Buffet Dinner @ Holiday Inn, Subang

Flowers, fresh and bright ones, placed in a pretty little glass bowls - is a sure way to add a friendly touch to the dining table. As I arrived at the hotel, I was greeted by a grand entrance, simple, yet calming atmosphere. I love the ceiling fans. They resemble gigantic leaves that sways and brings gentle breeze to the place.This was supposedly a birthday treat for me - from my brother. So, as I was in KL for the weekend, I got to drool over so many choices of food here in Holiday Inn, Subang. I have to say, honestly, that it is impossible to eat that much of food, in buffets. But, I love the variety of food that buffet offers, so I can pick and choose a little of each to taste!Not only prawns deserve to be served in fancy glasses. This tasty meaty kebab (I think it was seafood...), was deep fried, served in a wine glass, with some thai sweet chili sauce. Beside it - fried pandan leaf, lemongrass and dried chilli adds that "savoury" touch to it, not to mention the wonderful aroma... I had to have a second serving of this...

Of course, I did start out with some greens from the salad bar, and little bowls of savoury tuna salad that tasted really nice.. Soups anyone? No buffet goes on without at least 1 choice of soup. That day, it was a warm oxtail soup. If it wasn't for my greedy taste buds to go on venturing other food, I'd go for a second, third, serving of the soup. Savoury is my thing and yes, this is another savoury food here that I just like. The food was really nice here. So far, at least. Oxtail soup is very warm - a lot of spices put in, such as cardamom, star anise, whole pepper, and onion, garlic, etc... Very tasty. I should cook some soon! I love Japanese food... and raw does not come cheap in restaurants... so when they have a bar of sushi and sashimi... ATTACK!!!! I like raw oysters... slurrppp slurrppp. But it has to be with a squeeze of lemon juice. Not so in to raw salmon, tuna, mackerel... but I did had a slice of the salmon. They were fresh and tasty. Yummy! Oh I so want some right now... Had some of the small portion of tuna salad, and sushis. After these, I wondered the food bars and went to try some others....Main meals were not that favourite of mine - rice, pasta, breads, curries, and some deep fried stuffs. I did not had much but a little of the chicken curry, bread, deep fried crabs, and fried vege. Now, let's move on to the grill and bbq section which appeals to be more fascinating...Marinated prawns, baby lobsters, lamb, crabs, mussels... I had everyone of them - oh except prawns cos I don't eat them, but I gave them to my hungry nephews who finished them all! What you do is choose from the selection of fresh marinated meat, or seafood, and the chef will grill it for you on the spot, which takes about 5-10 minutes. This was the best part of the buffet!
After being satisfied with my dinner, I went over to the dessert counter and found my childhood favourite dessert: Sugi pudding, with fresh strawberries and peaches. This was sooo nice I am craving for it right now!!!I remember mum used to make them with raisins as toppings, and chill them in the fridge. I guess I'm more of a pudding person rather than cake. But cheese cakes, panna cotta and tiramisu?? Anytime!

Overall, the food was really delicious. I miss the occasional buffet dinners we used to have more frequently when my sis and her family were staying in Penang. Though staying further apart now, we still are very close and it's FOOD we seek when we meet up... It's just so fun to enjoy food and drinks while catching up...

I know for sure, when my guy and I have our own home, we would have a beautiful little kitchen for me to cook, cook, and cook. And you're invited! :-)

:: Holiday Inn ::
1 Jalan Usahawan U1/8 Seksyen U1,
40250 Shah Alam Selangor Darul Ehsan Malaysia

