Jalan-jalan Cari Bazaar Ramadhan @ Kelana Jaya

The crowd weaving through to get their well-deserved meals

Perhaps the only way to drown all the past week sadness is by food. If laughter is the best medicine, in my point of view, food comes second close or maybe even second to none. And what better way to indulge than to have a walk at one of the many mushrooming ramadhan bazaars in town! Smell, sight and sound.

After some 'researching', I suggested to head on to the bazaar in Kelana Jaya as it is on the way from after work. So, here are some pictures for you guys living abroad who can't be here for the ramadhan bazaars!


Ayam golek, a local version of kenny roger's on rotisserie!


The murtabak man


Satay, satay, satay galore!


Ayam percik, a local favourite


Satar Awie, a Malay delicacy- fish wrapped in banana leaf on skewers


Goreng ini, goreng itu


Soup from the North- Sup Utara


Grilled fish or more fondly known as ikan bakar


Very carrerful drinks, becareful about the coloring though ;-)


Fried noodles on kawah wok


Uniformed fried chicken rice


Onde-onde, everyone's favourite kuih!

The bazaar starts to close at about 7pm to make way for the traders to berbuka puasa. The Kelana Jaya bazaar occupies one whole stretch of road and is pretty extensive in food choices although you will find a number of stalls duplicating the usual suspects such as roti john, murtabak, nasi campur, and kuih-muihs.

* Oh, an extra tip: Nearing the closing time, prices will be slashed. We were particularly lucky to get 3 ayam perciks for only RM5.


Selamat berbuka puasa!
from us who did not fast but still managed to buka puasa together anyway- kenneth, me, ashvin, param and joshan :)


Kelana Jaya Ramadhan Bazaar
@ Jalan SS6/1
(Coming from LDP towards Sunway, turn in the junction after Yamaha and Customs building. Go straight till past first traffic light. The immediate turning on the left after the traffic light will lead you to the bazaar)

The week, in tears

Today I attended Uncle Peter's funeral service. To be honest, I have only attended a funeral once. That was when my great grandmother passed away about 10 years ago and it was a joyous occassion as she passed away due to really old age, and according to the Chinese, passing away at 100 years old and above should be celebrated and everyone should wear red. My great grandmother was 103.

Uncle Peter was only 42. At 42, he was perhaps one of the most successful person I've ever known. A Marketing and PR Director for Volvo Malaysia & the Asian hub, a filial son, a responsible big brother to 2 younger brothers (Uncle Peter's father passed away when they were young too and he took on the fatherly role to both his brothers, emotionally and financially), a loving husband, a doting father, a helpful neighbour, a good boss and colleague, a great friend and mentor, supportive, generous, fun... he was just such a good man.

In fact, I am still finding it hard to stomach his passing away. It still feels surreal and unbelievable as I wake up every morning and thought of this. The thought that out there, 4 houses away, one family's happiness was taken away overnight. For the past few mornings, I opened my eyes and prayed it was just a nightmare, but reality struck in, it isn't.

At the funeral service this afternoon, the moment I sat down, heard the funeral hymns, sermons, family member's testimonials of Uncle Peter's life, the things he said and the things he did, I broke into tears uncontrollably. When I lined up to pay my final respects, everyone before me came out in tears. I went in with tears and came out with even more tears. That was not even the most heartwrenching moment. The following 'final' moments was putting the casket top, and rolling out the casket to the hearse. By then, I was crying so badly, it felt like saying goodbye to a loved one. Only that the goodbye is forever and not see you soon.

The passing of Uncle Peter has affected me in so many ways I could have never imagined. In fact, I am still tearing as I write this. This week's events make me realize that (as cliche as it may sound) life is indeed fragile, unfair and full of uncertainties. The greatest pain of all is not labor pain, but the pain of losing a loved one. The greatest fear of all is not death, but losing a loved one forever.

In Loving Memory of Uncle Peter Hastie (1966-2008).

