Salak South and the Charsiew ...

Salak South and the Charsiew.. This place is famous for 3 things.. the old coffee shops, the roast duck and the Char Siew (BBQ Pork) .

Unfortunately when we got to Tian Hong, the Charsiew was not ready yet. Looking into the back kitchen ,we saw the old man/uncle .. still preparing to BBQ his marinade, i.e. his red slab of pork. The son told us to come back in one hour, so after polishing off some (not so great) chicken rice Cumi&Ciki being C&C, decided to go looking for something else to eat in the meantime.

What in jupiter is that? The queue and bustle coming from Restoran Pheonix/WaiKee BBQ Rice was deafening. As we got closer we saw a huge crowd jostling for the chap farn (Economy rice) and the BBQ Pork rice.

Even in the chaos , a system! See the styrofoam boxes with the scribblings.. the young man with the red cap is the main man and without breaking a stride (or slicing a fingernail:P) he knows exactly into which packet to slip the chicken/siewyoke/charsiew etc.. etc..

I think God has a great sense of humour. We missed the Tian Hong Charsiew, but we got the Wai Kee Charsiew instead.
See the photo of the Charsiew (top left corner). To say it was good would be an understatement. I have had the Tian Hong Charsiew before, and it was pretty decent but not fantastic. This Charsiew was fantastic.

Pun Fei Sau - always ask for Half lean half fatty. It's the only way to eat Charsiew.


Because I could not even get near the stall, I asked the lady standing near me, what the crowd was about.
The conversation was in Cantonese but I'll translate for the benefit of the masses.

Me: Helo aunty. Why so many people pushing and shouting ?
Lady: Har?
Me: Helo aunty. Why so packed - so many waiting around for what?
Aunty: For the food la.
Me: Oh?
Aunty: Ya la.. so cheap, so many choices .. summore the Low Sai(boss) so young..
so hamsum, chop so fast... of course everybody eat here la.
Me: Oh?
Aunty: Move! My turn!

Finally we got served and the Charsiew was melt in your mouth delicious!
We will be back;)

We went back to Tian Hong but the Charsiew had still not made an appearance so we decided to leave it for now.. afterall, the chance encounter with WaiKee Charsiew was more than enough to keep us happy for today.

Some other interesting sights around the area include, Open market area where butchers carve up roast pork freely in the open, a large number of roadside stalls selling roast duck and an interesting home with a quaint, colour-tiled ramp for ease of wheelchair maneuvering.

We love Salak south we do!

Kedai Kopi Tian Hong (where there was NO charsiew)
Jalan Tuanku 2
Taman Salak Selatan
Kuala Lumpur

Restoran Phoenix/Wai Kee BBQ Rice (where there was Charsiew!)

Jalan Tuanku

Taman Salak Selatan
Kuala Lumpur

Fish Fix

The best places for food are a little dingy, not so well lit.. and LOUD! Take the sounds of the people serving, the people eating, fresh fish being gutted, human stomach's rumbling, scarp metal yards nearby clanging .. and you'll have before you a ' makeshift shack-off the beaten path' eating experience you won't soon forget.

Steamed fish head is what everyone here is sitting around waiting for... It doesn't matter if you are in your office shirt and tie.. suffering in the heat is worth the wait for an uninterrupted moment alone with this sweet, sweet fish. Be it hot and spicy, beany or just plain steamed in garlic, this fish is good.

If you can stomach it (ahem, forgive pun!) be sure to try the cheong cheng,(brown bean paste) fish head with fish gut.. damn shiok!

A respectable (I wouldn't go so far as to call it a large) portion for two of this Song Yee Tau will set you back anywhere between RM18 .00 to RM40.00, depending on the size of the fish. Ours cost us RM21.00.

The other place that Cumi & Ciki like for the Song Yee Tau is on Old Klang road. Here the fish portions are huge and the Petai Assam sauce is fantastic! Again, stall/roadside eating at its best. Check it out if you live in PJ and don't want to venture into the heart of KL for your fish-fix!

Who else ate here?
Jules!

Add:
Steamed Fish Head Food Stall,

Jalan 3, off Jalan Chan Sow Lin,
Off Sungai Besi,
KL.

