Sup Gearbox

Sup Gearbox- Bull's Bone Marrow Soup

I never really have Malay-style soup before although passing by those Malay tom yum shacks was a routine. Not exactly your usual Sup Ayam or Sup Kambing is this special soup which goes by a very special name too- Sup Gearbox. I know, the Westerners and carmakers will be proud. If I was the inventer of this soup, I would have cut a deal with one of the carmakers to name the soup after them, i.e. Sup Gearbox BMW. Then again, I would probably need to pay royalty for every bowl sold :S

(p/s: I'm in love with Bimmers!)


BBQ Daging

Essentially it's the bone marrow of the bull which resembles the car's gearbox. It is said that a bull's bone marrow will be better as they have more muscles (from working hard at the farm??) than the cow's. Cows are better off be made steak I guess. The soup is rich and flavourful which is actually quite delicious and it goes very well with rice too. The normal way to finish up the soup is to put a straw in the bone marrow and suck it up *slurp*.

I was brought to the famous Sup Gearbox in Kota Bahru which also specializes in BBQ Daging. Pity that I don't really know where this place is but it seems that it's very popular among government officials and have even appeared in Malay dailies.

Sang Har Meen @ PJ

Sang Har Meen for 10 pax (RM125)

Sang Har Meen is inarguably one of more pricey noodle dish amongst the noodle family due to the usage of Sang Har or Fresh Water Prawns. A Sang Har Meen meal can be a very pricey affair depending on where you can have it and the size of the prawns. Ever since I discovered a place that offers delicious noodles and sizeable fresh prawns, a serving of this scrumptious noodles never looked so affordable and easily accessible before!


Sang Har Meen per portion; Tung Po Pork- RM30

This comes off as a surprise finding as my initial intention was just to gather a group of colleagues for lunch where we wouldn't have to crack heads over transportation issues. There was a new restaurant near our workplace at Section 19, same row as Greenview Restaurant (the other restaurant famous for Sang Har Meen but at cut throat price). It was opened a few months back but business seemed to be lacking and they somehow changed the menu and setting of the restaurant. It now spots a very huge and distinct red 'Sang Har Noodles' signboard so there's no way anyone can't see it!

The Sang Har Meen is very affordable at only RM12.50 per pax as we ordered for a 10 pax portion. The delicious succulent huge prawns and sinfully egg roes is the reason for drooling! We also had a serving of Tung Po Pork which was served with fried mantous and a serving of Claypot Chinese Cabbage with Yam (RM20) which received widespread thumbs up around the table.


Thong Kee Sang Har Meen

Another place which offers Sang Har Meen is Thong Kee, which is a couple of shops away from the famous Seapark Sunrise Duck shop. However, this one comes off slightly expensive compared to Richwell, if I remember clearly is about RM20 per pax.

I read that Greenview's is at about RM28 per pax.


Restaurant Richwell
24G & 26G, Jalan 19/3,
46300 Petaling Jaya.
Tel: 03-7955 5855

Restaurant Thong Kee
33, Jalan 21/12,
46300 Petaling Jaya.
Tel: 03-7874 2444

[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.]

A Wholesome Dinner @ Imbi Palace

Prawn Salad on Crackers; Honey Glazed Char Siew; Transluscent Century Eggs

I'm a sucker when it comes to free food (of course with certain standards haha) and parasiting over lavish (and unlavish) dinners. Last 2 weekends, my sister Eiling invited me for dinner with her other friends at Imbi Palace.

I love Chinese food, to begin with- regardless whether it's home cooked, 5-star restaurant, or streetside tai chow. The thing with Chinese cuisines is the versatility of the cooking and preparation, the myriad of ingredients and sauces and there are one million and one drinks you can pair your dinner with.

We had quite a few appetizers but the one that really captured my tastebuds was the century egg. Although it looks and seems simple, I think it takes skills to prepared one which has a semi runny yolk that is so creamy. The prawn salad was nothing out of the ordinary but the char siew was pretty good too though Eiling said she has tasted better.


Double Boiled Chicken & Abalone Soup

I'm a HUGE fan of soups, in fact if I were to be on diet, I will go for a liquid soup diet! This Double Boiled Chicken & Abalone Soup fares high on my rating scale. The soup is rich with the natural sweetness of the abalone, scallops, chicken and other herbal ingredients used. Can I have another bowl pleaseeeeeeee??


Cheese Baked Tiger Prawns

Now, on to something more sinful and artery clogging but I love it- the Cheese Baked Tiger Prawns. There were 1/2 a dozen of huge succulent Tiger prawns in the pot covered with mozarella cheeeeeese and baked to perfect golden brown perfection. The prawns were tangy and rich in golden roe, the melted cheese complimented the whole dish perfectly and the golden orangy sauce would have made a great accompaniment to white rice. Such a perfect east meets west dish.


