Stressed At Ikea

I found it so stressful to eat at Ikea. Because there was absolutely nowhere to sit! I walked round and round with Sil and Berry while we scanned the restaurant, and we could not seem to secure a table. Lots of people were standing around too, and they too were looking for tables to snap up. As soon as people left, their tables would be quickly taken. Such overwhelming crowd it was that evening.

After a long while, we finally got a place. It was hardly suitable as it was a bar counter which could only seat two. We needed a table for 4. But it looked like we did not have much choice.

So while Sil and baby Berry were waiting, I joined Bro at the food counters. I found that purchasing the food was rather a breeze. Even though there was a long, long queue, it was quick and easy to buy. So perhaps that was why there weren't enough tables and chairs to cater to the diners. People just did not eat as quick as they could purchase the food!

Anyway, we bought ....

Poached salmon with chive butter sauce 

Chicken chop

Chicken wings

Swedish meatballs

I wanted Daim cake .... but there's no more. Not that it's finished, but it's being discontinued. In its place is an almond cake ....

The thin layers of cake was covered with butter cream and sprinkled with toasted almonds ... sweet, but not as delectable and satisfying as the Daim cake. 

Well ... I thought that the quality of the food had somewhat deteriorated, ..... and eating here was no longer exciting as before. Perhaps I was just too overwhelmed by the crowd.

Midvalley Megamall

Bro asked me to pick a mall.

I picked Midvalley Megamall. On a Saturday, needless to say, the mall was sure packed. People were queuing up everywhere .... especially at the eateries. We decided to have lunch at Burger King .... where we ordered 3 Whopper Junior meals.

Whopper Junior meal sets

Whopper Junior

Sometimes, the burger wasn't nice, but the other day, it did tasted alright. I loved it. 

Thereafter, it was a stroll at the malls - Midvalley and The Gardens .... 

Love the robots on display .... 

Yayy! Optimus Prime 

But of course, lots of people crowded the robots ..... and took turns taking photographs. Lots of people as well were queuing up at the fitting rooms at many outlets, such as at Uniqlo and even at Isetan! I bought a blouse and a pair of shorts. :P

MH2513 to Kuala Lumpur

There was the slightest delay, but overall, the flight was rather smooth-sailing. Lunch was served shortly after we were in the air, and it was a simple affair.

 Boxed lunch and a glass of Coke

 I had Ayam Masak Merah with rice and vegetables ... 

And here's a closer look ... 

The sauce which coated the chicken tasted very prominently of spices ... that of cardamoms and cloves. A little to overpowering, actually. 

I was hungry, so I did eat almost everything .... except the rice. It did not whet my appetite though ..... and as soon as I got to KL Sentral ..... 

 Yummy Subway Club sandwich .. 

Messy goodness ... 

What's not so good was that the bread was a bit burnt ..... so it was a bit bitter .... otherwise, the sandwich would have been totally enjoyable. :)) 

Curry Rice @ Fu Cafe

AT wanted to buy something back for his mom's lunch.

I suggested curry rice because we were nearby.

Of course, I want to eat too! So we ordered a plate to share ....

Curry Rice, RM5.00

The curry was indeed very fragrant ..... and as soon as the plate was placed before me, it induced my appetite. The plate consisted of plain white rice, with a steamed chicken drumstick, braised sweet soy pork, a fried egg, some green long beans.

I found the rice to be too soft, actually, and there were lumps which I did not like. While I liked the aromatic curry, I did not like its starchy texture.

Overall, it was not bad, to say the least. AT liked it. Me? Hmn .... still don't like the starch. :))

Old Gems

Our mutual friend wanted to takeaway some baked buns or shao bao from Kuching .... and she specifically requested the ones from Tong Kee, located at Kai Joo Lane Kuching.

So after we had our noodles at Kim Joo, we took a leisurely stroll to Kai Joo Lane which is situated off India Street. Upon reaching there, Tong Kee had just sold off a freshly baked batch of shao bao .... and we had to wait for another 45 minutes for the next batch. We ordered 15 pieces.

Shao Bao, RM2.00 each

The shao bao was rather large in size, the pastry being very crispy and flaky. It was filled with pork cubes ..... quite tasty. I gave a few pieces to Second Aunt when I got home, and she liked it because it was savoury.

Opposite Tong Kee was Chong Chon Biscuit Maker, and this was the ORIGINAL shao bao and my favourite pastry shop in Kuching. The difference, if compared to Tong Kee's, was that Chong Chon's filling was sweeter and tastier ... and combined with the savoury pastry, it was just perfect.

This is the best Kuching has to offer! 

At Kai Joo Lane as well, was a food cart ..... where there was this old auntie selling traditional beancurd jelly. Hers was purportedly the best in Kuching too, as it was smooth and melted in the mouth, and not too sweet too.

 Beancurd Jelly, RM1.50

As we walked back to Carpenter Street, I saw a crowd of people in front of a shop .... and I was curious to see what they were buying .... and at this corner, there was a couple and they were selling Lek Tau Suan and Oh Bi Moi. 

Lek Tau Suan a.k.a Split mung bean soup 

Oh Bi Moi a.k.a. black glutinous rice soup

This couple had been selling for a few decades, according to them. Lek Tau Suan was available daily, while Oh Bi Moi was only sold on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. 

The stall 

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Kim Joo

Kim Joo, located at Ewe Hai Street, has been in business for 3 generations. It is a popular breakfast and lunch spot.

It is famous for its kolo mee, but it is even more famous as the alternative place to enjoy a bowl of plain noodles with offal soup. Why alternative? Well .... for some Kuchingites, myself included, the best noodles and soup could be found only at Noodle Descendants at Padungan. But everyone knows that eating at Noodles Descendants entails a lot of waiting. Hence, some people prefer to go to Kim Joo's instead.

Kopi for me and Teh C for AT; I think the Teh C tasted better than the kopi

I'd never been there before, so this is my first time. AT and I ordered 2 bowls of plain noodles and a bowl of soup.

The condiments 

Plain noodles

Offal soup

While the noodles were edible, I did not quite like it. It was a bit dry, and not as aromatic as I would like it to be.The soup too as not was umami as it could have been. AT could tell that I was disappointed ... well .... perhaps deep down in my heart, I still much preferred Noodle Descendants. :P

Read here. And read here too.

Dinner With My Parents

Mom and Dad wanted to buy AT a meal to thank him for all he had done for me in helping me to relocate from Miri to Kuching. AT had certainly done much for me ... giving me boxes, and helping me to pack and carrying my heavy boxes, and arranging for the courier, and even driving me all the way home. 

Mom and Dad were away when I got back the other time ..... so the opportunity only arose now for them to thank AT with a meal. AT, of course, was reluctant .... but in the end, he relented.

Braised peanuts

Sea cucumber soup

Deep-fried tofu, with minced meat and salted fish gravy.

Steamed Siakap Thai-style 

Venison stirfry 

Midin with red wine 

Hmn .... food was merely average the other night, for some reason ...... of all the dishes, I only liked the venison as the meat was tender and flavourful. The midin was a tad bitter, the chilli sauce with the fish was too sweet, the tofu tasted good but it was a bit starchy, and the soup tasted funny.