Fish:7/10
MSG levels:moderate
Salt levels: high
Cleanliness:4/10 (part of the appeal :P )

Alcohol with some Lunch !

MENU - Alcohol With Some Lunch
(12noon till erm.. late..)


1. Hairy Berry’s Exotic Pate Platter With
Non-Exotic Crackers

2. Freshly Roasted Siu Yoke from the Village Deli

3. Assorted Cheese Platter

4. Roast Lamb With Rosemary & Honey Mustard Glaze
& Nasi Briyani

5. Beef, Mushroom & Onion Pie

6. FOGAL’s Roast Chicken

7. Sei Ngan Cai Roast Duck From Recently Lasiked Toy Couple(toy couple)

8. HomeMade Mee Siam

9. Bee’s Ju Hu Char & Sambal Belacan (fbb’s wifey)

10. Green Leafy Salad With Yellow Cherry Tomatoes & Quails Eggs

11. Semblance of Black Forest Cake For Yuri

12.Rum & Raisin Pie

13. Boolicious Lemon Sabayon Tart (crafted by Boolicious)

14. (**later, as if we were not stuffed to the max enough, Just Heavenly brought along the ‘Quiche Lorraine’ and THE most divine ‘Victoria Sponge’ crafted especially for Harrods! – as modeled by the Luscious Lemongrass )

15. Booze by all in attendance!

Footnote: unless otherwise stated, every single dish was prepared by the extraordinary man himself.. Mr. Fatboybakes:P

Good thing there were only 15 items on the menu.. because by 6pm, we were so stuffed, we could hardly count!
However, if you think the party ended at 6pm, you have another thing coming. Cumi&Ciki left in the early evening, because they had to get up at 5am for a run the next morning.. however, 80% of the party people stayed on till 11pm! (ok,ok.. now Craving Joe's and LL's comments have given a clearer update on the actual situation - that some went, some stayed on.. and then some came back BUT all in all it felt like most stayed till the end.. which was midnight!)

Wow.. now THAT'S a party!

As promised, photo of the luscious LL and the Victoria Sponge .. don't know who's more voluptuous .. the cake or the model.. oo-er:P
And not forgetting Splashie boy who celebrated his 21st birthday.. may you continue to eat cake and grow up big and strong !

Fbb, on behalf of all who were present (as well as not present.. i am referring to one dear lil' fat monkey!) (also Jules & L) thanks for being such a splendid, kind and generous host! Next round .... POOL PARTY!



xoxo, cumi&ciki

Many more will blog this amazing event.. so far, read..
Masak masak !



NEWS FLASH!
harlo everybody! With regards to the NST article that came out yesterday on Cumi&Ciki.. let us just clarify because of the many SMSs.. I SAY MAN.. these reporters I tell you, are they actually listening when they talk to you huh ? :P
Cumi runs an extreme adventure/sports advisory company...(check it out at www dot whoa-adventures dot com) he himself is an extreme sports enthusiast .. he is NOT a tour guide!
For adventures and fun in the sun for everybody, check out/click WHOA!
Cheers buddies!

Kokopelli - bloggers eat, hangout & 'gila'

"If Kokopelli has lured you with his magical flute, it is time to listen to his song.
This song is one of fertility. You are being asked to use your talents to
create fertility in some area of your life. If things have been slow moving,
Kokopelli's song is saying that whatever you intend to plant at this time will
be very productive for you.

Planting seeds for the future takes effort on your part, so now is the
time to use your skill and resources to make use of the magic.
If you have a project to begin or an idea to develop, the timing couldn't be better.
Shift away from any old, limiting ideas and move forward.
The time is now - the power is you !"

(* Kokopelli - prankster, healer, fertility giver and story teller.. Kokopelli has been a source of wonder.. a mythical creature of the American southwest.. for centuries.) - www.indigenouspeople.net/kokopelli.htm

Yes, how true. I feel that year 2009 is indeed the year for change, for taking on new challenges and honing our skills and talents to perfection. Push yourself, reach higher, stretch further, experience in greater depth - keep going until every fibre in your body screams to stop.. and then push just that one inch further.. That which doesn't kill you , makes you stronger! We thank God for family, loved ones and the friends he has blessed us with. We have never eaten so much cake or food in our lives!

