Kolo Mee @ Jing Wood

My friend and I did not mind sharing a bowl of kolo mee that evening. We shared because we did not want to stuff ourselves too much with carbs ...

Kolo Mee

Portion : It was a rather large bowl, for only RM2.50

Looks : Passed. All ingredients were there .... the minced meat, the BBQ pork and chopped spring onions and deep-fried shallots.

Noodles : A tad dry, quite fragrant, but could do with a bit more oomph.

Quite edible, not to-die-for, can pass over it if there are better things to eat.

Jam O' Jam

My friend told me that her whole office was crazy about these biscuits. She too joined in the craze, and had been snacking on them for the whole week! Still, she saved 2 packets for me to try. Thanks dear!

Jam O' Jam Milk Biscuit Filled With Pineapple Jam

These biscuits were produced in Indonesia. There were 2 flavours - pineapple or strawberry. There were 24 convi-packs in a bag. 

Love the pretty hears on the biscuit 

According to my friend, the pineapple flavoured biscuit tasted better - as it was not too sweet. The pineapple jam was indeed slightly tangy. The biscuit was not hard and was crunchy and tasty. Overall, they were great to snack on from time to time.

Drunken Chicken In Claypot

My friend recommended this claypot soup dish at Uncle 71 Cafe at Permyjaya.

Drunken Chicken In Claypot, RM7.00

When the pot was placed on the table, and the lid opened, I caught a strong whiff of yellow wine. The thing was that the pot was on the next table. The smell was indeed so strong. They either used very good quality wine or a very large amount of wine.

So I decided to give it a try. And I totally enjoyed the soup. It had strips of ginger and wolfberries, black fungus, black mushrooms, and many pieces of chicken. The chicken soup was very comforting and tasted very good indeed.

Bacon Tart

I thought it looked good, so I bought it.

RM1.80

It was from the New Shao Bao Bakery. The crust was sweet, and in the midst of the custard were chopped onions and bacon slices. It was like they were making the usual egg tart and then on a whim, decided to add some savoury ingredients in there. So .... hmn .... unfortunately, I did not like this item.

Zen Q Desserts Once More

Somebody recommended us the Zen Q Grass Jelly served on soy-flavoured shaved ice. So, my friends and I drove all the way there to have our SECOND round of dessert for the night.

ZenQ Grass Jelly on Soy flavoured shaved ice, and served with milk

Lol ... the funny thing was that upon their first mouthful, my friends did not like the taste of the soy. I could not fathom why, as I totally loved the fragrant soy ice. Yums .... The grass jelly was rather smooth and light and slippery. And the other items - sago pearls, crystal noodles, Q Yuan - were of course rather chewy. I finished two-thirds of the bowl, I think! 

 My friends preferred this bowl of grass jelly flavoured shaved ice, topped with stewed adzuki or red beans, sago pearls, and a dollop of vanilla ice-cream. Me? hmn .... I did not mind the beans and pearls and the ice .... but I thought the ice-cream did not suit at all. So .... I left the entire bowl for my friends to finish ......... 

Marble Cheese Cake

This marble cheese cake was HEAVENLY!

Marble Cheese Cake

The 1-pound cake cost RM48.00 after tax. But it was worth every cent. As it was soft and moist and rich and so very delicious. It was one of the best store-bought ones that I have ever eaten!! Bought from Borneo Baking Company at Miri Marriott Resort and Spa!

My friends loved it and enjoyed it. We gave some away to two other friends, and they too enquired immediately where we had bought it from. So, I suppose that testified just how divine it was. Highly recommended!!!

Surf & Turf Miri

Surf & Turf. Seafood & Meat.

An eatery named Surf & Turf opened in Pujut 7, Miri. And we headed there for dinner one night ....

So pretty .... 