*

While I cry openly for the passing of a great man, our beloved country is crying foul for the arrests of RPK, YB Theresa Kok and Sin Chew journalist Tan. The draconian ISA was used again. The government is definitely nailing its own coffin, and if it really is, then I don't think I am the only one who will be happy for the downfall of this corrupted government.

That will be one funeral I am happy to attend.

Jarrod & Rawlins @ 1 Utama

Jarrod & Rawlins- Purveyors of Fine Food & Wine

If I were to be given a choice in my afterlife, I would choose to be a Chinese again. Now, don't get me wrong, I am not a Chinese supremist, but I really enjoy the freedom to 'eat what you want'.

One of the bestest thing being a Chinese, IMHO, is the freedom to eat "anything and everything crawling under the sun". Well unless you have certain faith, for e.g. some Chinese don't eat beef, the world is your stage dinner plate! Very sinful, I know :/

Oh before I go on to my delicious meal, sorry this is strictly a NON-HALAL post.


House red wine (RM15 per glass)

Joining the ranks of Fogal Meat Market, Euro Deli, Mr Ho's Fine Foods and the likes in the meats and delicatessen field is Jarrod & Rawlins, founded by Jarrod Chek and Denis Rawlins. The former is a wine connoisseur while the latter was in the delicatessen industry for many years. The best jobs in the world- to eat, drink and be merry!

I was there with a bunch of meat-loving friends last Wednesday. It was relatively quiet, maybe because it was a weekday night and nobody splurges on a porky meal on a weekday night except us. Hehe.

Param started off with a glass of house red wine (RM15) while the rest of us had free refillable plain water. He let me have a sip and indeed it was smooth and not too strong, a good accompaniment to a meaty meal.


ham and mushrooms


Grilled ham- so big and meaty!

Jill and Andy had their "appetizers" to kickstart the dinner. They both had a slice of glazed ham each, one in its original form while the other was grilled. Jill also had a serving of mushrooms (sorry i don't know in what style).


2 types of porky sausages and huge serving of fries with dippings


3 types of sausages, fries and dippings

For your information, this is how it basically works at J&R. You can either choose your mains from the menu, which has items from soups, salads, sandwiches, pies, hot wraps etc. If you want something different and customized, then proceed to the delicatessen counter and pick what you want on your dinner plate. There is an array of sausages, hams, bacons, and cheese! Your picks will be weighed and you'll be charged according to the weight of your picks, choose a side dish (mashed potato or fries) + RM12 for cooking fees!

p/s- Definitely not a place you want to go when you're broke :p


Streaky bacon (rm3.04), beef banger (rm5.21), pig in blanket (rm3.06), back bacon (rm1.95), lamb cranberry (rm3.86), glazed ham (rm3.60) with mashed potato and onion gravy

The above is what I had, the total bill summed up to RM36. Pretty damaging to the pocket but the dinner plate was awesome! I even salivate looking at the porky juicy sausages now... What I can deduce is that, while sausages in general are my comfort food, between chicken, beef and pork sausages, the pork one still tastes the best! At J&R, there's even a lamb sausage (lamb and cranberry- RM7.20 per 100g) which tastes great too- don't worry, no pungent lamb'ish smell/taste.


Pork chop (rm21.84) topped with picon blue cheese (rm12.31)

What's more delightful than seeing a big slab of pork and another big slab of blue cheese infront of you, all ready to be eaten? At RM35 per kg for the pork chop, Param's cut weighs a whopping 600g. The Picon blue cheese is definitely not for everyone, as most people cannot stomach the smell, if not the taste! While I am a fan of cheese in general and blue cheese too, I don't think I'll be able to lick clean Param's plate... too sated.


Lamb chop, streaky bacon and 2 types of sausages

Jen and David had a meat platter with a slab of lamb chop (rm62 per kg), a few streaky bacons, and 2 types of porky sausages. Both attacked the plate like Tarzan & Jane escaped from the jungle.