As we approach the halfway mark of the year.. want to thank all the people who have been a blessing in our lives. You know who you are la.. ;P

All systems go!

Click below to see our creative fellow Monkey's amazing pix !
A lil' fat monkey



Add:
Kokopelli Travellers Bistro
(across the road from Three Two Square),
4, Section 14/46.
Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Tel: 03 7956 7505

I think I can..

When they sent handsome, young Jeremy of Pristine, to pass me some Yogood samples to try, I took one look at his fit form and thought, hmm, how apt! Getting someone lean and trim to be the face of your health food range is a really good marketing strategy .. ya think?! Jeremy, are all your colleagues as fit as you ar? I know a few single hot female bloggers to introduce if you like ;)

Anyway, I digress. Back to the muesli. Every evening, me and my husband run, as we will soon be taking part in the KL marathon. We try to vary our location (more often than not, it includes hill sprinting, fire walking, glass swallowing, red sea parting... :P kidding ! but erm, sometimes it feels like that .. ) but will still invariably bump into people we know, all training equally hard for the upcoming race. Now with regards to breakfast and health food, I have never been big on cereal or muesli. However, I figured that Jeremy passing me the muesli samples was as good a chance as any to see if my performance on the road improved at all if I added health grains to my diet.

Here is the verdict.

Breakfast 6.45am
I swapped Kaya, Butter, Brown bread (3 slices) for, 40g (approx 1 bowl) of Gourmet muesli Cran&berries with low fat milk.
With my normal diet, I am usually starving by 10.00am.
The Gourmet muesli Cran&berries lasted me till lunch time, believe it or not. I found that whilst the kaya butter bread gave me a burst of energy (no doubt peak in blood sugar), the muesli actually stayed a heavy mass in my gut for longer. Not only that, the 40g serving is approx 133kcal only, add on low fat milk, it can't be far off from the no. of calories in 3 slices of kaya butter toast?
So far the muesli wins in terms of performance.

How about taste wise? Erm, I cannot lie.. Kaya Butter Toast tastes a hell of a lot better than muesli but having said that, the huge amount of Cranberries and a mix of blueberry, raspberry, strawberry and orange blended with sultanas and raisins and roasted whole almonds really pumps up the taste and fruity aroma in this product!
I am still a kaya butter bread girl, but I can see how Yogood gourmet muesli could give the other boring muesli's out there, a run for their money.

Snack at 6.15pm, before my evening run.
It's no rocket science that if you are hungry or dehydrated, your performance will be drastically compromised during a run. As such, I am constantly drinking water throughout the day and just 30 minutes before my run I have an isotonic drink and a Snicker bar (or whatever other chocolates are in the fridge - I don't take Powergels, until closer to race-time, because they are just too bloody expensive hah..! Unless of course Nestle..ahem, Kim! ..you are reading this and want to sponsor me some GELS:P .. joking la.. Kim, I'll talk to you later :P). Anyway, the objective is to have some fast release carbo/energy and electrolytes without burning a hole in your pocket, so chocs will do just fine. Well, swapping the Snicker bar for the Choc & nuts muesli bar, I found it just as effective in giving my body that boost for my run. The plus point was I felt less bloated/more alert on the muesli bar and it was less sweet, making me feel less sick after eating the whole damn bar at one go. Performance wise.. same,same. Both equally good. I have enough energy to complete my 1.5hr run and that makes me happy.

Final verdict on the muesli's - a healthy, tasty and efficient energy alternative to all those sugary snacks you take a day. If you can hack the grains long-term, I guarantee you will see an improvement in energy levels/alertness/health and in the long run, your body will love you for it.

Snack at 7.00pm, before weights training.
Akan datang. I plan to take a Muesli Choc Bar before my hour long weights training session tonight and see how I fare. I normally take the Powergel.. (ok,ok.. so sometimes I have to spend on the gel.. but I get a good price.. thanks Kim! hehe..)


Oral Fixation.

