Okonomiyaki - Japanese Noodle Pancake

I was browsing through my collection of photos when I realised that I've taken lots of photos of food that I've never wrote about due to laziness -- laziness to process my thoughts into words (I think in pictures, not words). When I first started blogging, I had verbal diarrhea. But until recently, I've been verbally constipated.


There are many good places we've been to, but I can only remember a handful of them (the names of the food). One of them is okonomiyaki.

Supreme set (2 pax) RM35.90

For the uninitiated, okonomiyaki is a savoury Japanese noodle pancake. It is comprised of a base made of batter, topped with shredded cabbage, bacon strips (or any choice of meat or fungus) and "covered" with a fried egg. Before serving, a dark, thick sauce is spread over it, and salt, pepper and chopped parsley is sprinkled.

The set we ordered came with one bacon okonomiyaki, four slices of grilled salmon and a plate of octopus. Yummy. One of my favourite Japanese food, next to sashimi and cawanmushi.

Original Okonomiyaki Hiroshima Style

Daimon

Lower ground floor, Low Yat Plaza

Jalan Bukit Bintang

Kuala Lumpur

Restoran Mei Gai Hup @ Jalan Ambong Kiri 1, Kepong

Many of our Saturday nights are spent with friends, and yesterday was no different, even though it was my birthday. Tony had called, and it was our turn to suggest a new place to go to.  Out of ideas, hubby searched the internet for places we've never been to, and came across this restaurant which had been interviewed by various media. 


Although we've passed by this restaurant umpteen times, we've never stepped foot inside the premises. The menu is in Chinese, and none of us could read Chinese to save our own lives. But armed with recommended dishes by the media, we were finally brave enough to venture into  a restaurant where they expect their customers to be Chinese-literate.


One of the recommended dishes was Siew Haw Kuat (RM15), their signature dish. Literally translated, Siew Haw Kuat means Smilling Thick Rib.

Except for the sauce, this dish is similar to the barbecued honey spare ribs prepared by chefs from Hong Kong in Bournemouth, England. Why do I bring up a Chinese restaurant in Bournemouth, of all places, as comparison? Well, the best grilled spare ribs I've ever had in my entire life happened to be in Bournemouth (pronounced as born-mirth), a beach town in Dorset, and that has become the benchmark I use when it comes to grilled or barbecued spare ribs.


It has that lovely combination of honey with Worcestershire sauce flavour, and is so tender and succulent, yet with a crisply edge, that I actually picked up the rib and gnawed the bits and pieces to the bone, like a dog (or should I say bitch, since I'm female?!). It was a good thing I had some wet tissue with me, or I'd have been a sight to behold, with the lower part of my face smeared with the caramel.  


Another recommended dish was their homemade tofu with minced meat sauce (RM10), steamed in a bamboo steamer. The tofu is excellent, very smooth, but the minced meat sauce is nothing extraordinary. It tastes like bolognaise sauce made of pork instead of beef.

While perusing their menu, which we didn't understand a word, a photo drew my attention. It looked like something we've never eaten before, so after consulting Tony & hubby, I ordered it. Don't ask me what the dish is called, but it is some melon with mushrooms, green bell peppers, carrots, baby corns and small, square bits of pork (RM15). It tasted as good as it looked.

We also ordered a bowl of shark's fin soup (RM8) each. And before animal activists scream murder, it's not the real deal. It's what the Chinese would call fake shark's fin, or what my hubby likes to call, the poor man's shark's fin. The taste? Not too bad, for the price. We didn't pay RM24 for a bowl, so our expectations weren't high.

The total damage was RM71.20, including 5 bowls of rice and a pot of Chinese tea for 3. Thank you, Tony, for the birthday dinner!!  :)

Pakistani Food @ UK-Asia, Bukit Bintang

Ever wondered where our Pakistani immigrant workers (legal or otherwise) go to for their food? The ubiquitous Mamak (Indian Muslim) food? No. According to the Pakistanis in Cyberjaya (they're on the Malaysia My 2nd Home program), the Indian Muslim food in Malaysia is too spicy and overwhelming in its taste. Pakistani food is more subtle and mild. 


So, where would they go to, if they wish to eat food that is similar to what they normally eat in Pakistan? They told hubby that there are a few Pakistani & North Indian restaurants in Jalan Bukit Bintang which they go to. They mentioned UK-Asia as one of the more authentic Pakistani restaurant.


