PASTA de GOHAN @ Sunway Pyramid - Pasta, Re-Mixed?

I was attracted to Pasta de Gohan ever since others in the blogosphere raved about the countless pastas they serve, and how their outlets in Singapore are performing really well in terms of revenues and popularity. They're known as Pasta de Waraku over the straits though.

Japanese Casual Pasta & Cafe Restaurant - "Casual" is an understatement here.

The past week I was stuck in Sunway Pyramid for 4 straight days, attending a conference at Sunway Convention Centre. Food's provided, but a dismal affair, at best. Once the lunch was so horrible that we went scavenging for food way past lunch hours. And so we ended up at Pasta De Gohan located at Sunway Pyramid's new wing, LG2 level. Next to JCo Donuts & Coffee.

The chic, bright and airy interior of the restaurant

Searching for a cafe serving tea time set was not a stroll in the park. But most outlets serving snacks, be it sweet or savoury, though fit the bill, but we were craving for something substantial (to fill the void in our guts, obviously) yet not of the fast food variety.

Passing by Paste de Gohan, Pancake House International and JCo Donuts (they're all side by side), the choice was downsized to the former two, as the queue for the doughnuts was building up. It was peak hour for them anyway. And browsing at Pasta de Gohan's menu, we were attracted to their value sets served from 2pm til 7pm (I think).

Vanilla Float and Fresh Grapefruit Juice (complimentary with the sets ordered)

It was 2 hours before dinner, hence we shared two sets among the trio of hungry souls. The sets include either a pizza, a doria (rice baked with cheese and mayo sauce), or a gratin (penne baked with cheese), and served with a juice of your choice, or vanilla float.

Prawn & Chicken Gratin - Penne with Wafu Cream Sauce

The portions are not overwhelming, but sufficient for intermittent meals. Baked with lots of creamy cheese and wafu (Japanese dressing) sauce, the penne served was minimal, but the fresh, and succulent shrimps made up for any losses. The tender chicken strips was a nice addition as well.

Doria - Spicy Cod Roe & Potato (Rice with Wafu mentai mayonnaise sauce)

Oozing with cheese; melted, creamy and glorious cheese, the rice baked with potatoes and spicy cod roe could be a meal on its own. The spicy cod roes provided much of the flavour, slightly spicy and saltish, topping the bland baked potatoes, and complemented perfectly by the creamy cheese melting onto the rice with wafu sauce. A perfect combination, if there ever was one.

The Gratin set was priced at RM13.80, while the Doria set was RM12.80. The selection of pasta at Pasta de Gohan is mind-boggling. I did not bother to count, but there were at least 50 types of pasta cooked with any methods imaginable. Fusion, hybrid, un-original (or original), or whatever the detractors may say, one can NEVER be bored with the endless selections here.

Location : PASTA de GOHAN @ LG2.126A, Sunway Pyramid Shopping Mall, 3, Jln PJS 11/15, Bandar Sunway, 46150 Petaling Jaya, Selangor. Tel : 603-5621 8166

Here's some fusion-ized pasta-lovers : kampungboycitygal, Christine, masak-masak, & Ai Wei

Hong Kong/Macau 2008 FINALE - When The Sun Goes Down in Macau ...

And here comes the finale ..... Well, for those who might've forgotten, this ultra long, and extended posts on Hong Kong/Macau actually spanned an un-enviable 5 weeks. Yeah yeah ... I could've finished them earlier, but "time constraints" and "human nature" (read : lazybum) had the better of me. For those who wish to recall the whole ordeal, from Day One til Day Nine, do click HERE for the entire itinerary.

As different as night and day .... Ruo do Cunha at night lacking in terms of traffic

We took the ferry from Tsim Sha Tsui pier to reach Macau, for HKD148/RM66.60 per pax. Of course I'm still assuming the conversion rate of HKD100=RM45, which held true at that moment when I was in HK. But as of now, the our RM has weaken slightly, and the exchange rate has since soared to HKD100=RM46+. Take note, k?

Arriving in Macau, we took Bus No 3 (or 3A) to reach Sun Ma Lou (Avenida de Almeida Ribeiro) for MOP$2.50/RM1.13 per pax. But really, if you're carrying the whole of HK (or more) back with you, do consider a cab instead, as the distance is not really far.

As it was already pretty late, we checked ourselves into Ko Wah Hotel at Ruo de Felicidade, a few shoplots away from San Va Hospideria. For MOP$550/RM247.50, we got ourselves a very spacious, clean and comfortable room for FOUR, with air-conditioning, TV, hot shower, and the likes. Just like a REAL hotel. Marginally improved in comparison to San Va (click HERE for our unique experiences on the 1st night). Sadly, I've lost the contact for the hotel (will post here once I've found it), but bear in mind they DO NOT cater to pre-booking online, thus either you call before arriving, or push your luck and hope for a room.

DUMBO Portuguese Restaurant @ Taipa

For dinner, we took a bus No 33 to reach Taipa across the straits, for MOP$3.30/RM1.50 per pax. The whole stretch of Ruo do Cunha or "Koon Yeh Khai" in Cantonese was rather deserted, raising slight surprise, that will soon be answered after dinner.

We unanimously agreed on any restaurants serving Macanese/Portuguese food for the last dinner in Macau. For this trip, at the very least. So we proceeded to DUMBO Restaurant in Taipa Village, a short walk from Ruo do Cunha. Very easy to locate, as you'll notice the signboard with what else, but DUMBO the flying elephant erm ... cheerfully welcoming you. The building's rather big, spanning a few floors.

We were ushered to our seats upstairs, and were pleasantly surprised by the large crowd in the restaurant. The exterior was unassuming, but once we stepped in, the place came to life, literally. With cutleries & glasses a-clanking, the boisterous/lively/vibrant crowd (mostly tourists, I presume) imposed a sense of camaraderie, automatically injecting charm into the classic dining hall.

The menu covers everything from Portuguese classics to Macanese crossovers. And everything in between. Bear in mind the crowd may be overwhelming at times, and reservation may be vital. But then again, the quieter than usual streets in Macau that evening was highly suspicious. Hmm ... what could be on?

Complimentary bread and butter .... The bread resembled baguette, but not as hard

Bacalhau Fried Rice (MOP$35/RM15.75)

Bacalhau is a traditional and favourite Portuguese dish, referring to salted codfish. Yup, even the taste mimicked our very own salted fish. We dared not order a whole fish, which can be steamed, fried or cooked with gravy. The simple fried rice was fluffy, with eggs and capsicums. The Bacalhau provided much of the flavours, but then again, did not click with our palates. :(

Roasted Pigeon (MOP$55/RM24.75)

Highly recommended by other floggers, the roasted pigeon arrived as a singleton, and quartered to ease serving. Stuffed with garlic and spices, the bird was served with lemon wedges to be squeezed liberately. Tastewise? Other than the overpowering garlic stuffings, the bird was roasted well, but to me was akin to a quail. And do not be fooled by the photo above, as the portion's not big at all. One can easily polish off a whole bird in record time. =P

Roasted German Pork Knuckle (MOP$70/RM31.50)

The sight of pork knuckle in the menu had me in a trance. Really. And the next table savouring the whole slab of meat was all the more inviting. You can have your knuckle roasted or steamed. But ewww .... who eat their pork knuckles steamed anyway?

The portion was definitely meant for sharing, and the tender, juicy and fatty cuts of meat were irresistible. However, the saltiness may be a put-off factor to some. Ate them with the supplied bread and the saltiness was somewhat tempered.

Mixed vegetable salad (MOP$30/RM13.50)

In fear of constipation, we opted for some fibres in the form of their salad. The usual tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers and olives with a boiled egg as protein-supplement. Substantial for one on diet, and perfect as accompaniment to a carnivorous meal.

Total damage : MOP$209/RM94. In conclusion? Mixed reactions from all corners. Maybe we should've ordered something else? Or we should've dined elsewhere? Or maybe our tastebuds are not that compatible with Portuguese food? Hmmm .... To be answered in my next visit. hahaha .... NOW I've a reason to go again. :)

Wow .... deserted street at 9pm?

We exited the restaurant and noticed they serve various desserts on display at the counter. From Serradura to cakes and such. At reasonable prices as well.

Once outside, we were puzzled by the strangely isolated streets. It was a Saturday evening after all. And we expected the whole place to be swarmed/infested/congested with seas of humanity. OK, maybe a tad far off, but the quiet streets were kind of ..... weird.

Some may argue : "Of course lah ..... Ppl go casinos at night ma .... Who will go jalan-jalan and makan-makan?!"

Which, I can't deny, may be one of the reason to such phenomenon. But then the pieces started falling into place. It was the 20th of September 2008. The night when the final 2 episodes of Moonlight Resonance were being shown on TV !!! Arguably the MOST popular and MOST watched TVB drama of all time, the popularity of the drama had people glued to the TV everywhere, from cafes to restaurants, and of course most in the comfort of their homes. And they held a special screening at one of the malls in Hong Kong.

Talk about Couch Potatoes. (Of course, we would've glued to our set in our hotel room, had we not travelled so distant from our hotel)

Pastelaria Fong Kei

A confectionery on Ruo do Cunha (it's the name of the famous street in Taipa, in case you're wondering) named Fong Kei looked unpretentious, and certainly lacked the glitz and glamour of its counterparts namely Koi Kee and Choi Hiong Yuen. But they do have a following of their own, selling traditional and homemade biscuits, and some cannot be found in M'sia. Deserve a try, but the packaging is nothing like Koi Kee's perfect-as-gifts varieties.

Largo do Senado (Senado Square) - You can count the mosaics without getting your fingers stepped on ... unlike the first night.

Ruins of St Paul's .... The evening crowd was a welcoming change from the hustle/bustle of the daytime rush


You can practically sit on the steps and soak in the surroundings ....

Lots of dog-lovers bring their pets to the Ruins at night ... Made me wonder what if my LULU was with me at that moment. Sure gave the other owners a shock. Crazy Golden Retriever.

After dinner, we utilised our room's space to the fullest. For packing and unpacking of our baggages. The spacious room was God-sent for such trivial matters. Or important, depending on how you look at it. hehehe ....

Back to Slumberland ....

An equally deserted Ruo De Felicidade .... G'night Macau ....

Morning view from our room ... G'morning Macau?! :)

Our flight's at 10.45 am. Thus, we checked out and took a cab to the airport (MOP$70/RM31.50) as harming the other passengers on bus with my killer-of-a-luggage was a tempting yet morbid idea.

Macau International Airport

Disastrous breakfast of Portuguese Egg Tarts (3 for MOP$21/RM9.45) and Curry Beef Brisket Noodles (MOP$35/RM15.75)

Arriving rather early, we had breakfast at the airport's food court. Bad choice, as which airport serves GOOD food anyway? :)

GOODBYE .... Til the next journey !!!

And that ... was a wrap, folks. Do consider holidaying in Hong Kong/Macau if you're one who loves food, lots and lots of delicious food, and shopping. Sight-seeings may not be comparable to other countries, and the weather may be unpleasantly hot and humid during summer. But a small price to pay, really.

The whole trip costed me less than RM2k, including airfare, accomodation, transportation, entrance fees, and food. But of course, excluding shopping and souvenirs. For a good 9 days, 8 nights. Now who says travelling to Hong Kong is expensive?!

MOF Japanese Sweets & Coffee @ Pavilion, Kuala Lumpur - Satiates That Nagging Sweet Cravings?

If you're bogged down by the promises made by the (in)competent ministries in our country, promising the heavens but instead delivering lowly dirts, then you're probably not alone.