Finally, the new product that Pristine is carrying is called the Oral fixation mints mojito mint!
This product is from the United States and the mint is slightly sourish, minty and refreshing (minus the alcohol!) .. just like a mock mojito. The mint uses sorbital which contains two thirds the calories of sugar, and is not as sweet. It is poorly absorbed by the body, so it does not raise insulin levels as much as sugar. The thing I like most about the mint is that it comes in a really cool, slim container that looks slightly thicker than a business card. Easy to slip into that itsy-bitsy-teeny-weeny handbag, if you ask me.

There are many more Pristine, Yogood products in the market, but these were the few that I particularly liked. With that, I bid you good evening and happy training!

Canton Fare at Solaris

We were invited to Dinner at Canton Fare with our friends L & B. They recently got engaged so, congratulations L&B!

This place goes by the nick "King of Roasts" so we just had to try for ourselves what all the fuss was about. Thanks to L&B, and also C&C (that's us) being bottomless pits when it comes to food, we ended up ordering a total of close to 10 dishes! Incidentally, B and C&C are all taking part in the KL Marathon 2009. If you have not signed up... kindly do so a.s.a.p. online!
Anyway, back to the food, I don't have the time to describe all the dishes but have chosen to highlight a few - the ones that I found worth mentioning.

Firstly, SIEW YOKE! This one matches the Pudu Siew Yoke and we were really impressed. Our only gripe... not enough of a serving! But honestly, that sliver of crackling skin was crunchy without being hard with just the right amount of soft white fat and sweet meat, to give you the shakes.. grrrrr... good! One other thing to note - the food here is not too salty. Hard to find in restaurants these days when cooks are heavy handed with the sodium. Also, according to the manager, they do not use any MSG in their cooking.

My personal favourite of the night was the Pumpkin fried in salted egg (top left photo of the 1st collage). They look like plump french fries - the sweet, almost cloying aroma of the pumpkin laced with salted egg gave me a high not unlike that of which I feel after a long-run. Damn shiok!

The other dish that stood out was the crab meat in egg white that tasted and looked a little like dried out sharksfin soup. That's good - you don't need to eat sharks fin but can enjoy something similar instead;)

Look at the second collage. You will see that the peppercorns they use at Canton Fare are plump and round and imported from China. This deep fried chicken dish in Sechuan Peppers is not for you, if you cannot stomach spicy dishes. The numb that comes whilst eating this dish creeps up on you insidiously.. makes you tear, makes you shift uncomfortably in your seat as you reach for the ice water, but keeps you hankering for more. It's insane. I am addicted to the numb, I am.

The side dish that I particularly liked, that complimented and doused the flames from the burning peppers, is the cherry tomato mustard ball (top left hand corner). The light, sour, tannic edge of the cherry tomato and the pungent mustard, believe it or not, takes away the heat rather effectively. It helps that the balls are ice cold too, of course:P

Finally, we all know the Ginger Tong Yuen right? Well this is the Kwai Fa Soup, Black Sesame Tong Yuen. See the flowers in the soup? This give the dessert are gorgeous, floral undertone, which you do not get with the ginger soup. I personally prefer the bite form the ginger soup version, but I can see why the refreshing Kwai Fa alternative would be a big hit with patrons especially during the really hot spell us KLites are experiencing at the moment.



After dinner, a walk around Solaris. I like this place.. gives me a chance to practice my photo taking skills with the camera Boo lent me.. What do you think? Boleh ah.. Can upgrade ah .. ? :P

THE END.

Add:
Canton Fare,
No.5 Jalan Solaris 4,
Solaris Mt Kiara,
50480 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-6203 0223

For the love of chocolates.. Schokolart

Eventhough I prefer Godiva for their dark, creamy chocolates and truffles, I absolutely DIE for the chocolate artwork at Schokolart. They take creativity i.e. colors, shapes and flavours to new heights!

The handmade swiss chocolates are so mind-bogglingly delicate and beautiful in design that you don't want to eat them.. you just want to stare at them and keep taking pictures.

That's me, doing just that.

The ganache fillings I particularly like, as they are wonderful concoctions of flavours such as Wasabi-Raspberry, Earl-grey tea and even Sechuan Pepper! Unless you eat chocolates here everyday, it will take you an awful long time to get bored!