Upon walking into the restaurant, I was enchanted with these little decorations. They weren't real, but I thought they were really pleasing to the eye. The restaurant was brightly lit, and furnished with light-coloured tables and chairs. I thought it exuded a comfortable and relaxing atmosphere. There weren't many tables inside though. I counted about 7 tables, perhaps. 

On the menu was a combination of seafood, meat, soups, pastas a burger, and some side dishes. We perused the menu for a while before deciding on ................

 Mixed fruit juice, RM7.90

I requested for a mixture of apple and orange juice with no sugar. Not only did I love the pretty little jar the drink was served in, I also liked the refreshing drink.

 Papaya Salad, RM7.90

The salad was a little sweet and a tangy. My friend said she could use a bit more sugar in there, but I did not mind the sourish salad. The papaya was a little tough to chew for me, though. This was fusion cuisine, so I suppose it was alright not to be authentic. My friend said she preferred the original Thai som tam with long beans and chopped peanuts and the works. 

Meli Melo of Seafood, RM15.90

This linguine had a mixture of seafood in there, namely prawns, squids and 2 pieces of mussels. It tasted heavy and rich with cream, and infused with herbs. I quite enjoyed the pasta, except that I wished for the taste of seafood to be a little more prominent. Perhaps a bit more of seafood in the dish would do no harm. I  was thinking of perhaps a few more chunks of fish .... hmn.... 

Slow Cooked Cod Fish Steak with honey, miso-glazed, olives and roasted root vegetables, RM25.90

That was what the menu said ... and I thought it was not really clear where the miso and olives were .... hmn .... on the fish?? My friends enjoyed the delicately flavoured roasted root vegetable dices. The fish was nice too. I liked the way it was charred to enhance texture and taste. 

Grilled Seabass with lemon butter sauce and roasted vegetables, RM18.90

The serving was huge, and I liked the fish. Its skin was grilled and brown, and yet the flesh inside was still juicy and moist. The lemon butter complemented the fish very well. 

Total bill was RM85.60. The food was not bad, and the staff was quite accommodating, and the ambience warm and friendly, and the price reasonable. I would say that I would come back for the meat dishes ..... stay tuned. 

Ayam Jawa

Chef told me that Ayam Jawa was on the menu. Chef was my canteen cook.

Ayam Jawa

I looked at it and saw it coated with so much of mustard seeds and I feared. Later on, I decided to try it. Well, indeed the fried chicken was coated with so much of spices, mustard seeds being prominent. Taste wise, however, it was not off-putting. In fact, the fried chicken tasted rather fragrant. I enjoyed it, as it was something different. 

Laksa @ 2020 Cafe

Laksa is one of the popular dishes at 2020 Cafe.

Laksa

I liked the thicker rice vermicelli noodles which were used. When I walked past the shop one afternoon, I saw the staff unwrapping packets and packets of yellow and red plastic from the rice vermicelli and soaked them in a huge pail. The packaging looked familiar to me, and I recognised that it was the Kong Moon brand of rice vermicelli, a good quality noodle which we also liked to use at home.

It had all the right condiments such as blanched beansprouts and prawns, shredded chicken and egg omelette, and cilantro. The laksa gravy on that day was fragrant and just lemak enough. I squeezed into the laksa an entire piece of lime and enjoyed the noodles a lot. In fact, I actually prefer the laksa here compared to many other places in Miri.

Colourful Noodles

At Sunrise Cafe, one of the coffee shops at the Boulevard Commercial Centre intersection, there is a stall selling Ban Mian. They had colourful versions too, in the shades of orange, green and even hot pink! Fear not, as natural colouring and flavouring is used - orange being carrot, green being spinach, and hot pink from dragon fruit!!

That night, however, only carrot noodles were available ......

In the dim lighting, the colour did not come through ..... 

The noodles were a little bit dry, and tasted alright. Not that to-die-for kinda great, though, but edible enough. Hmn .... I preferred it with lots of the chilli flakes to enhance the flavour. Lots of people were seen to be enjoying it all over the coffee shop ....... A bowl cost RM5.00.