Breakfast At Nirwana Maju, Bangsar

I am a big fan of Indian breakfast, really. All the type of bread and curries. Yumm... It's just so different from the usual cereals, toasted bread, eggs... Anyways. I was in KL for a couple of days' break. My sister took me out for makan pagi (breakfast). And now, I would love to share with you my breakfast.
It was a rainy Sunday morning, cooling and calm. I just loved this day so much. We headed to this Indian restaurant in Bangsar, which I believe is one of the popular Banana Leaf restaurant here. Parking can be a hassle around Bangsar, but during the morning, it is not too bad. The restaurant is directly opposite the Bangsar Shopping Village. You can hardly miss it, as it always very crowded with people and, we had to wait for a table as it was fully packed.
I love tosai, and so I ordered the Masala Tosai, crispy tosai with a chunky vegetarian filling of potatoes, green beans, mixed vege and more. Interesting the way it is actually wrapped, as the wrapping acts like a pouch to contain the warmth of the food while you slowly eat it. Tosai is a Souh Indian type of crepe, normally eaten for breakfast or dinner. It's also usually served with at least 3 types of curry dipping. Very flavourful... Look at the filling closely... so nice, warm and tasty I am suddenly, instantly awakened!
This is what I love most about Indian food - they serve you with this cute curry pots that u just mix all the curry together. Usually with dhal, coconut, chicken curry, and others. I love them all. and this is what I normally do: Just pour them on to my masla tosai, and enjoy the taste...

This can be a little spicy sometimes, with the dried chilli being one of the ingredients used. I love my food being spicy and savoury tho. All of us loved the tosai here.
Puri, is a very puffy type of bread also originates from India. This is deep fried bread, really, and very crispy. My nephew loves it. The puri here at Nirwana Maju is good, as evidenced in the picture. Served on banana leaf, with potato-dhal like below.
I have been very busy with many events lately, that I have no time to cook nice foods and blog about it... especially when my mother tends to do almost everything... but, I'll be back with more of my home cook foods! Till then, do enjoy my little food outings! :-)

Furnitures, Fittings, & Eating IKEA: Meatballs and More

I'm back! Was in KL for 4 days without an internet access. I was rather busy going places, and enjoying some simple food out in KL. First was IKEA's food court, where there was some simple food that many people enjoy. With not having breakfast earlier, my sis decided to hit to Ikea's to look for some furniture stuff... and before that, we attacked the food court.
Though they have few choices of main dishes, they have good service and very spacious food court. And food trolleys for you to order lots of food! My sis ordered the Poached Salmon, served with potatoes and broccoli and topped with a buttery cream sauce. I really liked it. very simple, healthy, and tasty!
What does your local Ikea food court serves? Hmm, for Malaysia, we have the manager's specialty today - our Malaysia's colourful Nasi Dagang. Nasi Dagang originates from Terengganu, the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia. Coloured rice, like here it is blueish, served with creamy chicken coconut curry and vegetable pickles. Very good taste... Yummy!

I was desperate to finally, after such a long time, taste it's Sweedish meatballs. So greedy that we ordered 15 of those!!! It's soft, springy, and served with a very mild brown gravy. Oh, with some cranberry sauce and some french fries! Honestly, I did not know the meatballs can taste wonderful with that brown gravy and cranberry sauce! Really enjoyed this one...I had to try one of the Sweedish desserts - Delicato Balls, with very mousse-like sugary filling, covered with a layer of crispy chocolate, and dusted with crispy coconut shave. I also really enjoyed this one, though I think it was rather sweet!

Food is simple and good here, with no much hassle of ordering. And reasonably priced as well. I guess the concept is to fill your your hungry stomch while you get to take time, shop around for furnitures... Cool.

Open daily Sun - Thu: 10am to 10pm
Fri, Sat, & eve of Public holidays: 10am to 11pm
Tel: +6 03 7726 7777
Ikano Pte Ltd.
2 Jalan PJU 7/2
Mutiara Damansara
47800 Petaling Jaya, Selangor

Crema Al Funghi

Sundays are always easy. Lazy food, lots of sleep, tv, and more food. So this is what I made today. Some creamy mushroom soup. With loads of fresh mushrooms. Oh so lovely... I could eat the entire pot by myself!

I learned, between Saturday and Sunday, the first is a better day to wake up early and head to Tesco (because it is the nearest to my home). You will see less cars on an early Saturday, which translates to less crowd in the supermarket. So I have less headache with crazy shoppers pushing me aside, and wondering how on earth did my trolley suddenly moved from my left to behind the person suddenly beside me.