Crispy Fried Frog; Stir Fried Vege with Pork Liver

Still on the sinful note is the Crispy Fried Frog. Now, not everyone is a fan of this amphibian but it just takes one to try it once to instantly fall in love with it. Then imagine this, smooth muscled meat batter fried... This would have been a wonderful snack with a chilled beer. After all the sinful dishes, it's time for the first vege dish to arrive- Stir Fried Kau Choi with Pork Liver.


Porridge Goodness; Abalone and Fried Crullers

Just when you think the dinner is coming to an end, the waitress brought in a big claypot complete with a portable stove. Another pot of treasure awaits and it's a pot of porridge! But this is no ordinary porridge, just look at the amount of ingredients and accompaniments in it to make the broth sweet- crabs, frogs, scallops and abalone. Now, I wouldn't mind getting sick everyday just to have this............


Different glasses for different drinks; Stir Fried Tau Miu; Birds Nest

The second vege arrived and soon the final 'dish' for the night appeared and it was a pot of birds nest- the best possible ending for the night :)


Hermitage; Opus One; Krug; Dom Perignon

We also tried quite a few selection of white, red and champagnes that night and this is what I really mean by "there are one million and one drinks you can pair your dinner with" when it comes to Chinese dining and here are just a few examples.

Cheers to Chinese food!


Imbi Palace
8, Jalan Barat,
Off Jalan Imbi,
55100 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-2145 4822

[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.]

CTNF: Cheese Baked Seafood Pasta

Cheese Baked Seafood Pasta (before going into the oven); Refreshing ice cold lemonade

It's another one of those days when I had nothing to eat at home and decided to whip something up. Took a trip to the supermarket with nothing concrete in mind what I wanted to cook.


Tadah!

Inspired by all things cheesy and baked, this is what I did. Baked the tomato based angel hair pasta with assorted accompaniments in it- salmon, shrimps, french beans, squid, potatoes and melted mozarella. It was pretty filling actually, and complimented by a glass of very refreshing lemonade......... cheers!

Another cheap thrills, no frills meal for the day :)

Salero Negori @ TTDI

Nasi Padang

I'm usually not an avid fan of Malay-style food but I do take it once in awhile to give a bit of spice to the sometimes routine lunch hours. My colleague recommended Salero Negori for its Nasi Padang. It works something similar like the Economy Rice or Nasi Campur where you choose your picks from the spread and have them served to you later on. Best to go in a group so you can sample a little bit of everything.

We ordered the Ayam Kampung Goreng which comes with those fried bits that everybody loves. There were also some chicken curry, fried fish, sambal brinjal, long beans, and tempe.


Tapai; Sago Milk

For drinks, I had the Jus Apukat (Avocado Juice with Chocolate Syrup) which is my favourite drink when I have my Indon food but unfortunately the avocado that day was too bitter! Another famous Indon drink would be the Teh Botol (also unfortunately not cheap). We tried two desserts- Tapai with Vanilla Ice Cream and Sago Milk. The Tapai (fermented rice) is quite strong on alcohol, for the acquired taste only.

Overall, it was a great lunch but would have been better if the avocado was sweeter :-(


Salero Negori
42, Lorong Rahim Kajai 14,
Taman Tun Dr Ismail,
60000 KL.

* Also available @ Amcorp Mall.

[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.]

Pradi Prada @ Kota Kemuning

A hearty dinner; Fried Chicken with Kunyit; Fu Yong Omelette; Kedondong Juice

Pradi Prada has been around longer than I had expected it to survive. Back in those days when the Kota Kemuning township was ready, the financial crisis hit and the commercial area became dead. Anyone shops/businesses that opened rarely lasted more than half a year. Those who survived and thrived on were a handful- Pradi Prada was one of them.

Specializing in Penang style Nyonya food, it is a neighbourhood favourite for a casual weekend dine out. The dishes are simple fare, tasted very homely and affordable too. My family dined here a month back and had Fish Head Curry, Assam Prawns, Paku Pakis Belacan, Fu Yong Omelette and Fried Chicken with Kunyit.


Fish Head Curry; Assam Prawns

It was indeed a hearty and satisfying meal followed by a very refreshing Kedondong Juice. The whole bill came to about RM60. There is also a complimentary hot dessert of the day- ours was Sweet Potato tong sui.


Pradi Prada
4, Jalan Anggerik Vanilla Y/31Y,
Kota Kemuning,
Shah Alam.

[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.]

CTNF: Smoked Salmon & Co

Smoked Salmon & Co; Cookbook inspiration

I have recently found my motivation to cook and it was during a visit to the bookstore that I stumbled upon this enticing mouth watering recipe which was at the 'breakfast' recipe section of this cookbook. I bought it immediately seeing that it wasn't too expensive (oh yes, bought a cookbook just for one recipe) and turned the recipe to a heavier one for dinner!