Hehe, just kidding!


Jarrod & Rawlins
G360, Ground Floor,
One Utama 1,
Lebuh Bandar Utama,
47600 PJ.
Tel: 03-77260708
www.jarrod-rawlins.com

Jarrod & Rawlins
No.36, Ground Floor,
Jalan 27/70a,
Desa Sri Hartamas,
50480 KL.
Tel: 03-23000708
Business hours: 11.00am-12.30am daily

[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.]

There's been a death in the opposite house

There's been a death in the opposite house
As lately as to-day.
I know it by the numb look
Such houses have always.

The neighbors rustle in and out,
The doctor drives away.
A window opens like a pod,
Abrupt, mechanically;

Somebody flings a mattress out,
The children hurry by;
They wonder if It died on that,
I used to when a boy.
The minister goes stiffly in
As if the house were his,
And he owned all the mourners now,
And little boys besides;

And then the milliner, and the man
Of the appalling trade,

To take the measure of the house.

There'll be that dark parade
Of tassels and of coaches soon;
It's easy as a sign,
The intuition of the news
In just a country town.

*

Remember this poem we used to learn back in Form 4/5? Back then, it didn't mean much except it's a poem about a death. In the opposite house. Full stop.

Today, I am able to relate to this poem. Not the most beautiful and pleasant poetry, and definitely not one you want to read everyday, but it speaks what we feel when someone you know passes away. It has been a long time since I feel this way, the last time I was faced with such heartbreaking news was last year after finding out that a classmate during my Pre-U days fell to his death. I cried uncontrollably for a friend I barely know for 4 months, knowing that life is so fragile and knows no age or colour.

Ziling broke the news to me on MSN. When she asked, "Do you know what happened to Uncle Peter?" I knew it is going to be a tragic news. Uncle Peter Hastie, a favourite neighbour of ours. If I were to give a speech about him, it would be filled with all things positive. Kind. Caring. Loving husband. More loving father. Helpful. Humorous. Capable.

He passed away due to a stroke in the midst of a badminton game. A badminton game that Uncle Peter insisted on going. A badminton game that results Aunty Frances losing a beloved husband and little Scottie and Ian losing their beloved papa. A badminton game that changed their course of life. Forever.

He was only 41.

I suppose things like this happens when you least expect it to. I wouldn't know how to face with losing a beloved one if it happens to me. But whatever it is, I really am deeply sorry for Aunty Frances, little Scottie and Ian. The two little boys may not understand the whole commotion but for Aunty Frances to go on life without someone she thought she'll spent the rest of her life with... it's hard.

Uncle Peter, I'll miss having you as a neighbour. I'll miss peeking at you playing with your little boys. I'll miss you waving and greeting us with a cheerful smile in the mornings. I'll miss seeing you walking the dog with Aunty Frances and the boys. I'll miss seeing you in different cars everyday (he works for Volvo). I'll miss you as a wonderful neighbour and someone we could all count on and look up to.

You may be gone but you'll be deeply missed.

/update:
I just came back from the wake. There were many many people, it just goes on to prove that Uncle Peter was very well liked for his joyous and cheerfulness. I followed mom to pay our last respects, I looked at him. I know there is one less good man on earth now. Aunty Frances was crying inconsolably, something she can only do now. Rubbing her fingers against the glass screen of the casket, as though she's touching Uncle Peter's hands. Whispering words to him that he will never be able to hear, or perhaps he is listening from right above. And perhaps he is doing the same too. I can't stop crying, this is too much to take from a happy family... just. too. much.

Life on this street will never be the same again.

Read here:
http://blog.autoworld.com.my/index.php/2008/09/11/in-memoriam-peter-hastie/

When I grow up, I want to be...

a/an _______________.

14 years ago, like many of you, I was given a green manilla card, amongst other personal details, with one question requesting for three answers.