But seek solace in the Ministry of Food, a refreshing paradigm shift, a light at the end of the tunnel, a requiem for the masses. OK, for the sweet-toothed ones, at the very least. ;)

Ladies & gentlemen, the newest (or at least, new to me!) addition to the ever-expanding line up of eateries in Pavilion, the MINISTRY OF FOOD !!!

Read about this chic cafe serving Japanese style desserts and beverages from other food blogs over the past few months. A timely resurgence of interest to Pavilion's rather lacklustre range of restaurants and simple cafes. 'Twas either too taxing on the wallet (restaurants on top floor, especially), or the meagre run-of-the-mill outlets at the lower ground floor.

Of course I can't deny the appeal of some, the new Mr Baoz from Taiwan is interesting, but mixed reviews had me doubting. And when one's craving for some snacks/desserts, it's either JCo's donuts (there's a limit to the fresh appeal of the doughnut craze, and I've reached that long time ago), The Loaf's pastries and still-delectable Uh-Hu-Hu Cheesecakes, and John King's egg tarts.

Place your order and pay at the counter before you're served

MOF (Ministry of Food) hailed from Singapore, and practising a rather interesting concept, serving Japanese styled desserts (Hokkaido gelato ice-cream, Kakigori/Shaved Ice, Imo/Japanese sweet potaotes, Sundae etc) and beverages (green tea shakes, anyone?).

Cozy and bright ambience

The shop's located next to Pastamania on Level 1, which in fact is the lower ground floor where Food Republic's at. MOF faces Mercato Supermarket, so if you're at Carl's JR's side, then you're at the opposite end. The selection of desserts are mind-boggling, easily appeasing any dessert-lovers, and may convert a doubter into one.

Pick your spot, listen to 'cheerful' (yet half-hearted) attempts of Irrashaimase (Welcome, in Japanese) and browse the menu conveniently placed under the table. The order tabs and a pencil are on the table itself, hence jot down your preference(s) and pay at the counter. They DO NOT charge Service Charge, so don't grumble. =P

Shira Sesame Hokkaido Gelato Mini (RM9)

A variety of flavours are available with regards to the ice-cream options, and we picked the black sesame. The rich and creamy black sesame sauce drizzled on the smooth, cold yet not tooth-numbingly freezing black sesame ice-cream offered a thoroughly delightful experience altogether. Every spoonful evoked child-like glee & satisfaction, and paired with the chewy/springy Japanese glutinous balls, the combination of texture and flavours worked wonders. The crispy waffle and the cherry were mere eye-candies, complementing the sensory appeal.

Macha Mixed Imo (Soft serve with green tea sauce, red bean paste, yam and Japanese sweet potato) @ RM11

A top selection at MOF, and highly recommended by floggers alike, the Matcha Mixed Imo was served in a boat-like serving bowl, aesthetically-pleasing and leaving a lasting impression on the senses. The smooth and almost liquid-like texture of the soft serve (the soft ice cream made from Hokkaido milk, akin to McD's soft vanilla ice-cream, but a bit smoother and none of the overpowering vanilla flavour) glided down the throat effortlessly, and the melting green tea sauce and sweet red bean paste intensified the flavours and complemented each other so well.

Imo refers to the imported Japanese sweet potatoes, and they're deep-fried with light batter. The warm sweet potato and yam provided a hot and cold sensation when eaten with spoonfuls of the others. Blissful. But I'd recommend the sweet potatoes over the yam. (Note : you can have BOTH morsels of sweet potatoes, or BOTH yams, for the same price, if desired)

Location : MOF Japanese Sweets and Coffee @ Pavilion, Lot 1.02.00, Level 1, Jalan Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03- 2144 1489

Those who helped in spreading the lurve : Masak-masak, Shell Food Station, and Yowazzup?

Hong Kong/Macau 2008 - Soy Milk for Breakfast, & Hakka Cuisine for Lunch

From previous chapter, Glitzy Lifestyle @ Lan Kwai Fong ... click HERE for more.

In a glimpse of an eye, we've reached the 8th day of our journey. The weather was progressing perfectly, not as hot & humid as previous days. The clear blue skies and slight breeze was all too inviting .... Pity this was already our last day in Hong Kong.

Notice those HUGE fried dough? HOI KENG Congee Specialist's the shop's name, with three branches in Kowloon, and another in Tsuen Wan

Woke up feeling refreshed and not too fatigued, as the previous day's itinerary consisted of shopping and eating only. A far cry from the tormenting climb, crawl and walks in and around Lantau Island, Macau, Ocean Park, and so forth.

Fish Porridge (HKD18.50/RM8.33), Cheong Fun with Char Siew/Corn (HKD15/RM6.75), and Corned Beef+Bacon Sandwich Set with Milk Tea (HKD21/RM9.45)

Was searching for this shop selling fried dough (yau char kwai/Chinese crullers & friends) and soy milk the previous day, but did not succeed in doing so. Furthermore, our spirits were dampened with the discouraging rain, and Mong Kok's ever-confusing roads and shoplots that mimic each other to a T. Seriously, if you're not armed with a map, you probably won't be able to tell the roads apart.

GIGANTIC Yau Char Kwai @ HKD7/RM3.20

Equally GARGANTUAN Ham Chim Peng (translation, pls?) @ HKD7/RM3.20

The "Char Chaan Teng" (Hong Kong cafe) like appearance hinted at the type of food they serve, being typical breakfast set. But, with a twist. Their signature items of course, are the fried dough proudly displayed in the glass cabinet at the exterior of the shop, and normally paired with their homemade soy milk.

The BEST soy milk served warm I've ever had @ HKD8/RM3.60

And the soy milk did not disappoint. Smooth, fragrant, slightly milky, and best of all, healthy. The soy milk was served generously in a bowl. Every spoonful was a delight, and when the fried dough was dipped into the warm soy milk, the dough absorbed the soy milk, but still retaining the crunch in every bite. Bite into them, and the sensation of soy milk squirting into every corner of the mouth screamed comfort food at its best. I can't imagine a breakfast simpler and tastier than these.

Other than this, their rice noodle rolls (Cheong Fun) stuffed with various fillings are their forte as well, especially the ones wrapping around some Yau Char Kwai.

HOI KENG CONGEE SPECIALIST @ G/F, 103, Argyle Street, Mong Kok, Kowloon.

Other outlets : (Shop B, G/F, 72, Bute Street, Mong Kok, Kowloon), (Shop A&B, G/F, Jade Plaza, 298, Sha Tsui Rd, Tsuen Wan, New Territories), and (G/F, 55 Ngau Tau Kok Rd, Ngau Tau Kok, Kowloon)

Then we packed up, checked out from Dragon Hostel but it was still pretty early. Thus we did what sane shopaholics (if there's ever a sane one!) would do. We shopped, for more. Souvenirs, clothings, and such. So that we won't be interrogated when we're back in M'sia.

Chuen Cheung Koi Restaurant on Nelson Street, Mong Kok

For lunch, we headed to a Hakka cuisine restaurant recommended not only by Lonely Planet, but also by the uncle at Lin Heung Tea House, a few days ago (click HERE for the account). Though dining in a Chinese restaurant with all the bells and whistles in Hong Kong, was kinda intimidating, at first. But we longed for a REAL meal, instead of the everyday noodles and junks.

Nothing unlike our dining restaurants in M'sia ... You can almost expect wedding bells a-ringing

Simple blanched green vegetables for the digestive system

Relieved to see the prices rather affordable for lunch. Roughly HKD30-HKD40 per person, including rice and tea. What's more, the servings were rather generous.

Salted Chicken

One of their specialty is the Salted Chicken, but do not get confused with Ipoh's Salted Chicken. Theirs leaned more to steamed chicken like chicken rice's version, but with a hint of salt & ginger. The plus point was obviously the smooth and juicy flesh, and the tenderness of the meat. I'm barely a fan of steamed chicken, but gave my seal of approval to this dish.

Mui Choy Kau Yoke (Braised Pork Belly with Preserved Vegetables)

The best dish of the meal, the Pork Belly with Preserved vegetables scored almost perfect ratings between the four of us. The meat was literally melt-in-mouth texture, and the Mui Choy (preserved vegetables) had a nice balance flavours of salty and sweet. Went really well with the heaps of white rice. None of us could finish the rice. Enlighten me on this, is rice really THAT cheap in Hong Kong?

Timeless classic = Sweet and Sour Pork

And of course, possibly my first favourite dish since I was small, before I was exposed to the amalgam of flavours opening up my tastebuds, the sweet and sour pork. Chunky pork deep-fried and coated with the glistening tangy tomato sauce. Minor difference compared to Malaysia's version, they did not spice the dish up slightly with chilli sauce, unlike our very own.

Chuen Cheung Kui Restaurant @ Shop E, G/F-2/F, Lisa House, 33, Nelson Street, Kowloon.

Kee Wah Bakery

For fear of hunger during the ferry ride to Macau, or the flight back to Malaysia, we bought some confectioneries from Kee Wah Bakery, a household bakery in Hong Kong. More famous than ever since the TVB drama, Moonlight Resonance was sponsored by Kee Wah, and the bakery shop scene in the drama was actually filmed using one of Kee Wah's many branches (correct me if I'm wrong though).

The nicely packed shortcakes with many flavours (HKD42/RM18.90 for 6)

The cakes and the cookies were alluring, but the shortcakes were the most enticing items. I bought a pineapple shortcake, and one filled with honeydew jam. Both were good, and I had them both on the plane back to Malaysia the next day. Hehe .... Air Asia's meals are horrendously over-priced for the garbage that they serve. The Nasi Lemak and Nasi Goreng looked worse than the worst you can buy from the roadside.

Buttery pastry enveloping the pineapple jam

Soon after, we collected our bags from our hostel (they provide free luggage storing service for their customers, eventhough you've checked out), and proceeded to Mong Kok MTR station to get the refund for our Octopus cards. You'll get all the remaining balance, except a charge of HKD7/RM3.15 which will be deducted.

Then we took a taxi from Nathan Road to the ferry terminal. This time, the driver was a nice chap, ignoring our luggages, but instead charged only HKD30/RM13.50 for the ride. Bought First Ferry tickets to Macau's jetty, at HKD148/RM66.60 per person.

Goodbye Hong Kong ... Til the next one!

P/S : I'll be gone til next Monday. Down to KL again for work, and then play. Happy Deepavali everyone! :)

Kuala Perlis Medan Ikan Bakar

I'll skip Padang Besar post for time being, as I'm awaiting KYT's photos from his camera. I had to resort to plagiarism once in a while. =P

The endless rows of stalls at Medan Ikan Bakar, Kuala Perlis ; Selling (almost) the same stuff rendered decision-making a tougher choice than it already was ....

Since my previous post on Perlis skimped on FOOD (click HERE for my simple introduction to Perlis), I'd fast-forward a little, and skip to dinner instead. Previous night's experience at Medan Ikan Bakar (if that's even the place's name?) screamed T-R-A-G-E-D-Y (you can almost imagined the Bee Gees' quirky, screechy voice in that one).

But we were relentless. Or rather, the Malays were. We ain't a bunch of people who would surrender to bad food, and left Perlis with a sour taste in the mouth. So, we pushed our luck AGAIN, and proceeded to Kuala Perlis (a 20 mins ride from Kangar) for a taste of their famed Ikan Bakar (Grilled Fish).

Batter-fried Squids with Sweet Chilli Sauce - Every table had at least one serving. Really!

It started to drizzle as soon as we arrived, thus sorry for no photos of the place. But it's very near to the Kuala Perlis jetty, which in turn is the pier for ferries departing to Pulau Langkawi. The area resembles a Medan Selera/Food Court style, with at least 10 stalls selling grilled fish, seafood, satay, and the typical Malay fare ie. Nasi Goreng, Nasi Daging Merah, Nasi Paprik etc.