And mushrooms remain safe and sound, still. I decided to make some mushroom soup and I got two types of mushroom: Shiitake and white button mushrooms.
The mushrooms sold here are pre-packed. One good thing about Tesco Penang is that, they have quite a selection of mushrooms! Shiitake, Swiss brown, white button, Portobello, oyster, Shimeji, Enoki, etc... I got Shiitake for less than RM4 a packet, and White buttons or RM6.00 for a 200g pack. Mushrooms are rather expensive here so I rarely buy much. But today, I am desperate for some creamy mushroom soup!
:: Recipe ::
200g Shiitake mushroom
200g White button mushrooms
1 green onion
1 garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon Italian herbs
3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
3 cups water
1/2 cup whipped cream
Cube the mushrooms, and clean lightly with water to get rid of soils. Roughly chop onions and garlic. Saute the garlic, onions and herbs in olive oil, until softened. Add in all the mushrooms, and add water. Cover with lid and let simmer for 15 minutes until mushrooms are tender. You will see the broth turning into a brownish colour - which is really full of mushroomy flavour and, tastes so good.With a blender, very quickly blend for about 5 seconds - you want to get that little chunkiness, not totally smooth. I love those chunky feel when i slurrp the soup and have small tiny pieces in my mouth to taste and chew... Seriously good!

We're almost there... after the blending process, bring the soup back to boil, and add whipped cream, as you like. I like mine with a little touch of cream, not too much. I just love the taste of the fresh mushrooms... It's seriously too good to compare it with those instant cream of mushroom soups!
Serve warm in a nice bowl, with croutons or toasted bread.

I watched Jamie Oliver and he fried slices of french loaf with grated parmesan as croutons for his Pumpkin Soup. Perhaps I will try that one day...

Honey Mustard Chicken Salad with Sesame-Soy Dressing

My lunch can sometimes be as simple as having a salad with some chicken in it. They are so easy to make, and takes about 5 minutes to just whip it up. Ok ok, may be 10 minutes.

Romaine lettuce are best for me - crispy, yet tender. Baby cucumbers are a must. They just make salads so much fun! Sometimes, adding a little bit of red capsicums, corns, onions, celery, or even carrots makes salad all the healthier.

With all the veges, I need some meat to balance up the meal. and make my lunch more filling. Chicken meat are the best - easy to cook and tastes good with almost any type of flavouring - teriyaki, bbq, thai style, or even just plain boiled.

Salad dressing for me - I love Caesar's. But sometimes, Thai works well for my sweet n' sour taste buds. This time, I tried something new and I think it tastes great...
With a bottle of honey and mustard marinade, I decided to have a very simple sesame & soy dressing. Chicken is cut to small pieces, and marinate with honey and mustard for about 10 minutes. The marinade I used was this one from Masterfoods. I added a little more honey to it, just for that sweetness to the chicken. The marinade was not bad, I actually liked it!

The dressing was simple, pour 3 tablespoon of olive oil in a small bowl, add a few drops of sesame oil, and 1 tablespoon of dark soy sauce. Mix well.

Simply fry the chicken with a little bit of olive oil, let it cook for 5 minutes on each side, and set aside. Get your greens all ready and place them in a serving bowl. Place the chicken in the middle of the salad, and sprinkle the salad dressing very lightly around the bowl. Lastly, sprinkle some white sesame seeds all over.

Note: I did not sprinkle the dressing yet when I took my pictures... but it looked really good with the dressing!

Bubur Pulut Hitam (Black Glutinous Rice Dessert)

While it is named ''black'' glutinous rice, in actual colour, it is a lovely burgundy. And no you can't dye your hair with it. It just does not work. However, if you have not already had this as one of your must-try desserts, please add this one in.

This black rice looks like wild rice. It tend to be a very dark brown or black in colour when it is dry, and after 1 or 2 hours of soaking in water, you can see the colour turning into a deep purple colour. This is its natural colour. The taste is sweet and nutty - which is why it is used widely for making desserts rather than a main course. Texture is slightly crunchy, and i love it.
This rice should likely to originate from Asia itself, and it is very popular amongst Indonesians, Malaysians, Singaporeans, and Thais. Can anyone tell me if otherwise? :-) I'd love to learn more about this.

My uncle came by and bought us some sticky black rice. The simplest way to eat this is to make the Glutinous Black Rice Porridge with some Creamy Coconut Milk.

