Breakfast @ Hole No. 9

Today, my friend R** and I drove to Pulau Melayu, so that we could eat at the Hole No. 9 eatery. Hole No. 9 is named so because it's located next to the hole no. 9 of the Miri Golf Club. It has made quite a name for itself for the Mee Jawa and Deep-fried Chicken Wings.

This small eatery is a bit more than a shack. There was a shabby wooden kitchen behind a patch of cement, fitted with zinc roof. There were about 11 tables, and only one miserable fan. Since it was a really hot sunny morning, we could feel the warm heat from the sun all around us, as we sat dining there. It was unbearably hot!

There were only 4 workers at the eatery, and that was why the service was rather slow. We got a vacant table, but waited 10 minutes before one of the workers came to clear the table. It was another few minutes before our orders were taken. Unfortunately, much to our disappointment, there was no more Mee Jawa.

"Ramai orang pagi ni!!" said the Auntie who took our orders. There were a lot of customers in the morning.

And so, we had to settle for some other items in the menu. Both my friend and I ordered the Nasi Goreng Kampung and deep-fried chicken wings.

Each chicken wing sold for RM1.70. Actually, I did not really think that there was anything special about the chicken wings, except that they were really crispy. I supposed there were quite sufficiently marinated, as I did not need to dip the meat in chilli sauce.

Deep-fried chicken wings

The Nasi Goreng Kampung was quite alright as well. It wasn't too oily, and the rice was light and fluffy. There were lots of anchovies and even dices of beef. The Nasi Goreng Kampung was flavoured with belacan and spices, and sprinkled with chopped parsley and deep-fried shallots.

Nasi Goreng Kampung

With our food eaten, we quickly got to our car for the air-con!! My friend and I vowed to go earlier next weekend, so that it will not be so hot, and we can be assured that there's plenty of Mee Jawa to go around!

A Refreshing Pit Stop

It is a really hot day, so my friend, S**** and I dropped by a cold drinks centre near our house for a refreshing dessert and some snacks.

Tang's Hot & Cold Drinks Centre faces Jalan Pujut 2c. It relocated here some time last year. It used to be at Jalan Jee Foh.

Both my friend and I ordered the ABCs, tailored to our liking. S**** liked only one ingredient in her ABC at a time. So today, she ordered grass jelly and coconut milk in her shaved ice. While I liked red beans with corn kernels and milk in mine. The ABCs were RM2.00 per bowl. In case you do not know, ABC stands for Air Batu Campur or mixed shaved ice.

My bowl off ABC

I liked the fishballs here. There were fried to a golden perfection and were really yum with the homemade chilli sauce. 3 pieces sold for RM1.20 here.

Deep-fried fish balls

Chilli sauce

Today, we tried the sotong kangkung. The water spinach was blanched and cut and arranged at the bottom of the plate, and topped with thick pieces of cuttlefish. A brown sauce, together with a chilli sauce, was poured over the plate. Finally, chopped peanuts were sprinkled all over. The consistency of the sauce of just right. It was neither too salty nor too sweet. Not bad at all. For RM5.00, the portion was quite generous too.

Sotong kangkung

So if you feel that you need to quench your thirst on hot day like this, do drop by the corner shophouse at Pujut 2c for a refreshing pit stop!

CNY Celebration @ School

Our very own lion

My school level CNY celebration was held yesterday, in which, I was the organising chairperson. Typically, there is an opening ceremony, a lion dance, some performances by our students, and the giving out of ang paus to the students.

This had to be the fourth time I organised this event at school. I remembered the first time I was asked to organise it in 2007, where I was given only 4 days' notice! I remembered having a stressful week as I grouped the Chinese teachers together to make the event a reality.

Since 2007, the celebration became an annual event, and since then, I started preparing for it at least a month ahead. I became more organised, and drew up a committee of teachers to look into different aspects - such as students' performances, stage decoration, emceeing, and so on.