Yes, if you're at lost on where to choose to park your derriere, go for the ones with the most customers. Can't go wrong. Or walk over to the stall and see for yourself the array of seafood on display in glass boxes, gauging their freshness and sizes.

Stir-fried Greens, Steamed Clams (La-la) with Ginger, Boiled Cockles, and Fried Egg with Chillies and Onions (Telur Dadar)

For some unavoidable reason, I had to coerce the others to find the nearest stall possible, before risking humiliation (=P). Therefore we picked Stall No 2, named Wanis Makanan Laut, with sizeable support from the masses.

We arrived in a group of 9, thus every order was duplicated to avoid untoward incidents, (FCOE tearing KYT's hair, for example). As this was our un-officially FIRST real meal throughout our stay, and potentially our LAST, we went all out when ordering.

Tom Yam Soup with Mixed Seafood and Chicken

The wait for our food was daunting. A good half an hour, if I'm not mistaken. What's worse was that, the weather was terrible that evening. It rained cats and dogs, splashing rainwater on every patron under the roof, and the icing on the cake had to be the leaking zinc roof. One table of customers was unlucky enough to be 'showered' by 'waterfalls', no thanks to the roof that gave way. Guess they had porridge instead of white rice. LOL.

We were fortunate enough to be on the receiving end of mere drippings and minor splashing. Nothing that could break our spirits. And then arrived the deep fried squids. Not as crispy as I'd hoped for, and lacking in taste, but somehow the fresh and bouncy squids managed to win us over (or maybe the hungry souls in us were thankful for anything to fill our stomach) when paired with the sweet chilli sauce. No complaints. And serving them in the rattan basket was an authentic touch.

Grilled "Jenahak" (Sea Bass?) @ Rm3.50/100g

Their specialty of course, is their grilled fish. Pick from their selection of marine species, from fish to crabs and prawns to shellfish. We chose two large Jenahak (sea bass, or is that it?) to be grilled. The fish was fleshy, and bony as well, and the freshness pulled through, without any hint of unfavourable fishy taste/smell. However, the marinade was somehow lacklustre, rubbed on one half of the surface only. And the thickness of the fish was a challenge for the griller, and we were dismayed to find the other half of the fish slightly undercooked. A big no-no, as this is not sashimi we're talking bout here.

The other dish that was captivating include the Tom Yam Soup, with lots of squid and chicken meat, with heavy Thai influence. Slightly sweetish, but a very fiery undertone, you'll sweat buckets if you down gulps of them at one shot. The steamed clams with ginger was passable, not the biggest clams you could find, but thankfully fresh enough. And no, the manner of steaming is far from being on par with the Chinese's way of steaming with wine and superior stock.

Sambal Petai with Prawns

The crunchy and rather L-sized petai (stink beans) had me in stitches, as not even the Malays are fans of this dish. But me being a petai-fanatic since I was small, polished off more than the others combined. But KYT and Ms U were great assistants in this unenviable task. =)

The rest of the dishes were forgettable. Nothing that I've not tasted better versions in other Malay restaurants. Fortunately, the rain has stopped by the time we demolished everything in sight. Yes, EVEN the plate of raw greens with sambal (Ulam).

Total for 9 including white rice = RM168. Reasonable, but if there's ever a next visit, I'll probably choose another Ikan Bakar stall, OR a Chinese seafood restaurant.

And so we successfully controlled our guts on the way back .... Flatulence after the stinky (petai) culprits spells DISASTER in the form of POISONOUS GAS to the others !!!

Perlis Indera Kayangan (Pt 1)

Seriously; who would've thought of holiday-ing in Perlis? Of ALL places?! I for one, never imagined I'd visit Perlis before the East Coast (yup, I'm pathetic. Never been to Kelantan/T'ganu ... Pahang even). But as luck would have it, we were there for the last few days, for work, and then play. Or the other way round's more like it. =)

PERLIS - The smallest state in Malaysia

Borderless evergreen paddy fields providing an impressive backdrop for wedding photos .... (Eelektra : Take note. =P)

Paddy farms - The aftermath

From Ipoh to Perlis, the journey took us 4 whole hours. That may not be a lot for one who's accustomed to long distance travelling, but I've abstained from long and winding journeys since before the fasting month. Needless to say, I was restless.

Malaysian's favourite poisons ... re-mixed aka "The Spice Crunch" version

Lunch was at the rest stop in Gurun, Kedah. The meagre fare at the stalls was not inviting, thus KFC's our choice. The Ramadan special Spice Crunch Fried Chickens are nothing but Hot & Spicy, albeit with added chilli powder and spices. But sprinkled on top only. The salty/spicy combination may be detrimental to one's throat, especially in such blistering hot weather. But we threw caution to the wind.

Sri Garden Hotel in Kangar, Perlis

We arrived in Kangar, which is Perlis's capital. It was certainly an eye-opener, as I was expecting much more "kampung" (read : backwater) environment than this. Far from being a small town, but of course we're not comparing Kangar to other state's capitals.

Clean, simple and sufficient

We were put up at Sri Garden Hotel @ 96, Persiaran Jubli Emas, 01000 Kangar, Perlis. Yup, PUT UP, as it was not our choice. But the hotel is one of the larger ones in town, and stood out amongst others. At merely RM94.50 for a regular double room+breakfast, what more could we asked for? (And everyone's staying solo, one to a room, to avoid bathroom fights)

Kangar - The state capital of Perlis

More paddy fields in rural areas of Perlis

Scenic stagnant ponds of water ... fertile land for the grains to grow

Kedah's always been well-known to be the "Rice Bowl" of Malaysia, being the main rice producer in the country. But Perlis has its fair share of contribution as well, with paddy plantations lining the outskirts of town.

The vast lands of greeneries, against the hills and mountains, and watching the locals farming under the hot sun, with buffaloes and storks (bangau) basking in tandem, instilled a sense of serenity, and a welcome break from the hustle and bustle of city life. Sheer bliss.

Chuping Sugar cane plantation

Perlis is also famous for producing sugar to the community, hence deemed guilty for the rapidly-increasing diabetes prevalence among Malaysians. LOL.

Nasi Lemak for breakfast .... courtesy of Sri Garden Hotel

Food-wise, we were appalled by the lacklustre fare on the first night. Absolutely horrendous experience at Kuala Perlis, that rendered me dumb-founded and couldn't be bothered to whip out my trusty phone for a shot or two. Even the drinks at that stall (it's the furthest stall at the Medan Selera at Kuala Perlis, if you're coming from Kangar direction) were sweet nothings. Remember DO NOT abandon Food Hunt Rule 101 : Trust the power of the people. If there's not much business at a stall compared to the brisk ones at others, DO NOT push your luck!

P/S : But the next night's seafood dinner was a saving grace, a timely redemption.

Sungai Perlis

to be continued .... (Motormouth's down, and out)

Hong Kong/Macau 2008 - Tsim Chai Kee Noodle, Tai Cheong Bakery's Egg Tarts & Lan Kwai Fong

After spending hours in Shatin's various shopping malls, we departed ways at MTR Shatin. Me and MBoy took the train to MTR East Tsim Sha Tsui (HKD4.70/RM2.10). Being a Friday, we felt as though the whole of Hong Kong was condensed & concentrated in Tsim Sha Tsui area. Yup, the congestion was really that bad. Imagine we were practically fighting our way through the seas of people in the MTR station. Had I tripped and fell that instance, the impending stampede would've sent me straight on a side trip to HK's ICU. =)

Modern and sleek architecture, expressed by the exterior of this skyliner

Esprit Outlet in Tsim Sha Tsui

In fact, we were at lost on where to dine. Yup, the throngs of people everywhere were intimidating. As we were somewhere near to Seibu (a chain of Japanese departmental stores), we accidentally bumped into another Esprit outlet. The first was at Sai Yeung Choi street in Mong Kok. A shelter from the humidity, the humanities, and the prospect of manic-shopping resonated through our minds, in tandem. Hehe ..... An hour well-spent. Now I can go back to M'sia with peace of mind, as every family member and friend has a souvenir.

Tai Cheong Bakery @ G/F, 35, Lyndhurst Terrace, Central

The weather was better that evening, compared to our previous outing at the Avenue of Stars, some days ago. Viewing the skyline was a marvellous sight to behold. But we abstained from waiting for the Symphony of Lights at 8pm. Been there, done that. =)

So, we took a train from MTR Tsim Sha Tsui to MTR Central, as we planned to witness the camaraderie at Lan Kwai Fong, commonly depicted in the dramas as Hong Kong's most happening area for night owls, and youngsters. Of course, yuppies included in the fray as well.

Perfect Egg Tarts. HKD5/RM2.25 each.

Once again, if you'd remembered, strolling around in Central is a rather exhausting activity. The slopes are menacing! One minute you're huffing and puffing while climbing away, the next you'd be putting on your brakes as you're descending the "hills."

Tai Cheong Bakery on Lyndhurst Terrace is a famed moniker, recognised widely for their egg tarts, and other confectioneries. We were rushing against time, and crossing our fingers as we wouldn't want to be disappointed facing a closed shop. Fortunately, they were open for business, and I'm proud to proclaim, these egg tarts are certainly one of the BEST out there. Unlike the flaky pastry in dim sum outlets in Malaysia, they use cookie-like pastry, very buttery, and matched the velvety smooth egg custard to a tee. Highly recommended if you're one who does not prefer your tarts to be all flaky and crumbly.

Simple bowls of stomach-warming goodness. Wanton Noodles, Freshly Sliced Beef Noodles, and Blanched Watercress with Fermented Beancurd Sauce

Dinner was planned to be at Mak's Noodle on Wellington Street. Tough luck, they close early. But opposite Mak's is Tsim Chai Kee Noodle, a simple noodle outlet packed to the brim with patrons from all walks of life. And being not pretentious, as well as good service made our meal all the more pleasant. But be prepared to share another's table, as the seating area is pretty limited. However, most customers sat, ordered, ate and left within a span of minutes. Cool.

Largest Wanton (Prawn Dumplings) I've ever eaten. Really.

Menu's very simple. Either try their Wanton Noodles, Fresh Beef Noodles, or their Fish Balls Noodles. Or take a combination of either. Beverage-wise? Not much choices. Most opted for carbonated drinks anyway.

The noodles was springy, offering a pleasantly-QQ bite with every mouthful, and complemented by the very sweet & delicious broth. However, MBoy found the egg noodles to be slightly overpowering with an alkaline aftertaste, proving that lye water's used in excess. But I found the taste of the noodles to be acceptable, as I've tried far worse than this.

The Wantons were unbelievably huge, and filled with a few big and fresh prawns, enveloped in a thin, translucent dumpling skin. Every bite was an orgasmic experience. No complaints. The freshly-sliced beef was equally good, especially if you're a beef lover, or if you're one who's wary of strong, gamey beef flavour. The slices of beef were tender, and the meat was sweet.

The side dish of watercress blanched and served with fermented beancurd sauce (foo yee) provided much fibre in our unbalanced diet these few days. And the young shoots of the watercress rendered every bite crunchy, akin to our 'kangkung' or water convolvulus.

Noodles priced at HKD16/RM7.20 per bowl, while the greens cost HKD9/RM4. Cheap, and satisfying.

Tsim Chai Kee Noodle @ 98, Wellington Street, Central

After dinner, we proceeded to Lan Kwai Fong, a short walk away. Eventhough it was only 9pm, the place was crowded like bees attracted to honey. But in this case, maybe a 'different' type of honey may fit the proverb. :)

This famous corner, usually filmed in TVB dramas .... Familiar?

The sights and the sounds .... and the Men, and the Gals, partying into the night. Only at Lan Kwai Fong, Hong Kong.

