Tuesday, June 3, 2014

Eastern & Oriental Hotel - Premium Suite, Penang

Quite an action packed, full of activity previous day (Ixora HotelFlamingo HotelAyer Hitam Asam Laksa & Kek Lok Si Temple), next day after lunching in Karaikudi Restaurant, family decided to part. In fact, all of them returned to Kuala Lumpur, whereas, we decided to extend our stay in Penang. Huh-huh! Joy to my travel venture, my other half-half literally couldn't say no when I slyly insisted that we stayed on. He also I think was trapped in our marriage love trap because he gave in, again, to our stay in Eastern & Oriental Hotel. Joy on this day, I have always wanted to experience a stay in this, one of the best among the rest, well known and back then to those years hotel (Rasa Sayang Hotel). No booking whatsoever, at an ad-hoc basis, we tried our luck. We were actually only keen in a normal room, but since, we could get none, we agreed for the premium suite. Premium suite? Yes, believe me. So excited I was, not always, akin lottery stuck, of course, with my other half-half's hard earned money, while he sorted out payment and our particulars, we were served the punchy, fruity and extremely delicious juice. Wow! Honestly, the first quench into this juice was proven. I made sure I finished off every drop, thereafter, we were ushered to our suite by the butler.  

Saturday, May 31, 2014

Nyonya Acar Fish

Nyonya (Nyonya Mee Siam & Ayam Pongteh) and Acar (Aam ka Achaar & Penang Acar) and Fish (Indonesian Grilled Fish & Malaysian Fish Head Curry). Like a rhyme and rhythm especially for me and I just so somewhat love sour notes. Whichever and however, sourness is something I can't give up no matter what (Cambodian Sour Fish Soup) and this Nyonya Acar Fish? A splatter on our taste buds. In fact, can rekindle your appetite and of course you need a plate of rice. Nyonya Acar Fish made from the quintessential and like must have ingredients for Nyonya cooking or even for our other savory dishes, made ahead and stored in the fridge and the next course of action of course is tucking in during your daily meals.

Friday, May 30, 2014

Coffee Lane Cafe - Georgetown (Penang)

An impromptu visit to Penang, don't ask me why, what and how. Please don't. Its a long story I don't want to dwell upon. Gonna be rather complicated, I am sure won't make sense to you as well. So, skip, lets skip the reason to Penang, let me speak on this dining experience in Coffee Lane Cafe. Accompanied by my cousin, he, in fact is the one who suggested Coffee Lane Cafe he has visited, maybe, lets say two or three times. I of course was extremely keen, why not? Sounded like my kind of food love, we parked, oh god, parking is quite a thing in Georgetown. Blame it on the usual hustle and bustle, rapid development and Georgetown by itself is a major tourism parade and paradise. We managed, we parked, not really close, within a 5 minutes walking distance, prior to crossing the junction for the entry to Coffee Lane Cafe.

Sunday, May 25, 2014

Lemon Bars

Made once before but it headed to almost to disaster. Not to say couldn't be eaten, but I personally didn't like how the pictures of the previous lemon bars.  So, I deleted the recipe after leaving it uploaded in this space of mine for a year. Not at all regrettable because when I decided to make Lemon Bars again, I already knew it. Which and what ingredients and also keeping the oven temperature in control for the birth of these Lemon Bars. Lemons of course, tell me about it? Scent and their tanginess and tartness (Lemon Cashew Rice &  Baked Lemon Chicken). Oh my, I can feel my tongue being tickled right now, and pretty much lemons jiving and dancing well in savory and sweet pleasures (Lemon Cream Pie & Lemon Buttermilk Cake). Naturally then, do we have say anything else when these Lemon Bars are a concern? Oh-my-my. Simply the melting and crumbling moment. The moment you daintily bite in and the scent of lemon an ultimate dessert time (Nescafe Ice Cream, Classic Genoise, Mandarin Orange Cake, Saffron Poached Pears & Chocolate Cheesecake).

