat, or thin. I like my Pan Mee thin and will always order the dried version, which looks something like this....

The dried version Pan Mee has mee mixed in yummy black sauce and comes with minced meat, crunchy 'ikan bilis' (anchovies), black strips of 'bok nee' (dried black tree fungus, ok it tastes better than it sounds!!) and a bowl of soup with fish balls. Best of all, the chilli dip that they serve is also two thumbs up! Its not too spicy and slighty tangy...makes for a great companion to that scrumptious plate/bowl of pan mee!

This being a kopitiam, and a very popular one at that, there are no frills. You write your orders on little stacks of papers and hand the paper with your table number written on it to the girls at the stall. You also have the option of adding extras like 'ikan bilis' and fish balls. They usually only serve "leng teh" (cool tea) either hot or cold.
'Hou Mei Yuen' is open Monday-Saturdays 8am-3pm. Happy eating!

A Very Special Birthday Dinner

2007-03-30T21:52:00.000+08:00

A few years back, a close friend of mine made me dinner. This friend of mine is a guy who loves cooking and trying out new recipes when time permits. We made papaya and green tea ice cream once, but thats another story altogther.... :)
And so, for my birthday that year, he whipped up an '8-course' dinner!!

First course...

He called it "Lake of the Forest". It was a creamy watercress soup...

His special garlic bread with cheese on top...truly yummy!

Mashed potatoes with added mushrooms (because I like mushrooms!)

His version of Chicken Satay (kinda like Batu Maung Satay)

Roasted Chicken Wings

Homemade Fish Balls

"Black pepper surprise"

And finally...Tuna Mushroom Spaghetti!

After all that, we had dessert. I was filled to the brim and couldn't eat another bite!

Ah Leng Char Koay Teow

2007-02-25T21:54:00.000+08:00

One of the best Char Koay Teow available in Penang is Ah Leng Famous Char Koay Teow located in a kopitiam (coffee shop) along Jalan Dato Kramat, opposite the old Federal cinema (currently known as Honolulu cafe where Clark Hatch Fitness center is)
Ah Leng has been around for a long time at various locations, this being the latest one.

This Char Koay Teow is so famous that they can charge RM9 a plate and still have customers coming back for more! I once brought some friends from outstation who had 2 plates each at one go! It is value for money because the RM9 special comes with 4 big succulent prawns, mantis prawns and duck egg. (It's RM8.50 a plate if you swap the duck egg for normal chicken egg).

Having not eaten at Ah Leng's for about half a year, it was a joy digging into my plate of spicy special and savouring the sweet juicy prawns....(cholesterol? what cholesterol?!)

Ah Leng's Char Koay Teow with chilli

Without chilli

I've noticed that Ah Leng tends to undercook his prawns a little so if you prefer them more cooked, all you need to do is to remind Ah Leng when ordering.
The standard plate is also available at RM5 each. Ah Leng is open during the mornings as early as 8am til about lunch time. Open on Sundays as well.

Dong Hai Tong (Dim Sum) Seafood Restaurant

2007-02-23T22:03:00.000+08:00

On the first day of Chinese New Year, we went to one of the few places open for breakfast on that day.The venue of choice was located along Anson Road - a new dim sum restaurant which just opened a few weeks ago. I had spotted that restaurant on the way to work and had been wanting to give it a try. I didn't have very high hopes for, in my humble opinion, Penang has been honestly lacking in good dim sum places for a very looooong time! As yet, I have not been able to find a place that serves good dim sum... most are just mediocre.

From the signboard, it mentions that they are a (dim sum) seafood restaurant but the morning menu showed mostly dim sum dishes. They are the standard self service type of dim sum restaurant. No push carts as space is quite limited. Instead, you pick your food and order whatever you want from the counter, and later bring it to your own table. They serve a variety of teas and hot water is available at the corner for you to help yourselves.

I do not think that I'm a very picky or fussy eater but somehow, I did not enjoy the food served at this place. The dim sum dishes to me were below par. To be fair, it may be because they are still very new. However, I do not think I will be returning for a second visit...unless I get word that they've gotten a new chef/supplier or someone else sings high praises about it. For now, I shall have to turn elsewhere to satisfy my dim sum cravings....