Yummy Treats On A Hot Day

I have always enjoyed the shaved ice and fritters at Tang's Cold Drinks. It was at the shop lots at Pujut 2C, and then it moved. I did not know where it moved to .... till someone told me that it moved to Yakin. Turn into the shoplots at Yakin, go straight past the Pei Min Secondary School gate, and you see a signboard on the right. You can park at the roadside and walk the narrow lane into the house. They are just selling at the porch of their house.

There were only 6 tables, and we had to wait a while for a vacant table.

My bowl of shaved ice with treasures hidden in there .... A bowl now cost RM2.50

Corn & red beans with coconut palm sugar and milk .... yumms ... 

Another must order is the fritters .... 

Mixed fritters, RM5.00 

Yam, sweet potatoes, tofu dices, and prawn fritters were served in a shrimp and peanut sauce, and then sprinkled with chopped peanuts. Very yummm ... 

It was my friend's first time here .... and she totally enjoyed the shaved ice and fritters too. She said she would be back! I'm so glad I found this drink hole again. 

Breakfast @ Kuan Heng Cafe

It was about 8.30 a.m., and we went round and round the shop lots in our car, trying to look for parking. We went about 3 rounds before we secured a "premium parking", cause it was right in front of the shop! Yippee.

The ordinary-looking cafe was just as crowded. No vacant tables .... and we had to stand around to wait for people to leave. Luckily, we waited for a mere few minutes.

What's famous here at Kuan Heng Cafe is the homemade fish balls and fish cake slices. Customers can enjoy them with their choice of noodles, or just in a plain bowl of soup. Indeed, business is so good, that customers sometimes need to wait for 45 minutes to enjoy the food. That morning, my friend and I waited for only 20 minutes.

Dry noodles with fish cake slices, RM3.50

 Fish balls and fish cake slices in clear soup, RM5.00

What's great about the fish balls and fish cake slices was that they were really very springy and chewy. I enjoyed the bouncy textures a lot. As I bit into a fish ball, it burst with the taste of fresh fish and a hint of pepper. They tasted of "home".

I also wanted to try the regular version of dry noodles ...

 Dry noodles, RM2.50 

The curly noodles here were the thicker version, so they looked soggy. In fact, they were not. The noodles were drenched in very aromatic shallot oil and seasoning, so they were very moist. The toppings were a very generous helping of tasty minced pork, and a few slices of pork. The pork was not the usual red-coloured bbq char siew, but a homemade version which was dark in colour. The pork slices were sweet, so I thought  they complemented the noodles really well. 

Dry noodles, RM2.50

So in the end, I finished the yummy noodles when I was not supposed to! ;p

Teriyaki Salmon

I loved the pretty plate on which the food was served. At Ajisen's, I ordered a Teriyaki Salmon set. It came with rice, a bit of salad on the side, 2 slices of grilled salmon in Teriyaki sauce, and also a cup of hot green tea.

Salmon Teriyaki set, RM17.90

I did quite like the fish ... which was slightly sweet and salty. I added lots of wasabi to enhance the flavour. The salad was nice too.

Angle or Angel?

At the bakery, the sign said "ANGLE PANDAN". Lols. I think they meant "ANGEL PANDAN".

Angel Pandan Cake, RM4.50

I bought it mainly because it was pretty. I loved the light green colour, and the squeeze of cream in the centre of the ring, and of course the stylish square of chocolate on top.

Back home, I found the texture of the cake to be alright. I just thought it was a tad too sweet for me. I had two bites and my friend polished off the rest. Luckily she liked it.

Berry Is 9 Months Old

The greatest joy this holiday was to play with my nephew, Berry. He's 9 months old ... and he's absolutely adorable. He's quite a sociable boy, and he does not mind interacting with people. I just love to play with him, and to make him laugh. When I succeed, I laugh along with him and I forget all my worries and problems.

