Archive for the ‘Heaven’ Category
Different from what the title would imply, I’m not writing a hopelessly romantic getaway post. In fact, the trip was initiated by a not so amorous reason – to clear Fishy’s annual leave for the first quarter of 2009.
Hokkaido was in the list.
Koh Samui looks not too bad either.
Infomercial break: Visit , a newly established boutique resort by my company in Koh Samui 
Whatever it is, the plan was to fully utilise our passports and travel out of Singapore. Ding dong here and there, after all the cost and time factor consideration, we ended up here…
Bintan Island.
An Indonesian Island that is blardy near to Singapore and is the well-known beach holiday travelling spot for Singaporeans, something akin to Malaysian travelling to Port Dickson.
The island has become so popular among Singaporeans that all prices are denoted in Singapore dollars. And nothing is cheap here.
Lunch was in the resort beside a muddy pool.
Trying to be adventurous, I picked some funny looking fruits from the buffet spread counter, thought it would have tasted something like lychee. But yiaks…the flesh was so hard and it tasted like one semi-sweetened garlic. To date, I still have no idea what is the name of this fruit. Shit, or was it only a plastic display.
After all the funny food and fruits, our next plan was to show off our assets.
I mean the colourful bikinis that we brought.
For that 3 days we took the risk to ride on the ATV (All-Terrain Vehicle) or known as the quad-bike.
The ride was a rough and tough one, across the muddy pool, sandy pathway, up the hill, down the stream, and the whole vehicle was so hard to navigate that I almost crashed myself right into a tree. .
.
15 minutes on the road and we regretted. Blardy hell, we even paid for one full hour of ride that cost us SGD 80. We suffered through the whole ride with aching fingers, dirty black face, dusty eyes and cuts – I think I hurt myself when I lost control and drove passed one thorny branch.
The evening was spent on the beach attempting beachy jumps.
.
Piggy did the “pray-while-you-splash-water” jump.
.
I attempted the “as-if-I-did-yoga-by-the-beach” pose.
Why am I always so determined to make myself look stupid.
Oh, and we saw an island swam us by…
The holiday was not too bad after all, albeit abit commercialised as the whole island is dedicated to earn monies out of Singaporeans.
I had fun.
We had fun.
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As a newbie to an area, I would usually choose to patronize the restaurant that is recommended by word of mouth or through the blogs. This time around I chose the Cia Xiang Seafood Restaurant in Bukit Tambun for our family weekend makan outing. This restaurant is nearby the Bukit Tambun Interchange of the North [...]
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i actually heard about this place only after reading “” and was curious to see how it fared in comparison to the old school places recommended so I went to seek it out. Got out at the Wanchai MTR station to find that Lockhart Road is actually quite a long stretch, with tile shops, bathroom ware shops etc lining the road and we were on the wrong side (better to come out of Causeway Bay MTR station). So we had to walk (much) further down to find Sunshine Plaza, which is in actual, quite nondescript.
Despite the walk down so many blocks, we were still a good 30 minutes early! They open only at 11am. The staff were only setting up the tables etc so we sat at the waiting area and twiddled our thumbs. Heh. However as soon as they were ready, we were ushered to a table near the window. And slowly, groups of dim sum lovers trickled in…
Instead of the usual peanuts and pickled vegetable appetisers we Malaysians are used to, we were given this small dish of chilli beancurd with cubed ham. A pleasant change and it tasted quite good. Was delighted to bite into the dark coloured cube to find that it was chinese ham. Yum.
I decided I wanted good ole chinese dim sum and ordered THE typical dishes of siew mai (??) or pork dumplings, and har gao (??); shrimp dumplings. As these were steamed upon order, waiting time is considerable.
Even the look of the siew mai entices with the yellow, green and orange. Packed tightly with minced pork, shrimp and vegetables, this was indeed a parcel of steamed deliciousness. The meat was juicy, with a bit of a crunch and topped with a pea, bits of salted egg and diced mushrooms.
The har gao was also wonderful with it’s very fresh prawns and translucent skin. Apparently a good shrimp dumpling pouch should have 7 to 10 pleats and I think this was achieved here.