No, we did not mingle nor drink with the crowd. As much as the publicity in the dramas may have brought to this place, it was merely another Bangsar to us. And we would like to avoid paying through our noses for a pint or two. Thus, we departed back to Mong Kok, for some well-deserved rest.

A mosque in Tsim Sha Tsui

But of course, the day being the LAST day for us in Hong Kong, as we'll be departing to Macau on the next, TallGal was dying for some Hui Lau Shan desserts, as she missed the first visit. OK, not only her, as I was craving for some sweet finale to the day's outing as well.

Boiled Harsma, Pomelo and Mixed Fruits (HKD35/RM15.75)

Iced Mango+Strawberry with Glutinous Balls (HKD30/RM13.50)

Yup, Hui Lau Shan may be over-rated with the thousands of branches all over Hong Kong, (OK, blown up numbers, but the sight of the dessert outlets everywhere was slightly ... disturbing) and the prices may not justify the portion nor the quality of the desserts served, but one can't deny their popularity, especially with the younger crowd.

The double boiled harsma (erm, go Google hasma, or harsma, but don't get overly excited though) with pomelo bits and a side of fresh mangoes, strawberries and kiwi fared much better than the other dessert we were having. If you're having problem choosing from the overly-extensive menu, go for the day's special, at a slashed price.

That ended the day, on a high note. High from all the sugar rush. Next day's itinerary? MACAU .... We're Back!

An Italian Experience @ SSTC (Spaghetti Sweet Tea Cafe)

Italian restaurants in Ipoh are limited to either Italia Mia in Sunway, Tambun, or the trio of Pizza Hut outlets. And the latter's not really fine dining, no? :)

SSTC - Spaghetti Sweet Tea Cafe @ Medan Ipoh Bistari, Ipoh

I've read about this particular cafe way back then, when they started business a year or two ago, at Greentown Nova. Subsequently they relocated to this current premise at the new row of shoplots near to Tesco in Medan Ipoh Bistari, Ipoh Garden East. But what's keeping me so long from giving this restaurant a try? Hmm, let's see ... the lack of publicity and rave reviews from friends and acquaintances for one, and paired with the prospect of fine dining in a relatively-unknown restaurant was holding me back.

The clean and minimalist interior exudes a sense of warmth, and homely feeling

Out of ideas on where for lunch on a weekend, we found ourselves driving in circles around Jusco/Tesco. Bumped into this cafe, AGAIN (Serai Sate Kajang is situated a few doors away), hence shortlisted our options to either McD Drive-Thru, Kizuna (which is nearby as well), SSTC (Spaghetti Sweet Tea Cafe), or satay for lunch. And why not go Italian? :)

Pictures of the chef's mentor, celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck from Las Vegas and Martin Yan of Yan Can Cook fame

The place was miserably empty on a Saturday's afternoon. We had our doubts, but still trusted our instincts. And the screaming hunger pangs kinda let rationality bypass our brains.

The attentive and cheerful staff were perky and proceeded to serve us with such gusto, explaining the items on the menu and their specialities, as well as giving me a rundown of the restaurant's history in one breath. OK, so I exaggerated, but she was really informative in more ways than one.

Seems the chef learnt from his mentor in Las Vegas, a celebrity chef by the name of Wolfgang Puck, supposedly a Michelin Guide's 3 Stars chef, the highest accolade one can achieve in the kitchen. I meant, recognition of his work in the kitchen. (=P) Gee, at least that was reaffirming.

Panini - Italian Sandwich (RM12)

The menu's simple, separated into various categories, ranging from several categories of spaghetti (normal-160g (smaller serving), special-200g (regular serving), and signature ones), risotto, soups, salads and sandwiches, as well as desserts. No lasagne and pizzas, as she claimed those are "fast food", and deviate from their principle of serving ONLY fresh food from the freshest of ingredients.

We picked the Panini as an appetizer, listed in the "Herbed" segment. Panini is a type of Italian sandwich, made from ciabatta bread, and toasted with fillings of ham, cheese and rocket leaves (Arugula). Served with sides of fresh lettuce drizzled with a tangy, citrusy lemon dressing, the sandwich fared well in our books, the soft bread lightly buttered and highlighted by the creamy, melted cheese and ham. Quite a portion, and sufficient for light eaters.

Turkey Ham Spaghetti with White Sauce (RM20)

But the best dish that afternoon went to their pasta. The spaghetti was supposedly from the best quality batches produced by Barilla, a world's leading pasta manufacturer. And glad to say, SSTC cooked them to perfection, al dente, and did not skimp on the portion nor the ingredients. Though the turkey ham slices may be slightly saltish (expected from cured meat), the addition of fresh rocket leaves lent the pasta a refreshing, mint-y flavour, and off-set the creamy, "guilt-inducing" white sauce. Btw, you can opt for other sauces such as tomato paste, brown sauce, and Asian brown sauce (spicy).

Chicken Risotto in Brown Sauce (RM20)

With no pizzas or lasagnes in sight, I was torn between the risottos or the grilled meats. I was rather apprehensive when it comes to risotto, as Italiannie's version was a letdown, too soggy and lacking in flavour and texture. But still, after the waitress reassured me that they had feedback from customers, stating that they did not wish for soft, squishy and soggy risottos. Hence, she proceeded to explain how good risottos should NOT be too soft or overcooked, and must retain the rice's (usually Arborio) natural flavour and texture. SSTC import their grains from Milan, Italy, or so it seems.

And I was pleased to bite into the plump, rounded & short rice, each grain providing a slightly firmer bite and yet remained creamy enough to be differentiated from local produce. The accompanying chicken in brown sauce was nothing to shout about however. Should've gone for the seafood risotto in white sauce instead.

Tiramisu (RM15)

Desserts selection comprises of three items, the Chocolate Cream Cake, Rice Pudding or the perennial Italian favourite, Tiramisu. No Creme Brulee though, a French dessert of egg custard with caramelized sugar, one of my favourite sweet treats of all time. I love anything with eggs, mind you. LOL.

Tiramisu's their signature, as in the case with most fine dining restaurants, especially Italian ones. The creamy, light and spongy Tiramisu at SSTC was rather delightful, but I'd prefer mine with the coffee syrup laden with heavier alcoholic tone, like Suchan's version. Or with a twist, with creamier mascarpone cheese and served in a cup.

Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, they serve Set Lunches @ RM17 from Wed-Fri.

Overall, a rather pleasant dining experience. And the friendly yet classy ambience was akin to fine dining, but not as strict as to impose dress code on its patrons. I was there in short pants and slippers. Hehe .... A disgrace, I know. But there's always redemption in future visits.

Location : Spaghetti Sweet Tea Cafe @ 19A, Jalan Medan Ipoh 1E, Medan Ipoh Bistari, 31400 Ipoh, Malaysia. Tel : 05-5488832. Same row with Serai Sate Kajang, refer that post for directions.

A Much Belated HARI RAYA Wish .... & FEAST!!!

Hari Raya came and went without much fanfare this year. Was it due to the political turmoil surrounding our dearest 'tanahair'? Or the economic slumps in every part of the world, an impending sorrowful fate to befall our beloved country? Or maybe I DO miss all the memorable ads on TV (specifically from Petronas, Tenaga, Telekom etc), depicting simple lives of everyday folks celebrating the festivity in their own context. Some may invoke teary-eyed spells, no kidding.

Lemang - A traditional Malay food made from glutinous rice and coconut milk cooked in bamboo, with a pinch of salt for taste

Skewers of chicken satay - Who can say NO?

It has been embed in our office's unwritten, unsanctioned tradition to hold Jamuan Raya every year without fail, celebrating the event after all the Muslim staff are back to work. That explained why this year's feast arrived rather late, TWO weeks late, to be exact. But all's well, for us non-Muslims, as not only did we benefit from the free meals, it was a bonding period among the colleagues, proving once and for all, Food DOES bridge the Gap between people. Muhibbah spirit at its peak ...?

Rendang Chicken, Plates of Laksa before getting "wet", and Lontong

Unlimited food. Bottomless beverages. Or rather, cordial orange juice. But no laments there, as the food was sufficient to feed a village or two. We indulged for an hour plus, completely losing ourselves in the delightful spread, yapping away and saliva-a-spewing.

Laksa - A tad diluted for my liking ... and the toned-down spiciness marred the slurping experience a notch

Chocolate muffins lined and stacked, a creative alternative to a cake?

(The icing on the muffins spelled Jasamu Di Kenang - Roughly translated to "Your Deeds and Services Will Be Remembered")

Sweet treats to end the feast ......

Sorry for the shorter than usual rants and garbages. But a less tormenting read for some, nevertheless. You know who you are .... =P

SELAMAT HARI RAYA to Each and Everyone of You !!!

Hong Kong/Macau 2008 - Shopping in Shatin

Monday blues in full force. Let's reminisce on happier things in life. Let's continue on my September's Hong Kong/Macau getaway. (For the whole story, click HERE). Let's temporarily forget about the impending 4 days of mundane & routine work life.

FINALLY it rained. Heavily after sooooooo many days ....

A wet, gloomy and cloudy Friday morning. The rainfall was relished with utmost gratitude, washing away our phobia for scorching hot days, and extreme humidity levels. (Somehow, the heavens above must have emphatized with us, as the subsequent week saw heavy rain and typhoon in Hong Kong, a definite letdown for travelling on foot).

Breakfast at REALLY GOOD NOODLES & CONGEE (don't laugh, that IS their real name)

All 3 of them were armed with umbrellas. Silly me brought along 3 disposable raincoats. But to imagine wearing/stripping the coats everytime entering/exiting any premise. Slapping my forehead in disbelief, I unabashedly shared shelters. =P

And my poor sense of direction led us in circles, all the while splattered by the rain. Whoopsie. I was in fact searching for an outlet serving HUGE you tiao (yau char kwai/Chinese cruellers) paired with fresh soy milk. (But we succeeded the following morning though. Hehe, saving grace?) For today's breakfast, a rather highly rated cafe named, Really Good Noodle and Congee Restaurant, @ Shop C, G/F, 21 Soy Street, Mong Kok.

Famous for their Soy Sauce Fried King Noodles

Western Set of Fried Pork Chop, Bacon, Hash Brown and Toast, with Milk Tea

Pan-Fried Cheong Fun with Egg, Dried Shrimps, Soy sauce and Peanut sauce.

Food's generally good, the rice noodle rolls (Cheong Fun) stealing the limelight completely from the other noodle dishes. We ordered Seafood Porridge, 2 noodle soups, the Western Set and the Cheong Fun for a total of HKD86/RM38.70. Then we were off for some shopping.

New Town Plaza @ Shatin

For shopping, we followed the advice of a fellow Hongkie, or rather, a young man working at Dragon Hostel. Though shopping at Central/Causeway Bay is tempting, and much posh-er, the goods are considerably pricier than most outlets in other areas, as these places are mostly frequented by tourists.

Therefore, he suggested Shatin instead, where he claimed 7 shopping malls are within each's vicinity, and suitable for low-mid range clothings and accessories. Rest assured these are NOT the lowly (read : "La La") shopping malls selling fake Adidas or Quiksilver, by the way.

From Mong Kok East MTR, we took a train on the East Rail Line, to Shatin station for HKD4.90/RM2.20 per way.

Snoopy's World @ Level 3 of New Town Plaza

The cloudy yet cool weather was comforting, what's more with "Lucy In The Sky" sang by the PEANUTS characters at the background ....

New Town Plaza is a shopping centre right in the middle of Shatin, Hong Kong. Previously one of the biggest shopping centre in Hong Kong during the 80's, amazingly the plaza has not lost its lustre, yet regaining its sparkle with intense renovation works.