Smoked Salmon & Co- not really like what's shown in the cookbook

Conveniently, I then made a trip to Cold Storage and bought what I needed. Actually I bought more than what I needed- ha haha, the potatoes, bacon, shrimps and beef sausage were not even in the recipe! Anyway it was a pretty simple but expensive meal- the smoked salmon and smoked beef are expensive.

Taiwan Noodle House @ SS2

Beef Noodles with Pork Chop- RM5.50

My colleague introduced this eatery place to me awhile back when we were faced with "The Most Difficult Question of All Times"... which is "Where to eat???"

Located next to The Cave Restaurant, which has now closed down and turned into something else, hopefully not another themed restaurant with bad food, I am impressed that this kopitiam lookalike has quite a number of Taiwanese noodles and rice on their menu. My normal item on the menu (actually it is the only thing I've eaten so far ha haha), is the Beef Noodles with Pork Chop.

If you're craving for Taiwanese Noodles or Rice next time when you're in SS2 area, do give this a try!



Taiwan Noodle House
20, Jalan SS2/61,
Petaling Jaya.


[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.]

Avillion Port Dickson

Breathtaking night scene of lights and water

Nothing beats a good getaway. But how do you define 'good'? To me, 'good' is a combination of wonderful company, relaxing setting and an awesome room to stay. I didn't have to go far for it- I had it all at Avillion, Port Dickson.


The cosy room- Water Chalets

There are a few types of accommodation- Garden Chalets, Water Chalets, Premium Water Chalets and Beach Studios. Then there are Water Villas too- 1 bedroom or 2 bedrooms. I think the cheapest would be the Garden Chalets but Avillion in general caters to the premium segment of holidaymakers.


Open air shower

As with everyone else, my favourite part of the room would be the bathroom. It is spacious and well segmented- an open air shower area (there is an opening on the roof and opening showcasing the sea next to the shower area), a bathtub which I bet nobody uses, a closed area for the 'usual' business and a wash up area. The bathroom is bigger than the sleeping area!


Cochin Pool- For Adults Only

There are 3 types of pool for guests to enjoy- catering to both kids and adults. The Cochin pool is specially dedicated for adults only- perhaps it's deeper and also bigger for morning laps.


Village pool and kids pool

The village pool is for sharing with jacuzzi as well and there's also a kids pool for the kids to have some splashing fun! This area is also popular amongst guests for sunbathing and afternoon cat nap.


Main building that houses everything else

There is also a spa building which I will blog about it later, but for everything else- karaoke, bar, restaurant, souvenir shop, buffet line etc, it is all in this building which lights up perfectly at night. For animal lovers and pet loving kids, there is also a pet farm which is very well maintained with assorted pet animals such as tortoises, rabbits, chickens, peacocks and pigeons to name a few. There is a feeding session daily which kids love it!

I wish everyday is a getaway.


Avillion Port Dickson
3rd Mile, Jalan Pantai,
71000 Port Dickson,
Negeri Sembilan, M'sia.
Tel: 06-647 6688
www.avillionportdickson.com

Cristang 'P for Pork Burgers'

P2: Pork Patty + Back Bacon- RM19.80

This place was raved and reviewed by many food bloggers out there some time back. So, how could I not pay a visit here when it's so near to my office? Cristang is famous for it's 'P' grade burgers- which I suspect 'P' here means 'PORK'. And who could ever say no to the 3-alphabets lovely animal that has 4 short legs, starts with a 'P' and ends with a 'G' :)

There were a selection of Western, Portugese, and Malaysian food in the menu but we were not easily distracted. "Aim for the 'P'!!", we kept reminding ourselves. So here we are, with the P2, P3 and 'Urban Legend' P7. Actually these grades are reminding me of my ACCA studies- I'm taking the P3 paper now :p


P3: Pork Patty + Minced Pork Chilli Con Carne- RM23.80

Honestly? The burgers came a little disappointing. The pork patties were just so-so. In fact, they came a little bit dry and cold.


P7: 'The Urband Legend' Pork Patty + Minced Pork Petai- RM28.80

Even the P7 did not impress me much. I know it's special with the inclusion of petai but it left me feeling bloated over a burger rather than wanting more. Considering that these gourmet burgers are not cheap and is just 'meh', I guess a revisit won't be too soon. I think I'll go back to my Ramli-s special.



Cristang Restaurant
B-G-19, 8 Avenue,
Pusat Perniagaan Seksyen 8,
Jln Sungai Jernih 8/1,
Petaling Jaya.
Tel: 03-7956 7877

[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.]