Reunion Dinner at Spice Market Cafe

2007-02-21T14:42:00.000+08:00

Have been toying with the idea of starting a food blog for a while..and what better time to start than the new lunar year? So here goes....

Our family reunion dinner this year was more posh than usual, because my dad decided to have it at the Spice Market Cafe at Shangri-La's Rasa Sayang Resort & Spa. This would mark my second time eating at the spice market with its open style kitchen, and I am still overwhelmed by the sheer variety of food they serve at the buffet! There's the sushi bar, the salad bar, the cold cuts, the soups and breads, the noodle station, the chinese herbal/sharkfin soups, the chinese dishes, the roast station, the action station, the tandoori & satay section, the western dishes and the scrumptious delectable dessert section... whew!!Plus, the decor and ambience of the place still delights me!

The various spices (available for sale) on display upon entering the Spice Market Cafe.

I don't think anyone can sample all of the different types of food available and as for me, my normal practice at buffets would be to skip most of the mains and leave space for dessert. But that night, I decided that I just had to eat more of the mains that looked so tempting.

Fresh cold flower crabs on ice. Mini mandarin oranges were part of the decor in line with the Chinese New Year theme. They also served lobsters and yabbies in the same style.

The bread spread... my favourite! I know most people would advice against eating filling carbs, but I beg to differ. There's nothing quite like freshly baked breads and buns especially those baked with some chillies and spices!

'Yee Sang' served especially for the Chinese New Year. There was a eager chef on hand to help mix the various ingredients for a perfect plate of tasty yee sang.

The roast section... the cafe changes the menu slightly by serving different types of roast. That night featured roast beef and condiments.

The most popular section of the whole buffet was the 'Action Station'. As the name suggests, this is where all the action is... as guests queue up to request for their seafood cooked on the spot. The action station features crowd favourites - lobsters, crabs, prawns and fish (all the expensive stuff...heehee). All cooked in a tangy sweet and sour sauce.

Other choices of main courses included a noodle station where we could order 'laksa'. I also had my fill of chicken herbal soup (they had shark's fin soup during my previous visit), tandoori prawns with naan and curry, pan fried salmon and spanish paela. While I was almost full to the brim, my family also had baked oysters and helped themselves to the sushi bar and cold cuts.

Last but not least was the very attractive looking dessert station. I liked the way they served the desserts - like mini dessert tapas. Each was a mini masterpiece on its own. One of the house favourites, I was told by the chef, was their creamy tiramisu, served in a small short glass. In addition to these mini desserts, they also had an array of cakes and tarts. That night I also tried the macademia pie/tart which was very tasty. They also served local desserts like ice kacang with a selection of ice cream and some festive new year cookies.

Another star atrraction would definitely be the chocolate fountain. This time they had both dark and white chocoloate fountains. Various cut pieces of fruit and marshmallow on sticks are lined up by the side, ready for chocolate coating! Children and adults alike find the chocolate fountain fascinating. We had the good fortune of sitting just next to the chocolate fountain. And so managed to witness a cute chubby little girl of about 5 years old, making her way to the fountain and standing on tip toe to dip her marshmallow sticks into the chocolate... and later dripping all the chocolate back to her table! And this she repeated like 5-6 times!

Another favourite section of mine at the Spice Market Cafe is the juice/wine bar. The colourful fruits and bottles of wine/liquor lined up along the walls make for a very pleasant vibrant display! Unfortunately, fresh juices are not part of the buffet and is chargeable.

Another look at the juice bar

On display - Tools used to make 'kuih kapek', a traditional chinese new year biscuit.

All in all it was a wonderful dinner with good food and great ambience. For Chinese New Year, the price increased to RM150++ per head. And some may have complaints that their menu did not differ much from their regular buffet and most things remain the same. But with the sheer variety of food, one can come back often to sample things they missed during their last trip.
I would say that the Spice Market Cafe is a place to bring family and close friends to celebrate a special occasion. And what could be more special than a reunion dinner? :)