The place is connected to several other malls, and we scouted Citylink Plaza, Shatin Mall, and some other during the few hours we were "chilling" there. The retail outlets are far from being too high-ended, hence shopping was less taxing on the pockets. And there are MANY restaurants in the complex as well. The famous Maxim's Palace chinese restaurant is at Level 5 of the complex as well.

FAIRWOOD Restaurant - A famous chain of fast food restaurant in China and Hong Kong

Lunch was at a fast food chain branded Fairwood, a household name along the lines of Cafe de Coral and Maxim's MX.

Teriyaki Chicken Burger+Chicken Wings Set (HKD24/RM10.80) and Soy Sauce Chicken Set with Noodles (HKD30/RM13.50)

MBoy's Roast Duck Noodles (HKD25/RM11.25) was a "disaster", or so he claimed. The Soy Sauce Chicken Drumstick was good, but the accompanying noodles was too saltish, claimed TallGal. My Teriyaki Chicken Burger was tender and juicy, but the BBQ Chicken Wing was simply GREAT. Goes to show that ; thou shalt only eat fast food at fast food joint? :)

Geez, I forgot the name of these. But really good stuff from A1 Bakery in New Town Plaza

The above buns from A1 Bakery were really tasty. Chewy, a bit like a cross between mochi-bread, the buns come in various flavours. From chocolate to cheese,and milk to Kim Chi. A rather different type of bakery product. The other selection of breads, cakes and etc were VERY tempting to say the least. If you're here before a meal, you're bound to be attracted and purchase a few. Not too pricey either.

From Shatin, we departed ways. Team TallGal continued shopping in Mong Kok, while Team Glutton went to Central for more .... & the infamous night scene at LAN KWAI FONG

to be continued ...

Poh Lee Fried Chicken @ Pasir Pinji, Ipoh - An Alternative to KFC?

I'm starting to miss the weekend. Yeah, the withdrawal symptoms started way before the weekend ends. If only weekends consist of 3 days instead of 2. Then the world would be a better place, productivity would soar sky-high, and foodies like us can binge 3 days/week instead of 2.

The "chipped" signboard notwithstanding, Ayam Goreng Poh Lee (or Poh Lee Fried Chicken) has been around since I was a kid in the 'hood ...

Since I'm on a roll here, ranting bout Ipoh food (some still stashed in the backlog for what seemed like eternity), let's not halt the momentum and share ANOTHER one of the food I've not had for ages. Poh Lee Fried Chicken in Pasir Pinji, Ipoh.

The young boss's the one handling the shop nowadays

I was born, raised, pampered, and grown accustomed to Pasir Putih's food until my family moved from the place 14 years ago. It's been quite some time I've been to any of the places in Pasir Pinji/Pasir Putih, with the exception of Dai Shu Geok (Big Tree Foot)'s Yong Tau Foo (click HERE to drool), Jln Pasir Pinji's equally good Yong Tau Foo (click HERE to immerse yourself even more in own drool), and the annual Nine Emperor Gods Festival at Tow Boo Keong temple (click HERE to erm ... bedazzled by some "red tortoises").

Nope, not the original 'chef' doing the deep-frying

These few years, whenever there was any family-relatives gathering/birthday fiesta, Mum would booked a whole lotsa fried chickens from Poh Lee, the headquarter, not this shop. Mum's a close friend to the lady boss, or rather, old neighbourhood acquitances would fit the bill perfectly. Therefore she's bound to either get discounts for purchases in bulk volume, OR we'd be rewarded with extra 'gifts' as a token of gratitude. However, the headquarter (in Pasir Pinji/Pasir Putih border as well) does NOT sell them by "retail" therefore visiting their shop on Jln Pasir Pinji may be a brighter idea.

Pardon the over-exposed photo, but you can see how thin the batter is

Priced at around RM2.50-RM4 per piece (I kinda forgot to ask, but that should be the range), they operate from roughly 11am onwards. What's so special bout their fried chickens, you may wonder? The flavourful batter (not as crunchy as KFC's though), the tastier and fresher chicken cuts, and the addictive self-concocted sweet and spicy chilli sauce (they do sell them by the bottles) explain their popularity after all these years.

Whole chicken thigh fried without batter - RM5 each

Another one of their signature item is the fried chicken without batter, sold in the form of whole chicken thighs, at RM5 per piece. The meat is juicier, yet firm, and paired with the same homemade chilli sauce, one thigh's a substantial meal on its own.

The sides and the cooling factor

The shop only houses the fried chicken stall, and another selling drinks, or rather, the refreshing bowl of colourful combination of ingredients aka "Ling Chee Kang". You can opt for chicken nuggets, fries, sausages, etc in case you desire for some variety.

Location : 1340, Jalan Pasir Putih, 31650 Ipoh. On the same road as THIS Yong Tau Foo shop.

Ipoh Famous Canning Garden Chee Cheong Fun

Aaahhhh .... lazy Saturday morning. Come weekend and my brain will automatically freeze and hibernate for all it's worth. Short post today, regarding a strong contender for BEST Chee Cheong Fun (Rice Noodle Rolls )in Ipoh. Or so most claimed. (Try HERE, HERE, and HERE)

The corner lot facing the Canning Garden morning market

I've not been here since aeons ago. Possibly since secondary school years. Yeah, and now I'm a priceless, ancient piece of antique, do your maths.

The intimidating morning crowd. OK, not in THAT sense.

For a mere RM2.50, you get a plate of satisfying breakfast

There were a few occasions when we went there for breakfast, and felt dejected as the shop was closed. But usually open for business (a very brisk one at that) on weekends, it's safe to get your CCF fix on a Saturday or a Sunday. (Do correct me if I'm wrong, ya?)

A regular serving for RM2.50, large portion for RM3.00. No frills. Either the chilli sauce+sweet red sauce combination, OR their mushroom gravy to accompany your rice noodle rolls generously sprinkled with sesame seeds, fried shallots, and served with pickled green chillies, the compulsory side kick.

Steaming, chopping, and serving them fresh ... be patience. You've been warned. :)

The uncle and his assistant are not the friendliest chaps around. So when they said you've to wait for a while as there are a lot of customers around, DO NOT protest and throw a tantrum. Seriously. Even if you see those coming in later than you, and got their servings first, DO NOT scold the uncle, but "politely" remind him that you're on the brink of starvation and would really appreciate a faster service instead. (We were lucky to get some seats right behind the stall, thus we got ours pretty fast =P)

Still being served on those classic metal plates, with wooden chopsticks

The rice noodles rolls was impressively smooth, and glided down the throat with ease. The sesame seeds and fried shallots provided much texture and crunchiness, as well as extra fragrance, while the pickled green chillies are never enough. Of course, you can ask for more. Politely, remember? :)

But sorely disappointed that the chilli sauce and sweet red sauce combination did not work wonders, in fact was way too salty as he was probably in an ultra-high mood, liberately dousing my CCF with the red sweet sauce. Remember to request for less, if you're not in favour of wet, and saltish gravy.

The regular portion's rather sufficient as breakfast, and even if it's not, there are NO sides of Yong Tau Foo (Stuffed fish paste) and the likes (unlike KL's version) to complement the noodles.

Location : Kedai Makanan Canning Garden @ No. 27, a corner lot facing Canning Garden wet market. Sorry I forgot to take down the road's name. But it's right behind Restaurant HONG KONG, that faces the main road of Jalan Lee Kwee Foh, which sells chicken/duck rice, and tasty fried dough (yau char kwai, fried nin gou etc).

UPDATED 12 Oct 2008 - Directions to the Canning Garden CCF. I'm in such a jolly weekend holiday mood. Here goes ; Exiting from PLUS Highway IPOH SELATAN exit (the one with Tanjung Rambutan/Tambun on the signboard), you'll reach a T-junction traffic lights, whereby turning right will reach Tasek and Bercham, while left leads to Jusco. Take the LEFT turn, and go straight, passing by McD Drive-Thru on your left, and some rows of 3-4 storeys shoplots+Jusco on your left as well. At the Jusco's traffic lights, turn RIGHT and you'll soon reach another traffic lights. Turn LEFT at this one, and go straight until you reach a round about. Take a 12 o'clock turning, and you'll reach Jln Lee Kwee Foh, then see a field on your right. Turn RIGHT after the field, before the row of shophouses on your left. The CCF shop is at the left corner, facing the back, opposite the market.

But before I'm off for my precious, beauty sleep, here's another strong contender :

Dilapidated house tucked away at some corner in Pasir Pinji - Address : 1456, Jalan Pasir Pinji 5, Pasir Pinji 31650 Ipoh. Familiar?

WARNING !!! Non-Halal at Its Best? - Char Siew, Siew Yoke and Pig's Innards Porridge @ Bercham, Ipoh

Work was crawling at a tortoise's speed lately. Everyone, from all backgrounds and races, are still reeling from the festivities, and the "Raya mood" still very much alive and kickin' ....

Wong Fee Kee @ Bercham Main Road/Lorong Bercham 5 corner

Off we went for lunch in Bercham, all four of the original Makan Gang, joined by another two lunatics, ahem, officers (",) working at an asylum in Tg. Rambutan.

Porridge aka Congee aka Bubur aka Kanji.

KYT was the one raving about this porridge stall at this restaurant in Bercham. Directions to come at the end of the post. Pretty easy to locate, but parking your vehicles may be a chore. Most drivers park theirs haphazardly by the roadside. And guess what? The authority just couldn't care less.

Zhu Zhap Chuk (Mixed Pig's Innards Porridge) @ RM3.00

The man sells a variety of porridge, from the average pork meat and innards, to fish and eels, and even shark's meat. Yup, anything and everything goes. Sometimes having some plain and smooth, good ol' porridge's perfect for detoxification purposes, and "clearing the bowels", or so they say. But with so much temptations around us, plain porridge ain't cutting it, no?

Coagulated blood, intestines, liver, and what-nots from the swine, cooked in the smooth and tasteful porridge base

Finding good porridge nowadays is tough. Finding a good pig's innards porridge is even tougher. And this one did not disappoint. The deep-fried parts stole the limelight, providing some crunch and texture in contrast to the smooth and piping hot porridge, while the jelly-like coagulated pig's blood was fortunately lacking in unpleasant aroma. The pig's liver cuts were generous, though may evoke paranoia and havoc in a health freak's diet.

Crispy, sinful Siew Yoke (Crispy Roasted Pork) RM5 and ....

.... sweet, caramelized Char Siew (BBQ marinated pork) RM5

If you consider porridge to be somewhat lacking as a meal on its own, do not fret. "Help" is on the way. Or rather, a few stalls away. The aunty selling roast pork and BBQ pork was doing brisk business, and I've full faith in her products, as my family's been loyal customers since aeons ago. Mostly during festivities.

The crispy roasted pork was delicious, the meat not too salty and the accompanying chilli sauce not too overpowering. Some serve theirs with too much garlicky taste, drowning the meat's flavour. Surprisingly, the Char Siew won me over with its sweet, sticky, and slightly charred, caramelized ends, drizzled liberately with the luscious sweet and savoury sauce. No chilli sauce needed for the scrumptious cuts of meat. (Btw, she doesn't sell chicken, or rice for that matter). Perfect accompaniments for your noodles, or porridge.

Still craving for more?

Deep-fried Popiah (Spring Rolls) RM1.50

Egg Skin Popiah RM2.60

Right beside the Siew Yoke aunty, was this stall selling Popiah. Tried their deep-fried popiah before, and was pleasantly surprised she's selling egg-skin popiah as well. Something Jason might wanna take notice. :)

Whoops. Our plan to eat a "Healthy & Simple" meal was thwarted by my glutton instincts. But I'm sure the others wont mind, right? RIGHT? =P

Location : WONG FEE KEE @ Jln Bercham/Lorong Bercham 5. Exiting from PLUS highway Ipoh Selatan toll, you'll reach a traffic lights, then turn RIGHT. The sign should say Bercham. Then at the next traffic lights at a slope, turn right again, and you'll see Tesco Extra on your left. Go straight for a while, passing by rows and rows of shops on your left and right, and 3 consecutive traffic lights. Then the road will get narrower, and you'll be able to see Lorong Bercham 1, 2, 3 and so on. Wong Fee Kee is on your left, at Lorong bercham 5's junction. Daytime only.