Pinkpau also raved about the polo char siew bao (?????) so I decided to go ahead and order it and I must admit I am glad I did! It’s really as good as she claims. The skin and texture of the bun is akin to a mexican bun’s and smells really aromatic and inviting. The warm, fluffy bun couple with the char siew filling is really enough to send any char siew bao lover to heaven.
As sang chow lor mai fun (?????) or Stir fried glutinous rice is one of my favourites in M’sian dim dum restaurants, couldn’t resist ordering it when I saw it in the menu. If I thought ours was good, this certainly trumps it by miles. Not only is it not oily, the aromatic rice is a sight to behold with the bits of mushrooms, diced lap cheong (waxed sausages), piquant green onions and stringy egg omelette. Paired with , which spiced things up a little . A wee bit on the sinful side perhaps, but nevertheless a much appreciated indulgence.
Actually we also ordered a portion of the char siew but our order was overlooked (thanks to the slip of paper falling to the ground unnoticed) so we were given a complimentary dessert. I opted for my favourite, the Mango Pomelo Dessert (????). Even though it was creamy and milky, I wasn’t as wowed as I hoped to be. Instead the pomelo pulp infused a light bitter aftertaste and we joked about having to export to HK for that much needed sweet note. Hehe.
Total damage was HKD 212 which is on the high side. But we probably had the best dim sum here during our 4 days in HK. Everything was fresh and well prepared and had that dainty finesse that I have come to expect of these steamed baskets of tiny meat parcels. During our wait, I also overheard the maitre d’ taking orders for dinner reservations, suggesting that this place is also quite popular for their other Cantonese dishes. They have also recently been featured in the 2009 , recommending their stewed abalone and goose web, braised cow’s tail in red wine.
Fu Sing Sharkfin Seafood Restaurant ????????
1/F, 353 Lockhart Road,
Sunshine Plaza,
Wanchai, Hong Kong.
?????353?????1?
Open : 11-3pm, 6-11pm.
other reviews;
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My family and I eat regularly at , but we’ve never gone to the original outlet at Market Street. I’ve always enjoyed the food there which serves Chettinad cuisine and immediately said yes when the invitation came in from PenangTuaPui. I was excited to see what the original outlet had to offer! The menu for the night mainly focused on South Indian cuisine and we were told that the food is cooked fresh everyday!
First up to whet our appetite was a Chettinad style Vegetable Soup (RM3). It was a light clear soup with cauliflower, carrots and french bean. The soup was a great start to the meal! We were told that the soup had a yellow tinge due to the use of dhall.
Next up was Bitter Gourd Chips (RM6). This was a surprise as it was sliced really thin and crispy to the taste! I’m not a big fan of bitter gourd though cos I don’t like the bitterness and this was plenty bitter!
The Squid Fry (RM8) was dish I really enjoyed. Squids are very easy to overcook. But there was no sign of hard rubbery squids here. Even after it cooled down substantially from all the photography, the squids were still nice and tender.
Meanwhile, the chicken cutlet (RM6 for 2 pieces larger than the photo above) is easily my favourite appetizer of the lot. The cutlets were very flavorful thanks to the generous use of spices with a slight tinge of heat to it. And there were also very soft with a slight crisp edge. I would definitely order this again!
The luciously thick Mango Lassi (RM4 – comes in a bigger glass than the photo)
The Ladies Finger Pepper Fry (RM7) was an instant hit! The ladies fingers were finely chopped and had a surprising chewy texture. The generous but not overboard use of black pepper gives the dish its zing. I’ve never had ladies fingers cooked in such a delicious manner!
The Kadai Vegetable (RM9) was an assorted vegetable dish cooked in a rich slightly spicy gravy. I tasted beancurds, tomatoes and lots of button mushrooms in the dish. We were told that Kadai is the big vessel that is being used to cook the dish, hence the name.