Add:
Schokolart,
Block K-01-05,
Solaris Mt Kiara,
2 Jalan Solaris,
50480 KL
Tel: 03-6203 0968

Delicious at Dua Annexe

Outside, it's raining and wet and I am stuck in a JAM on Jalan Tun Razak. Just my luck.. this evening I have a run, but looks like due to wet weather conditions, that will be cancelled too.

This is bad. I need something to cheer me up.

I pull into Dua Annexe and things start to look a little brighter. I see a friend and decide that my luck is well and truly improving.
I sit down, we chat, we order the Lamb chops -exquisitely succulent with a zingy mint sauce to dull the gamy taste of the meat, the cod fish - light, oceanic and sweet, and by the time we hit desserts, I have forgotten what a lousy, rainy day it has been.

Digging into my pavlova and carrot cake I am totally over my annoyance at the KL jam and am ready to take on the second half of the day again.

See how a nice meal with a kind friend can turn a day around.

I drive off into the jam again and this tune plays on the radio..

"Things can only get better
Can only get, can only get
They get on from here
You know, I know that
Things can only get better

I sometimes lose myself in me
I lose track of time
And I can't see the world's formed trees
You set them alight, burning the bridges as you go
I'm too weak to fight you
I got my personal health to deal with
And you say

Walk my path
Wear my shoes
Talk like me
I'll be an angel and

Things can only get better
Can only get better
Now I've found you
(That means me)
(Will you teach me now)
Things can only get better
Can only get better
Now I've found you - D:ream"

I agree. I totally agree!

Delicious at Dua Annexe,
Ground Floor,
Jalan Tun Razak
Kuala Lumpur
Tel No: 03 - 2166 2066

Peak-and-Trough

Why Eat Breakfast?
Eating breakfast keeps you thin!

Eating breakfast is a great reason for waking up! hah!

But seriously folks..

Eating first thing in the morning helps to regulate blood glucose (helps control type II diabetes) and reduce cardiovascular disease. A good example of a healthy breakfast might be something simple like eggs (good source of protein and choline), mushrooms (contain anticancer properties, reduce migraine, some even have statin like activity i.e. lower blood cholesterol), brown toasted bread(fiber), an orange(vitamins), and a bowl of whole grain cereal with low fat milk.

Studies show that children who start off mornings with a good hearty breakfast stay out of trouble! Yup, that troublemaker kid is probably starving for food (as much as attention).. Also kids who eat breakfast perform better in exams too. Well, we don't have any kids yet, but considering how hyperactive I was as a tot, believe me.. I will feed my kids plenty!

Eating breakfast keeps you in a good mood, keeps you satiated for longer and improves the memory and mind power. (try playing the Memory Card Game or Scrabulous before breakfast vs. after.. see how well you score:P)

Some people skip breakfast hoping to lose weight but this has the reverse effect. As a matter of fact, skipping breakfast is strongly linked to the development of obesity.

You will end up eating more than usual at the next meal or nibble on high-calorie/sweet/overly salty snacks in between. Several studies show that people stay trim when they eat fewer, larger meals than when they eat the same number of calories in smaller, more frequent meals. So do the reverse of what you think and stay FIT and TRIM!

Lunch.

For me having a high metabolism (as well as being a crazy runner), means I can eat most anything I want without gaining weight. However, this does not mean that pigging out on red meat, burger king and french fries is good for you. Most of the time, opting for a light, low fat lunch actually keeps you alert over the sleepy afternoon period plus keeps your arteries healthy and free from cholesterol deposits. Try noodles or porridge with the least amount of food processing if you can, and see what an energy booster this is, versus that Banana Leaf meal that you had the other day! (ahem,.. i am guilty as charged.. haha)

The peak (eating the banana leaf) feels great.. but then the trough, just means you crash out and feel lousy in the end.

Yup.. everything that goes up, unfortunately, must come down. A linear approach to eating is so much better and your body will thank you for it later :)

Then comes dinner.