So, last Sunday, we braved the traffic to Bukit Bintang to try some authentic Pakistani food. UK-Asia is a nondescript little shop set not far from the Bukit Bintang Plaza, on the opposite side of the road. It serves what we call "mixed rice" or "economy rice' in Malaysia. But the price is certainly not your run of the mill economy rice price.


I had pilaf rice, a spoonful of cucumber & tomato salad, spinach curry, chick peas, spicy fried lady's fingers and a piece of fried mackerel. The price came to RM9.50. For drinks, I ordered a glass of banana lassi which was RM6.90. 

Hubby took pilaf rice, spinach curry, chick peas, mutton curry and I don't remember what else as he had walloped most of his food by the time I went to join him at the table. He does tend to eat like a war is about to break out any second, and no amount of reminding him to chew his food before swallowing does any good.....so no photos of hubby's lunch and naturally, I don't remember how much his food was.


Our verdict? It's fork-and-spoon-licking good. A place I'd definitely want to go back to again and again!!

A Diary Entry of A Trip To Penang

Dear friends and readers,


The post below is meant as a diary entry for myself, to serve as a reference on where to stay, where and what to eat in Penang as I don't trust myself to remember these details when I next make a trip to the island again. And I do so want to go to those same places and eat those same things again.


As such, I have not taken care with the sentence structure, nor attempt to make it interesting. So, if you find it dull and boring to read, my sincerest apologies. This is merely a diary entry, and well, a diary entry is never terribly interesting to anyone else but its writer, is it?  :)


---------------------------------
Penang - 16th to 18th February 2010


We went to Penang on the third day of Chinese New Year.  The road was smooth from KL to Penang, but not so on the other side. Traffic was at a standstill jam for those travelling from the North to KL.


We stayed at Flamingo By The Beach, formerly known as Crown Prince. It's next to Sandy Bay Paradise at Tanjung Bungah. For those who love the beach and water sports, Flamingo is highly recommended. 


The water sports available there are:


1) Water jet ski - RM60 for 15 minutes
2) Paragliding - RM120 for 5 minutes


And the hotel facilities include a jacuzzi & spa besides the regular swimming pool. 

Hotel entrance at night

Hotel lobby

Hotel room with a balcony that looks out to the sea and hill

The pool 

The jacuzzi and pool bar

RapidTransit bus #101 stops right in front of the hotel, at 10 to 15 minutes' interval. It travels between Teluk Bahang and Jetty. A ride from the hotel to Batu Ferringhi is RM1.40 per pax. The last bus back to the hotel leaves at 11:15pm from Teluk Bahang.


Batu Ferringhi Food Court
We enjoyed the hokkien mee (Penang Prawn Mee), Ee Fu Mee, grilled fish and home-made spring rolls (it's served fried with a dipping sauce). Opens at night.


Song River, Gurney Drive
Not to be missed is the otak-otak, fried oysters and chee cheong fun. The fried koay teow is not too bad either. Opens at night.


A coffee shop @ Pulau Tikus (directly opposite the police station, next to Kedai Kopi Kwai Lock)
The mee goreng and fried koay teow is excellent. Hubby ordered the assam laksa which he enjoyed as it was not too sour. And the coffee, in hubby's opinion, is excellent. I ordered some strange drink which I don't remember its name or its taste. I called it "The Forgettable Drink". Opens for breakfast & lunch.


Another coffee shop @ Pulau Tikus (behind Kedai Kopi Kwai Lock)
The curry mee here is one of the best I've ever tasted. The mee goreng is horrid, one of the worst I've ever had. Opens for breakfast & lunch.


Coffee shop @ Tanjung Bungah (behind CIMB Bank & Maxim's, next to the market)
We've never failed to return to this nondescript little coffee shop each time we're in Penang for its wantan mee (dry version) and curry mee. It's probably one of the few remaining places in Penang where a plate or bowl of noodles is RM2.50.


What we'd like to try, but never succeeded, is their hokkien mee. It's always sold out when we're there. I'm sure it must be very good, as people just queue up to order it. Opens only for breakfast.

Where To Eat @ Cameron Highlands

NB: This is the 4th installment of my Sojourn in Cameron Highlands

Part 1: Sojourn in Cameron Highlands

Part 2: Hotel Cassa dela Rosa

Part 3: Time Tunnel @ Cameron Highlands

-------------------------------

The thing I love most about the British, besides their wry humour, is their tea and scones. The best scones I've ever had was in the Isle of Wight. The cream, the strawberries, and the lightness of the scones were just yummy. 

