Teh Tarik Place - Empire Shopping Gallery (Subang Jaya)

Friends meet-up, bouncing me back to Empire Shopping Mall (Vivo). Whether its my favorite mall or not, maybe that's besides the point, definitely I vouch Empire Mall is conductive and convenient for me (Kitchen Art Brasserie & Pasta Zanmai). Nearby where I work and because its generally an early lunch compared to the standard allocated office ruling lunch time, I can be in Empire without much major brewing trouble troubling me (Nyonya Colours & Serai Empire). Then again, tell me please about Malaysians and punctuality? Never been, consequently, I don't think will ever be the general consensus virtue. Therefore, to be amongst Malaysians who will find 100 and one reasons for not making it on time, you gotto have loads of patience. I awaited. I didn't have a choice. I prior agreed over meeting the two friends. Finally, after almost half an hour, I saw the light at the end of our Malaysian punctuality tunnel. Friend arrived, in a jiffy we agreed upon Teh Tarik Place.

FIsh Ball Noodle Soup

Fish Ball Noodle Soup. No, no. Not market bought fish balls, but made from a scratch, home made fish balls. Yes. Indeed. I made fish balls for a change. Can you believe it? For someone like me who is, if not always, sometimes taking the door to ready made ingredients (Hong Kong Wonton Noodle Soup, Sichuan Noodle Soup &  Bee Hoon Soup), I actually did it for these fish balls in noodles and soup. Why, are you asking me? Well, what should I tell you? Maybe because I wanted fish broth (Cambodian Sour Fish Soup & Vietnamese Fish Soup) from the bones after carefully stripping away fish flesh (Yong Tau Foo) for fish balls. Not bad right? I know. In fact, we had a ball of a time over this Fish Ball Noodle Soup. Really bouncy and no smell soft fish balls, and as I have already told you, fish bones and skin simmered for extracting the broth (Nyonya Spicy Fish Noodle Soup, Salted Fish Bone Soup, Thai Fish Noodle Soup & Penang Assam Laksa). Next? Hand crafted and hand rolled fish balls cooked in the broth till they floated atop and together with the broth, generously poured over noodles, garnished with fried shallots and fried basil leaves atop just my invention at the spur of the moment from the basil leaves grown in my garden. Of course, you can use spring onion or even coriander leaves. Conclusively, Fish Ball Noodle Soup, wouldn't you agree is making your hungry right now and imagine, what a feeling when tucked in during and after rain has fallen down from the sky (Hokkien Hae Mee, Chinese Chicken Noodle Soup & Chinese Vegetable Noodle Soup)?

Oslo, Norway

We made it, Hallelujah!! We made it even earlier for our overnight cruise to Oslo (Copenhagen Day 2, Copenhagen Day 1 Part 2 & Copenhagen Day 1 Part 1). Nothing! Literally nothing to do neither to see, of course  you can stare at the sea for the longest time. Into our tiny, basic and well maintained cabin for putting our things aside, thereafter, pretty much an earlier dinner. Aplenty seafood, obviously you can eat till you drop buffet in the wide dining area, it will be nice if you sit near the windows for the sea view while tucking in. And then what? As I have already said, nothing much, maybe most to most 30 minutes of walking the ship. Even then, it is back to doomed. Boredom. Henceforth, I decided to shower and practically forced sleep on me, whereas other half-half got together with the guys for poker and some drinks. Don't know what time he returned because surprisingly, I slept like a log of wood, every now and then, I did feel as though I was sea floating. A tiny bit of rock and roll which I don't think got to me. Thank god. Our morning was broken with, before anything else, showering, prior to tucking into breakfast, subsequently, clearing our room and awaited for an hour for safe landing in Oslo. Right off, sightseeing started.

Thai Thai Revisited - Sunway Pyramid

Back, back to Sunway Pyramid for a quick shopping spree and back again to Thai Thai. Quite a regrettable decision actually as Thai Thai spilled over with customers during this Ramadhan month. So service?  No where to be seen despite patiently calling over and over. Finally after 10 minutes, the female staff came with the menu and kept apologising. As soon as she suggested the dishes, I melted and anger was forgotten but since hunger was unbearable, I reminded her to speed up with the first dish.  

