resourcefulness~

Yours truly has unpublished hundreds of older posted dated from 2008 till 2011. I will need some time in filtering out post which are food reviews from rantings and events of my *ahem* personal life. To kickstart the repost unpublished/archived posts on food, here is one of the many which I handpicked so that I can entice somebody whom I know :)

When hunger strikes.... when the weather is too cruel to allow you to have a "blow water" yumchar sessions... when dinner don't seem to give that satisfaction.... Is instant noodles your convenient answer?

Tonight, we will learn a twist from your usual bowl of noodles. The major ingredients needed are resourcefulness and improvisation. I crave for something soupy due to the rainy evening. Something slightly fiery would be perfect. Saw this packet of Ibumie Har Mee flavour. Before getting the final product as per above, a list of preparation needed to be made, which includes:

1) Saute the prawns, preferably with some sambal tumis paste/chilli oil if available in your fridge.

2) Deep fry the shallots. Drain and use for garnishing.

3) Fry the fish cake and thinly slice it.

4) Thinly slice some pork, in my version, I used roast pork (siu yoke). Just improvise with whatever you deem fit.

5) Hard boil egg and thinly slice it.

6) Cook noodles and drain it.

7) Prepare broth using MSG/prawn flavour provided and chilli oil. You may further improve the version by frying the prawn shells and keeping the oil to drizzle over before serving

8) Arrange accordingly and pour steaming hot soup over.

9) Garnish with some greens (kuchai only available - preferably they use kangkung)

10) Have some extra chilli flakes from Dominoes? Add in for that extra kick!

There you have it. Late night hunger pangs cravings with a twist. =) PRAWN MEE SUPREME! (easily beat any versions served outside)

Dad's Birthday celebration at Daorae~

Perhaps you might be thinking. What?! Now only Daorae is being reviewed? It's more than half a year! Or nearing a year. Well, the fact that I haven't tried Daorae until now is because it's ain't cheap. And most of my potential makan partners have already tried it at least once with their family or other friends. Well, looks like I have to try it with my family as well.

Upon entering the Tatami dining area, I saw this framed poster! Well, its a Korean BBQ restaurant. What do you expect. At least the side dishes are more easily recognizable compared to the members of Super Junior.

Ginseng, Korea's pride! A whole cabinet on display but definitely not for sale.

There are a few private rooms available. This are can sit around 20 people. Just right for a private function. I noticed there are other smaller tatami rooms too.

Else, head to the public dinning area. Choose to be seated in chairs....

... or on the floor. We were ushered to this tatami area. Guests must remove their shoes to step into this area. Well lit and spacious, there are many tables in this area.

Occupying almost an area of about 6-8 shoplots (3-4 on the left and right, inclusive of the walkway) Daorae is situated on the 1st floor of De Garden at one far corner of the building. In addition to the exorbitant rent, a huge lump were invested in fixing the exhaust vents and the charcoal grill stove. The exhaust system were proven to be very strong to ensure that the smell on your clothes were kept to the bare minimum.

Seaweed Soup. Its slightly different compared to Japanese Miso soup. It has a slight resemblance to the Chinese Choy Kon (Sun Dried Vege) Soup. Not salty at all but it has an appetizing umami trait which is a good kick start to a hearty meal ahead.

Uploaded in a random order, here comes the Macaroni Salad. Lightly dressed with mayonnaise with carrot and cucumber strips. This is a side order you will look forward to if you are not really full from the BBQ meat.

Tamago (Thick Omellete Slices) - a item which is very familiar in Japanese Cuisine. A piece or two would be great. And it provides an extra layer to be wrapped in the lettuce roll later. Read on.

Egg custard (Chawan mushi ala Korea) - velvety smooth - make sure you finish while its still hot.

Pickled.......... erm Cucumber? Seriously no idea. I just had one cube and it was abit hard. Prefer the Kim Chi than this.

Cockles in spicy and sourish sauce. I didn't try this AT ALL! I don't really take this mollusc. Am a bit paranoid of food poisoning if this is not handled/cooked properly.

Potato Balls. Again similar to the Croquette but this paled in comparison because it is already cold and slightly soggy. I mean, fried things should be best eaten fresh upon frying. Else, try a piece or two just to fill up your stomach.

Ermm... Beansprout. Wonder is was blanched or sauteed. But the fragrance of the sesame oil is imminent. The bean sprout is a bit overdone if you are a firm believer that taugeh should be at its juicy best! Else, its a great munch ni between savouring your meat.

