Hoi Tin Lau's Seafood Spinach Noodles

I used to like the Seafood Spinach Noodles at Hoi Tin Lau.

Today, when I ordered it, I was a bit disappointed. First of all, I did not like the deep-fried fish fingers that the noodles came with. I very much prefer fresh fish slices. Then, I thought it the noodles were a tad too dry, as I like the noodles to be coated with more sauce.

I hope that the restaurant will revert to using fresh fish slices. The deep-fried fish was really disappointing.

Thai Beef Salad

Today, I attempted to make salad.

It was because yesterday, I watched a programme on Travel Asia called "You Are The Chef", and the guest Thai chef made a Thai Beef Salad. I was inspired, and so early this morning, I went to Ta Kiong at The Spring to get my ingredients.

I bought coral lettuce, chinese celery, tomatoes, cucumbers, bombay onions and beef slices. For the dressing, I used chopped garlic and chilli padi, shallots, lime, fish sauce and sugar.

Back at home, I rubbed the beef slices with ground black pepper and salt, then I pan fried them. They are then sliced thinly and tossed together with the greens, and the dressing. Pretty easy.

Pretty, isn't it?

Well, I thought the salad looked quite elegant when I served it on the plate. ;p The dressing was a bit too sour and salty, though. Next time, I'd have to add a bit more sugar.

Inspired by Porridge Steamboat

Porridge steamboat is a new thing in KL. There used to be plain porridge steamboat, though I think the porridge is lightly flavoured with chicken stock; but a newer trend in KL would be the pumpkin porridge steamboat, where mashed pumpkin is added to the porridge broth.

Over here in Kuching, I do not know of any outlets that sell porridge steamboat. Hence, we have to resort to making our own.

Mom made a pot of pumpkin porridge broth, then we added lots of stuff in it. We had homemade fish and prawn balls, fresh prawns, beef slices, chicken slices, wantons, egg and spinach.

The porridge was superb. Yum ;)

Sabah Style Fish Paste Soup @ Wang Full Food Centre

This morning, we went to Wang Full Food Centre at Jalan Petanak, Kuching for breakfast.


What my parents like there is the Sabah Style Fish Paste Soup. It is basically fish balls and fish cake slices, vegetables and seaweed in a clear soup. The "special" order comes with little squares of fish maw, and costs RM6.00. The regular version has no fish maw and sells for RM5.00.

Sabah Style Fish Paste Soup Special

Sabah Style Fish Paste Soup Regular

The soups are quite umami, while the fish balls and fish cake slices are very Q. The soups are served with dry-tossed noodles, topped with a spoonful of flavoured minced pork and chopped spring onions. The noodles are quite springy and bouncy, and is quite moist as there's plenty of clear gravy at the bottom of the bowl. Mix well before you tuck in.

Dry-tossed noodles

The noodles and soup are served with chilli padi in soy sauce. I think I would have preferred some sort of vinegary ground chilli with my fish cakes and fish balls, and pickled cut red chilli with my noodles, instead of the soy sauce. Hmn.

At 10.00 a.m., all the patrons at this coffee shop had the noodle & the fish paste soup. The lui cha 擂茶 stall was operating at the front corner of the shop but no one seemed to be ordering it. Guess not many people like the bitter Hakka delicacy. The economy rice stall was just starting to operate.

Miniature Rice-Wrapped Peaches

Second Aunt made these miniature Rice-Wrapped Peaches.

Each is only 6 cm long and about 1 cm thick. They are so cute that I can't resist snapping a shot. Second Aunt's Rice-Wrapped Peaches are compactly filled with glutinuos rice, finely diced pork, bean curd, dried radish, and toasted peanuts. They are definitely one of my favourites!

Myojo Ramen Char Mee Extra Spicy

One of my favourite instant noodles is the Myojo Ramen Char Mee Extra Spicy. This instant noodles is a product of Singapore.

I lke this instant noodles because the noodles are really springy. The flavouring comes in 2 sachets. One is a reddish seasoning oil, and I think it is this oil that provides the a fiery kick. The second packet is the seasoning powder, and I normally use only half a packet as I do not like my noodles to be too salty.

What I did today for lunch was really simple. Cut and wash sweet cabbage. Boil water. Blanch cabbage. Dish out and drain excess water. Add 2 drops of sesame oil to the cabbage for flavouring and toss. Next, add the noodle cake into the same pot of boiled water. Cook until noodles soften. Drain water. Add seasoning oil followed by seasoning powder and toss well. Place the cabbage atop the noodles. Then slice barbecued pork thinly and garnish.

.. Yum ..

This is one of the ways I like to eat my noodles. Cheers!

Tied Pork Knuckle

I've had this at W****'s a couple of times already. It is cold cut, usually served as an appetiser. Before W****'s, I had never seen pork being served this way. Mom has certainly never made it at home. And I cannot recall ever eating it anywhere else.

This is a cross section of the Tied Pork Knuckle.

Halved lengthwise and then sliced thinly

I can't write much about it, simply because I don't know much about it, except that the process of making it is arduous and that one of its ingredients in its making is wine. I googled this dish, but there wasn't much write up except for one. So you can read the details here. Ciao!