# Cita-cita:
1. _____________________
2. _____________________
3. _____________________

14 years down the road, we laugh about it- the silliness of it all or whether you've stuck by your words to be who you want to be (at least one of the three occupations listed).

I thought about this today, except I didn't laugh. It is silly. I mean, c'mon who sticks to doing what they wrote in that green manilla card more than a decade ago?? Not that I remember what I wrote or what my other friends wrote... but in reality, hardly anyone becomes what they wanted to be when they were 7.

We were taught of the more 'glamourous' occupations- peguam, doktor, juruterbang, jurutera, akauntan, arkitek, polis (eh m'sian police also can become kaya raya, muncul in tv, rub shoulders with big time politicians one all ok), guru (teachers of cos must promote their own profession mah), penyanyi, etc. Hence, the three blanks were often filled with either one of these 'glamourous' occupations.

I am of no exception.

-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

Now, fast forward to present. I am not an accountant, what I thought I would become when I took up accounting as my university major. Yeah, for the past 4 years I believed I was going to be one.

To be honest, I must admit that amongst my sisters, I am probably the most undecisive, confused and hopeless in this thing called "making career decisions". And I know it's a very big problem especially if 'career' is the one thing you have to constantly think of for the rest of your qualified-to-be-employed-life.


"Y Lim, whyyyyy...!!"

Truth to be told, my present job is NOT my first job. I am not ashamed to admit that I job hopped after the 1st month of employment. But I am ashamed to say I left a high paying graduate-entry position in a prestigious local bank with turnover of billions per annum, great staff benefits, and possibly a great future in the banking industry for a lower pay, non-accounting related, career advancement prospects uncertained job.

I know, am i crazy, stupid, bodoh, gila or what.

I do not regret quitting the banking industry, I know I am not happy there (despite the lucrative pay and benefits- whyyyyyy!!!), but would things have been different if I took my parents' advice of joining the Big 4? Would I have lasted longer in this field? Would I have 4 months of experience now, instead of 1 month there, 1 month unemployed and 2 months neither here nor there? There are just so many question marks. When I quitted, should I have just looked into other industries but doing an accounting job instead of a totally irrelevant industry with a totally irrelevant job scope?

p/s- Please don't mistaken that I don't like my current job. In fact, I am pretty happy to have the opportunity to go out and meet people, deal with products that I can relate to, and the opportunity to travel (even if it's work-related). I am just doubtful of my career advancement prospects. AND don't get me wrong, I am not going to quit my present job anytime soon.


Wasted degree or still maybe probably mungkin can be useful?

Am I a disappointment to my parents, to my family and my educators who thought I could go far in this field? They who put so much faith and hope on me, they who supported me financially, and they who advised me, I did nothing but disappoint them.

Now, what got me into thinking all these is a conversation in the car with my sister. She told me I could have gotten far with such impressive credentials, that I should continue to pursue my professional qualifications, slave and survive for a few years, but the sacrifice will be worth it as those in the accounting field can earn up to RM5k or more in a mere few years compared to those in the marketing line. And in the end, I could still go back to the marketing line and climb the corporate ladder with such qualifications and accounting experience (p/s- FYI, 11 out of 10 CEOs have accounting background).

Of course, it's always easier said than done. But should I do a U-turn and be back at square one again?


*Please leave your comments if you have any advise for me. Would really love to hear your opinions especially if you're in the accounting field too. Also, which professional course is better- ACCA, CIMA, CPA, ICAEW? Thanks!

yee fatt tai chow @ ss15

some weeks back, i was looking up some food blogs for good tai chow. my most frequented and which still remains as one of my favourite tai chow place would be tian tian lai at sunway. however, i decided to try somewhere different and i stumbled upon this dish which looked pretty delectable, fried yee mee kong nam style.


fried yee mee kong nam style

the yee mee is fried to crisp and, very much like the sang har meen style. the crispy noodles are then laden with gravy similar to wat tan hor with prawns, snow peas, cuttlefish, carrots, chinese cabbage and... century eggs! actually what attracted me to this dish was the century egg, have been a big fan and will always be one!