The Mutton Chukka Varuval (RM18) is another one of Karaikudi’s specialities. This turned out to be the spiciest dish of the night. But I loved it! The mutton pieces were scrumptiously tender and very well marinated with spices. I wouldn’t hesitate to order this again as I found it paired very well with naan bread.
Next was the Chettinad Potato Masala (RM6) which was a mild dish. It would go well with the spicy mutton dish too! I liked the fact that the potatoes here were not too mushy so there was still a bite to it.
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As a baking enthusiast, it thrills me to bring you this piece of news that Big Boys Oven will be back in Penang for another round of classes!!
This time, there will be an exciting full day cake decorating class (using fondant) and also a tiramisu class!! ~swoon~
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–> Cake Decorating Class (Hands On Class)
Pastry Chef Sunny Yaw will share with you:
- How to make your own fondant (sugar paste) and gum paste
- How to cover a 2 tier cake with fondant
- How to decorate the 2 tier cake with flower theme (similar to photo above)
Time : 9.30am – 5.00pm
Date : 18th April 2009 (Saturday)
Fee : RM550 per student (All materials included, plus tea break)
(Limited to only 6 students)
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–> Glorious Tiramisu (Hands on class)
Tiramisu, a rich decadent and desired dessert! Come learn the art of making this glorious dessert with Sunny Yaw!
Time : 9.30am – 12.30pm
Date : 19th April 2009 (Sunday)
Fee : RM150
(Limited to only 6 students)
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Limited seats available! To register for the class please email bbonorth@gmail.com or sms/call 012-4209433
I can hardly wait!! 
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The Wok Cafe is a newly opened restaurant at Kota Damansara serving home-cooked authenthic Penang Style Nyonya Cuisine. If you’re from Penang, The Wok might sound familiar because their first branch – Hot Wok is indeed located in Penang along Burmah Road (previously at Tanjong Tokong).
Opened only about a month ago, Mervyn the head cook and owner extended an invitation to me to their restaurant to try their Nyonya cuisine and Penang hawker food. Being an avid fan of Penang hawker food, I was eager to find out if The Wok could live up to the standards.
It was a surprise visit because I happened to be at Kota Damansara for dinner and suddenly remembered about Mervyn’s invitation. After meeting the owner himself and got ourself seated, he presented us with The Wok’s menu, which was extensive and had almost all the Nyonya food I’ve ever known. But I was actually more interested in the Penang hawker food listed in the last page, lol.
Anyway take a look at the drinks, can you guess what are they? No they are not teh ais and sirap bandung but soya milk mixed with gula Melaka and rose syrup respectively! I think I have openly expressed my dislike towards gula Melaka before but when combined with soya milk, it was a great and refreshing drink for me. This is so simple you can try making one yourself!
A serving of Otak-otak (for two persons) cost RM5. Under the soft and squishy fish paste was a layer of fish meat. I enjoyed it but I might have loved it more if only it was spicier.
Since Mervyn stressed that they have retained the original Penang cooking style when it comes to their hawker food, the easiest way to verify this claim was to order a bowl of Hokkien Mee (Prawn Mee) @ RM6.
And truthfully enough, the Prawn Mee was of Penang style with light and sweet tasting soup packed with prawn flavor. Interesting enough, some nice and crunchy lard was present in the noodle. Ah.. it has been a long time since I last tasted a good bowl of Prawn Mee like this in KL.
Char Koay Teow, the iconic Penang hawker food @ RM7. There’s simply no other food that can represent Penang better. I particularly ordered this because I had been deprived of a good Char Koay Teow for months, lol.
If you feel RM7 is expensive for Char Koay Teow, well don’t be because that’s the standard price for any restaurants here. Besides, the price is justifiable by the big portion and the four huge, fresh sea prawns. My god those prawns were so meaty and juicy.
The Wok included sliced fish cakes into their Char Koay Teow, which is not a norm in Penang. And one of my favorite ingredients, cockles was missing too. When asked about the cockles, Mervyn explained that the cockles were not fresh that day so they were omitted from the dish. An acceptable explanation. I wouldn’t want any unfresh ingredients in my Char Koay Teow that would spoil the whole dish or, worse still, cause me food poisoning later.