BBQs.. good or bad? Well, obviously the answer to that is, it depends on what you place on the BBQ grill. Red meats would obviously contain higher cholesterol levels than white meat. Charring your meat beyond recognition is worse than a light BBQing of the meat. Drenching your meat in vegetable oils is obviously worse than just using the meat's natural oils to cook itself.
Try adding extra virgin olive oil (potent antioxidant and high in monounsaturated fats i.e. effectively reduces risk of coronary heart disease) later to the meat, rather than over processing the oil with heat on the grill.

Whilst we are on the subject, Mayo Clinic (the guru of all health/medical issues if you ask moi) even has a BBQ Chicken Pizza recipe on their website (chicken breast meat and reduced fat mozarella of course !) So, there you go..

Finally, Its not just what you eat, its how you eat it. Eat as much raw foods/fruits, or food in its natural state as possible. No need to overcook or over-process everything. Everything in moderation with a generous amount of exercise thrown in and you won't go wrong. After all, God gave us life (in abundance) that we might enjoy all things.. He also have us legs and arms and a healthy heart which means to say we should be doing more than just sitting on our a** all day long! (God so clever.. he must be a woman :P ... kidding..!)

(Hmmm which reminds me of that song.. get up, get up, get busy, move it.. get up and shake your booty.. or something like that.. haha)

Well, that's my 2 cents/dua sen for the morning..
Enjoy the day.. eat well, eat right, keep fit!

BON MUNCH my friends!

*Footnote 1: shiny, happy, people of the BBQ plus the delicious BBQ meal itself shows photos courtesy of Nigel Skelchy of kampungkayell . Thank you Nigel!

**Footnote 2: Just saw Craving Joe's post on breakfast.. it must be a sign to eat healthy ya'll .. hear? lol..

1st Annual Foodsters' Awards !

The Fried Chillies 1st Annual Foodsters' Awards, and the Foodies' Choice categories up for nominations were:

1. Best Nasi Lemak
2. Best Char Kuey Teow
3. Best Banana Leaf Rice
4. Best Street Burger Stall
5. Best Kopitiam

We were there at the appreciation dinner, at Pannaz Restaurant, Damansara Perdana, and what a night it was!
Here is the photo to prove it..

HERE ARE THE RESULTS!!

Best Nasi Lemak: Village Park, Damansara Utama
Best Kopitiam: Yut Kee, Dang Wangi
Best Banana Leaf: Kanna Curry House
Best Street Burger: Burger Om, Ampang
Best Char Kuey Teow: Aunty Gemuk, Kelana Jaya
Best Roti Canai: Raju’s Jalan Gasing
Best Assam Laksa: Laksa Stall at Restoran O & S
Best Chicken Rice: Hainanese Chicken Rice, Damansara Jaya
Best Satay: Hj. Samuri, Kajang
Best Crabs: Fatty Crab, Taman Mayang

According to the CEO of Fried Chillies, Adly Rizal, this is the TRUE people's choice, as readers were told to submit their votes on which they thought were the best in each class/category.



Adly Rizal hopes that with the awards, Malaysia will magnify their reputation for great food not just at the local level, but more so at the International level, so that foreigners will come to our shores just to partake of our wonderful, diverse and unique food!

Well, cumi & ciki believe that this is a great start! Kudos to FriedChillies for the success of the 1st Annual Foodsters' Awards, and to the winners.. a huge congratulations!

who else wrote on the awards..
CLICK NIC
CLICK LUSCIOUS LEMONGRASS
CLICK FRIEDCHILLIES
CLICK THENOMADGOURMAND

Add:
Pannaz Restaurant,
Damansara Perdana.

Date:
11th April 2009

Time:
7.30 - 10.00pm

THE DEATH OF A RED HOT SIREN!

Our camera is officially DEAD! Not really dead but it doesn't take pictures anymore and shows an error E61:00! Boo-hoo!
Solutions from the web including whacking the camera several times on a semi-hard surface (Yea right.. is that like to make sure it's totally spoilt beyond repair and you need to buy a new one??!) only to find the zoom function working in a haphazard wonky way :(
So dear reader... what camera shall we get to replace this one?
Sony Malaysia doesn't want to sponsor our new camera even-though we take such great shots! hah.

Alamak.. so many functions coming up in the next few days with no camera.. who wants to loan me their camera for the weekend ..? :(

Woe is me and I AM WOE.

