happy valentines 2008

pictures i received from a forwarded email. everything looks too precious to be put in the mouth , eh?

HAPPY VALENTINES!!

<3

kedai kopi let's rock @ ipoh

if you ask me what are the 3 things i am most craving for at the moment from my hometown, ipoh (land of good food), these tops my list:

# Pork noodles @ Pusat Makanan Sun Hor Lok, Greentown
# Hor fun (dry) & fishballs @ Restoran Let's Rock/Tai Kah Lok, Pasir Putih

# Chicken & prawn ipoh kueh teow @ Jalan Mustapha Al-Bakri

fishballs, tofu, fishcakes, fu pei, meatballs, wantons

we practically grew up eating noodles, fishballs and drinking teh from tai kah lok. i remember mom used to ta pau these for breakfast on weekends or we would come here for breakfast on sundays with dad. this place remains very nostalgic and memorable to us.

for a good few years now we havent had any tai kah lok, so on 3rd day of cny, we decided to NOT join the foh san dim sum crowd but came here instead. i think we made a wise and yummy decision.

signature hor fun kon loh

the obligatory must haves

the fishballs etc are priced at 50 cents per piece. last time, it was only bout 30 cents. shows how much time has changed... but the taste is stillsogoooooood and ingredients used are absolutely fresh.

the taste of the hor fun is really very distinctive. of all the dry hor fun ive eaten, tai kah lok's still tastes the best! and it's so recognizable that if you were to blindfold me, i would still managed to tell you which is tai kah lok's hor fun kon loh.

so so so so good... *sighs*

p/s: tai kah lok also made it into flavours magazine Perak good food guide (march-april 2006 edition).


kedai kopi let's rock (tai kah lok)
661, new pasir putih,
jln pasir putih, ipoh.
opens 7-11am; 4.30-9pm
closed on wednesdays

[disclaimer: the opinions expressed here are based on my personal views, tastebuds and preference and may vary for others. please dont sue me, i dont have money. kthxbye.]

nihon kai @ jln klang lama

nihon kai is a relatively new japanese place, opened just a year plus. this restaurant is the brainchild of the nakamura family whose daughter is the classmate of my cousin brother. my sister, upon recommendation from my cousin, went here twice and said the food is commendable and prices are reasonably cheap.

so off we went for some japanese indulgence, all 13 of us. famed for its cheap bento sets ranging between rm20 to rm25, we all went for the bento sets for dinner.

obligatory and custom green tea was served immediately. i like the cups cos it has an ergonomical touch to it.

sashimi & sushi party boat set- rm55

mixed seafood bento- rm23

nihon kai salmon special bento set- rm20

sukiyaki (chicken) bento set- rm21

mixed sashimi bento set

fried seafood bento set

cod fish head- rm45

i couldn't take pictures of every single bento set as i was too far away and also my relatives are not used to my "snap before eating" rule :(

the food was two thumbs up. i really like the rice, soft fluffy and chubby grains. hehe. also, the chawan mushi was very smooth and had a nice (i think) salty egg yolk taste, and it comes really hot, so even after you eat it last you'll still have it warm. my sukiyaki chicken (wanted to take beef but dad was staring at me -_-) was awesome! the soup was sooooo sweet and comes with chicken bits, soft chinese cabbage, glass noodles, mushrooms and tofu). i slurped every single drop of it.

another worthy order was the sushi & sashimi boat set. do note that nihon kai is not particularly famous for its sushi range, hence the sushies are alil' pricey. however the boat set we ordered came floating with 5 types of nigirisushi, 1 temaki, salmon & tuna sashimi, and cucumber & pickle maki.

my uncle had the famous cod fish head which was really huge!! also it took rather a long time to arrive, so be sure to be patient as the wait is worth it!! for such a huge head at rm45, everyone said it was "nowhere you can find out there!" the flesh was smooth and fresh. superb!!

the dinner overall was a very filling one. i was filled to the brim and couldn't move!! according to my cousin, if you want a seat on weekends be sure to call and book first or else you'll be joining others in the line to dine here. this place has received several reviews from the media including nanyang and thestar. service is okay and the ambience is very cozy for a family/friends gathering. pricewise, it was about rm340 for 13 of us, you do the math. parking is also available within walking distance.

nihon kai japanese restaurant
4-2, jalan telok gadong,
off jalan klang lama,
batu 3 1/2, 58100 kuala lumpur.
tel: 03-49823668

(from mid valley/pj, go up the flyover to jln klang lama. just before shell station, turn left to a small alley. nihon kai is the last shop at the corner)