Trivia : What's in THOSE buckets?

Hong Kong/Macau 2008 - Red Ant Baked Rice, Mong Kok Street Food & Shek Moh Fong Dessert House

Continuation from A Day's Out @ Ocean Park, Hong Kong ...

A splash of colours, the re-ignition of our childhood years, & a carnival-like ambience @ OCEAN PARK

Clockwise from top right : Baked Rice with Prawns & Avocado (HKD68/RM30.60), Baked Rice with Cod Fish & Salted Fish in Japanese Sauce (HKD68/RM30.60), and Red Ant Combo (HKD60/RM27)

Battered. Bruised. And numb limbs aplenty. We arrived back in Mong Kok in the evening, and proceeded for an early dinner at Red Ant Restaurant, located on 220, Sai Yeung Choi Street South. Red Ant is famous for its baked rice with gravy, and countless other specialities and desserts, the selection was downright mind-boggling. Difficult to make a decision, we trusted the "Signature Icons" on the menu, indicating their best-sellers.

The portion leans towards the larger end, and we were glad we ordered 3 dishes to be shared among 4 of us. The Baked Rice with Cod Fish in Japanese Sauce, garnished with generous sprinkling of finely-grounded salted fish was the star of the evening for me, the juicy cod fish steak's flavour was enhanced with the teriyaki sauce. The addition of the salted fish hits the spot, providing a subtle yet slightly salty flavour.

The Red Ant Combo consisted of various vegetables, mushrooms, and chunks of chicken baked with brown sauce on rice, and certainly earned its stripes as one of the signature dishes. The Prawns and Avocado combination may sound weird on paper, but the creamy gravy on the fluffy fried rice with eggs, and the large, fresh and bouncy prawns proved to be a working combination. Though the less-than-creamy avocadoes left much to be desired.

The meal cost HKD213/RM95.85, including drinks. Their menu can be vaguely described as Fusion, or East meets West, with a twist. They have various branches in Hong Kong, and just like Cafe de Coral and Fairwood, can be located rather easily.

Street Food at every corner in Mong Kok. Really!

We went back to Dragon Hostel and rested for awhile. The long walks was starting to take its toll on us, and even TallGal's shoes were not spared the taxing ordeal. She was forced to purchase another pair of shoes, at Sport Shoe's Street (Fa Yuen Street), and managed to get a rather good deal herself. Only around HKD220/RM99 for a pair of Nike's.

After a while, the stomach grumbled, again. Hahaha .... As usual. So off we went for some late night grubs, and we knew it was not an arduous task, as food's available at every corner, on every street, at every hour of the day. Right here, in Mong Kok, Kowloon.

Crispy, greasy and delicious deep-fried tentacles of the octopus ... now where's my STATINS?

For a mere HKD12/RM5.40 per packet, you'll get a whole load of octopus' tentacles coated with batter and deep-fried to perfection. Oil and cholesterol FOC. Muahaha .... I was committing sins left and right, but the glutton soul in me was craving for more. And I knew I just had to try possibly Hong Kong's MOST famous street food, the KING of all smelly goodies, the STINKY TOFU !!!!

The aroma may require some getting used to, but the taste is rather mild

At HKD7/RM3.15 per piece, you'll get a huge block of the infamous product, plus any sauce you desire, self-service. One bite and I cringed at the extreme saltiness of the crispy outer layer drenched in the spicy sauce I liberately poured into the paper bag. But the insides of the beancurd was nothing special, and comparable to the average soft beancurd, albeit not as smooth. Hmm, I definitely had higher hopes for this.

Shek Moh Fong Dessert House @ 208, Sai Yeung Choi Street South

After such greasy and heaty snacks, we were desperately searching for something sweet to end the day. But of course, dessert outlets are a dime a dozen in Mong Kok, and bumping into one was not much of a hassle. Tonight's choice? Shek Moh Fong dessert house.

Watermelon Sago Dessert (HKD24/RM10.80)

Ever-reliable sago desserts, or Sai Mai Lou in Cantonese. Choose from a variety of mangoes, honeydews, strawberries and more. But watermelon was my choice, and the refreshing blend of milk, sago and watermelon balls was excellent as a palate-cleanser, and a thirst-quencher. Every spoonful was a delight. Though our very own KTZ's version of the sago desserts are comparably good, and cheaper by half.

Smooth Blended Red Bean with Grassjelly (HKD26/RM11.70)

One item that was different from other "tong sui" outlets was the Blended Red Bean or Yam with Cincau (Grassjelly). There was a scoop of ice cream in the midst of the pool of smoothly blended red beans, and paired with strips of grassjelly, the dessert was a pleasant change from the average mango desserts from Hui Lau Shan, or steamed egg/milk from the others.

The subsequent "search and rescue" task for some mistakenly-assumed "lost" keys ended the tiresome evening rather late, and we vowed to sleep into overdrive mode the next morning. ;)

Next Day's Itinerary : Shopping in Shatin, & Virginal visit to Lan Kwai Fong

Hong Kong/Macau 2008 - Relive Your Childhood? @ Ocean Park

Continuous ramblings from Day FIVE in Hong Kong ....

Reliable breakfast at KAM WAH CAFE @ Bute Street

The day started cloudy. A positive sign, after such dreadfully hot weather throughout our journey? But couldn't be a blessing in disguise, as after all, we were poised a day's out at Ocean Park, Hong Kong's formerly most recognizable theme park (before the existence of Disneyland).

Breakfast was at Kam Wah AGAIN, but the Polo Buns were so tempting, the magneticism was brushing off on me. We tried other stuff from their breakfast menu; the French toast (HKD13/RM5.85), the Egg sandwiches (HKD11/RM4.95) and Macaroni Soup with Salted Vege Set (HKD19/RM8.55). Of course, not forgetting the Polo Bun. Breakfast for four including drinks came to HKD79.50/RM35.80.

After breakfast, the weather was starting to get better, thankfully. We took the train from Prince Edward MTR station to reach Admiralty MTR (HKD9.50/RM4.30), where we bought the entrance tickets to Ocean Park.

The word ADULT printed on the ticket proved that Ocean Park's not for kids only. Hehe .. so I consoled myself.

Normally the entrance fee for an adult would be HKD208/RM93.60 per pax, but if you show your Octopus card (the card for all modes of public transportation in Hong Kong, refer old post here), you'll automatically get a discount for the entrance fee, slashed to HKD185/RM83.25 per pax only. The discount holds true for Disneyland entrance fee as well.

After purchasing our entrance tickets (which looked pretty cool, IMO, with different colourful pictures of the mascots, and you can keep them as souvenirs after exiting the park), we proceeded to take bus No. 629 (HKD10.60/RM4.77) right outside of Admiralty station, to reach Ocean Park.

Such a delight to stroll along the path in the park, when the weather's cooling for once, and so much greeneries hardly seen in Mong Kok

We were welcomed graciously by the staff at Ocean Park, a rather far cry from Genting Highlands Theme Park where you marched in and the attendant at the gate would only glance at your wrist, not your face.

Once entering, do not rush but instead take your own sweet time preparing your own itinerary. Grab a map and the daily show schedule available at the entrance, and plan your erm ... "journey" else you'll be running around in circles wondering when and where the shows are being held. But rest assured all the shows and feeding schedule are presented at least twice a day, and some may not be worth spending time on.

The white and pink flamingoes at The Aviary

The chubby and dormant pandas at The Giant Panda Habitat - Notice the both of them sitting side by side, leaning on the log? Such an envious, relaxing life.

Sea Lions prancing around and gleefully performing to the cheering crowd at Ocean's Theatre show titled "Sea Dreams"

Feeding time at Atoll Reef

Such ... artificial brilliance? (Sea Jelly Aquarium)

The ever-willing-to-please dolphins @ Ocean Theatre's "Sea Dreams" show

Carnival-like atmosphere at Skyfair @ Lowlands

Skyfair at Lowland - Ride on the hotballoon, but limited to around 10 pax at any one time, thus the queue was endless

Maybe an "absence seizure" attack? ... or probably in a trance. (Bird Show @ Skyfair)

Quirky yet colourful and eye-pleasing structures abound (Souvenir Shop near Marine Land)

Cable car ride connecting the Lowlands and Marine Land (FOC sight-seeing opportunity). However bear in mind the crowd may be daunting come peak hours, so allocate some extra time if you're rushing for a show on the other side of the mountains

Space Wheel - Spin your guts out. Do not attempt with a full stomach.

Mine train @ Adventure Land - A milder version of roller-coaster, suitable as a starter

Raging River - Available in Genting and Sunway as well, give this a miss if you're not keen on getting wet

The thrilling rides at Headland Rides such as The Abyss, The Dragon, and The Eagle are all mind-boggling stuff. Definitely not for the weak at heart. But go for these rides as early as possible, as the queue got longer and longer as time went by, and lining up in the hot weather (yup, the weather progressed rather drastically, from cloudy morning to hazy and HOT afternoon) somehow did not sound too appealing. Sea Lions @ Pacific Pier ... somehow brought to mind a friend of ours ... =P

Dreary skeletons scorched to death ... (Halloween Bash @ Ocean Park)

Abyssmal theme park meal - Universal bane?

For lunch we had Pork Chop Rice (HKD42/RM18.90), Pork Dumplings in Soup (HKD24/RM10.80) and Fried Chickens Set with Coke (HKD32/RM14.40). As expected, all tasteless and meagre spread of fast food. But nothing else for lunch, really. Most are fast food outlets at slightly inflated rates.

Whiskers (Wai Wai in Chinese) striking a pose for us ... Camwhore?!

After a whole day at the Park, we departed home the same way we arrived, by bus No 629 to Admiralty MTR, then back to Mong Kok.

to be continued ... with Dinner @ RED ANT, Hawker food and Desserts @ Shek Moh Fong ....

Of Nine Emperor Gods Festival, Curry Noodles & Pancakes, Anyone?

Ouch. Going back to work after a pleasantly long break was tormenting. Both Physically (strenuous position in front of the pc all day + dragging myself to my feet at an unGodly hour of 6.40am) and Mentally (the brain's working ultra slow the whole day ... absorbing less, but definitely retained lesser).

Iron Lady flipping her fingers. I meant, her pancakes. =P

Ever heard of the Nine Emperor Gods Festival? In Cantonese, "Kow Wong Yeh" festival, a 9 days extravaganza celebrated by Taoists in the 9th lunar month, depicted by the famous Red Tortoise Buns (scroll to the end of the post for the pics), devotees praying at the temples and going vegetarian, as well as frequent rain throughout the nine days. For Ipohans, the Tow Boo Keong temple is located at Jalan Tokong, Pasir Putih.

Every year, we never failed to flock to the aforementioned temple at least once throughout the nine days. This year was no difference, though my initial plan to pray on the 1st day itself was somewhat thwarted by the dastardly food-poisoning spell.

Peanut and Corn Pancake (RM1.30)

Hence I went on the second day. The crowd was surprisingly not as congested as I've expected. Thank goodness. Previous years' experiences revealed the hidden sadistic nature of humans in their attempts to scar me with incense, and the jostle for placing them on the altar often resulted in burnt hole in my shirt, or scorched skin.