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Mixed Vegetable Soup

And so like they say, if you really can't conclude what to cook for the day (Moroccan Pea Soup, Kashmiri Vegetable SoupKenchin Jiru/Japanese Vegetable Soup, Moo Gook/Korean Radish Soup & Caldo Verde/Portuguese Potato Soup) and you also want to clear your fridge, plus the weather is chilling your bones, what else can be a new story in our kitchen? Wouldn't you agree it should potentially be a soup story? A soup as well (Thai Tomato SoupVegetarian Mulligatawny Soup & Chinese Tofu Soup), for also, like I have already said, for saving all the vegetables in the fridge before they permanently bid bye-bye? Such a waste right? Throwing away ingredients? As if you are throwing away money as well? Of course (Old Cucumber Soup, Burdock Root Soup, Winter Melon Soup & Turmeric Tomato Soup). Moreover, there's no leaps and bounds for a soup. By far, anything goes? Literally whatever, like for this Mixed Vegetable Soup. Of course, we must have aroma and scent for an Indian soup and we can't run far away from spices. All about worthiness. The worthiness of slurping or drenching Mixed Vegetable Soup over rice prior to finger and hand tucking in. I mean, nothing like our fingers leading the way when its an Indian soup in rice instead of soup being a starter (Pumpkin Soup, Creamy Mushroom Soup & Onion Soup). Oh, before I forget, vegetable stock and butter does mountain heaps of luxurious goodness in Mixed Vegetable Soup.

Friday, May 2, 2014

Mee Goreng Udang

Mee Goreng Udang, or prawn fried mee. The frying technic which by far is not a brain cracker, but when we speak about frying noodles on the whole, we must have all the ingredients on stand by and as close to us possibly. Otherwise? We may end up over-cooking the ingredients we have already put in the big wok and then, it can turn out to be a disaster or we ending up stressing ourselves, and let's not forget about sweating when frying. Of course. Ask me about sweating and I can go on and on (Malaysian Style Fried Mee Hoon, Hakka Noodles, Chow Mein & Hokkien Mee & Char Kway Teow). That's about it I think the cooking tips for Mee Goreng Udang which is definitely another one of our Malaysian food show stealer. Noodles fried alongside prawns (Hokkien Hae Mee, Shrimp Pad Thai & Shrimp Pho), cabbage, eggs, garlic, spring onion and soy sauce (Nyonya Mee Siam, Malaysian Sour Spicy Fish Soup Noodles, Mee Rebus, Laksam Kelantan & Malaysian Fried Mee).

Friday, April 25, 2014

Udupi Sambar

Sambar again? Indeed. Sambar again obviously. What's with sambar/Indian dal curry and my cooking story (Punjabi Sabut Moong Dal, Andra Sambar & Palakura Pappu)? In fact, its a story which will walk you down the memory lane, up the valley, down the hill and, back and forth, bouncing you in and out of my house and kitchen. Potentially. Until I am lost for words on what else should I say about sambar and most probably, its a similar Indian curry story in each and every Indian household (Drumstick Sambar, Mysore Sambar & Bitter Gourd Sambar). But due to making sambar as regularity as I have, I now had drawn a line between myself and sambar. Regardless, sambar making is still on the go and I don't think will stop until I receive the red light from my other half-half. Hopefully because I can't really and seriously digest sambar anymore (Fish Sambar, Tanni Saar, Sambar & Spinach Sambar). Where did the idea fall from for making Udupi Sambar? Just like that from the sky. I just plucked the name of this sambar and made my version. Udupi Sambar I bet will be a major explosive dal showcased Indian curry for all you sambar lovers (Mulligatawny Soup & Dhal Rice).

Zen Style Chronicles: The Serene Aura of Home Attire

In today's Zen Style spotlight, let's explore the serene world of home attire. Let's start with a simple question: What's yo...