The Blue Ribbon

In symbolism, blue ribbon is a term used to describe something of high quality. The usage came from The Blue Riband, a prize awarded for the fastest crossing of the Atlantic Ocean by passenger liners, also refers to the blue ribbon worn by a particular order of knights.

The French for the term is 'Cordon Bleu' which is also used in English-speaking countries.

Here is my friend, the Cordon Bleu Chef, Jun, carving up his 5KG rump.
Stellar quality rump. Stellar quality chef.


The BBQ pit.. where all the fun and action come together under one big, starry, starry sky.
Bring your latest pout, your agent 007 'cock-stare' and your 2009 unisex side-swept bangs.. the party's just starting.


Add to the mix, Cordon Bleu Chef's selection of MP3 mixes, Home marinaded chicken wings, handmade burger patties, All those who chipped in for the 5KG Rump, Toy couple's salad, FBB's Mee Siam, Nigel's Pork Pies , Just Heavenly's cakes.. and ..,
what you have is a recipe for a great BBQ.


This collage is called.. " Feed the one you love! Feed the one you're with!"

Thank you Jun for a great night out under the starry, starry sky.. listening to your choons and feeding on your rump! We think your 5KG Rump is HOT!

Thanks for the party!

That's All Folks!

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Till the next pahtey:P

Haikara-Style Cafe & Bakery

When we saw this sitting on the counter, we just had to take a closer look.


It's Japanese green tea bread! (RM8.80)

If you want to buy excellent, fluffy, hot out-of-the-oven green tea bread + sweet bean, Haikara-Style Bakery is just the place to get it!

Although on the expensive side for bread, it is truly worth every cent. The taste and texture is out of this world. A chewy, crusty baked outer with a soft, pillowy center.. it really is marvelous having this with coffee for breakfast. Biting into one of the beans will give you a nice, sweet kick! We bought one, to go. Don't forget to ask them to slice it up for you.


Chairman Mao having some sweet starters before lunch.

Chairman Mao eating his apple pie (RM3.80)

Lunch was the Rokomoko -RM20.00 (burger minus the buns, on rice)

...and steak with rice (RM27.00)

Both we mild tasting and had a really healthy feel to it. It must have been low in salt and artificial additives because it didn't leave you feeling dizzy or thirsty at all.

Coffee here packs a punch. High quality coffee should not be bitter even when drunk black. I normally take mine without sugar anyway, but with a lot of milk.
The coffee here is excellent. I had a mild buzz for the next 2 hours ;)

You really feel like you are dining in an authentic, fashionable, 'high-collar' (which incidentally is the meaning of the word Haikara) Japanese environment when you look around and see the pretty, meticulously neat Japanese ladies who manage the place.

I think that guy is Korean... Sorry, checked with Cumi.. Japanese guy ;)

Other bloggers eat at Haikara:
Masak Masak
Sweets for my sweet tooth
She, the epicuriousgirl

Add: Haikara-Style Cafe & Bakery
E-Tiara Service Apartments
GF Jln SS16/1,
Subang Jayan

Tel :603 5630 0743

Bread:8/10

Food:7/10

Service:8/10

Ambiance:7/10

COCA means "Kekou" means Appetizing!

COCA started in 1957 as a humble 20 seater Cantonese Restaurant.

Founded by a Thai couple, the restaurant gained success when they moved to a nearby location on Soi Tantawan, were it expanded to a 150 seater restaurant and suki style cooking was introduced. Hence the birth of the first COCA restaurant in Thailand. The show is now run by the owner's son, Mr Pitaya Phanphensophon.

The name "COCA" derived from the Mandarin is "Kekou" which means "appetizing".

However, the objective of coming to Coca tonight was not to sample the mainstream, more popular Steamboat, but rather to do a simple review on the Ala-carte Menu.



In 1987, the first overseas branch opened in Singapore followed by Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, etc, etc... In this part of the world, COCA has 2 branches, one in 1-utama shopping complex and the other at Subang Parade.