I've missed that, and the nearest "duplicate" I could find is in Cameron Highlands. When the British left Malaya, as Malaysia was called then, they left behind their tea and scones legacy. Whenever I'm in Cameron Highlands, I never fail to pop in at T-Cafe, above MarryBrown at Tanah Rata for my cream scones every afternoon. 

This time round, I decided to check out another place, Cameronian Inn, which I came across while surfing around for new things to do or see in Cameron Highlands. It was touted as having the best scone in the highlands. 

Unfortunately, we went there 3 times, and all 3 times, they didn't have scones. So, T-Cafe it is. We've tried scones at Bala Chalet and Smokehouse before, and they aren't worth their price. Both places charge RM12.50 per person for a set which comes with 2 scones, cream, strawberry jam, and tea. 

T-Cafe, on the other hand, charges only RM2.50 for one scone with cream, butter and strawberry jam. Tea is RM2.50. 

Incidentally, we saw a notice at T-Cafe announcing their soon to change name. T-Cafe will be known as The Lord's Cafe.

Ok, enough of my obsession with cream scones. Let's proceed to solid meals. One of the restaurants that serve decent Chinese food is You Hoo Restaurant at Brinchang. It's located at the former pasar malam site. We ordered their specialty, Indonesian Fish Curry, Spicy-fried Asparagus Beans and Steamed Eggs Three Kings. The total meal came to RM36 for two.

Indonesian Fish Curry

Spicy-fried Asparagus Beans

Steamed Eggs Three Kings

One other reasonably priced restaurant, recommended by a local cafe proprietor, is Yeong Wah Restaurant in Brinchang. It is behind the Star Regency Hotel. According to this local lady, Brinchang is notorious for over-priced food, and one should ask the price of a dish before placing an order. However, she added, this Yeong Wah is honest and would not rip off their customers. 

We ordered Drunken Prawns, Special Fried Noodles and Kai Lan in Oyster Sauce, all of which came to RM35.60 for two.

Drunken Prawns

Special Fried Noodles

Kai Lan in Oyster Sauce

On the day we return to KL, we stopped at Man Fatt Restaurant for Bak Kut Teh Mee. Man Fatt is located at the foothill of Cameron Highlands, just opposite the Simpang Pulai police station. If you were coming down  from Cameron Highlands, at the foothill, there's a traffic lights cross junction. Turn right, and the shop is on your left. 

Bak Kut Teh Mee

Related topics:

The Best Scones in Cameron Highlands

Charcoal Steamboat @ Restaurant Kwan Kee

Jasmine Cafe @ Tanah Rata

The Best Pan Mee in KL City Centre

There are two pan mee (hand made flour noodles) shops which are my favourite. One of them is in Taman Berkeley, Klang. It is, however, far from where I live, and the wait for your order is at least an hour long.

The other is in KL City Centre, located at Jalan Dewan Sultan Sulaiman 1, in Chow Kit. Their specialty is the dry version. The noodle comes with a poached egg which you are supposed to break and mix into the noodles for that smooth, and yet "bouncy" texture.

The noodle with the poached egg

Sprinkle their special home-made chilli flakes onto it

Break the egg and mix well into the noodles

Mind you, the wait is just as long as the shop in Taman Berkeley, so it's best to go before you start feeling hungry.

Dry Bah Kut Teh @ Equine Park

To my knowledge, there are only two places that serve the dry version of bah kut teh (if you know otherwise, please share by leaving a comment). One is at Taman Kok Lian, Jalan Ipoh whle the other is Restoran Yap Beng at Equine Park (the shoplots opposite Jusco), Sri Kembangan.

For me, personally, I prefer the latter. The one at Taman Kok Lian tastes more like the kong poh dish.

The dry bah kut teh at Restoran Yap Beng is accompanied by a small bowl of bah kut teh soup, which is refillable. Not bad, for something that is less than RM30 for two (with a veg dish).

Restoran Yap Beng is next to 7-11, and diagonally opposite Baby Pets

A basket of tea for the patrons to choose from

The dry bah kut teh

I don't think anyone is interested what vegetable we ordered, so I'll spare you the details and photo. :)

Ipoh Hor Fun At Jalan Tong Shin Is Relocating

The Ipoh Hor Fun (Koay Teow Soup Ipoh style) at the corner of Jalan Tong Shin - Tingkat Tong Shin junction will be relocating to Restaurant Pau Kee, No. 10, Jalan Utara, off Jalan Imbi, 55100 Kuala Lumpur end of June.