Every year, there was a lion dance. For the first 2 years, we invited lion troupes from outside. But for the past 2 years, we have our own lions!! We started with 1 set of lion dance equipment, and in 2 years, we have acquried 2 more sets!!

Besides the lion dance, there was variation to the programme every year. One year, there was a Chinese Drums Performance. This year's highlight would be a nicely-choreographed fan dance.

The school management team, all of non-Chinese origin, enjoyed tossing the yee sang. After which, we had yee sang for breakfast!!

My platter of vegetarian yee sang

For two years already, I had my colleague make the vegetarian yee sang. My colleague only used glass noodles, carrots, white and purple cabbage, pomelo, and lots of chopped cashew nuts. The sauce comprised of plum sauce and honey. It sure tasted better than the one I had during reunion dinner!! ;)

Well, I'm glad the celebration is over and done with. At least, I can strike another item off my To-Do list! ;)

A Japanese Dinner

We celebrated S****'s birthday dinner at Nikko Japanese Restaurant at Piasau Business Park here in Miri.

There were no rules to the dinner. We just ordered what we liked to eat.

And so there were :

Salmon Skin Salad

I had liked the crispy salmon skin, but I think the quantity used in the dish was too little ;). The salad was quite yummy. The vegetables were fresh and crisp, and the soy-based sauce complemented it quite well. Salmon Skin Salad was RM12 per serving.

Salmon Temaki

The temaki is a must for me whenever I visit a Japanese haunt. The 2 salmon slices were reasonably thick. The temaki here was pretty standard. It was RM6.00 each.

Ebiko Sushi

A**** ordered the Ebiko Sushi as she liked the crunchy texture of the ebiko. A serving was RM8.00, and I thought that it was really exorbitant!

Salmon Maki

The salmon maki was also RM8.00. We ordered 2 servings,

Unagi Maki

and another serving of Unagi Maki, which cost RM12.00.

Seafood Fried Rice

I liked the Seafood Fried Rice, which was RM4.50 per serving. It has dices of salmon, and shrimps among other ingredients.

Tempura Moriwase

Eggplant tempura

We ordered a mixed seafood and vegetables tempura platter. I liked the prawns which were quite sweet. My friends liked the eggplant tempura more than the other items, and so we requested for a platter of eggplant tempura. The restaurant was kind enough to oblige. A serving of Tempura Moriwase was RM26.00. While the eggplant tempura was RM18.00.

We ordered Shishamo too. A serving of 4 little fishes was RM16.00.

Shishamo

Kaki Teppanyaki or Oyster Teppanyaki was another item we tried. It seemed to me oysters in omelette in a sauce. I did not think whole oysters were used, though the taste of oysters were evident. It was RM32.00 a platter.

Kaki Teppanyaki

Mochi was our dessert. There were 4 baked mochi in a bowl, filled with sweet adzuki beans. The mochi was crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. A**** loved the burnt bits as they were really crunchy. The mochi and the adzuki beans went quite well, except that I found it rather sweet.

Mochi

For the 4 of us, the bill came to RM190.oo.

Lunch @ Joyous Shanghai Restaurant

Today, Dad and Mom and I went to Joyous Shanghai Restaurant at Jalan Padungan here in Kuching for lunch.

Joyous Shanghai Restaurant is part of the Lok Thian chain of restaurants.

We reached there at 11.30 a.m. Though it was near lunch time, this restaurant serves dim sum too.

Table setting

We had intended to eat rice. But at the same time, I had wanted to try a few dim sum items on the menu. Dad and Mom said I could order whatever I wanted to eat.

And so, I ordered dim sum, as well as a few dishes for lunch. Greedy, right? ;p

While waiting for our orders, the waiter came with an appetiser, which was sliced century eggs with pickle. Mom did not eat any as she did not really fancy century eggs. Dad and I polished the plate off ;).