1 cup f this probably can make up 2-3 servings. Just to be safe, cook more. You might never know that you need some extra... So, let;s get cookin'!
:: Recipe ::
2 cups black glutinous rice
6-8 cups water
2 screwpine (pandan) leaf
3 heaped tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup coconut cream(santan), or fresh milk
First of all, soak the rice in normal temp water for about 1 hour. The colour turns black, but don't worry about it. Rinse, and pour in a pot along with water, and pandan leaf. Let it cook for about 30 minutes, with lid closed. Add water as needed. You will be looking out for a porridge-like texture. Add salt and sugar to taste. Let cool.

Coconut milk or milk is added when serving the dessert. This dessert can be served warm or chilled. I like them in any way! We normally use santan, about 2-3 spoonfuls of it added to a small bowl of this dessert. But it tastes wonderful with fresh milk as well. All the healthier choice!
Want some? :-)

Ristorante Bella Italia, Batu Feringhi, Penang

This is my favourite Italian Restaurant in the whole wide world, right here, in Penang. If you are ever around Batu Feringhi and want some Italian food, remember this name: Ristorante Bella Italia.Saturday was warm, and going to beach was what I had in mind, and so my guy and I went over to the beautiful beach to enjoy some fresh warm breeze and the beautiful sunset backdrop against the sound of the splashing waves.We managed to snap some nice pictures of it and here is one:The place is just opposite the Shangrila's Golden Sands Resort. It has both al fresco and inside rastaurant seats. A very lovely decorated place, with lots of very beautiful paintings framed against the walls. The ambiance is very romantic - good music, soft lighting, and - very good services. And this is fine dining. Not where there are large noisy crowds. So, I love this place. We were both hungry and thirsty. And HOT! I wanted to order so many different food, and taste all of them! This is the author, looking so intensely at the menu, thinking of ordering everything from Starters to Desserts and Drinks.... But, it was only the two of us, and we do have some different taste. I love bruschetta. He don't like tomatoes. :-)
Entree was super for us, we had 2 starters and a soup to share. Bruschetta Con Olive $5.50 with chunky tomatoes, black olives and mixed with olive-herb marinade. It looks simple, and it tastes good.
He had the Prostini Al Aglio $4.00 which is the garlic bread. One thing we have in common is our love for mushrooms. Aah, yes, the Crema Al Funghi $11.20 was excellent, loads of mushroom in creamy soup, and what made it wonderful, was a hint of spice in it- it has to be either fresh grounded pepper or some fresh green little chili. We did raced our spoons as to who will get the most scoops, as we shared this one together. :-)
Thirsty for me means drinking either one of the following: cool mineral water, 100Plus, or Coke Light. We had Coke Light. Nothing Italian, just plain simple Coke light. Main courses falls into 3 categories: Pasta, Pizza, and Meat dishes. I always go for pasta, because, if you're a frequent reader, you'll notice how I timelessly repeat the phrase "I Love Pasta".
I think about a week back, I did had a Spaghetti Vongole at a fast pasta cafe, but oh my, I did not eat any of the clams because it was not fresh! And then, when my dad brought home some fresh clams, I made my own and it tasted so fresh and good. Now within the same week, I chose to have the Spaghetti Alla Vongole $21.80 here. I tell you, the clams were very fresh. Some cute little cauliflowers and broccoli were hiding in the pasta, and the hint of spiciness - is what I love!
I know Italian emphasizes lots of Aglios (garlic) in most dishes, and yes, garlic is a universal favourite herb... but too much can ''kill' the taste of the whole meal. Definitely send Vampires scattering, running away for the entire week. Bella Italia is good stuff, so you can be assured of the finest blend of Italian ingredients. :-)
The guy had his chicken of the day. Pollo Alla Parmigiana $31.50 is a little pricey for this piece of Italian chick, but the taste was good. I liked it. I like the marinated asparagus by the side of the chicken....
See my fresh clams up there? I finished ALL of them, piece by piece, ensuring I have not left even one bite! Yumm... My tummy's pretty happy tonight!

We were left with no room for dessert at the end of our main meals. I would have loved some cappuccino and either tiramisu or pana cotta :-( Maybe next time!