Last Sunday, we went to this shop for lunch. Despite the myriad of Ipoh Hor Fun stalls sprouting up all over KL, this shop remains our favourite and serves the most authentic Ipoh Hor Fun, complete with a bit of red chilli oil in the soup. 

According to the proprietor, the coffee shop will be turned into a travel agency in July. They will be moving to Imbi, behind the Honda Showroom, come end of next month. 

View Ipoh Hor Fun in a larger map

I hope the new location will have better parking facilities. 

British Chinatown Food in KL.....Or Not

A few nights ago hubby came home and said, "There's a restaurant, Four Seasons, that says it's the British Chinatown food. Do you want to go there for dinner this Saturday (yesterday)?"

British Chinatown food?? Wow!! That is music to my ears.

For the uninitiated, the food in Chinatown London is authentic Hong Kong food, cooked by Hong Kong chefs. Images of Beef Tomato Rice, Beef Egg Rice, Beef Dry Hor Fun (nearly all Hong Kong food contains beef), Hot & Sour soup (it's different from our local version), Roast Duck with pancakes, all flooded into my mind. I could not stop drooling and dreaming. There is not a single Chinese restaurant in KL that could produce those Hong Kong dishes, not even places like Char Chan Teng or Kim Gary that claimed to be Hong Kong food.

Hubby called his old buddy, TC, who had also stayed in London for a couple of years before. He was equally as enthusiastic. Saturday finally arrived and we drove there full of enthusiasm and anticipation. 

This is it! Four Seasons is located at CapSquare, Persiaran Capital Square, near Jalan Munshyi Abdullah. The place is not crowded, for a Saturday night.

Upon being seated and handed our menu, all of us immediately noticed one glaring thing. The items in the menu are all LOCAL food!!!!! "Where is my Beef Tomato Rice?" TC & I both asked simultaneously. "Where is my Beef Egg Rice?" hubby asked. 

The waiter, who was very patient and helpful, explained that Malaysians want local food. Huh? He recommended that I try their Fried Hor Fun Beef in Black Bean Sauce. I acquiesced since the only thing I really wanted was Beef Tomato Rice which is not on the menu. Hubby asked if they could modify their Braised Beef Egg Gravy Rice into Fried Beef Egg Rice them to fry the egg with the beef and serve it with rice instead of their Braised Beef Egg Gravy Rice. TC settled for Steamed Beef Brisket Soup Noodles. We ordered a quarter roast duck to share. 

After we placed our orders, I reached for their feedback form on the table. I couldn't wait to make known my disappointment to the management!

One side of the feedback form

The other side of the feedback form

Braised Beef Egg Gravy Rice. RM12.80 Waiter, where's the gravy? 

Oops, sorry.....this is hubby's modified Beef Egg Rice. 

Fried Hor Fun Beef in Black Bean Sauce - RM12.80

Steamed Beef Brisket Soup Noodles - RM12.00

A quarter roast duck - RM15

Unlike their sister outlets in Bayswater  and Gerrard Street in London, this outlet in KL does not serve pancakes with roast duck.

Hubby enjoyed his meal. He said it's the closest thing available locally to what he got in Chinatown Toronto. TC did not enjoy his beef brisket noodles as much. He said the beef brisket noodles in Crystal Jade, MidValley is much better. As for me, the sauce is good, but it would have been better on rice instead of hor fun (koay teow). The Hong Kong chefs in Chinatown London would have known that.

Overall, the service is excellent. The waiters are attentive and helpful, and our orders were served before we had even warmed our seats. However, the price is exorbitant. What we had ordered were cheap Chinese food, ordered by students on limited budget, but here, they are priced as cuisine food. Definitley not value for money.

Blackie: That is your punishment for freaking me out with a Doraemon cake!!! 

Wong Kok Char Chan Teng @ Brem Mall, Kepong

This franchise eatery chain from Hong Kong is gaining prominence in KL, with more and more outlets sprouting up. We have tried their food at SS2 and MidValley before, but were not too impressed with the quality. Maybe it's because we ordered the fusion food from their menu.

Anyway, last night, at Brem Mall (a relatively new shopping mall in Kepong), we decided to try their more 'traditional' food. Hubby ordered Tian Jin Pan Fried Egg with Ramen. It is a dish of ramen covered by a thin omelette, cooked in abalone sauce. Well, I think it is abalone sauce, so don't sue me if I got it wrong, ok?  