At this stage, Berry is an active little explorer ... he crawls around the house and touches everything. He is just so curious about everything. But there are some things that he is particularly fond of .... i.e. knobs, door stoppers. To our exasperation, he inspects them at every opportunity! Even a plastic mineral water bottle can keep him occupied for minutes. He holds it and spins it and then bites it ..... Berry has the tendency of putting everything in his mouth now. So funny.

But when we try to put food into his mouth .... he turns away in disgust. And so it has been quite difficult to feed him at meal times. Berry eats porridge now, but only when the television is turned on for him. Berry loves Sesame Street ... and he has a couple of favourite songs on the Sesame Street Channel on Youtube. He just refuses to eat without watching the videos .... and he can watch repeatedly for a long, long time. And we just have to keep repeating the videos for him in order to get him to finish his food. He does not like fruits either, so we worry that he may not be eating enough.

Berry loves it when we bring him to the mall, his eyes big and round as he takes in his surroundings. He loves the bright lights, and the pattern tiles make him excited. When Berry gets excited, he tends to flap his hands like a little bird. So cute. Berry also attracts people's attention cause he is so cute. The other day at the mall, many sales assistants smiled at him .... and said hello to him .... and waved at him. Berry almost always smiled back. What a polite baby. Even fellow shoppers smiled at him with delight.

I think people are generally very tolerant of babies at the mall. It was really crowded and there were so many people waiting for the lift, but when the door opened, they let me push a sleeping Berry and his stroller into the lift first. I thought it was really kind of them. Then, there would be people holding the lift doors so that we could manoeuvre Berry's stroller or carry him in and out of the lift safely.

I've been trying to buy him some rubber ducks ever since he was born .... and it was not that easy to buy them actually. The ones at the departmental store were really pricey. Hmn ... I suppose none of us were willing to fork out RM29.90 for a couple of small plastic ducks. There were even more expensive ducks which I saw .... costing RM49.90 at one departmental store. We all thought they were not worth buying. Then, I saw some at Super Save .... those were cheap, but they looked hideous. So I did not buy them. But the other day, at Daiso, I came across these very cute ones for only RM5.00. There were 4 small ducks in a bag ..... and so I could not resist them ...  

Cute little rubber duckies ...

I meant for Berry to play with them during this bath time .... but for now ... he prefers to hold them and sometimes biting into them. Lol. So cute.

I was so glad to see little Berry again. Till next time! 

Ochado : Okinawa Matcha Milk Tea With Azuki Beans

I was feeling very full after lunch .... but since I walked past Ochado, hmn ..... I wanted to try a drink. The large banner at the outlet advertised the Okinawa Matcha Milk Tea with Azuki Beans. That was tempting me.

So I placed my order for a medium glass with half sugar. And this was my drink.

Okinawa Matcha Milk Tea with Azuki Beans, RM6.90

Well, I found the drink to be pretty light and pleasant to drink. I also enjoyed the azuki beans. I drank about a third of the glass .... and gave away the rest. Gotta watch the waistline. ;P

Ayam Penyet

"It's very spicy," Bro warned me.

Hah, no prob, I said. I can take it however spicy it is. I love spicy food, anyway.

Bro asked if  I had eaten Ayam Penyet before. Well .... in Miri ... everyone loves Nasi Lalapan. While I am not sure if  it is the same thing, I am about to review Ayam Penyet, based on my experience with Nasi Lalapan.

Well, according to the menu, this is an East Javanese cuisine. The chicken is supposed to be richly marinated and stewed with various spices and herbs, flattened and then deep-fried. I suppose the chicken is flattened so that it cooks faster, to ensure that it's crispy outside and still juicy inside. According to the menu too, it is served with a quarter of deep-fried tofu, tempe, kangkong, cabbage, shrimp paste or sambal, and crunchy fried fritter topping.

We were there quite late .... and wanted the meal for supper. Bro and I I ordered Ayam Penyet, while sil ordered the Prawn penyet. Lol. Sounds funny indeed.