Beef Rendang Cooked On Charcoal Fire

My makcik - makcik (aunties) always say, when you cook traditional food, it has to be from dapur arang (charcoal fire) so the food tastes good. I have always wondered, how. How on earth is it different? I found the answer when I actually sat there by the charcoal fire while cooking my rendang. It is the smell of the burning charcoal, that heats up the beef and brings a lovely smoky aroma. Not burning, and not too intense. Just natural, I guess. For sure, it brings the idea and experience of how my grandparents or great grandparents used to cook during those days where gas stove was not available.

My mum cooks using coal fire for certain food: rendang, serunding(meat floss), ayam panggang(grilled chicken), and ofcourse, barbeques. So we have a cute little stove where it is specifically designed to use with charcoals.
Cooking rendang is pretty tedious, but the end result is very worth all the efforts put up all together. As difficult as it may seem, the ingredients are all actually easy to prepare. All the fresh purplish shallots, fresh zesty ginger and galangal, lemongrass stalks, and garlic are all roughly chopped into small pieces to blend in a food processor until smooth. And this is what you'll get: If you ask me the specific measurements - how much of this and how much of that do you need - I can say that it's a little of everything, and nothing is fixed according to the proportion. Some may prefer more onions or garlic, some like it to be very spicy while some like it tender. Some may want a more gingery note to it. You decide. I like mine medium hot with all the flavours balanced up! Whatever it is, be comfortable with your choice! Cooking is all science... in a way. :: Ingredients ::
Lots of Shallots, 1 Galangal, 1 Ginger, 5 big stalks of Lemongrass (I used about 10 because we have small slim ones growing in our garden), about 10 Garlics - roughly chop and blend them, adding about 1-2 cups water to make about 5 cups of paste. (this is for about 1 kg of beef. Prepare smaler portions for less meat)

And you need 1 big packet of fresh coconut juice as well. Use 1-2 cans, if you're using the canned one, and those from Thailand are pretty tasty. I prefer the ''lighter'' version. Again, 1 can should suffice if you cook less meat. Just pour this into a container, while you prepare other ingredients.
These fresh greens will be added in: about 20 small birds eye chili, 10 kafir lime leaf, and 2 fresh turmeric leaf. Just wash them clean and put aside for use during cooking.Rendang tastes best with beef. You can also use chicken or fish for this. Just cut the meat into bite-size chunks.
Yes, bring it on. This is the charcoal, on a stove, just so to burn it so it can stay ''alive'' on the small charcoal stove. You can always just skip this entirely and just heat up a large pot on your normal stove... :-)
See my charcoal stove? I think it is made from red clay...and not sure what else.. It's been with us so long! The charcoals are transferred into this stove, and you need to add more charcoals. And this is the best part: to take a little paper fan, and start fanning so the fire comes more aliveee!!! I think if I do this everyday, I need not exercise... The fire will start to dance and you will start to smell like charcoal. But I don't mind. I can't wait till the rendang cooks!
Now, in a large wok (or your pot) dump in the meat and paste that was prepared earlier . Add in the coconut milk. Stir.
Add in some chili bo (or chili paste) - about 3 tablespoons. Add in the fresh turmeric leaf. Let it cook along and occassionally stir the mixture. Let it continuously boil, and stir, until it evaporates and thickens. Meanwhile, enjoy the very lovely aromatic smell and get hungry!Oil will start to rise, the boiling continues, and colour turns more brownish as it thickens. Add in some salt to taste.
Cook until the broth really is thick, and almost dried. You will start to see some meat, as compared to them being drowned at the bottom of the liquid when you started cooking it. Finally, add in the kafir lime leaf and birds eye chili. Taste it. Now you have a lovely traditional Malay beef rendang to share with your loved ones!I would say preparation takes about 45 minutes, plus about 1 hour more of cooking time. So, although the preparation is simple (chop, blend, set aside), the cooking time is crucial to get the beef rendang cooked. You need to always stir it, to ensure the meat does not get overcooked, especially at the bottom part of the wok/pot.

Rendang can be eaten with rice, sticky rice, or many kinds of bread including chapati, french loaf and the usual sandwich bread.

I love rendang very, very much. And I hope you loved the pictures I posted in here too!