Tian Jin Pan Fried Egg with Ramen - RM9.80

Hubby enjoyed every single strand and drop of it. I like soupy stuff, so hubby suggested that I try the Rice in Superior Soup with Minced Meat and Dried Oysters. 

I wasn't in the mood for porridge, so we sent the waitress into the kitchen to check whether the broth texture is more porridge-like or rice-like. The waitress returned to confirm that it is rice that is cooked separately and then added into the soup. Hmm....sounds interesting, so I ordered that.

Rice in Superior Soup wtih Minced Meat & Dried Oysters - RM9.60

There were lots of mushrooms, minced pork, tong chai, salted fish and 4 large pieces of dried oysters. Yummy. *slurp* The portion was huge, despite the deceiving look of a half-full bowl that arrived at our table. I had to get hubby to help finish it.

Spaghetti Chilli Con Carne

The last time I cooked spaghetti chilli con carne was when I lived in England. Yes, that long ago. So, for some reason, last night I suddenly decided to cook chilli con carne for dinner. 

My hubby's comment was, "Are you sure you know how to cook Chilli Con Carne?" You see, despite our having been married for five years, I've never cooked the dish for him before.

Now, let me jot down the ingredients before I forget....yeah, hubby and mummy loved it, so I have to cook this again in the future.

Ingredients:

1 canned tomato, (cube the tomatoes) 

1 canned Tesco chilli beans (red kidney beans)

MInced beef

1 yellow onion, minced

3 or 4 cloves or garlic, minced

4 fresh tomatoes, cubed

1 red capsicum, or red pepper

Seasonings:

2 teaspoons Cajun Spice 

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon chilli flakes 

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon sherry (or chinese rice wine if you don't have sherry)

2 tablespoons tomato ketchup

salt to taste

Chilli con carne goes well with spaghetti or rice. We ate it with spaghetti last night, and today, I ate the leftovers with plain, white rice. Yum-yum... :)~~~

Eating From Toilet Bowls

On Monday, it rained all day and night. Unable to hang out at the beach or Gurney Drive, we decided to check out Queensbay Mall, the biggest shopping mall in Penang. 

It is located at Bayan Lepas and is as big as MidValley MegaMall. The design is a bit similar, too, with the North Court, Centre Court and South Court. The anchor tenant is none other than the ubiquitious Jusco, while the usual big names that you find in KL make up the rest of the tenants.

But tucked away in a corner on the third floor, is a novel restaurant that you don't find in KL. Its T-Bowl, the "T" representing "Toilet". No, I'm not joking. This is the restaurant where you can poo right where you sit without having to go to the bathroom. 

The seats are real toilet bowls, and the tables are wash basins and bath tubs, albeit covered with a piece of glass. The proprietors even installed shower heads and shower curtains, to give you the ambience of eating inside a bathroom! And....the food is served in toilet bowls!!!

Patrons sitting on the toilet bowls eating from toilet bowls

The toilet bowl with the pink cover has a picture of a pile of poop

I opened two of the seats to check the cleanliness of the toilet. 

Note the shower heads on the wall.

And the food served in toilet bowls......

Hubby ordered baked cheese rice with fish fillet (RM13.90) while I ordered baked cheese rice with curry seafood (RM14.90). And the verdict? Yummy......(slurpppp)

Indinine Restaurant at Jaya 33

Last night, our friend TC was up in the clouds again. But unfortunately, due to my insomniac vampiric activities the past few nights, I was too tired to stay up till 4am for another night.

Instead, hubby and I decided to go to Wendy's for a charbroiled burger. He thought there's an outlet at Jaya 33, Section 14 PJ, which is nearer to our home than the outlet we know at Sunway.

However, when we arrived at Jaya 33, we could not find Wendy's. Hubby asked the guards, who told us that Wendy's is at Jaya 1, Section 17. To a sleep-deprived person, the idea of having to be on the road again wasn't too appealing. 

I opted, instead, to try one of the restaurants there. Hubby wanted to eat at Subway (yeah, he has a penchant for junk food), but a tiny, empty Italian restaurant, called Indinine had caught my eye. I liked the deco, and the long sofas looked really comfy. Hubby was a bit reluctant as not only were there no customers, there wasn't a single staff around.

