Dai chow

 

Malaysia dai chow starter pack - 

(1) green chilli padi with chopped garlic, 

(2) kok fa cha (chrysanthemum tea) and

(3) the quintessential pink "tissue" paper (tbh I'm not even sure if it's tissue?! 😂).

Only possible in RM

Today marks the first day

I had a whole crab to myself 

Muackz

Super syok! 😎

Dad's stir fry beef with special sauce

When my siblings and I were younger, when mom was away, my dad would at times take over the kitchen. Granted he's not as good a chef as my mom (whose standards are sky high for the record) but he dished up yummy meals (usually 1 pot meal for convenience) and being health conscious, dad would usually ensure there is lots of vegetables. One of our favourites is dad's stir fry beef with kailan flower (芥兰花）, its gravy we would never fail to savour with whatever rice is left in our bowls. 

Context: Mom and sis are at Penang for holiday. This afternoon my phone beeped:

NO WAY I WAS GONNA SAY NO TO STIR FRY BEEF! And "special sauce", LOL 😂

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Later, served promptly at 7pm:

Interestingly, dad did 3 dishes:

1. Stir fry beef with french beans 

2. Stir fry kailan (according to mom, this is Cantonese style as there was both ginger and garlic); and

3. Fried egg (should have taken a pic).

We contributed ABC soup that was very delicious too!

It was a very hearty and wholesome meal. Needless to say, I finished all the rice with the beef gravy. 😊😋 I'm glad my dad at 73yo is still able and capable of whipping up a decent meal, and I am glad my children got a taste of their grandfather's cooking... :)

Edit: After dinner, my dad also cut orange and served it to the girls! 

Mee Hoon Kway to die for

This

Was

Da 

Bombzzz

Stir fry chicken and button mushroom

One of our favourite comfort dishes since childhood:

Marinate chicken with light soy sauce and tapioca flour. 

Fry ginger in sesame oil with cooking oil. 

Add chicken. Stir fry with ginger till meat turns light brown. Add oyster sauce, light soy sauce, sugar little and dark soy sauce (for colouring). Stir fry till the sauce coated the meat. Add water and button mushroom, simmer till cook.  打芡。Add chinese cooking wine. 

Spring onion just before dish out.

Steamed minced pork with egg 猪肉碎蒸鸡蛋

For keeps.


猪肉碎蒸鸡蛋

- 300g minced meat
- 3 eggs + 1 salted egg
- 2 tbsp water
- Salt, light soya sauce, pinch of pepper

Steam for 20 mins or till cooked through.

Xiuwen's wedding and X'mas family gathering 2017

We were astounded when we heard that Xiuwen's wedding was gonna be held on X'mas eve, so were we elated that everyone were available to attend!

Since it coincided with the long weekend we booked 2 nights at Avantgarde Hotel (excellent location, basic, nothing to shout about but clean and comfortable) near Sutera Mall. Had such a fabulous time mingling with Grandma, relatives and cousins and nieces and nephew, it was reminiscent of our trademark boisterous CNY gatherings which are hard to come by in recent years, now that some have started their own families and/or relocated. Thankful for technology, we are able to 'face-time' them and their real time presence was felt! :)

I'll let the photos do the talking!

Tradition since we were toddlers - Do-Re-Mi according to age

And when you're with the Ngs, you'll be sure to have your stomach always filled with

GOOD FOOD!

Breakfast for champs - been such a long time since I enjoyed a local breakfast like this...

Hand-peeled mee hoon kway

Hakka yong tau foo bursting with meat - only in Malaysia. Kopi was very good too!

Local kueh and pastries, sadly flavours we can't find in Sg...

Meng Meng Roasted Delights

 Their roast duck is 80% like Dian Xiao Er's; roast pork is decent but my vote goes to their melt-in-your-mouth fattylicious honey charred char siew!!! BEST CHAR SIEW EVER! We ate it on all 3 days!

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There was this moment, merely a few seconds at uncle's house, amidst all the boisterous chatting and laughing, when I paused and just took in all the sights and sounds.... and I concluded that this joyful extended family gathering was more fun because my paternal grandparents had 6 children, who went on to establish big families of their own, hence the many cousins that my siblings and I have. Twenty years later, with smaller families (lesser children) and larger distances apart, and varying priorities setting in, I wonder if our offsprings will ever have the blessed opportunity to enjoy being a part of a big family. Nevertheless, I'm really grateful and contented that at the moment we (and wyx) have a complete and happy nuclear family to come home to. :)

11 months' countdown

 Have confirmed our family holiday in March 2017!

