Donald and Lily Melaka

wow, it's been a while since I last blogged and it's one luxury that I really, really miss.

Anyway, just last week I drove to Melaka with Huai Bin for a food trip!



The highlight of the trip for me was this place called Donald and Lily's. Huai Bin actually found the place while surfing for food while I was driving and wanted to go that night itself but it was a little late when we arrived. (Thinking back, I think we should have gone and try the ayam ponteh instead of the easily forgettable McQuek's satay celup).



I had a really good feeling the moment I enter the place. The whole place looks entirely like a home and it feels like dining at a friend's place. Whenever I enter a place that gives me this homey feeling, i'm almost 100% sure that a great spread of food is about to be served.



I wasn't wrong. The chendol we had was spectacular. I don't know if they had made the gula melaka themselves but it tasted like no other that Ive tasted. It was so good that Huai Bin had two bowls of it. Man, I wouldn't mind to pay RM 10 for this bowl of goodness if it's available in KL.



I don't think they have a specific menu though. The food options changes by days and the waiter would actually tell you what they have on that day. I love the hospitality though. The auntie who served us is really friendly.



I went for the mee siam. My mum made really good mee siam and she has set the bar so high that no where else could compare to the one she made. I didn't like that the sauce that came along was a little sweet. The fried beehoon too taste very mild. You can skip on this.



The curry laksa that Huai Bin had was nice though and he loved it. It was not too milky to the point that you'll feel "muak" just half way finishing that bowl of laksa but just thick enough to give the rich feeling.



I also ordered Tofu Rojak to share (but I ate most of it. Huai Bin doesn't eat much! T.T) . I don't actually eat tofu but since the lady recommended it and I wanted a side dish, I went for it. The rojak is a platter of fish cake, cucumber and pineapples served with rojak paste and homemade chili sauce. I don't know if it's a "Melaka thing" but the paste is really different, very distintive in taste a lot stronger on the prawn flavor. It goes really well with the fish cake. The only thing I didn't like about the rojak was the fact that the cucumber and pineapples is cubed.

I've always love how people Melaka (maybe cause I'm just a kampung girl at heart) is so laid back and you hardly see people rushing. Can't wait for my next trip to Melaka again sometime soon and yes, looking forward for that damn awesome chendol here again!

Simply Chicken Rice

Pardon me, but I'm gonna start with this - I'm super, super stress with work. I've been working 12 hours a day, sometimes more and seriously it's ripping my brain off! I really do enjoy the challenge. So much, that at some point I feel like I'm obsessed with my job. I come back at 10 pm, and at 1 am, I feel like going back to work. I don't know if it's a good or bad thing. I know it's totally unrelated but I just feel like ranting it out!



This post is by inspiration from Huai Bin writing about the last meal for death row inmates and what would be our preference. His first choice was chicken rice and yes, that would be my choice too! Not first on the list though, but second!



I love chicken rice! Simply Chicken Rice was discovered by chance when I was done doing my furniture shopping in IKEA. It's just beside the car park and you're definitely going to pass it when you're paying your ticket at the auto pay machine. Seriously the aroma is so good that when it goes through my nostril for the first time, I told myself I just have to try it! And then I fell in love with it.



I love steamed chicken and the one they have here is perfect! The silky skin that blends with the sesame oil and soy sauce is just orgasmic!The chicken is a burst of all the flavors steamed chicken should have. It's also tender, moist and ah, everything good! The roasted chicken too taste as good as the steamed one but I prefer the steamed chicken for the silky texture of the skin and meat. Something roasted chicken lack of.



The real parameter to gauge a good chicken rice however lies on the rice. If there's a grade to give for the rice, I'll give it an A1 ! In fact it is the main reason why I am waxing lyrical and singing praises for the chicken rice here. As guilty as this may sound, the rice must not only be fragrant - it MUST be oily. It's not exactly a statement approved by health connoisseurs but what the heck, I don't go for the concept of eating something you don't like. Eat anything you want, but in moderation! :D



The next criteria is the garlic chili. The one here is very spicy and being a fan of anything spicy I appreciate the fact that I can freely take the chili as much as I want. I usually have like 5 "plates" of this! Seriously, my tolerance for chili is something a lot of people find very amusing. Especially when I'm a Chinese. Haha.



The soup they have here is not something unusual or different. It tasted like any other place but I have to say sometimes the soup is not that good though. Since it's made from the chicken stock of the steamed chicken, I find that at times the 'chicken smell' is a tad too strong. There are also times where the soup is not served as hot as it should be. But ah, this is just a minor hiccup.