Well, when we got the invitation from COCA's Marketing Manager, Andrea, we obviously didn't think that we were the only food bloggers invited to do a review.

Sure enough, we met the darling pair, Kampungboy & Citygal... ! Photo moment.. with the popular blogger duo :)



Say Cheez!
(As usual, my better half is taking the shot.. hence missing from the photo:P)



After giving Andrea our contact info, we get down to the serious business of eating..

But 1st... you need to pick out your dinner before you eat it.. no? lol



The fish were contemplating... "Which one of us will become dinner tonight?"... :(



The crabs were busy too ... as they were "all tied up".. harhar :P



But nobody left without a fight! The seafood was so fresh, you could see the catch jumping and struggling in the net!



Here is the Squid with Garlic and Pepper, priced at RM12.80. Fresh and juicy with a crispy batter. No complaints here.



The battered mussels were good as well. This dish is called Deep Fried Mussels priced at RM12.80. The mussel was a little overcooked and too chewy for me, but the husband liked it.



Ah! My favourite dish normally. The crab!
This is the Coca Special Curry Live Crab, Market price- RM12 per 100g ! The texture of the crab was fantastic. Fresh, succulent and with that bounce in the meat that only fresh crabs can give you.
Unfortunately I did not really fancy the curry sauce as it was not pungent nor spicy enough for me.
It was kind of anti-climatic, when the freshness of the crab was so good, if you know what I mean. The sauce did not do the crab justice.



The 'Man-tou' (fried bun) at RM1.80 per piece, was a little on the heavy side. I prefer my fried Man -tou, light and fluffy with a crispy outer layer!



Here's me, working the crab!



Ah.. my two favourite dishes in any Thai restaurant are the Som-Tam (papaya salad) and the Tom-yam (sweet, sour, spicy, tangy, fishy seafood soup - milder up north of thailand, spicier as one heads south).

The Som-tam should be stinky and zesty... whilst the Tom-yam should basically, just plain blow my brains out!

Coca does not do Som-Tam.

The prawn in the Tom-Yam they served was faultless - very fresh and juicy. The Tom Yam Seafood Soup is priced at RM13.80 per bowl. The head of the prawn was 'suck-worthy' if you catch my drift. Oozing with brain matter.. and all the cholesterol-ly stuff. Unfortunately, the soup lacked kick. I realise some people prefer their Tom-Yam less hot. So maybe, Coca could have a spice-factor option for patrons who like to feel the burn? ;P




These were my two least favourite dishes. The green vege was a little hard/old and cooked in too much oyster sauce (too salty).
By the way, COCA has recently changed all their coconut based dishes, except for desserts, to yogurt to encourage healthy eating. The green curry, though healthy (i.e. cooked in yogurt instead of coconut milk), was just not what we expected of a Thai green curry. Which just goes to show.. you cannot cheat with your food! The fat factor has to be there la.. with green curry.. you know? Otherwise, how can?!

Stir Fried Baby Kailan - RM11.80
Green Curry with Chicken & Fishball - RM11.80



The steam fish, Thai style was good. Fresh and sweet and cooked just right. We hate our fish overcooked. This was fine.

Steamed Siakap with Thai Sauce – Market price - RM9 per 100g.



And this was my favourite of the night. The butter prawn. The seasoning is far better than any other Thai restaurant (in KL) that I have eaten. The herbs especially the lemongrass, lent an amazing taste to the dish. The prawn was just fried to perfection. The skin was so thin and crispy you could eat the prawn whole... and that .. WE DID!

Thai Butter Prawn – Market price - RM16 per 100g.


Dessert.. fluorescent green honeydew sago...

And, the Tap-Tim-Grob.

Both were less sweet than usual, which was good. Both needed more fresh Santan(coconut), if you ask me.