That’s like 11 more months to go. So crazy, right? Haha… but because there’s a ‘Kids cruise free’ promotion and bottomless buffet of food a cruise seems to be an ideal getaway for two jaded parents plus an active toddler… so why not!

So looking forward already! =D

But before that, something exciting is welcoming us real soon!!

*salivates*

Laksa fried beehoon

Yummy goodness... laksa fried beehoon good for every meal of the day

Mom posted on fb a photo of Laksa fried beehoon intended for dinner. I had already planned to cook dinner but laksa, beehoon and prawns were a deadly combo too much to resist. And so on my way back, I popped over and tapau-ed before walking home with my steal.

Reasons of such convenience that justify the $20+++k COV premium we paid for our resale unit. Hahaha...

This is da bombzzzzzzzzzzz

Courtesy of Magic Mom!

Miss a good bowl of Ramen... (cont'd)

I'm so ramen crazy, I even went Ajisen two days ago...


And yeah, it was bad. Haha.

Miss a good bowl of Ramen

Above: Bowl of Tonkotsu ramen from Tonchin, Japan.


Since I returned from Japan some 4 weeks ago, I have been going places around Singapore and chatting up friends to find out where to find the best ramen is!

Names like Santouka (Central mall), Marutama (Central mall), Ramen Champion (Changi Airport) and Ramen Bari Uma (Tanglin Shopping Centre) etc etc have been mentioned! Since post-Japan trip I've tried Marutama, Menya Musashi (Raffles City), Ramen Dining (Millenia Walk), and Keisuke Tori King (Orchid Hotel). Sadly, none matched up to Japan standard but probably it is too superior and untouchable to begin with. It's akin to eating Katong Laksa or Hainanese Chicken Rice in other countries - they try to do it the same but none emulates the goodness of the real stuff in Singapore. However, I must say the ramen from Keisuke Tonkotsu King is by far the most authentic and closest to what I can find.

Was around Tanjong Pagar area and decided to head there for dinner.

Pic of interior of restaurant (Kop-ed off flickr)

As soon as you step in, the staff greets you with a boisterous Japanese chant and leads you to your table, or counter top. I was pleasantly surprised to find that a glass of chilled water has already been served, a la the service in Japan! The walls and decor are nicely done up to mimic a Japanese restaurant, and even the garnishings are presented neatly.

While the restaurant was not fully packed at the time we were there, we waited for about 10 minutes for our noodles to be served. The waiting time was reasonable as we eagerly looked forward to our bowl of piping hot ramen. While waiting, customers can help themselves to the complimentary hard boiled egg and slightely marinated bean sprouts. On every table, you can also expect a tray of a variety of garnishings, a kettle of water and of course, tissue paper - the Japanese made sure to take care of your every needs.

From the counter top where we were seated, it allowed us a bird's eye view of the Japanese chef in action. The time that every ball of noodle is sunk into the boiling water is painstakingly monitored, to ensure that the noodle texture remains springy and palatable. The soup, egg, seaweed and garnishings are then added in with patience and care, the chef mindful of presentation and taste bud appeal.

Out of the few ramen I've tried over the last few weeks, the ramen from Keisuke Tonkotsu King was the only one where I finished the entire bowl of soup. That good! Verdict - noodles are springy and nice! Soup is very flavourful and thick enough (I asked for 'normal'). The generous piece of pork is succulent and maintains its 'porky' taste despite being broiled in the broth. The highlight is the flavoured tamago (egg) whose yolk is done wonderfully and goes extremely well with the soup. Tatemo Oishi desu!

Finally done with our bowl of ramen, we walked up to the counter and made payment. The Japanese chef bellows another chant in Japanese (which I presume is 'Thank You') and I complimented him with a 'Oishi desu' followed by 'Mata kimasu'. The chef seemed surprised and returned a shy smile. He verifies our order using his heavily accented Japanese English and like every true-blue Japanese, the chef was courteous throughout and thanked us again as we made our exit.

Next up: Menya Sanji, which is a stone's throw away from Keisuke Tonkotsu King, also located in Orchid Hotel. Observed a fully packed restaurant with a few customers in line. Definitely heading there soon!

Where's ur personal favourite ramen? :)

Best wanton mee (yet)?

Famous wanton mee along Tanjong Katong road.

Will be back for more! The coffee is good and fragrant too.

P/S: The chilli lives up to its name!

Mom is Candy Crush crazy

Macau, Zhuhai and Hong Kong

10 hotels, 18 restaurants, 3 golf courses, 2 mega shopping malls - all in 4 days!

