Chefmel turns 22 today!

Today is my birthday. :)



I got myself a book as a birthday gift to myself. Richard Branson's : Losing My virginity. Such a quirky title right? Hehe.

I am also quite broke , so if you're feeling guilty not buying me any birthday present, or if you're feeling rich today, please kindly donate to :

Melanie Ong Ai Wui
CIMB 1102-0002278-20-6

Thank You in advance :)

Malaysia Airlines : Malaysian Hospitality

If there is one "Malaysian Product" that I really believe in, it's Malaysia Airlines (MAS). Despite the steeper price, I've always been willing to pay a couple of extra bucks for MAS because of one sole reason - they always made me feel like a "guest".



Just less than a week ago, I find myself in two MAS cabin again, flying back home. The first one was of course no stranger to me, the quad-colored seats.



The second one though kinda caught me by surprise. Leather seats! I actually thought I was on the wrong flight and to be honest with you, I find it degraded the image of MAS. The blue color leather seats reminded me so much of a public bus I took a while ago! And if I didn't told you it was MAS, you would have thought it was Air Asia right?



However, the main reason of me writing this is not to criticize on how ugly their leather seats are but instead, on the cleanliness of the cabin.



Food stains, splashes of water and some unidentified dirt.



The food served were great (really, but it'll be in another post) but when I was served I actually didn't felt like eating when I saw the stains and all. I only ate because I was seating behind two kids who were on top of their lungs the whole flight and I couldn't sleep.



Hygiene is crucial and it disappoint me how MAS (who just won two Skytrax award) could overlook it. Of course I don't expect the whole cabin to be all shiny, but this is a little too much especially for a "5 star airline" who preach so much about their "world class cabin".



Sorry, but this is certainly not the way I view Malaysian Hospitality. :(

Scallop Marinara Spaghetti

The numero uno ingredient is of course non other than spaghetti. Try getting Spanish pasta instead of the generic brands like San Remo. Spanish pastas are better in texture.



I used scallop for my marinara but you can use any seafood of your choice. Prawn, mussels and squids would be great for marinara.



The flavorings came from one clove of garlic, ring olives, butter and tomato paste.

First, saute the garlic and olives in the piping hot melted butter. Garlic, olives and butter is like a triangle love. They blend so well and the aroma can be quite therapeutic! :p Because scallops take longer amount of time to cook, put it in before the spaghetti. However if you are using other seafood, put the spaghetti in first.

Once the scallops is sealed, put in the spaghetti, then add in the tomato paste and seasonings - salt and black pepper. When everything is well blended, let the scallops cook under it so that the natural flavors from the scallops would infuse to the spaghetti.



Let them cook a while , and here you go, voila!



Easy ain't it? It takes no more than 20 minutes to prepare this dish. :)

p/s : I am back in Kuching again! :D

Penang White Coffee

It's a shame to call myself a coffee aficionado when I don't know one of the best coffee in Malaysia is available in Penang - even after visiting the place so many times. I was introduced to the Penang White Coffee by my parents (who only visited the place once. FML) and they asked me to get it for them.



There's many brands in Penang and because my parents don't know which brand was the best, I bought a few to try. The rest of the brands fail miserably in comparison to this particular brand "Salute" and a quick check with a local confirmed that this was the pioneer.



A box is retailing at RM 12, and there is 12 40g sachets. Each sachet is at 20 g heavier than the Nescafe 3 in 1 ones so it's a bargain for the price.



I excitedly tried it since my parents have very colonial mind set and if they say a Malaysian made product is good, they must be good! Verdict : I am impressed! While it may not be the kind of coffee I favor (i like dark roasted beans), it was really smooth and it has this thick foam on top which i like! If you like latte, this is the one coffee for you.


P/s : Just got back from Kuching a few days ago. Now having my finals! Very busy and hardly could breathe! Sorry for the lack of updates and thank you for reading!