(ps: many years ago, when i was told how century eggs became century eggs without going through a century, i stopped eating them. how silly! its so yum!)

back to the noodles, well it tasted pretty bland to be honest. other than the century eggs being the saving grace, the noodles and the gravy is just so-so.


kung po mantis prawn

craving for mantis prawn then, we ordered it to be done kung po style. it did not disappoint, nor was it fantastic.


stir fried string beans with brinjal

string beans have always been a favorite of mine, hence it's only appropriate it makes an appearance on the dinner table as the green dish to balance the meal. string beans with brinjal spells Y.U.M.

that's all for today, blogging from work, what do you expect??
:D


restoran yee fatt
1, jalan ss15/4c,
47500 subang jaya.
(opposite nasi kandar pelita)

[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.]

kedai kopi kong heng @ ipoh

malaysians' favourite- satay! (chicken, pork, pig intestines, pig blood)

when in ipoh, ask any locals to suggest kopitiams with good food and nostalgic ambience, a few names come into mind: nam heong and sun yun loong for the white coffee, thean chun (also known as house of mirrors) for the char kuew teow, and kong heng for the satay, popiah and caramel custard.

shameful to say, i have never tasted kong heng's satay for the past 14 years i was born and bred in ipoh! it was only when i moved to kl and started reading these food blogs that i discovered such gems within the quaint little town of ipoh. well, as they say... better late than never!


barbequed and chewy

initially we were recommended by khian to have the famous caramel custard but unfortunately we were abit too late as they have sold out. not knowing what to order, i saw a plate of satay on everybody's table and decided to follow the crowd. if everyone's having it, it sure must be good eh? we were thrusted with a plate of satay consisting of chicken meat, pork, pig intestines, and pig blood. i was quite confused, not knowing how the system works but later on found out that they will thrust you with a plate of assorted satays, you eat what you want and you can reorder the type of meat you like, just leave the ones you dont want and they will calculate based on how many sticks you ate.

oh just a word of caution: the leftover uneaten satays will be 'reheated' again and served to the next customers. i'm thinking that the pig blood satays must have been recycled alot since generally alot people don't take satay to that extreme!

while the chicken and pork tastes quite normal (until i can't really make out whether its chicken or pork that i am eating), the pig intestines won our hearts as it was our first having such exotic satays and chewy, just what intestines should taste like! moreover, it's bbq'ed! ok think i sound like a carnivorous -___-


chee cheong fun in soy sauce and sesame oil

just thought i'd try the chee cheong fun out but was quite disappointed as it wasn't what i had expected. the petaling street chee cheong fun is still among the best! my definition of chee cheong fun would either be the hk style with prawns and char siew fillings or just plain ccf in sesame oil and soy sauce- YUM!


egg tea ('dan cha')

last but not least, we had the 'dan cha' instead of white coffee as we both have never tried this before. i saw the next table ordering this and decided to follow suit. 'dan cha' is a type of herbal drink with a hard boiled egg. we found it a very interesting combination, something herbalish to wash down the sinful teatime.


kedai kopi kong heng
75, jalan bukit timah,
ipoh.
business hours: 7am-4.30pm

[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.]

ong kee chicken tauge @ ipoh

onn kee (tauge ayam)

they say, "if you have not eaten chicken rice balls, then you have not been to malacca!"

well, the same goes for ipoh. if you have not eaten the famous kuew teow chicken tauge, then it's almost as good as you have not been to ipoh!


jalan yau tet sin, ipoh

located along jalan yau tet sin, ong kee is a rival to the more famous lou wong. if you are a local or know any locals, they will probably tell you that ong kee is a better choice as lou wong is too commercialized and often very crowded. so, being once a local and listening to another local, we opted for ong kee instead of lou wong.