Undeterred, I walked towards the kitchen and hollered, "Is this place open for business?" A voice hollered back, "Yes". Hmmm.....we are such a polite society.

Choosing the two most comfortable sofas, we settled down. A waiter came out, passed the menu to us, and said, "This is a vegetarian restaurant". My carnivorous hubby immediately stood up to leave. Voicing my wish to eat there, I asked him to take a look at the interesting selections on the menu.

Five minutes later, we ordered:-

- two bowls of wild mushroom soup

- a potato salad

- a bruschetta (french bread toasted with a layer of tomato sauce, topped with fresh tomatoes, olives, parsley and goat cheese)

- a linguinie pesto con funghi

The food arrived in quick order. And surprisingly, everything tasted very good. They had that fresh from the farm taste. And the linguinie in pesto sauce had lots of pine nuts in it. Yummy.....even my hubby was pleasantly surprised and full of praises. 

And the damage? At RM42.90, it's a bit more than what we would normally spend for just the two of us, but there are not that many good quality Italian restaurants in this price range. So, my overall opinion is, it is value for money.

Ikea Serves Horrid Meatballs Now

After looking at Cazz's cat balls and reading of Lupie's balls in tupperwares, I had a sudden craving for Ikea's Swedish meatballs. So off I went to Ikea with my hubby in tow. Yes, my hubby works in Selangor and so it's a public holiday for him today.

I think everybody in town must have the same idea, or all the eateries in town are closed today and they have nowhere else to go. The line at Ikea's cafetaria was a mile long, despite it being already 2pm. And for once, surprisingly, my hubby was rather patient and did not grumble at the long wait. Maybe he was in need of some balls, too?  ;)

At long last, just before my legs gave way, we got to sit down and chomp on the balls. Eeek!!! Why does it taste different? I cut up 1 ball into half to take a closer look. Oh man, instead of the regular meatballs that I'm used to, Ikea has now chosen to make Malaysian local meatballs.....balls made primarily of flour (those fish balls like bouncy texture). It's no longer minced beef shaped and formed into balls.

We felt so ripped off. Ikea has not only lowered the standard and quality of their food, they have also raised their price from RM8.90 to RM10. Shame on you, Ikea.

Mashed Potato

Hmm.......all this talk of potatoes, mashed potatoes, fries, curry with potatoes are making me hungry. I think I'll make some mashed potato today. I just bought some nice potatoes from the market in Kepong this morning, by the way.

Lupie, this is specially for you.... :D

Ok, let's gather all the ingredients. As the recipe is my own, and I kept adding and stirring without pre-measuring the ingredients, you'll have to adjust the measurements by adding a bit at a time until you get the flavour you like. I like it really soft and smooth with a buttery flavour so I do use quite a bit of milk and butter.

5 potatoes

Fresh milk (warmed it slightly first)

Butter

A pinch of salt

Method:

1. Bring water to a boil,  with a bit of salt in it to bring it to a higer temperature.

2. Add potatoes and boil for about 20 minutes till soft.

3. Drain the potatoes.

4. Mash the potatoes with butter and fresh milk.

5. Add a pinch of salt to give it a fuller flavour.

If you don't have ready fresh milk, you can substitute with powdered milk. I've done that before.

Salted Egg Prawns at Fu Lai

Last night, my hubby and I went out for dinner with a friend who wanted to take us to Fu Lai, a restaurant in Puchong Jaya (the old phase) for what he described as the best salted egg prawns he has ever had in KL.

So off we trudged to Puchong, a place I am not too familiar with. The shop is located off Jalan Puchong (on the right hand side if you're coming from KL), and is next to the Petronas station.

There, we ordered the much acclaimed salted egg prawns, a spinach soup, one kau yok (pork with yam) and one of their specially home made tofu dish. They were all yummy, especially the salted egg prawns. It wasn't too expensive either, as the total bill came up to RM68. Definitely worth the trip there.

What's For Dinner Tonight?

This is the question my hubby asks each time he calls. Not, "how are you" or "I love you", but......"What's for dinner tonight?".

Well, considering we've blown our budget on that teriyaki salmon, I guess it's going to be another poor man's meal tonight.

Taking a leaf from a reader here who calls himself "Tom" (is there a "Jerry" here, too?), I'm going to cook something with tomatoes and chillies. It's my version of the ubiquitous Penang Mee Goreng, well, Spaghetti Goreng, anyway.

My recipe yields 3 portions - my mummy likes it too, so I have to cook her share as well.