Once in a lifetime opportunity to head out to Macau and Zhuhai and experience overnight stay at 5 star hotel in upgraded Executive Suite. Sua ku me was so awed by the sheer size of the room! And not to mention a Nespresso coffee machine (complimentary), branded disposable toiletries including Loccitane shower lotions, Fiji mineral water, printer in the room, thick comfy bedroom slippers, a TV screen in front of the bathtub, a TV screen that greets me by my last name and a handwritten card wishing us an enjoyable stay - 宾至如归。I swear the bed is the most comfortable bed I have ever, ever laid my back on in my entire 27 years (yes, still 27!).

And the super atas amenities, complete with jacuzzi, steam sauna, heated outdoor pool, a yoga room with instructor...

If you go Macau you have to lay your taste buds on their local cuisine - 1) Portugese and 2) Mecanese (Portugese fused with Chinese). My favourite is wet seafood rice (centre pic, below) at Antonio, but be prepared to pay for the divine gastronomical experience.

And a view of the familiar scenes iconic of Macau...

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Zhuhai is a China city that is just next to Macau and takes about 1 hour to clear the immigration. I LOVE ZHUHAI. EAT AND LIVE LIKE A KING!

THE FOOD IS LIKE HEAVENLY DAMN NICE! Definitely heading backkkkkk for more (+1 bucket list).

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Popped over to Hong Kong which is an 1 hour's ferry ride from Macau. Surreal feeling I had, behold the familiar sights.

Rushed to catch the laser show at 8pm. The Squash Open was playing 'live' at the harbour, unfortunately it was drizzling the whole day and the match couldn't be played without interruptions.

It was my first time travelling by myself and fortunately I was in a small country fantastically inter-connected by its world renowned MTR network. Wasn't difficult at all to locate Mongkok (lady's market), Tsim Sha Tsui (where my abode was) and Central (where I was gonna meet up with my sec school classmate!).

This classmate of mine has so admirable courage - getting out of her comfort zone and packing her luggage to locate herself in Hong Kong just to take a breather and sort out her future. Soon she found herself an successful entrepreneur, starting a customized walking tour for tourists who wish to experience outside the commercialized areas of Hong Kong, to have an understanding and taste of the rich, complicated life of the locals. You can find out more at http://www.bigfoottour.com/. I secretly envy her job. Not only does it bring you opportunities to interact with globetrotters, you also enjoy time flexibility and you have fun at the same time - now what's bad about that?? Well, she is recruiting... and I'm all qualified lest the 'in-depth' knowledge of HK. :(







Anyway, we dined at a simple restaurant serving decent local food and she introduced me to Lan Kwai Fong (LKF), the HK equivalent of Clarke Quay, only more happening and fun! There were lots of ang mohs and a liver-slaughtering "How fast can you drink 10 shots?"-challenge. Guess the record?

And here's other trivia you can learn from a local in 1 hour:

• The patrons at LKF drink until 6am. Now that's hardcore
• HK girls are easy to pick up girls - just declare you're either a lawyer/doctor/banker and buy them 3 shots - or if you prefer to extend the game, get them a long island
• Their mobile plan comes with limited data but there are plenty of free Wifi spots designated by your telco
• How do you get a waiter's attention at a eatery? It's easy to tell apart the locals from the tourists - the locals will call out "seh ye" (写也), or "louk dan" (落单) that is more formal; whereas you see the tourists desperately raising their hands. And the Singaporeans? Hilarious as my fren's bf put it, they are even more polite - they will say "excuse me"! HAHAHAHA!
• Thirsty and you step into a Cha Chaan Teng... the small cup of tea given to you:

...... IS NOT FOR YOUR DRINKING!

It is actually meant for washing of chopsticks!!! Not that's what I call a cup half-empty...

But well, my friend explained the practice was derived from the old roadside stalls that did not heed much attention to hygiene. Nowadays at Cha Chaan Teng the tea can be consumed. Phew!~.

• Wanchai is the HK equivalent of Geylang but one notch better
• Tsim Sha Tsui is where locals go bar drinking
• Head to Sham Shui Po for cheap, warehouse-kinda shopping
• Halloween comes alive at LKF! The patrons dress up. Like, really really dress up. They don Ironman suits, huge panda heads, Chinese vampires, exaggerated make up and all and party like mad (+1 bucket list). Google and you'll know what I mean.
• I personally realised the locals don't really jaywalk? I mean, there were loads of people waiting at a junction and I was wondering why they were not attempting to get across when the traffic was sparse. I stepped onto the road and instantaneously felt like an alien
• Their working population have minimal work life, partly because they do not feel like going home for their houses are so cramped
• The starting salary for Uni grades is HKD10,000.
• HK is populated with Filipinos who form a huge majority of their domestic maids - out of HK's total headcount of 7 million, 200,000 come from Philippines. And we're complaining?

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I hope I'll be back pretty soon ... :)