Sliced century eggs with pickle

The Steamed Har Kao Wong was RM4.50 per serving.

Steamed Har Kao Wong

A Har Kao dumpling

The dumpling was quite bland, though the prawn filling was succulent and juicy. There weren't any chilli sauce or sambal dip provided to flavour the dumpling.

I also ordered the Phoenix Talons.

A serving of phoenix talons

I liked the Phoenix talons. The talons are tender, the sauces sweet and savoury at the same time.

Yum...

I also ordered the Spare Ribs in Black Bean sauce. The meat is quite tender. But somehow, the flavours did not seem to stand out. Again, a dipping sauce would do the meat some good.

Both the spare ribs and the talons are RM2.50 per serving. I thought it is pretty cheap.

Braised spare ribs in black beans

A spare rib

Dad liked Steamed Lotus Buns, so I ordered a serving for RM2.00.

Steamed Lotus Buns

The pau skin was quite fine and the texture was quite soft. The lotus filling was sweet and quite rich. Not a bad combination at all.

The lotus filling

With our rice, we ordered a hot and sour soup. It came in individual bowls with a dash of chilli oil on the surface. The soup had slices of fish lips, sea cucumber, tofu and seafood. It was real sour, but not spicy enough for me. Nevertheless, I liked it all the same.

Hot & sour soup

Second Aunt and my cousin recommended the Braised Duck and Yam in Claypot, and so I had to order this dish. In the claypot, there were chunks of braised roasted duck and yam. The duck was tasty and the yam was so soft and powdery that it melted in the mouth.

I thought the dish was a little too dry. Mom said it was because the yam had absorbed all the sauces. Hmn... maybe. Anyway, the Braised Duck and Yam in Claypot was RM15.00 per serving.

Braised Duck & Yam in Claypot

I ordered the Stir-fried Asparagus and Baby Corn. This dish came garnished with lots of almond flakes and finely strips of deep-fried cuttlefish. The garnish added extra flavour to the otherwise plain dish. Mom liked the vegetables a lot.

Stir-fried Asparagus and Baby Corn

The bill came to RM77.30, inclusive of tea and towels. I thought it was very reasonable.

Stuffed Pig's Intestines

Everyone's either left or are leaving soon. CNY is almost over, even though it's not 15 days yet. I myself am leaving on Sunday.

Anyway, Second Uncle on Mom's side asked if anyone recalled a delicacy that my maternal grandma used to make. In Teochew it is called "dio de huang" or stuffed pig's intestines. It is pig's intestine, stuffed with glutinous rice.

I don't recall ever eating this delicacy when I was small. But according to Mom, it was one of maternal grandpa's favourite, and thus, maternal grandma would sometimes make it. She served it with sweet soya sauce.

This Chinese New Year, Second Uncle went through the trouble to make it for everyone. He said the whole process took him four hours. Laborious, isn't it? The intestine had to be washed thoroughly, and he used wheat flour, among other things, to clean the intestine.

The glutinous rice is stir-fried together with the ingredients like diced dried shrimps and shiitake - before being stuffed into the intestine and then steamed.

2 rolls of stuffed intestines in the steamer

Why did Second Uncle make this? Well, his 2 children liked to eat it, but it is not sold outside. So he had no choice but to make it himself.

Cut and ready to be served

Cross-section of a slice of stuffed intestine
See the bits of mushroom and dried shrimps

I was not sure if I dared to eat it, as it has the pungent smell, somewhat like stinky tofu. However, I forced myself to try a slice. The glutinous rice was soft, and tastily flavoured with fried shallots, dried prawns and shiitake. The pungent smell of the intestine was there, but faint. It was not as scary as I thought it would be ;p, much easier to stomach than stinky tofu ;).

For Mom and her siblings, it was a walk down memory lane, as they savoured this delicacy that their mother used to make.

First Day CNY 2010

What's New Year without food? This morning, I had a breakfast of beef noodles. Mom made it, and honestly, I think it's as good as Nancy's. Real yum.