Our meals ... 

We did not wait for long .... and then the platter was set before me. Hmn .... compared to my usual Nasi Lalapan fare, the plate was smaller .... and the contents looked more dismal. 

Well, first up, I did not think the chicken was smashed at all. And I really did not taste any special concoction of marinade on the meat. And I got the "white meat" quarter ... which I did not like. I did not know that I had to make a special request to have the thigh. I found the meat to be very dry. 

The deep-fried beancurd and tempe were quite pathetic in size, the cabbage was raw, and there was no kangkong. The shrimp paste or sambal was very spicy indeed, and just a bit pungent. It was not like the Nasi Lalapan sambal which I was accustomed to - the very spicy and appetising sambal with the prominent taste of the pungent belacan, the sweet, fruity and tangy tomatoes, and the twist of lime in there. This Ayam Penyet sambal did not titillate my tastebuds, but instead they set fire to my stomach. Lol. It was indeed very, very spicy. It numbed my tongue .... and I could feel the fiery effects in my tummy till the next morning! 

My conclusion to the meal .... hmn .... I'd better stick to Nasi Lalapan. 

To my fellow readers, these are my posts on Nasi Lalapan :

1) Nasi Lalapan 1

2) Rices @ Shukie

3) Nasi Lalapan 2

4) Lalapan still tastes so good

Well, I'm probably being prejudiced. So .... well .... why not you try Ayam Penyet and see for yourself. ;P 

Italiannies

It was near 2 p.m., and we wanted to have a late lunch. Initially, we wanted to eat somewhere else .... but the queue was too long. So, we headed to Italiannies instead.

 I loved the soft and freshly baked bread, dipped in olive oil and balsamic vinegar .... 

Pepperoni Pizza, RM36.90

The pizza had thin crust, and I detected a faint smoky flavour .... so perhaps the pizza was baked in a wood-fire stove. The toppings included beef pepperoni, mozzarella cheese and shaved onions, and rocket. They were well-balanced in flavour, and so I enjoyed the pizza tremendously.

Tortellini con Salmone ed Aneto, RM26.90

This was spinach and ricotta filled tortellini pasta tossed in alfredo sauce with sauteed salmon and fresh dill. The sauce was creamy and rich, and went superbly well with the salmon. All of us enjoyed this pasta. 

Tagliatelli con Salvia, Funghi e Popettino

This was a handmade tagliatelli pasta sauteed with lemon and shiitake mushrooms served with homemade beef meatballs. This pasta was different from the previous one. While the tortellini had a rich and creamy taste, the tagliatelli pasta was coated with garlic, lemon and mushrooms, thus making it very robust in flavour.  I liked the tasty meatballs in the dish too. 

Spaghetti Alfredo, foc

Children under twelve eat for free. So we ordered a spaghetti alfredo for Berry. It was rich and creamy, but not salty at all. I guess I understood why. We too go easy on salt when we prepare Berry's meals at home. We tried to feed Berry his pasta .... but he refused to eat it. And so we had to help him finish the pasta. ;P

Well, my first time here. I found the staff to be friendly and accommodating, the food to be quite palatable, and the whole dining experience to be very pleasant. Will be back. :))

Thanks to Bro & Apple for the treat. :P 

Restoran Fu Kua

This restaurant is located at Taman Megah, Petaling Jaya. As the name indicates, this restaurant specialises in bitter melon or bitter gourd, known as "fu kua" in Cantonese. Its Chinese name is more specific, translated more or less to be "Bitter Melon In Teochew Cuisine". I'd not know whether they serve authentic Teochew cuisine or not .... cause I really do not know what authentic Teochew food is really all about.

Anyway, we were there at 5.30 p.m., and they had just started setting up their tables and chairs.

The shop

We waited a bit and then decided to go into the restaurant. We were seated, and were given menus. I'd say that the menu was not friendly at all.