If you haven't tried this chicken rice, you really have to! Trust me and trust my taste! :D

But you know what's the saddest thing about chicken rice? It's rice. Something I refrain myself from eating. I only take rice on rare occasions, most probably three times a month. So even when I'm savoring the orgasmic chicken rice, I only allow myself to take half. Blame on my metabolism rate T.T

This post is dedicated to Huai Bin! Happy 30th Birthday! I've said this many, many times but your confidence to pursue your dream job inspires me. I believe you're working half way to it and I wish you all the best in everything! Don't forget me when you're famous ok? hehe.


hahah shall put a classic pic of HB. Sorry ladies, he's taken. hahaha!!

p/s : I'm writing this under the influence of alcohol and high nicotine. Who says they damage your brain? tee hee.

Chinese New Year Reunion 2011

I don't know if it's just me but time seem to fly even more faster this year. I'll be finishing my training tomorrow and will officially start my duties next week! Can't believe i've been training for a month already!


I usually reach home quite late on work days - pretty much explains the lack of updates. The limited time I spent online are usually to reply e-mails of people that is somehow, somewhere special to me and the social media. I'm straying away from facebook though - if you're working, you pretty much know how dangerous the social media can be.



It's getting late so I'm just gonna do a brief picture post just to keep up with the tradition of me posting pictures of my reunion dinner! I am not commenting on the dishes since it's home cooked and my judgment would definitely sound bias :p




My dinner this year was fashionably late - 9.30 P.M to be exact so I made the right decision when I said no to my friend when he asked if he could join my family for dinner. My parents are coming again next week so he might be joining me for Chap Goh Mey dinner. :)




It was rather special in a way too, as this was our first year of hosting our parents. And it's only then I realized how much my dad spent every year for reunion dinner! The cost pretty much went shooting up when we had to get new cutlery and serving plates as we didn't have enough.




A lot of dishes eaten on reunion dinner are eaten for the meaning it brings - like yee sang for prosperity, prawn for happiness and longevity noodles for a healthy life. I don't particularly like it though but as modern as I can be, I stay to my roots too. No harm following what your forefathers say right?



Like every other year, reunion dinner is followed by massive cleaning! Lol. When the clock strike 12, we played the floating lantern - as a substitute for fireworks :P The lantern is supposedly for you to write your wishes on it but mine has chinese words printed so I didn't write anything. I can't read mandarin but I got the nice uncle who was selling lanterns to explain to me each and every lantern available there. :P

Huat ah!

p/s : I know this post isn't as interesting as I used to write and I can do better than thisbut i'm having writer's block. :s I'll be back with a great post next! So much to share!

Winter Solstice

How was your Winter Solstice last night? I cooked the balls with sugar syrup and it was served with jelly and soya bean. It was awesome, we're thinking of making them again tomorrow! :D



Was meaning to blog this yesterday night after dinner ended, but was too tired and dozed off.



We had guest over and I cooked a feast! For the first time in my life I cooked a whole chicken! The Hainanese Chicken Rice were the main dish and to accompany the chicken, we had garlic fish and stir fry asparagus.

T'was a good night. But no pictures, cause I forgotten all about the camera when the guest came. ;p

How to cook Beef Soup

Ahh, it's been close to two weeks since I last blog! Time really flies, and I don't even know what occupied my time! and.. and I know I haven't post my cooking for a while but the chef in me is back! :D


All you need to prepare this beef soup is thin sliced beef, beef balls (as in the ones made from the meat hor.. not the testicles. :P) , salted vegetables, bean sprouts and chopped parsley + spring onion. If you want it to taste like the Vietnamese pho, add in local basil leaves.

First, boil the water together with tang choy, salted vegetables and half a teaspoon of garlic oil.


Then add in the chopped parsley and spring onion and let it boil for a while. Spring onion is to add sweetness to the soup while the parsley is to neutralize the taste of beef.

Later, add in the beef balls. Just when you're about put off the stove fire, put in the sliced beef and bean sprout. The sliced beef is supposed to be cooked just nice to maintain the tender texture. Bean sprout on the other hand must not be over cooked.


Eaten with chili vinaigrette. Super awesome.


Closer shot! Om nom nom nom.


and if you like, do it the Cina style! Have it with a can of beer!

Life couldn't be better eh?

Kek Seng Kopitiam

My four months internship was without a question not a bed of roses. But like they say, everything has its pros and cons. So, the pros was that my office was located in the heart of Georgetown, where good food are within reachable radius.



Above all the places we went, Kek Seng is one place that has captured my heart in many ways. I'm a sucker for coffee shop that gives me a nostalgic rush and Kek Seng, being one of the oldest coffee shop in Penang has just that. I thought I had the picture of the place but after going through all my folders, I couldn't find any. :(

The first time I came to this place was actually for their star item - the ice kacang with homemade durian ice cream. The home made ice cream was what they got their fame for - so famous that an Australian man wanted to have this before he die! However as good as the ice cream tasted, I didn't feel like it complemented the ice kacang. It's better eaten on its own.



The multi layered jelly on the other hand gave the ice kacang a nice touch. The taste of the jelly is not something unusual or unique but it made the ice kacang different from any other place in Penang. Other than the ice cream and jelly, the ice kacang is like in any other place. Comes in a bed of shaved ice covered in sarsi and rose syrup, then topped with red bean and cream sweet corn.