La Bodega @ Telawi Bangsar

All out of ideas for Easter and what to bring to that Pot-Luck Party, That Get2gether, That Children's Church Party, That Social event..?

Don't be boring and bring a SALAD.


Be the talk of the town and bring HOT CROSS BUNS - yea, you heard me.. something we sing about in nursery rhymes but have not seen let alone EATEN for the longest time! (buns made with the 100% goodness of sweet potato dough.. what could be more wholesome for a children's party?) You can get your first taste of these buns at SFX Church Jalan Gasing Bake Sale this weekend. (Or just buzz Just Heavenly if you cannot wait till this weekend to taste them!)

and/or better yet.. be every host's dream and bring along....

The VANILLA DREAM
(when was the last time you sank your teeth into a butter cream cake laced with Cointreau.. Creme anglaise, italian meringue, butter .. ! I just died and went to heaven:P)






If you hunger for either of these... click on the ICON! Happy Easter!

The Baker's PAD :
Just Heavenly,
No 47 Jalan Terasek,
Bangsar Baru,
59100 Kuala Lumpur,
Tel; 03-22879866
MAP

or,
Just Heavenly Pleasures
G1.05 & G. 1.06, Epicure
Jalan Medan Setia 1
Bukit Damansara
Kuala Lumpur
MAP

Rub-a-dub-dub! Three men in a tub..

Rub-a-dub-dub! Three men in a tub,
And who do you think were there?
The butcher, the baker, the candlestick maker,
And all of them gone to the fair!



Why of any three men, the butcher the baker, the candlestick maker you may ask...

Was it random? Were they the poet's favourite uncles? Were those the first 3 people the poet saw walking down the Sunday market that fine day he decided to pen this rhyme?

Well, there are many versions to this rhyme but if you ask me I think it's because these 3 represent respectable tradesmen of their time and heads of their respective guilds. Practical men. Respectable men. Men who provide the basic necessities to the common folk such as - food on the table, bread in the stomach and light by which to do work at night.

So, why is it then that butchers are a dying profession..? 2 months ago I watched on TV as Gordon Ramsey went out to the streets of London and asked people “Where do you buy your meat?” and the overwhelming response was ' the supermarket'. I think here in Malaysia, though people still go to the wet market for their meat, the situation is much the same as the UK, where the numbers of butcher going citizens are now lower than say 10 years ago.

I also remember my Ahmah (grandma) in Ipoh going to the local butcher shop with me, when I was very young, but later in life I could not for the life of me, remember her going anymore. Is this due to the convenience of 'one-stop' grocery shopping in the comfort of air-conditioning offered by mega supermarkets? Is it the pampered younger generation preferring not to smell blood and see the gore but instead pick from the dainty, sterile cling-filmed and styrofoam-bottomed pre cut meats that sit on supermarket shelves? Less hassle, less mess, less smelly yes.. but the quality and choice may be inferior to that which is offered by a good butcher.

Is it the cheaper prices of the supermarket proving to be irresistible during these times of economic crisis?

Is it the fear of the butcher himself asking too many questions such as - What section of the pig? "Kei Tor Kun"? (how many kilos?) and you not knowing how to answer (this is ME in a nutshell.. can hardly think fast let alone answer fast in Cantonese.. gulp!). Perfectly cut cuboid meat sitting on refrigerated shelves cannot embarrass you by barking out questions or yelling at you to hurry up and get out of the way of other meat buyers, for sure.

Is it because the butchers themselves want a better life for their children and though the trade that has been past down from their grandfathers, and their grandfather's fathers to them is great and respectable and all, at the end of the day, they would just rather their children grow up with glossy Certs that declare Lawyer, Accountant or Doctor.

Anyway, you may be wondering where I buy my meats.. Hmmm.. well although I look like a 'siew-chair' (prissy lady! hahaha) I actually buy my Pork (and chicken) from the butcher at the wet-market simply because I hate that plasticky, back-of-the-freezer-with-all-the-forgotten-meats smell that comes with supermarket meats. No amount of marinade etc. etc. can mask it.