Ahhhhh.... KIMCHI. How could a meal in a Korean restaurant be incomplete with this side dish. Cabbage is pickled alongside garlic, chilli, onions and in some version fruits. Unrefined sesame oil and unpasteurized vinegar are highly recommended to be used to preserve this dish and it brings health benefits from the good fatty acids components. Kimchi is said to be an anti oxidant and it lowers the cholesterol level too. Besides that, it is said to promotes good intestinal health from the good bacteria (Forgot those name, please refer to Vitagen advertisement =p). If you can't be bothered by the health facts, just remember this: KIMCHI is a staple food of the Korean community. It's convenient, can multitask in many dishes and can be kept in the fridge for weeks without any chemical preservatives!

It's so unfair, Kimchi got all the limelight in the long paragraph before and nobody care to elaborate much on the pickled eggplants with capsicum. =S

Even the spinach got more recognition. Its the only GREEN and UNPRESERVED one among the banchan(s). Providing the necessary fibre for the meal, we could not help but asked for refill twice for the spinach which was not overdone or too old. The young to the toothless senior citizens would be able to chew it, less to mention the lightly flavoured oil dressing in tossing up this vege side dish

This is when the banchan mostly occupied most of the space on our table. Our table were abit too small. Bear in mind the mains have not made their entries yet.

Furthermore every person is served with dipping sauces for the BBQ meat. There is the salt infused oil. some sweet sauce and fermented bean paste which was very mild spicy.

Without waiting long, the waiter came with a small cauldron of glowing red charcoal to fill in beneath the hot plate. Sometimes I wonder, although the prices of food here is slightly above your normal restaurant, one must bear in mind the operation cost and the decor/renovation. Take for example, there is must be charcoal ready throughout their business hours. And the charcoal must be maintained at the "just right" amber state

Food here are grilled by their own staff. So make sure no impatient smart alecs grabbing a piece directly from the grill as it may not be cooked to the desired level. Let the waiter/staff do the cooking. They will dish up the cooked meat, cut it into bit sized pieces (if necessary) and serve it in a separate bowl for the customers. This is a portion of Woo Sam Kyup (RM45) which is thin slices of marbled beef without marinade....

... and it turns out to this! I choose the plain version for me beef as I would like savour its original and natural flavour. At first, dad thought this was pork as it looked abit like bacon. Tastewise, it was not really flvaoured. The bovine essence was not strongly present. I expected a more robust beefy taste.

This is the Daeji Gal-bi (RM28) which is pork ribs in sweet sauce marinade. Though it says RIBS, but the meat were actually boneless. This dish really gets my thumbs up. The meat was marinaded well from the inside out~ Juicy and yet flavourful, similar to the sweet sauce used in marinading Char Siu. The grilled garlic and caramelized onions is a MUST to be fitted into your lettuce-meat wrap

Dak Gal-bi (RM28)- boneless lean chicken meat marinaded in a spicy sauce. I do not really like this dish as the sauce did not really penetrate into the meat. More like a "make up", in other words, just on surface. Furthermore, I find the chicken meat not firm and was abit.... soft because of over marinade or has the chicken been frozen for quite some time. Hmmm... No wonder the pork occupies nearly 2 pages, the beef 2 pages too while the chicken/lamb and squid were all squeezed into 1 single page in the menu. Looks like their forte is red meat, particularly prime cuts of beef (which don't come cheap, mostly around RM60-75 for premium portions)

Knowing that meat alone wont be able to satiate our hunger during dinner time. We tried a noodle dish called Janchi-Gook-su (RM18). In a nutshell, it is actually wheat noodles simmered in broth with seafood. Nothing really spectacular for this dish but it's a fresh alternative to your Nabe Udon in Japs places.

Soon-dubu-jjigae (RM18) was actually a spicy soup/broth/stew like which has tofu, vegetables and some seafood in it. You can opt for other versions with beef or pork belly. Served in a bowl on top of a stone plate, you are assured of hot and pipping soup for every spoonful. I ordered this dish as I'm always curious on how the characters in Korean series slurp their meal out loud when enjoying this. Comes with a bowl of white rice, I too imitated how the Koreans eat. =p

Yes, this is the bowl of rice which came long with soupy dishes. Upon ala carte ordering, it is charged at RM5 a bowl!!! Yes, this is one of the fact known to me which made me procrastinating to give Daorae a try. At first, I did not noticed the rice since it was nicely served in a stainless steel bowl. I enquired the waiter about the rice which never came along with the soup. The waiter came with the bowl of rice later...