Sago in Coconut Milk- RM7.50
Water Chestnut with Coconut Milk - RM7.50

All in all, I would say that the freshness of the seafood was undisputed. Some of the sauces could be improved on. A spice factor option should be added, as some like it hot. Please also consider introducing the Som-Tam. And finally, the thing with the yogurt.. erm.. I am guessing that Thai food lovers are probably not quite ready for healthy curry just yet, lol.. unless you can make the yogurt, taste like 100% fatty coconut milk.. that is ..

Other than that, the ambience of the place was excellent and the service impeccable. I will definitely be back to sample the Thai Steamboat.

Add:
Coca Subang Parade,
Lot G28, Level G,
Subang Parade,
5 Jln ss16/1,
Subang Jaya
Tel: 03 - 5632 8766

Food (ala-carte Thai): 5/10
Seafood freshness:8/10
MSG levels: nil
Service:8/10
Ambience:7/10

Coca is Pork Free.

Peel it, shred it, eat it !

You know it's going to be a long wait, when they give you a card, with a number on it.

After visiting a friend who recently completed a heart bypass in SJMC, we decided to eat at one of our favourite Pan-Mee shops in the area.

Meehoon Kway! Our favourite sort of pan-mee.. where the gal and guy, stand for hours peeling the dough and chucking the irregularly shaped dough bits, into the boiling soup. Apparently they add a little "tapioca" flour, which is the secret that gives the Meehoon Kway its Chewiness! The pan-mee here is renown for being silky smooth (like the Zohan:P), yet chewy. Perfect.

This time, our wait was 1 hour!
Better just relax and drink your coconut water, or sugarcane water and read the papers. The Pan Mee will not arrive anytime soon, it being a public holiday and all, as well.

We arrived at 12.30pm, we get served at 1.32pm. (Who's counting.. I am!)

This is the soup version. Can you see the irregular Meehoon Kway bits I am talking about? The texture is fantastic. The soup stock is light and sweet and does not leave you light headed and heaving like a bastard ... i.e. no MSG ;P

This is the dry version. Both dry and soup versions are RM3.80 for the small size. Prices have gone up! Just a few months back, it was like RM3.50 per bowl:(

The Chilli here is passable. Not fiery hot, but hot enough.

All in all, a pretty decent place for Meehoon Kway. The next time you are in the subang jaya area, and don't mind a bit of a wait, be sure to look out for this corner shop that serves up a good bowl of Pan Mee!

Add:
Ho Kien Pan Mee
Restoran Lian Heng
22, Jalan SS19/6
Subang Jaya.

Pan Mee:7/10
Service: slow
MSG levels : low
Salt levels: low
Oil factor: low

A powerful place to be!

On my recent trip to Brunei, I nearly had a heart attack.

Yikes! Good thing that nice gentleman of an officer pointed it out to me - just under 6 months on my passport. Spotted just in time too.. in a couple of months I'll be travelling again!

Is this some new hobby ?

Empty-field-gazing.

No.. this is what you do (if you are clever) in the 2 hours they give you to come back for your passport.. Anyone who has to renew their passport at Terminal 2 (you will see the immigration sign just before terminal 3), Lapangan Terbang Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport (SAAS), Kampung Baru Subang, knows that there is nothing much to do, during the waiting time between submission of forms and collection of the renewed passport.

Not fun.



Too lazy to drive home to PJ, we decided to explore ye old subang airport area..

Wow.. boy were we glad we did!

What luck! We chanced upon the morning market...

We noticed that eventhoungh this area looked rural and kampung-ish and all... the people were pretty comfortable, in that each family seemed to own a minimum of 2 cars! This one we spotted own 3! Plus a makeshift garage as well.. how cool.



Anyway , introducing Kampung Baru Subang! Nice place to kill 2 hours!

And restoran KFD.. as in KFC's brother. lol.

What can we say... though the place was packed.. the duck and siew-yok was so so.