I love visiting the butcher! They look so manly hacking away at hunks of red meat. (Hunks of hunks .. hahaha:P). They are THE professionals in the meat industry. (Which reminds me of that line my Ahmah use to threaten me with "If you don't study hard, you are going to grow up and marry a Mai Chee Yoke Low (butcher)!" erm.. so what's wrong with that, Ahmah.. ?) The local butcher can supply retail meat with that added value because they know their customers, and best of all they know their meat.

Bottom line the end product tastes nicer from the local butcher, so I really don't mind braving the screaming, jostling, elbowing aunties and even the expletives hurled my way when I cannot cough up the correct chinese words to order in time. Call me crazy but I am the one who carries back the bleeding chopped up meat in plastic bags.. not my other half:P


So here's the Poll. Butcher Meat or Supermarket Meat .. which one do you buy?

What are these men doing..?

What are these men doing.. ?
(all will be revealed in a while:P)

Eishun ki'anu rifs @ Decanter Too

de·cant·er (d-kntr)

A vessel used for decanting, especially a decorative bottle used for serving wine.

a stoppered bottle into which a drink is poured for serving

ox·tail (äks′tāl′)
noun: the tail of an ox, steer, or cow, esp. when skinned and used in soup/stew.

flash (fl' esh)

v. flashed, flash·ing, flash·es

v.intr.

1. To burst forth into or as if into flame.

2. To give off light or be lighted in sudden or intermittent bursts.

3. To appear or occur suddenly

4. To move or proceed rapidly

spic·y (spai' si)

adj. spic·i·er, spic·i·est

1. Having the flavor, aroma, or quality of spice.

2. Piquant; zesty: a spicy tomato sauce.

3. High-spirited; lively.

4. Slightly scandalous; risqué

hand·some (han' shum)

adj. hand·som·er, hand·som·est

1. Pleasing and dignified in form or appearance.

2. Generous or copious.

3. Appropriate or fitting.

4. Large.

de·li·cious (di-lishus)
adj.

1. Highly pleasing or agreeable to the senses, especially of taste or smell.

2. Very pleasant; delightful.

Asian Keanu Reeves ( ei-shun ki'anu rifs)
1. actor, born September 2 1964 in Beirut, Lebanon, and raised in Canada.
2. Well known for playing Neo in the action film trilogy The Matrix.
3. heart-breaker/hunk.

des·sert (di-zûrt)
1. A usually sweet course or dish, as of fruit, ice cream, or pastry, served at the end of a meal.

sa·ti·ate (say-tee' ated)

tr.v. sa·ti·at·ed, sa·ti·at·ing, sa·ti·ates

1. To meet expectations (an appetite or desire) fully.

2. To satisfy to excess.

Decanter, more famously known for being a pub, is now changing its concept to restaurant. The main improvements they have made (other than having a young, good-looking keanu reeves look-alike manager ahem..) include no smoking indoors till after 10pm(i.e. after dining, so other non smoking customers can enjoy their dinner properly and not leave the place smelling smoky), upgrading their chef and food and revamping their style so that more executives will drop by and have a great chill-out 'makan-spot' for both lunch and dinner.. and finally, the best part is that alongside all these improvements, their prices are really reasonable. So , there you go. Check it out today! For more info, click here.For a map, click here.

*definitions courtesy of thefreedictionarydotcom.

Virtual Insanity: High times at Sepang F1 with Jamiroquai?

WE like music

we like a party
we like pyrotechnics
we like a well organised event
we like a kick-a$ soundsystem
we like JAMIROQUAI

BUT

we have no interest in Formula 1

except
maybe the lego version.


We need a Little L from
YOU THE VISITOR
IF
its worth PAYING
RM100 per pax for the post party?

Will the party be a real Canned Heat from Jamiroquai or just a mere marketing gimmick to sell more tickets?
Will the space cowboy perform with his band or over a minus one tape?
Do they really still use minus one tapes??!
Will he really perform his slick songs and dance jigs from 8pm till past midnight or will he be whisked away after a short performance to another post party by his sponsors to mingle with the high society who probably have little to no knowledge of his music?
Will we be invited to this party?

How now lembu-lembu coklat asli?
(please let us know your thoughts and post a comment)

This is an Emergency on Planet Earth.

Sepang F1 is happening 3rd - 5th April 2009.