Mom's beef noodles

After breakfast, we went to Grandma's.

Grandma was ill. She was not well enough to get out of bed. It was a big deal, for she was always there to greet us for as long as I remember.

This year, I wished Grandma a happy new year in her bedroom. She saw me come and made an effort to sit up. Poor Grandma. I hope she will be okay soon.

After Grandma's, we visited relatives. Every house has the usual cakes and cookies, tidbits and candies.

Cakes that look good and taste good

Aunt A****** bought this very special cookie from Singapore. It is made of green peas. It's not too sweet, and it had the delicious flavour of the peas. Best of all, it melted in the mouth. I like this cookie lots.

Green pea cookies

Some people really go all out to serve their guests who visit them. Second Aunt made steamed yam cake with topping. It's a five-star yam cake, real tasty and flavourful.

Aunt's homemade steamed yam cake

Second Aunt even made deep-fried prawn fritters and deep-fried mini meat rolls. Yum.

Deep-fried prawn fritters

Deep-fried mini meat rolls

The star item of the day has to be this :

Will talk more about it tomorrow. Stay tuned. ;)))

Reunion Dinner 2010

A long time ago, reunion dinners were eaten at home. For my family, it is customary to cook our dinners. I remember our table laden with dishes and dishes of meats and seafood and vegetables. The must-haves include fish maw soup, meat rolls, and an assortment of meats. As the family expanded, one table grew into two, and both tables were filled with lots and lots of food.

But reunion dinner meant a lot of work - the cooking and the cleaning really takes a toll. Mom and aunts will start cooking early in the morning. After dinner, the washing up takes a long time. At the end of the day, it is really tiring.

Hence, my family has resorted to eating out during the Lunar New Year eve. I remember our first dinner outside years ago. It was held at Thian Court at Crown Square here in Kuching. We paid lots of money, and so we expected good food. However, it was really disappointing.

Over the years, we had other reunion dinners outside our homes, and every year, we learned to lower our expectations.

Tonight's reunion dinner was held at Dong Guan Seafood, at 3rd Mile Kuching.

For RM499 per table, we got 9 dishes.

First up was the customary dish of yee sang. It was a symbol of abundance and good luck, and we were supposed to toss the ingredients as high as possible. Anyway, much of the ingredients used in the yee sang were unknown to me. I could only identify pomelo pulp. I did not like this dish at all.

Yee Sang

Tossing the yee sang

Next came the cold dish. It had siew mai, baby octopus, a meat roll thing, popiah, and the centre made up of an unknown item. Aunt said it was thinly slices of abalone. I thought it was some kind of fish cake thingy ;)).

Cold platter

There was a kind of sticky soup. It was served lukewarm.

Unidentified sticky soup

Steamed pomfret. It was cold. It would have been yummy had it been served piping hot.

Steamed pomfret

Next came the piggy rolls. Piggy inside and piggy outside. Lol. It's basically minced pork wrapped in pig skin and then braised in sauce.

Piggy rolls : piggy in and out ;)

The yam basket was quite tasteless, and I did not care much for the vegetables in the basket.

Yam basket & assorted vegetables

However, I liked the next dish, which was braised duck in sea cucumber and snow peas. The duck was soft and tender, and the sea cucumber juicy. At least this dish was hot!!!

Braised duck with sea cucumber & snow peas

The lotus leaf rice was also a favourite. Although the ingredients used for this dish were meagre, we could find some preserved meats and lotus seeds in there.

Lotus leaf rice

Anyway, reunion dinner was done and over with, with grandma missing in action. She was not feeling quite well and so she did not want to join us. For me, it felt a little funny not having grandmother around, for she was there as long as I remembered.

I wish all friends and family, and of course, my readers, a very happy and blessed lunar year of the Tiger. May the year ahead be abundant with good health and prosperity.