The charsiew did not hit the spot either...
The entire portion for two, costs us RM8.

We decided to explore the area some more....

A Burmese restaurant! Oh darn..we should have eaten here instead. The place looks clean and the aroma of something sweet, on the boil, is intoxicating.. we spoke to the nice, friendly owner and he told us that there is a huge Burmese population in Kampung Baru Subang..

Next time, we may come back to sample his cuizine!

Everywhere you turn, there is lush, gorgeous, fresh produce.


Eggs, straight from the farm. Introducing.. the WET MARKET.

The term wet market alludes to poor lighting, poor air circulation, floors that are always wet and slippery. Add the smell of fresh fish, herbs, freshcut poultry, and vegetables and viola.. you have a stinky, pulsating environment that any prissy city gal would steer clear of.
erm.. but not this one.. The Kampung Baru Subang market is airy and open.
It doesn't smell at all.

The wet market is a powerful place to be!


The aunty is yelling at me in an indecipherable language,and pointing at the weird sea creatures, scallops, mussels, squid, cuttlefish and fish heads.. the uncle is putting on a show for me and gesticulating wildly at me in cantonese " SHOT ME! SHOT ME!" .

What an exhibitionist.

A born performer. Madman. He cracked me up.

Obviously, no one speaks English here, so I had to communicate with my pathetic, broken cantonese and my girly charms.. harhar. When it came to telling me the price, they typed in the numbers on their calculator .. thinking I couldn't count in cantonese. What la these people... so action one.

I mean.. what do i look like..? a tourist? Pfft.

Uncle.. posing again. This man kills me. Honest.

A supermarket named HERO.


This is the JERING.

This next section is written in MALAY. Our indigenous language. Read on for the interpretation.

"Buah jering bernilai tinggi dalam perubatan tradisional terutama untuk mengubati batu karang. Ambil tiga biji buah jering, ditumbuk halus bersama sedikit halia sebelum direbus dengan lima gelas air. Bila mendidih, biarkan sejuk dan minum airnya secawan sehari.

Jering yang dikenali sebagai Pithecellobium jiringa dari segi saintifik dan berasal dari famili Leguninosae. Jering juga berkesan untuk merawat penyakit kencing manis. Bila memakan jering, kulitnya jangan dibuang sebaliknya direbus dengan air hingga mendidih. Bila sejuk minumlah secawan sehari pada setiap pagi.

Buahnya pula dimakan sebagai ulam tetapi jangan dibuang kulit airnya kerana bahagian itulah yang berkhasiat untuk mengubati penyakit kencing manis.

Selain daripada buah, kulit pokoknya turut dapat mengubati kencing manis. Caranya sama seperti menggunakan kulit buah jering iaitu merebusnya hingga mendidih dan diminum secawan sehari pada waktu pagi atau malam."

In other words, Jering is of the genus species Pithecellobium jiringa, of the family Leguninosae. This gorgeous little fruit is used in the treatment of GOUT. It is normally pounded then boiled. All the parts can be used for medicinal, healing properties.

The extract is good for gout, the skin is good for treating diabetes.


Needless to say, i bought a whole bundle. (The amount of meat we eat, we should be prepared for gout.. you think?!)



Some other interesting paraphernalia we saw, walking back to the car...

"Essentials for Robbing a bank in 5 minutes!" ;P

Pushing 2 hours. Almost time to go back to SAAS for my passport.
But not before a quick pit stop ... still dissatisfied with the duck.. we just had to try something else to placate our stomachs.

Man in the Stall! We want!

The stall is situated on the corner, at the top of the street where the morning market starts (there's no other way to describe it as there is no sign).

The wantan mee was pretty good. For RM3.50 .. it was affordable and tasted fresh and juicy. The noodles were done just the way we like it!
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Well, well, 2 hours wait for the passport was not such a bad thing after all.

If you are in the area, we strongly recommend you check Kampung Baru Subang out :)