To be honest, it tasted nice for a plate of Char Koay Teow especially those yummy prawns.. simply heavenly. But if compared to the real Penang style Char Koay Teow, I found the authenticity to be lacking due to the lack of the special fragrance and ‘wok hei’. I feel I am very picky, lol.
Just to be fair, it’s not easy to be a master in all Penang hawker food. Even Penang hawkers themselves are specialized in their very own food only. You won’t be able to find a stall selling both great Prawn Mee and Char Koay Teow, would you?
Mervyn then suggested that we give their Penang Hokkien Char a try. Hokkien Char is a fried noodle (usually yellow mee mixed with vercimilli mee) with dark soya sauce and meat, prawns and vegetables @ RM7. Sometimes liver is included as well.
Like the Char Koay Teow we had earlier, The Wok wasn’t stingy with the ingredients. Huge juicy prawns and generous strips of meat were given.
If eaten on its own Hokkien Char seems like a very normal noodle, which is why sambal is so important for this dish. Sambal is like the soul of Hokkien Char, to provide the desirable spicy and slightly sourish flavor to this noodle. Even just a hint of sambal would make all the difference in the taste and open up your appetite.
But not all sambal would make the cut yeah, because only authentic Penang sambal is qualified for the task. Well, I am glad to say Mervyn has managed to cook the Hokkien Char and sambal very faithfully according to Penang style.
Then it was time for desserts. First up was Cendol @ RM3.30.
And followed by Sago Nangka @ RM3.30 too. Both SL and I preferred this to cendol because the jackfruit bits and sago were just much enjoyable compared to starch noodles and kidney beans. This is highly recommended for desserts.
The father and son team of The Wok Cafe has put in a lot of effort decorating the restaurant to give it a 50-60s feel. With many Nyonya decor, antiques, photos around, dining at The Wok Cafe felt like being sent back to the past.
Round marble tables and old coffee shop chairs will bring out the nostalgic feeling in you. Provided if you’re born before or around the 80s lah, else I doubt you would feel a thing lol.
I know Penang Hokkien Char is not easy to find in KL after being here for some time. So, if you’re curious about how Hokkien Char tastes like and not visiting Penang anytime soon, do head to The Wok Cafe to try it. The Nyonya cuisine looked pretty interesting as well and I won’t hesitate to return to sample it. And if you’re staying near Kota Damansara, do know that I am pretty jealous of you because you have easy access to great Penang food cooked by a true Penangite lol.
The Wok Cafe
Authentic Penang Nyonya & Local Cuisine
26, Jalan PJU 5/21
The Strand, Kota Damansara
PS* – The Wok Cafe is located at the newer shoplots across the road from Kayu’s Nasi Kandar. After turning into The Strand from the traffic light, keep left and you will notice a big electrical shop and Alliance bank. The Wok Cafe is just behind.
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is one of the latest additions to the eating scene in Bayan Lepas area. I found out about it when a friend had sent me their Opening Promotion Brochure. RM9.90 for set lunch! RM13.90 for set dinner! the brochure had said. I liked the Red, Black and White color scheme. I liked their quirky cute logo. And the brochure certainly looked interesting! So kudos to their advertising agency!
Incidentally, as I planned to visit the place for dinner, I had read of it. I was impressed that they offered a Healthy Steam Cusinese Set complete with herbal soup! So off we went!
I had high hopes for the place as we entered the venue. It was very well decorated. Very chic! And complete with pool table too!
Glancing through the menu, OXO Cafelab serves a variety of cuisines – Asian, Western, Local. And they serve breakfast too from 8am-11am.
For their opening promotion, OXO Cafelab is offering 15% discount for their set meals. A set meal comes with a drink (cordial), soup OR salad, main dish and dessert. No discount for ala carte orders. I opted for the set meal and chose the Soup. Soup of the day was Mushroom Soup. I didn’t really care for the soup as I found it too starchy and bland.
We had another set meal and opted for the salad, which thankfully fared better than the dismal soup.