Hong Kong Wonton Noodle Soup

Hong Kong Wonton Noodle Soup made in my Malaysian kitchen. Why not (Hong Kong Steamed Fish)? Who told you, you can't make Hong Kong Wonton Noodle Soup in your Malaysian kitchen? Not me. I in fact have already proven it. This is the Hong Kong Wonton Noodle Soup as per our Malaysian locality and pretty much, tell me please. How different can our local Wonton Noodle Soup be compared to those made in Hong Kong? Pretty much more or less the same ingredients, but considering that Halal food is quite a demand in Malaysia, I made this prawn halal version (Mee Goreng Udang/Prawn Fried Mee, Hokkien Hae Mee, Cantonese Yee Mee & Hakka Noodles). The start to making of course must be making the wonton dumplings and if prawn (Prawn Coconut Milk, Prawn Cocktail & Chinese Prawn Fritters) is not favorable to you, please proceed with chicken (Chicken Wonton Soup & Chinese Chicken Meatball Soup) or pork to be filled and wrapped in store bought wanton skin and these wanton parcels can be crispy fried (Fried Shrimp Wonton) as well. The next course of action for wonton (Sichuan Chilli Prawns)? Into the soup and alongside the soup ladled into the bowl of wonton noodles and kai lan, garnished with spring onion, and teamed with green chillies soy sauce (Chinese Vegetable Noodle Soup).

Copenhagen (Denmark) - Day 2 (Frederiksborg Slot & Kronborg Castle)

Fruitful first day. Utter but there's still 7 days for positively shattering us. Admittedly quite a tiring day as well. Sightseeing walking within the next 2 hours after almost a day of sleep deprivation due airport in and out, and also being up in the air, indeed, tiredness eventually caught up on us. Nevertheless, in all genuine fairness, Copenhagen couldn't at all be faulted. Copenhagen remarkably opened up in its most starling, calm and serene as ever regards (Copenhagen Part 2 & Copenhagen Part 1). Having said that, as tired as we were, we couldn't shut down for the day. Never easy-peasy I believe when you are in a totally new environment. Unfamiliarity or because we can't contain our far travelled overwhelming happiness, sleep might trouble us. Aside to whether we slept, or just catnapped, or we didn't sleep at all, sightseeing the following morning must go on. It must. I guess you won't even have a choice to staying behind, if there's a switch in hotel. So, everyone must get ready by 9.00pm. Whether you skipped or heartily tucked into the hotel buffet breakfast, that's beside to the point. Time is still essence for sightseeing. We did, prior to arriving in Frederiksborg Slot. Stupendous! What a super duper morning start. Nature breather huge garden walkway, huge trees overshadowing tadbit of sunshine from god's heaven, and colorful flowers gently dancing in the faint breeze as we walked while inhaling fresh air. Conquering and immersing me instantly. So lovable. A long walk obviously till where the castle is.

Malu Kirata

There is Kiri Hodi and there is also Malu Kirata, or Sri Lankan fish coconut stew. Furthermore, when we speak about Sri Lankan food on the whole, how can not include coconut milk mostly (Sri Lankan Carrot Salad) for whichever dish for the matter (Sodhi)? You bet. Of course, we Asians pretty much love the concept of coconut milk tipping into our cooking as well. In fact, why go so far. Even for our Malaysian savory dishes (Salted Fish Pineapple Coconut Stew & Shrimp Coconut Milk) and even for our desserts (Pumpkin Sago Dessert) and I think fish is a diet for maybe everyone around the world regardless whether we are surrounded by sea or not. Over in Malaysia too (Malaysian Fish Sambal) and in my house particularly, we are fish dependent at least twice or once a week and who can be a better Malaysian to speak about fish except Nava K. Various types of fish dishes from near and far beyond has already been my cooking skills (Nadan Meen Curry, Malabar Fish Curry, Meen Puttu & Thai Fish Noodle Soup) and I don't think there will be a full-stop to fish for as long as forever (Burmese Fish Biryani, Mauritian Fish Curry, Vietnamese Fish Soup & Bengali Fish Curry). This Malu Kirata was the latest trended in my kitchen. Perhaps not really the authentic kinda, but trust me, without compromising on Sri Lankan food fab. Masala fried fish tipped into a creamy and tangy coconut milk stew.