Ingredients:
320g of spaghetti (pre-boiled in boiling water with some salt & oil in it, then drain when cooked)
1 tomato, cut into wedges
1 potato, cut into small cubes
A few stalks of long beans, cut length-wise
5 shallots, minced
5 cloves of garlic, minced

Sauce (combined):
3 tablespoons tomato ketchup
1-1/2 tablespoon chilli paste
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ikan bilis stock granules (the one without MSG added)
1 tablespoon light soya sauce
1/2 cup water

Method:
1. Heat oil in wok. Then fry potatoes until golden. Remove and set aside.
2. Fry garlic and shallots until golden.
3. Add the long beans and stir for a while.
4. Pour in the sauce and mix well. If you like your long beans soft, like I do, cover the wok at this stage and simmer for about 5 minutes. Alternatively, you may pre-steam the beans first.
5. Add in the tomatoes and fry till they are slightly soft.
6. Pour in the drained spaghetti and potatoes.
7. Mix well, and when sauce has been absorbed by the spaghetti, it's ready to be served.

Yum-yum. Another delicious poor man's meal. Meowwwww.

A Poor Man's Meal

Well, after that Teriyaki Salmon meal in my earlier post, I need to cook a poor man's meal to balance the budget so that our groceries bill remain the same despite the price hikes.

So, what constitutes a poor man's meal, or in this case, a poor woman's? Something that uses as little ingredients as possible, and uses only the very cheap ones. It is none other than the ubiquitous Economy Fried Beehoon.

Here's my version of it (I'll try to be as accurate in the measurements as possible). Recipe yields 2 portions.

Ingredients:
200g beehoon, pre-soaked in water until soft
A few leaves of cabbage, cut into squares
1/4 carrot, cut into strips
5 cloves garlic, minced
5 shallots, minced

Sauce (combined):
1 cup water (or thereabouts)
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/3 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon ikan bilis stock granules (anchovies stock granules)
2 tablespoons light soya sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon dark soya sauce

Method:
1. Heat wok until hot. Then add oil and fry the garlic and shallots until golden and fragrant.
2. Add the cabbage and carrots. Fry until cabbage is cooked.
3. Pour in the combined sauce and bring to a boil.
4. Add beehoon, gently turning over repeatedly, making sure all the beehoon is covered by the sauce.
5. When all the sauce has seeped into the beehoon, give it a few quick tosses, and beehoon is ready to serve.

Enjoy...........

My Version of Salmon Teriyaki

Went to Jusco yesterday to get some fish. I was shocked to see that the price of red snapper fillet has been raised yet again. It's now RM33.90 a kg. I selected 2 small fillets and had them weighed. Imagine my horror when the Jusco staff handed it back to me with a price tag showing RM16.99. I might as well buy 2 salmon fillets for that price!!

Looks like it's going to be salmon teriyaki for dinner. It's the only way I know how to cook salmon fillets, by the way.

Marinade it for at least 2 hours in the fridge with:-
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
A sprinkle of paprika powder
2 tablespoons of Kikoman Teriyaki Sauce (original flavour)
2 tablespoons light soya sauce
1 teaspoon lime or lemon juice, whichever I have in the fridge
1.5 teaspoon sesame oil
(combine the marinade well, and rub it on the salmon fillets)

To cook, heat a frying pan or wok, and pour the salmon and marinade into it. No oil used for frying a fish?! Well, I'm one of those who are quite health conscious, so I avoid using oil where possible.

I like a bit of gravy on my rice, and so do my hubby and mummy. This means I need quite a bit of gravy to go round, which the recipe above does not yield.

To make extra gravy, just make an additional portion of the marinade above, and add some water to reduce the saltiness. Remove the fillets from the frying pan, then heat up the gravy. When it's heated through, pour it on the fillets.

Yum-yum!!! Pat-pat myself on my shoulder.

Phew! At last!!!

At long last, I am posting in my blog!! Yeah, yeah, big deal, there are zillions of blogs out there, you say. But are you aware that to get started is the hardest? I created this blog eons ago, and had no idea what to write!!

I am just an ordinary, dispensable speck of life on this planet. I need inspiration from an ordinary being like me. And now, at last, I got that much-awaited inspiration.

And the credit goes to Bina, a member from http://www.kitten.com.my/forum who keeps a very interesting blog at http://sillylupie.blogspot.com. Thanks, Bina, for the inspiration. I owe you one.