My main meal choice was the Juicy with Boxthorne Fruit and Plum Sauce. (This set is normally RM18.70, after discount – RM15.90) The chicken piccata here was basically chicken chop coated with egg and then pan fried. I found the boxthorne fruit and plum sauce interesting as it gave the dish an Asian twist to it. Overall, a very normal dish save for the interesting sauce.
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Dinner for the family during the weekend was deliciousness right from the sea in a seafood restaurant in Teluk Kumbar. The restaurant, Teluk Kumbar Seafood is located behind the closed down Yellow Bus Terminal on the left side of the road from Penang airport. I have always wanted to try the food at this place [...]
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First and foremost, thank you so much to all of you who left congratulatory comments and ideas on what you’d like to see on lingzie.com!
Each idea and comment is important to me and over the next few weeks, I’ll be incorporating them onto the blog as best as I can. For now, you may have noticed that there is already a Search funtion up on the right. There is also a Search box under the Archives page.
I was so happy and grateful for the comments that instead of 3 vouchers, there are now FIVE vouchers to be given away to the randomly picked lucky winners!
And so without further ado…. the lucky winners are……
1. Karen
2. J2Kfm
3. Min
4. Jennifer
5. Kenneth
Congratulations to the lucky five above!!! Do email me your mailing address at lingzie@gmail.com
Your vouchers will be on the way! PS: Vouchers are valid til 31 Dec 2009.
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As much as I love my dim sum, I do shudder at the thought of doing a post on dim sum eating places. Because it would mean lots and lots of photos of decadent delicate morsels of popping flavour!
However, since I also lament on the lack of decent dim sum in Penang, I just knew I must do this post. Because… Dim Sum Food Restaurant definitely serves one of the better dim sums in town! My family and I like this place so much that we’ve been here almost 10 times since we discovered it early this year! (which also explains my expanding waistline…sigh…)
And therefore, without further ado… the photos (lots and lots of them!)
I usually measure a dim sum place by 3 items – the first being the ’siew mai’. The ones here definitely measure up! Lots of flavourful meat with a crunchy bite to it. So far so good!
The second crucial item would be the ‘Char Siew Pau’. And I do like the ones here very much! The filling is rather sweet but still agreeable to me. And the buns are nice and soft.
And the final third crucial item would be the much loved “Har Kau”. The ones here have got whole prawns wrapped around a nice soft chewy skin. Its really no wonder that this place is packed especially during weekends!
Other items we’ve tried and liked:
Meaty pork ribs
Salad Har Kau. Again lots of prawns!
“Wu Kok” These pork filled yam morsels are really addictive! I like the fact that the yam is not drenched in oil that’s been used over and over again.
“Hor Yip Fan” Lotus leaf rice. Sinfully oily but oh so good!
I have no idea what this is called. But it’s pretty good! Similar to “wu kok” but with different filling.
Egg tarts!! I do prefer the ones at Canton-i. But these are much cheaper.
“Pi Tan Chook” Century egg porridge. A bit on the salty side for me but still does the trick!
This is another must have for me whenever I have dim sums! Love the lotus paste filling!
Other than dim sum items, their noodle dishes are pretty good as well. So far I’ve tried and loved the Singapore Bee Hoon. Its rather wet and can be a bit too salty at times. But otherwise tasty and lots of ‘wok hei’!
Crispy noodles – crispy and tasty!
And perhaps the best thing about this place is the really affordable prices! Most dim sum items are about RM2-3 per portion. Meanwhile, medium sized noodles are RM8. Usually our bill for the 4 of us comes up to about RM40+, and we walk out stuffed to the brim!
Dim Sum Food Restaurant is operated by the same people behind Zim Sum Restaurant (at Anson Road). Dim Sum Food Restaurant is located at 63 Macalister Road, 10400 Penang (next to Guang Ming Daily’s office). Dim Sum is served from 9am-3pm Mon-Fri, and 8am-3pm Sat/Sun/Public Holidays. T: 04-229 7273.
This place turns into Town Steamboat Restaurant from 5.30pm-11.30pm serving all you can eat buffet style steamboat barbeque.
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