Lunch in Pasir Putih area is an easy task. Everywhere you turn, there's bound to be a restaurant, or coffee shop. The famous Tuck Kee Restaurant, Big Tree Foot's Yong Tau F00, and various other gastronomic delights attract customers from near and far.

Tuna + Onion + Cheese Pancake (RM3.70)

We opted for lunch at a restaurant along the road connecting Jalan Kampar and Tuck Kee Restaurant which is situated on Jalan King. Sorry as I'm not sure of the exact location. But coming from Jalan Kampar (Jalan Raja Permaisuri Bainun) towards Pasir Putih, turn left at a junction where MAXIS Service Centre is located. Tim Shun Loong Restaurant is along the road, before you reach Tuck Kee and Dai Shu Geok (Big Tree Foot) on your right.

Many patrons ordered the pancakes from the stall at the front of the shop. Manned by a lady, she was fast, though rather un-friendly. Her apom pancakes can be filled with many combination of ingredients, from the sweet to the savouries, not unlike Penang's famous AKI Pancakes.

Pie Tee (RM3.00 for 6)

The Tuna/Onion/Cheese combination was wonderful, cheesy and rich, with delectable chunks of tuna. Though my gripe was the pancakes were rather small in portion. We had the Pie Tee (or Top Hats), a famous Nyonya snack with fillings of yambeans, wood ear fungus and carrot strips, garnished with fried shallots. Crispy and light, they serve as good appetizers.

Lou Shu Fan (Rice Noodles) with Yong Tau Foo (Stuffed Fish Paste)

A sinful bowl of Curry Vermicelli

Dry Curry Hor Fun (Flat Noodles)

The wait for the curry noodles was daunting. Possibly the crowd at the restaurant was on the heavier side, being a public holiday and all. But was the wait worthwhile? Hmm, not one of the best I've tasted, but still passed the mark for decent curry noodles. Especially when tonnes of cockles (>10!) were served, in addition to char siew (BBQ pork meat), siew yoke (roasted pork) and even 2 deep-fried wantons. Around RM3.50 per plate, if I remembered correctly.

Witness the power of the gluttons!

Various stalls selling the same stuff - Red Tortoise Buns, and Lotus paste Buns

Rows after rows of Red Tortoise Buns

Some may lament the lack of fillings or taste when it comes to the Red Tortoise Buns, but I'm accustomed to the soft, fluffy and slightly sweet dough, especially when freshly steamed. Of course, you can be creative and dab some kaya, butter, or even cut them into pieces and fry them with some eggs. Yum. A pair for RM1.70-RM2.0o.

The festival only comes ONCE a year, for a mere 9 days. Go on, get a pair of the fluffy stuff before it's too late ...

Hong Kong/Macau 2008 - Star-Struck @ Madame Tussauds Wax Museum, The Peak

With the bowl of Curry Lamb Noodles still lingering in my bowels, we walked to Causeway Bay MTR station and took a train to Admiralty (HKD3.60/RM1.60), where buses to The Peak and Ocean Park are in service.

Sleek, and stylish architecture

From Admiralty MTR station, follow the signs in order to exit accordingly. Another plus point about Hong Kong's MTR stations is that the various exits branching from one station complements your journey on foot so well, as you're protected from the forces of nature while trying to reach your destination. And yet till now, there is NO LRT service DIRECTLY to Midvalley/1Utama/The Curve. Kudos?

The Tram to the Peak

A short walk from the station, we followed the signs and took a bus No 12A (HKD4.30/RM1.95)in order to reach Hong Kong Park, where the tram station to The Peak is within its vicinity. Two-way tram ride, including entrance to Madame Tussauds Wax Museum cost HKD150/RM67.50 per person. For an additional HKD20/RM9 per person, you're entitled to reach Sky Terrace, the erm, PEAK-most portion of the Peak, for a 270 degrees view of Hong Kong's skyline. However, the weather was terribly hazy, thus we omitted this option.

Sit on the right side of the tram, if you want to view the skyline while on your way up

Colourful tiles on the wall

Of course, The Peak does not consist of only the wax museum and sky terrace. There are two adjacent shopping complexes, "imaginatively" named Peak Tower and Peak Galleria, housing several restaurants, and cater to your shopping needs, albeit more for souvenirs-scavenging frenzy.

Smile. Pose. Touch. The closest you can ever get to so many superstars.

Madame Tussauds Wax Museum in Hong Kong originated from London, and thus far has few branches all over the world, appeasing our lust for some starfest, a child-like nature embedded within each and everyone of us. Seriously, who doesn't experience a rush when bumping into a movie star on the road? Though throughout our journey in Hong Kong, the closest brush with some superstars happened only at the museum. =)

Fancy shaking hands with Mel Gibson, Eddie Murphy or the models?

Or stroking Aaron's bare chest, or even picking on Leo's blue hair?

The living Brangelina and the late Leslie Cheung ... Somehow Cecilia's statue did not hit the spot, unlike Andy's Infernal Affairs set up.

The Royalties - The good guys, and the moustache-y villain

Bae's arm is cradling (craving) for some lurve ... while Leon's been falling off his bike for some time now. Sport stars are equally worshipped as well.

The DIVAS of Canto-pop. Miriam Yeung, Joey Yung, TWINS and Anita Mui.

Of course, there are a whole bunch of wax statues on display, and you can easily spend an hour or two posing all you want and snap lotsa pics to your heart's content. After all, the nearest wax museum would have to be Shanghai, and the rest in Western countries. After the tiresome ordeal (hehe) we proceeded for dinner at Hong Kong Day, a 'char chaan teng' outlet in the same building.

The Stir-fried Spaghetti, Fried Rice with Shredded Chicken, and Wanton Flat Rice Noodles

Dinner's a meagre affair. Most (if not all) did not hit the spot. And pricier than your average HK meal to boot. But this being a designated tourist spot, the quality : price ratio is understandable. Wait till you read bout the Ocean's Park's disastrous lunch.

Dinner for four : HKD167/RM75. Not recommended, but then again, the other restaurants around the area are posh options and definitely higher-end, in terms of pricing.

The beautiful, yet hazy skyline view from the top

After hanging around for a while at the top, we descended the hill and took bus No 15C to Central MTR station. The bus caters to passengers from The Peak, and ferries them to Star ferry terminal at Central pier. But we chose to alight at the MTR instead and took a train back to Mong Kok (HKD9.50/RM4.30).

Once back at Dragon Hostel, we embraced our well-deserved rest and nursed our fatigued limbs. Oh, all the while watching Moonlight Resonance for free. Hehe ... The TVB drama's been gaining ground in Malaysia, and at that moment I've watched 30 episodes of them. In Hong Kong, the drama's popularity soared sky-high as well, as the residents in Hong Kong and Macau watch the nightly 9.30pm drama with great anticipation.

Tai Leong Pat Kee's bowls of wonderful desserts

Accustomed to Hongkie's favour for desserts, we craved them every night for supper. And even in the late hours of the night, the crowd at Mong Kok was superb. At every corner, people would be crowding the roads, the shops, and especially the cafes for some late-night grubs.

Our second visit to Tai Leong Pat Kee (first visit HERE) revealed a rather interesting fact. Though bearing the same name, different outlets in different areas (our 1st was at Parkes St, near to Temple St) charges different prices. Though this one at Mong Kok was a bit pricier, the 'tong sui' (sweet soups) are refreshing to the palates and appease my sweet tooth nicely. The cold & golden concoction of "Yeong Zhi Kam Lou" (Mango/Pomelo/Sago) was delightful, and every spoonful was heaven. At HKD16/RM7.20 per serving, it was definitely cheaper than Hui Lau Shan's. Mboy had Coconut Milk with Sago (HKD12/RM5.40) while TallGal tried their Walnut Soup (HKD15/RM6.80).

A departing shot of an irreplacable Samaritan ... "Your candle burnt out long before, your legend ever did"

to be continued ....

Hong Kong/Macau 2008 - Dimsum @ Central, Golden Bauhinia Square & Hoi Kee Roasted Meats

Continuation from Day Four in Hong Kong ...

Jostle/elbow/smackdown your way down the escalators if you have to !!!

Day five of our journey started rather early, but unexpectedly caught up in the "traffic" at MTR stations. Yup, the rush hours in Hong Kong is exactly like in the movies/dramas, and KL's frantic rush for the trains is beginning to resemble HK's BP-raising ordeal.

Remember, if you're merely out for a leisure stroll, or early breakfast, avoid the rush hours (before 9am) as much as possible. Unless of course, you wish to embrace or bask in the hectic ongoings at the station. But do stand aside, the stampede's pretty unforgiving.

Central @ Hong Kong Island

The slopes are crazy at Central, you're practically climbing and descending "hills" on the same road ... Look at the guy pushing the cart uphill. SLOW depicts his speed, obviously.

Yung Kee Restaurant @ Wellington St, Central - Most famous for roasted goose in HK, though over-priced

LIN HEUNG TEA HOUSE @ Wellington Street, Central

But credits to Hong Kong's MTR system, as though the endless queues of people (specifically the blue collars) is slightly daunting, the wait for the trains was mere minutes, as the frequency is pretty impressive. Bet KL's Putra line (or Kelana Jaya line?) can learn a thing or two. A trip from MTR Mongkok to MTR Central cost HKD13.50/RM6 per way.

Central is THE business district in Hong Kong. No frills, no specific tourist spots, all buildings and roads. OK, except from Lan Kwai Fong (we'll get to this much later) and some restaurants on Wellington Street, where we were heading to for our breakfast.

The place was packed to the brim on a weekday's morning

Not exactly a tourist's stop for good ol' dimsum, but more like a hearty breakfast joint for the locales and backpackers. Or at least that was what the chatty and friendly uncle at our table had us believed. The crowd leaned more towards the elderly bracket, whom enjoyed their cuppa tea coupled with morsels of dumplings, and char siew pau (BBQ pork buns). And almost half of the patrons at the place were reading the daily papers while sipping on their choice of brewed Chinese tea. And tough chance on finding an entirely empty table for your own, unless you're coming a big group. Even the four of us had to share with another 2 individuals. But there's the fun in mingling with the locales, no? :)

Clockwise from top left : Cheong Fun (Rolled Rice Noodle with Minced Meat), Ma Lai Ko (Layered Sponge Cake with Molasses), and the Lotus Paste with Egg Yolk Bun

Clockwise from top left : Siew Mai (Pork Dumplings), Har Kau (Prawn Dumplings), Char Siu Bao (BBQ Pork Bun) and Ham Sui Kok (Crispy Rice Flour Dumplings with Minced meat)

Some may have the impression that dim sum in Hong Kong is VERY pricey, and high-end. But in fact, it's not. Unless you're having yours in high-end dimsum joints, or in hotels. And what's more, the quality of the dim sum is top-notch, as you're getting REAL meat and LARGE prawns in every bite, rather than chewing on flour and whatnots. The portion's bigger as well, and dainty's definitely not a word commonly used to describe the dim sum here.

But of course, as the ladies (aunties) with carts come passing by, you HAVE to get their attention or better yet, bring your order card and self-serve, as courtesy's a bit lacking in this part of the town. Most of the popular items run out pretty fast, and you'll have to either brace the wait for them, OR seek consolation with something else.

One of their signature item, Zhu Tou Mai, literally translated to Pig's Stomach Dumplings

Uncle recommended some of their best offerings, and as soon as the Zhu Tou Mai were available, we grabbed one without thinking twice. Though may sound gross on paper, but the pork fillings, 'covered' by the pieces of pig's stomach are good stuff, as the stomach was clean, rather sweet, and delivered quite a bite. The pork fillings is the same as the Siew Mai's, so no complaints.

Total for four = HKD140/RM63. Quite reasonable, for the satisfying spread.