Little did I know that the bowl of rice was on the table all this while. Lets play a short game to test your eyesight. Noticed in the picture the one with the yellow circle was the "untouched, unseen" bowl of rice. If I did not tell you that there were 2 bowls of rice, you would've missed it out too in the beginning, just like me. I mean which so many items on the table, what can you expect rite? =p

All in all, the meal was a fresh experience for us. My whole family, me inclusive, have not tried Korean Cuisine before. Though I would prefer Japanese cuisine (at this rate, I can have a decent meal in Hokkaido), I don't mind coming back to try other stuffs once in a blue moon. During its opening, I read from a couple of blog complementing the good and friendly service but my dining experience was just quite mediocre. We did not even get the complimentary Korean savoury pancake if they feel that "you have ordered exceedingly" beyond their expectation. The total damage was RM151, still not qualified for the pancake mer? Anyway, I hope it was an eye opening experience for dad, at least to certain extend, it was for me =)

Chocolate Galore

Bought this for a surprise gift for dad. A compensation for him being left alone at home for 3 days 2 nights as me and mom went to visit my aunty in KL and proceeded to Genting. TOBLERONE Fruit and Nut 400g is indeed a rare sight. Despite the price tag of RM40.90, I decided to give dad a treat. It may not be worth that price since the plain milk choc and white choc bar of 400g cost less than RM30. For the exclusivity, I think its worth a try... Still have not tried it yet. Hopefully its good. =)

The whole collection of chocolates in my house now. The Old Jamaica Rum and Raisin cost me RM19.90 now. Is really overpriced! A year or two ago, I got it for RM15.90 only. The cravings is too great to be satiated. Have to fork up a few more bucks to have a taste of alcoholic cocoa taste melting inside your mouth. And I miss Bounty too!!! Got a small bar at RM6 - 3 small pieces. Too bad, no Milky Way sold. Hoping that Jun Yen and Joanne will bring me some nice chocs from Australia when they are back end of this year =)

Fong Lye, Gardens, Midvalley

Just before boarding the train back to Ipoh, I manage to squeeze in time for a meal in MV. Since aunty is tagging along, I thought of giving her a treat. Well, there are not many Chinese food available. Well it has to be xiao long baos.... or.... Fong Lye. Since I haven't try the latter, I decided to give it a shot!

Taiwan Deep Fried Chicken (RM9.30). Categorized under the appetizer section in the menu, I thought this will be a good munch while waiting for our mains. Gosh, I was totally wrong as the portion were enough to be bits and bites for almost 5 people! The portion is indeed generous and with a bowl of rice, it could simply feed 2 small eaters. Despite using chicken breast, the meat was absolutely succulent and juicy. The thin flour coating was well enhanced with a slight peppery and aromatic taste which surely will tickle your tastebuds and ask for more. We kept on crunching on the crispy exterior as the moist meat could have filled a considerable amount in your stomach.

Mistake #2. This again is not an appetizer but more of a light meal on itself. Taiwan Glutinous Rice Sausage (RM9.30). In the Chinese name, its called "Tai Cheong Bao Sai Cheong" literally translated into Big Sausage Wrap Small Sausage. The "smaller sausage" was a slightly different type of Taiwan sausage. Usually sausages incorporate grinded meat and fats but the version here uses shredded lean meat similar from the chunks of bak kut teh. Not really well marinaded with the condiments like five spice powder, the sausage is not too appetizing to my liking. The "bigger sausage" is actually glutinous rice filled inside a sausage skin. Lightly stuffed with preserved vegetables, the glutinous rice is passable but not moist and soft enough. If my tastebuds serves me accurately, the meat floss used is not from chicken nor pork, but from dried shrimps. You can taste the faint "fishy" smell, hence I guess the floss must be from the sea instead of poultry derivatives.

Taiwanese Pig Intestines Mee Sua (RM11.80). Mee Sua served in a starchy gravy along side slightly chewy pig intestines. I heard its a common dish in Taiwan but the famous Shilin Snacks franchise kiosk nationwide diluted its authenticity by substituting pork intestines with shredded chicken and oysters. Thank goodness for Fong Lye!

Set meals are reasonably priced here. Well, it doesn't come cheap but for the ambiance and variety of stuffs in the set, its worth it. This is the Minced Meat Sauce Noodle Set (RM17.80). A bowl of fine pan mee like noodles is doused with a thick and meaty sauce. Just like spaghetti Chinese-fied. You can find cubes of beancurd among the minced meat. Both were stewed until it locks the flavours of the sauce. The julienned cucumbers was there to counter the saltiness of the sauce. Towards the end, the sauce is abit overpowering when you are running low on noodles.

Every set meal will come with a platter with sides of seasoned jellyfish, seasoned bean curd salad and fried fritter. The seasoned jellyfish is crunchy and really did its part well in kick starting taste buds. The middle appetizer is actually tau kua mixed with wood fungus and shredded chicken and cabbage. The fried fritter contains a filling similar to a creme style of corn, best eaten upon serving as the cold filling will cause the fritter to be soggy. Besides these, you get a serving of doubled boiled soup. The soup has a full bodied aroma although the ingredients seems simple - "fun kok", red dates and pork.