[disclaimer: the opinions expressed here are based on my personal views, tastebuds and preference and may vary for others. please dont sue me, i dont have money. kthxbye.]

why i like to be a chinese...

all ready to welcome the new year, i think its quite nice

... because chinese new year is inarguably the BESTESTEST festival evarrrrr!!!!1111

but of course, im only speaking for myself. i also <3 christmas, hari raya, deepavali because of the public holidays galore and the mega sales associated with these festivals. and then there are the guilty sinful yet scrumptious spread of food... ahhh life is good.

for those deprived of this festive mood (yes, you people studying abroad) these chinese new year goodies are for your eyes to feast!

the unmistakable red cap bottles of goodies

i cant wait to open the cellotape seals on each of the bottles!! eh chinese new year faster come-lah!!

my mom's organic goodies (less oil, less fat, less sugar, no eggs)
erm that's not MY definition of goodies!!

this is MY definition of goodies! so oily, so fatty and so delicious...

chinese new year is 3 days away. im excited and happy, are you????

#

a BIG birthday shoutout:

to Eiling, my eldest sis (2nd feb)- which also coincides with the cny 1st day. she always get extra ang pow, not fair.

to ah Chang (31st jan)- happy adulthood!!
to Kah Yee (4th feb)- happy quarter century old woman!!
to Kah Ling (4th feb)- happy joining the TWO-O club babe!!

Happy Birthday and Happy CNY to all!! here's wishing all of you healthy (despite the sinful goodies), wealthy, and a great year ahead.

ben & nick's diner

ben & nick's diner

tucked in a small little corner at the ground floor of a just completed service apartment in subang jaya is ben & nick's diner. i read of its existence from thestar metro about a week back. thus, when my classmates and i decided to have a little "reunion" lunch and i was put to task to find a place to eat, i suggested to try this place... knowing i need some new entries for my blog now ;-)

the interior is very very small... by the thought of it, smaller than my bedroom! hahah im serious!! the inside sits about 14 with a small kitchen and a small cashier/drinks corner. rest be assured though, there're a few tables outside as well.

lemon juice- rm2.90

ice lemon tea- rm3.50

latte cafe- rm6.90

the lemon juice comes in a reasonable price and is recommended for a refreshing start. i wanted to start off with the mushroom soup (rm6.90) and end with the apple crumble (rm6.90) as recommended by thestar review but both items were not available :(

cajun pasta- rm17.80

choice of pasta with spicy cajun sauce cooked with chicken strips and button mushrooms

lamb shank- rm27.90
braised then carefully baked for juicy and tender experience of enjoying a lamb meal with house gravy on a bed of mash potato. served with chef's veggies

chicken blanket- rm16.90
specially house marinated grilled cajun chicken with salsa and crispy romaine lettuce, cheddar and mozzarella chesse wrapped with grilled tortillas and served with a generous amount of ceaser salad

combo- rm18.90
combination of australian chilled sirloin and especially house marinade grilled cajun chicken smoked with beef bacon, onions, cheddar, mozzarella cheese wrapped with grilled tortillas and fresh white button mushroom. served witha generous amount of ceasar salad

i quite like my combo selection. the sirloin strips was really good though the description on the menu was a tad misleading. it didnt mention the meat being wrapped in tortillas and i thought they got the orders wrong. the owner thanked me for pointing out the mistake. anyway, as for the lamb shank, although it is a recommended item and requires advance booking (they serve limited servings per day), my friends who had it commented that the dish tasted bland and they didnt enjoy it. as for the pasta, it was not too bad but please note that its serve in a spicy sauce ;-)

overall, b&n diner has a very cozy setting albeit being very small. food portions are generous but may be slightly overpriced (imho) given that it resides at a space no bigger than my bedroom, i dunno... maybe the rental is expensive (??). another good point is there's no taxes charged and the service is commendable.

the downside however is its location is not too strategic at the moment, given that its situated in the midst of the hustle and bustle of the ongoing construction of the subang-kelana flyover and another service apartment beside it (read: noise and dust pollution). parking isn't a breeze as well with the ongoing constructions.

ben & nick's diner
lot g10, e-tiara service apartment,
persiaran kemajuan,
47500 subang jaya.
(beside carrefour subang)
tel: 016-2010189

open for lunch monday-fridays from noon to 2.30pm
open for dinner monday-saturdays from 6-10pm

[disclaimer: the opinions expressed here are based on my personal views, tastebuds and preference and may vary for others. please dont sue me, i dont have money. kthxbye.]