I don't usually eat rice for my lunch for fear that I will fall into post lunch coma but when my colleague ordered the chicken rice, it looks so good I couldn't resist ordering it. And I didn't regret! For me the pre requisite of a good chicken rice is the rice and they pass with flying colors! The rice was fragrant and each grain of the rice came as individuals while the chicken was undoubtedly well flavored and tender.



There was this afternoon where I was practically starving and ordered char siew to go along with the normal serving of chicken rice. The char siew is not like any of what i've tasted before but it is very, very good. Not overly charred, slightly sweet, tender and very juicy. Practically all the good adjectives of a well cooked meat dish!



The minor hiccups is that "chai buoy" soup they served is just slightly above par. I've had better one. But it's all forgiven! Really. Hehe.



The place is also famous for other Penang affairs - loh bak, assam laksa and popiah.

I wouldn't be able to do taste justification for the assam laksa and popiah tho'. Assam laksa to me is an acquired taste. Not everyone can take the pungent smell of "he ko" and noodles served in fish based broth. I don't take fish so naturally assam laksa is one food I stay away from.



Popiah on the other hand gives me no excitement due to the absence of meat in this dish. HAHA. But really, an all vege dish usually don't impress me a lot. hehe. That being said, I do have a very famous popiah in Penang in the line up post! :D



I was told that the loh bak here is quite famous back in decades ago. I personally think loh bak is "ze dish" for Penangites. Go to any place that serve loh bak in Penang and you can hardly be dissappointed.



The place is not very difficult to locate. Situated opposite Bee Cheng Hiang Komtar (the one along Jalan Dr Lim Chwee Leong) . Don't bother looking from Google Maps - for I once got lost using that as a guide. hehe.

Kuih Bulan

*updated!


This year marks the fourth year of me celebrating the 15th day of the 8th month in the Chinese calendar away from my parents. It's not that we actually have huge celebration back home but it's just nice to be home with your family during festivals like this.

I always make it a point to get myself a moon cake even though I don't really favor the taste of this sweet pastry. Somehow I always believe it was eaten for prosperity. Lol!



Legend has it that, moon cake was actually a way the Yuan (some say Ming?) Dynasty passed the messages around without letting the Mongolians know. The message is slipped in the moon cake! Not too shabby for a wedding proposal also eh! :P

Anyway, happy moon cake festival everyone!

****

I celebrated my Mid Autumn festival the truly 1Malaysia way. Lol



Had awesome Nasi Kandar with kuah campur for dinner (instead of you know.. stir fry pork?lol)! Huge piece of chicken! =D



And since it's Pink Day, i head over with my friend to Baskin Robbins for awesome Brownie Ala Mode (Chocolate Fudge with two scoops of ice cream topped with caramel, M&Ms, whipped cream and cherry!) Just look at the caramel. It was sex!! :D



Finally, a picture of the full moon I took on the way back to my apartment.

Hope you guys had a great night. I certainly did!

Dragon Boat Festival

At the time of writing - 11.10 p.m, everyone must have burped Bak Zhang!

This is my first time eating Bak Zhang in Penang. It tasted a little weird and different from what I used to eat back home. But of course, this Bak Zhang can't be make as a judgment since it was bought at random stall.

***p/s : can I not go to work tomorrow? :(

Lorong Selamat Char Kueh Tiau

I've read so much about this place before finally setting my foot here. Not that I have anything against the place, I just had problem finding the place. It was only during my last visit to the island (i'm now staying here already ;p) I found out that it was just a mere five minutes walk from Tune Hotels.

The 'goggles auntie" is pretty famous in the blogosphere with everyone writing about her foul attitude. She was alright when I was there tho'. Just that she look really grumpy. Hey, blame it on the high wok heat and the strong smell from the chili oil! Anyone would look grumpy in that situation. ;p



I went on a Monday so there was not much waiting. My plate of char kueh tiau reaches my table within 15 minutes! I arrived quite famish so that was very much appreciated! :D



After reading so much travelers waxing lyrical about the place, I had a mountain of expectations. I ordered the RM 7 plate out of the range of RM 6, RM 7 and RM 9. My verdict? I thought it tasted just average. The portion of the kueh tiau was really little. I guess the RM 7 goes to the three medium size prawns. It was fresh and something a lot worship upon. But from my puny knowledge of food, I didn't think prawns is the "correct" parameter used to gauge the taste of a plate of char kueh tiau. ;p



The char kueh tiau do have a very strong flavor of lard tho. Something I find quite different from other char kueh tiau places.

I heard the waiting time would go as far as more than an hour during the weekends and public holidays. The longest waiting time (to make it worth the taste) for this char kueh tiau is only 20 minutes. After that it'll be too long. ;p

Anyway, have a good weekend people! I'm back to blogging about food again. :)