I had the Stewed Beef in Hot Pot Set (RM19.80) The beef cuts are tender and succulent with good ratio of lean meat and tendon. The jelly like tendon is the best part and it really melts in your mouth. Another proof the stew is very well done is the radish and carrots also can easily melt in your mouth. The gravy is hearty and well flavoured with the essence/stock from the beef itself. Goes along very well with the white rice. I'm very satisfied with the food here. Now, the decision on where to dine in Midvalley when I drop by KL is even tougher with an addition of worthy option in the name of Fong Lye. =D

Non-alcoholic in Brussels Beer Cafe

A weekend in KL before going up to Genting. I was filling the time in Shah Alam to the brim. Joined Yvonne and visited her church for Sunday evening service, then decided to meet up with some iBridge camp friends. Decided to yumchar in Jaya One, but besides OldTown White Coffee and Station One, couldn't find a worthy place which has a wider range non-alcoholic drinks.

Adapted from Clever Monkey's website. This is the place we chose for the night.

Hot Chocolate (RM6). Abit too milky to my liking. Out of 5 person, 4 of us ordered hot chocolate. Well, I also abit paiseh to order some booze. But to order hot chocolate in a Beer Cafe? Haha... I bit weird I reckon. =p

To pair up my warm drink, I decided to ordered the Tiramisu (RM10.90). Knowing its a beer house, I have quite high expectation for the Tiramisu, for the liquor taste. And yes, the Tiramisu here did live up to my expectation. The mascarpone cheese was light and smooth. Layers of sponge fingers were soaked in expresso and have a faint hint of... I believe its coffee liquor! The slight drawback was the cocoa powder was a bit overpowering. The dry powdery aftertaste can cause you to choke slightly if you are scooping a big spoonful of the top layer. Overall, not too bad for the Tiramisu here.

A group picture of the non-alcoholic clan in Brussel. Hehe... lesson learned. Head to Jaya One with your gang which drinks. I miss chilling with my coursies in Chulo last year.... Brussels is abit well litted, a typical beer house, similar to Berlins Bier House in Ipoh. Shall plan for a nite out with my gals in Chulo again. =)

Bowl

We had an unfortunate detour and ended up in this place. I have no intention trying out this place all this while but Nakhom Pathom's Thai Wong disappointed me again by not opening his shop. His rests day are quite unpredictable. The cravings for Thai Food was so strong and I decided to take my makan gang to Ah Oh's Thai Food (next to Hot Trax, same row with Waraku). In the end we somehow skipped that decision as from the outside, the shop looked abit gloomy and there were not a single table occupied. No new spot sparked in our mind at that moment and finally we decided to try out BOWL.

Similarly, we were the second table of the day in BOWL though its already near 7pm. The menu here is rather limited and simple. Most items are somehow identical to one another or just a mere derivative.

The complimentary "appetiser" of blanched beansprouts and pickled onions. We were supposed to mix them up with the cili padi, chili sauce and the..... erm, sweet sauce. We were not attracted to try it so we thought of an alternative usage of this platter.

The BOWL appetizer supper set platter (RM16.90) came first. It consists of mostly fried stuffs. The chicken wings is the one which is slightly above average. Well marinaded and not too dry, its tasty but simply forgettable after that. Same goes to the wantan/money pockets and the spring rolls which was a big soggy from absorbing too much of oil.

The popiah which is something like a "Vietnamese Roll" was not really good either - incorporating carrots spoils the mouthfeel as I was expecting something soft as I sink my teeth, only to bite into tough sticks. And I've mentioned always, I am biased towards the usage of surimi crabsticks!

My friend's bowl of.......... Bibin Rice. A Hakka Lui Cha, Vietnamese Mong, Malaysia's Nasi Ulam and Korean's Stone bowl rice inspired dish. =.= The chopped mixed vegetables provided a refreshing first mouthful... but on subsequent tablespoons, it was kind of a drag to finish the whole portion.

The Seafood Noodles (RM7.90) - also somehow bland. The usage of crab meat sticks and Panda faced fish cake makes me doubt their credibility and passion in serving GOOD stuffs.

The chicken noodles- tasted somewhat bland. (RM5.90). My friend has trouble finishing the whole portion. Yikes~ I'm a firm believer that "health food" normally doesn't taste good. Perhaps I'm used to a robust flavour.

My bowl of beef noodles - Beef slices were far from being tender but was thinly "shaved". The broth was indeed hearty and quite robust in flavour. Other than that, nothing really spectacular for your taste bud to register it in your memory.

Oh they use some kind of noodles which are not so commonly found. A cross between Hakka noodles and kuay teow. I do not have an idea wat is the actual name. Anybody knows?

I would rate this place below average. I would recommend you to V-nam for more authentic Vietnamese delights. Lesson learned, MOST fusion theme restaurant just produce an amalgam of the shady sides of both world, cooking up disaster.