translucent hor fun

the best noodles to go with chicken and tauge would of course be the famous ipoh hor fun, which is translucent and smooth. this pairing is match made in heaven, the thought of slurping down smooth hor fun and then picking up a piece of smooth steamed chicken with soy sauce is already enough to make me mouth water!


steamed chicken with soy sauce and sesame oil

to be honest, there was nothing spectacular about the chicken. it was nice nonetheless, just how the chicken should be.


big fat juicy tauge

another ipoh famous must-eat is none other than the big fat juicy tauge (beansprouts). many say that it is because of the water used to plant these beansprouts that contribute to the bigness fatness and juicyness. ipoh is surrounded by scores of hills and mountains (with natural water source), so such claims is not without its truth. whenever we make our family trips back to ipoh, we will without fail bring back a big bagful of beansprouts home (very cheap too).


awesome meatballs

this my first time having the meatballs and i must say it is not too bad, although my fav meatballs would still be the ones from wan hou steamboat- big and juicy, yum!

chicken tauge hor fun is a must have when you are in the small little ipoh town of good food. i wonder when will be my next time having this again...

till then, happy independence day and a long weekend!


ong kee tauge ayam
jalan yau tet sin,
30300 ipoh.

[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.]

Vietnamese cuisine @ O'viet Restaurant

mixed grill platter- rm24.90
a combination of traditional vietnamese appetizers such as fried spring rolls, grilled beef and chicken, sugarcane shrimps, healthy greens and paper rice to make your own yummy rolls

this review takes us back to at least 2 months ago when calvin and i met up with my fellow ipoh besties fang, her sister yi hua and another bestie jacqueline (who's now in columbia university which is in NY and not columbia, HAHA dont be confused and so n00b like me). with the new wing and all at sunway pyramid, it was still a tough task for me to find a proper good place for a meet up lunch.

calvin and i have tasted the food here, so it was kind of a 'tried and tested' place, but we didnt have the same dishes as we had the first time, so in any way this is still a food review!


paper roll you can eat!

we both were given the ultimate task to order food of course. we decided to have a more family-like lunch where food are shared instead of individual meals. for appetizers, the mixed grill platter was ordered as it is always recommended to have a mix of everything if you don't know what to order!

i would give 2 thumbs up for the appetizer especially the paper roll, nice to see and nice to eat too!! it was quite funny to see everyone trying to wrap the roll without tearing it. wrapped with a little bit of greens and chicken/beef slices, and then dipped with either the peanut sauce or the nuoc cham sauce (a type of vietnamese sauce), it was indeed a delightful start to a great wholesome meal.


don't you feel like taking a bite too?

the main dishes arrived not long after and we had them with rice.


chicken with basil


grilled lemongrass fish on banana leaf


chef's recommended toufu

as this was eaten and digested about 2 months ago, i have misplaced the receipt and couldn't remember the exact price and name of the dishes. but if my memory serves me right, the chicken with basil was ok with the basil not too overpowering but taste relatively normal chinese-style cooking. the grilled fish was another unmemorable dish- grilled fish, on a banana leaf and with the littlest (if not any) hint of lemongrass. last but not least, the toufu came as the most disappointing dish, an absolute miss from what we had expected since it was labelled as chef's recommended.


durian pancake- rm5.90 for 2pcs

all hopes not lost yet as we patiently anticipated for the durian pancake. we both have had this before, so it was not a surprising dessert. it tasted ok, just what it is supposed to taste like- fluffy whipped cream and durian flesh enrobed in a pancake wrap. recommended if you're having durian cravings in a vietnamese restaurant.

overall, it was a hit and miss lunch affair with the mixed grill platter and durian pancake receiving some accolades while the mains were generally disappointing. the bill came to a total of (if i remember correctly...) rm170++ for 6 persons, so it's not exactly cheap.



o'viet restaurant
g1.45 ground floor, sunway pyramid old wing.
tel: 03-74920018

[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.]