Written in small font and densely crowded the page. Imagine pages and pages of these. I'd flipped them over and over for a long time, and not make sense of anything. They were not properly categorised, I'd say. The signature items were not marked. 

In the end, we asked the lady to recommend us a few dishes. But I was not so good, ordering food in Mandarin, especially when I was not sure what she was talking about. I thought she muffled a lot  ..... lol ...

We had ... 

Lala Clams In Herbal Broth

 Lala Clams in Herbal Broth

Hmn ..... it's my first time eating lala clams this way. The broth had a light taste of herbs, and also tatsed of yam. I quite liked the herbal soup. The yam was powdery and melted in the mouth .... but I thought its presence in the soup was rather weird, and it sort of "disturbed" the flavour of the soup. To me, the soup was good enough on its own, without the presence of yam ...... but the Teochews love their yams I guess. ;P

Bitter Melon With Salted Egg

I loved this dish .... the bitter melon combined with the fragrant salted egg was superbly appetising. 

Steamed Catfish

The fish was rather tasty, its flesh very smooth and sweet. I enjoyed it lots, and so did Bro.

Deep-fried Nam Ru Chicken

The chicken was crispy and tasty, with the faint and fragrant taste of Nam Ru or fermented tofu. I liked it. 

Bitter Melon & Cucumber Juice

Hmn ... the juice was refreshing, but it was a bit sweet for me. Next time, I'd order it without sugar. 

I regretted not ordering the bitter melon soup as it looked really tasty .... sigh .... next time.

Dinner @ Tony Roma's

We had dinner at Tony Roma's the other night. I've always wanted to try this place, purportedly to serve the best ribs in town!

Fried Calamari

Grilled Chicken & Fire Roasted Vegetables Salad

A Full Slab Of Bountiful Ribs

With French Fries and Ranch Style Beans

Pineapple Sunrise 

Well, 4 items we ordered. The bill came to more than RM150. To me, it was darn expensive. Was it filling? Not really. 

What I liked. 

• The toasted cheddar flatbread on the salad.... was rich and cheesy and crispy and was really pleasant to chew on
• The combination of chicken and colourful vegetables in the salad, the smoky taste of the roasted vegetables were great
• The tenderness of the meat off the ribs, the superb taste of the BBQ sauce. The meat was really tender and came off at the gentlest manipulation; The meat, coated with the dark-coloured rich, sweet and tangy sauce was divine indeed. 
• The fries were good .... thick, yet light and crispy 
• The ranch style beans were excellent. It was my favourite side dish of the night. It had a great consistency, and was fragrant with spices, notably cumin. The beans were really soft and tasty. I could have 2 bowls easily ... and just pass me that bag of corn chips and I'd be happy.

Would I be back? Well, for the beans, yes. And I'd like to try the other stuff on the menu ..... like the steak, pasta and burgers. Till next time ......

Simple Homemade Food

I guess everyone was kind of tired of eating out, including myself. So, we opted for simple homecooked meals at home. Mom's not around to cook for us, So ..... when left on my own, I go for fuss-free dishes that are simple to make. 

For bro's sake, there must be a compulsory meat dish - chicken, beef or fish. I always opt for chicken as it's versatile enough to be cooked in any way I like, and with minimal ingredients too.

Lemongrass chicken

Dried chilli chicken

Chicken in ginger

Hey ... they ll have the same colour .... but taste distinctively different. My favourite among the three would be the dried chilli chicken, which is fiery spicy and tangy. A bit too spicy, Bro said. Well ... yeah ... but it was sure appetising. 

Then of course, vegetables are a must for every meal. It's pretty simple to stir-fry a vegetable anytime.

Mustard green 

Baby romaine lettuce

Spinach

Then spontaneously, I decided on cooking a seafood egg tofu dish

Egg Tofu with squid rings and prawns

Sometimes .... I thought some dishes tasted funny .... I told Bro and sil so .... but they did not mind. Every meal, we finished our simple homemade food with relish. ;P