Location : Lin Heung Tea House @ 160-164, Wellington Street, Central, Hong Kong.

Taking the Tram to Wan Chai for only HKD2/RM0.90 per way

One minor gripe about Central though, the slopes on the roads are taxing. And if you're not one who can 'tahan' all the climbing and descending, better get a taxi. Plus the hotter than ideal weather, we were already sweating so early in the day. After breakfast, we took a tram to reach Wan Chai. Trams are popular as they're cheaper than buses and MTR, but only serve certain routes on the island. A flat rate of only HKD2/RM0.90 per ride, to get to anywhere at all.

Wan Chai district on Hong Kong Island - Finally seeing some GREENS!!!

And MORE greens???!!! @ Victoria Park, in Causeway Bay

The Golden Bauhinia statue at Golden Bauhinia Square @ Wan Chai North

If you're a fan of TVB dramas, you would've seen some of the landmarks around here

We alighted from the tram at Wan Chai, and walked a short distance to Golden Bauhinia Square. OK, so it was NOT that short, but somehow the distance was tormenting in a way, aggravated by the hot and humid weather. From the square, you'll be able to see Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront at the opposite end, a reciprocal position from the Avenue of Stars.

After the brief visit, we were seeking refuge at the Hong Kong Exhibition Centre nearby, for some much-desired rest and air-cond. Coincidentally, the Hong Kong Jewel + Watch Fair was being held, a vibrant event with enthusiasts from all over the world taking part.

Then came the worst mistake of the day. From the Wan Chai ferry pier, we took bus No. 18 to reach Causeway Bay (supposedly) which is a stop away. But we overshot our destination and realised we alighted somewhere near Victoria Park, a distance away from Times Square.

On most days, walking through a park with lush greeneries and perfectly-paved walkways brings to mind a sense of recreation and relaxation. But to imagine dragging our carcasses through the park in the scorching sun, shadowed only by the haze, the experience was nevertheless, memorable. But there WERE people jogging and exercising in that weather, at that moment. Gee, guess Hongkies love their sun, no? =P

TIMES SQUARE @ Causeway Bay

Even on a weekday's afternoon, the crowd at shopping complexes are by no means thin

By hook or by crook, we MUST reach Times Square. Or at least that was motivating us to move on. After tremendous effort and determination (plus a stop at IKEA for a breath of, erm, cool air?), we managed to reach the populated spot at Causeway Bay.

We were game for anything at all for lunch, and to imagine having lunch in any restaurants in the fully air-conditioned Times Square, we were drooling (at the prospect of soothing our sore bodies and limbs, not at the food). But surprisingly, there are not many dining options in that complex. And mostly pricey counterparts of your average Chinese restaurants and cafes. Shucks. So we trudged on ...

BOWRINGTON ROAD COOKED FOOD CENTRE @ Bowrington Rd (duh)

Morbid scenes at the market at Bowrington Rd

A short walk to Bowrington Road revealed the still buzzing with activities Bowrington wet market. And it was indeed a feast for the eyes (and senses) seeing all the commotion at the market, and the variety of seafood on displau, some not recognizable and not readily available back home.

Coincidentally, some were caught up in a fuss over the butchering of a GIANT fish, named "Sou Mei" in Chinese. (Translation?) The murder was disheartening, as two men were struggling with the larger-than-average fish with a hump on its head. But nosy me got up close and witnessed the slaughtering with glee. Ahem, I meant with sympathy.

HOI KEE Roastie Specialist at Bowrington @ No. 3, Cooked Food Centre, Bowrington Road Market on 21, Bowrington Road, Causeway Bay

Finding this stall was tougher than we imagined. You have to walk into the market, take a lift to second floor, in order to reach a food court-like area. Once there, our doubts was gone as the crowd was reassuring. There are many other stalls operating at the same area. And the whole food court has air-conditioning, no sweat.

The chicken, the roast pork and the Char Siew

Recommended by a blogger, ChaXiuBao, we decided to go for something the locales would eat for lunch on most days, rather than tourist-traps in high end restaurants and hotels.

The rice with roasted cuts are priced at HKD25/RM11.25 per plate. But before you flinch at the price, rest assured the portion and the quality is deserving of praises. Definitely meant for sharing, we regretted ordering a portion each, as either rice is VERY cheap in HK, OR they're feeding bulls with those gigantic portions. The Roasted Pork was crispy and delicious, while the Char Siew was equally good, if not better. Succulent meat with a sweet marinade, I can pig out on these anyday. The chicken was not to my liking though. Or maybe I prefer my steamed chicken to be cooked 100%, rather than staring at some bloody bone marrow.

Curry Lamb Noodles - The recommended item from Cha Xiu Bao

The curry lamb noodles at HKD22/RM9.90 was my main aim to this place. The lamb briskets were generous, chunks after chunks served in a puddle of oily curry gravy. Had it not been so oily, I would've enjoyed it more. But nevertheless, the flat, springy noodles made up for the losses. A satisfying bowl of noodles, nonetheless.

Next Post : THE PEAK

R U Lohas - Ipoh's First Organic Cafe?

Let's take a hiatus from all the Hong Kong posts. In case someone's lamenting about the lack of real LOCAL food reviews. Here we go ....

Let's go ORGANIC today !!! R U Lohas? =P

The constant travelling-and-indulging cycle took its toll on me. Finally felt the wrath of one too many Nasi Briyani (Benaz Briyani Cafe), Thai Spicy Fried Noodles (Noodle Station) and Kam Heong Mantis Prawns (Hai Nan Village), rendering me incapitated the whole day, & a short anorexic spell ensued.

Operating since not too long ago, R U Lohas has been attracting a steady stream of patrons with its brand of healthy food

Been tempted to give this restaurant/cafe a try ever since reading Dine & Health's take on the place. In fact, I noticed this place during my visits to Onix Jun Korean Restaurant, which is located next door. But somehow the word "ORGANIC" brought to mind an image of chomping on bland & tasteless greens and grains, while STILL paying an arm and a leg for them. No?

But since Motormouth's suffered the impending doom of eating haphazardly, it struck my mind to dine healthily for once, as dining out with family normally translates to Mega-Feast for Carnivores. Yup, we LOVE our meats.

Clockwise from top left : (a) Healthy Blooming Tea (for 2 pax) & Red Dates+Pear Tea (for 2 pax), (b) The funky looking flower/plant in the Healthy Blooming Tea, (c) Strawberry Vinegar Tea, and (d) Hawthorn Rose Juice

The cafe's (let's call this a cafe for the remainder of the post, to ease things a little) alien-sounding name is derived from their motto, aRe yoU Lifestyle Of Healths And Sustainability? Yeah I know, broken English in some parts, but at least the name'll stuck in your head for aeons to come.

The menu's quite impressive, offering items from rice to noodles, and Korean style Bibimbap to healthy snacks, desserts and beverages. As if you're not confused enough with the "healthy-sounding names", you can pick from their set menu as well. Needless to say, by the time we started to decide on our orders, our eyes were crossed (*o*) ... the yellow and dim lighting did not help much either. But no qualms.

The organic teas came in a jar, that serves two. At only RM5.80 per jar, the Pear with Red Dates tea is sweeter yet soothing, while the strange-sounding Healthy Blooming Tea contained a funky looking plant/flower, but tasted smooth and fragrant, without sugar. Quite tasteless in fact, resembling Chinese tea. My Strawberry Vinegar Tea (RM4.80) was served chilled, and gladly not too sour nor sweet. Refreshing. Bro was having second thoughts with his Hawthorn Rose Tea though, claiming the taste to be slightly overpowering (whatever that means).

Drunken Chicken Noodle (RM10.80)

They use their self-made organic noodles in their noodle dishes. Stole spoonfuls of mum's noodles' soup. A strong hint of ginger, and subtle tone of Chinese wine, this serving reminded us of that famous dish concocted specially for women in confinement.

Set of Minced Organic Pork Dry Noodle + Soup + Gui Ling Gao (Tortoise Jelly) + Shot of Kombucha/ Enzyme Drink @ RM9.80

Grandma A had the Set above, and gave her thumbs up. But of course, she has a strong aversion to noodles, in whatever forms. But from the looks of it, the noodles served with braised peanuts, halved egg, and strips of carrots, yambean (Sengkuang) and cucumber, appeared to be healthy, yet savoury.

Japanese Udon Set + Green Tea/Red Bean/Glutinous Rice Ball + Shot of Kombucha/ Enzyme @ RM10.80

BBQ Sakura Pork Rice Set + Soup + Gui Ling Gao + Shot of Kombucha/ Enzyme Drink @ RM9.80

Their BBQ Sakura Pork Rice sounded marvelous, thus Grandma B ordered the set. Sakura pork is a rather revolutionary method of raising premium pigs, feeding them with Lactobacillus (yup, THAT famous strain of beneficial bacteria) thus avoiding the use of antibiotics and chemicals in the animals' feeding grains. The meat is red-der, not so tender but instead leaner and less fat. Somehow they tasted rather artificial, but it could be because the meat was marinated in a sauce that was a tad too sweet.

Nasi Kerabu + DQ Curry Chicken @ RM7.80

The DQ Curry Chicken

No wonder the waiter who took my order warned me beforehand of my Nasi Kerabu's abundance of raw vegetables as garnishing. But stubborn me stick to my choice, and was overwhelmed by the amount of raw vegetables served with the blue rice.

Finely-chopped long beans, four-angled beans, parsley, LEMONGRASS (!!!), various leaves and bean sprouts were all sitting atop the serving of rice shaded with blue dye from bunga telang/clitoria flower. Yup, such healthy choice huh? I love my Lui Cha Rice, but the Nasi Kerabu was simply too dry to be eaten on its own. And the overwhelming scent and taste of freshly chopped, raw lemongrass was indeed, intimidating. Fortunately, the rice is served with curry chicken. NOT your average curry chicken, but DQ Chicken. Fed with unpolluted grasses, and raised in an environment with clean air and pristine mountain water, the chickens are classified as "CLEAN" ones, without any growth hormones, chemicals and the like. (www.dqcleanchicken.com)

Korean Bibimbap + DQ Curry Chicken @ RM7.80

Bro's a fan of Korean food, (so am I) and picked the Bibimbap with the curry chicken. But this one was Bibimbap with a twist. No Korean chilli sauce (gochujang) was served together. But instead the moisture came from the curry chicken. The rice used in all their rice dishes is of organic nature, and definitely healthier choice compared to processed white rice. But the coarse texture may not be everyone's cup of tea.

DESSERTS - Green tea Ice Cream+Red Bean+Glutinous Rice Ball, Red Bean Rice Ball in Ginger Soup, Gui Ling Gao aka Tortoise Jelly, and a shot of Kombucha to aid digestion

The Gui Ling Gao deserves a mention, as the slightly bitter jelly was tampered with some sweet and sour syrup, not overly/sickeningly sweet unlike most dessert outlets. The "tang yuen" like rice balls with red bean fillings, served in ginger soup got the thumbs up from bro and Grandma A. The rich and creamy green tea ice cream with red beans and rice balls was served a tad too early, thus was fully melted by the time we finished our mains. Yet, that plate of sweet temptations was too much to resist, and I finished off a lion's share when everyone was still digging into their mains. Muahaha .... =P

Those who ordered set meals got a shot of Kombucha, either lemon or pineapple flavoured. A tangy drink with ice to end the meal.

Total for 6 = RM79.80, including 5% service charge. Being possibly the first organic cafe in Ipoh, they sell organic produce as well. Deserving of subsequent visits? A definite yes. Especially when I'm feeling under the weather from all the binging. LOL.

Location : R U Lohas @ 33, Jln Medan Ipoh 4, Bandar Baru Medan Ipoh. Tel : 05-5453454. Website : www.rulohas.com