The food addiction of Cookie Monster

Kimchi Restaurant All You Can Eat BBQ

2009-09-05T08:40:00.010+08:00

Korean food has not caught up in popularity yet in Brunei but in Australia, it's a big hit! People have yet to actually understand and appreciate Korean food. Recently, I decided to try out Kimchi's All You Can Eat BBQ, their Ramadhan Promotion.

Kimchi restaurant is located at Regency Qlap. If you don't know where that is, it's the same area as Deseo, National Insurance Branch and also the new Excapade Sushi Branch in Qlap.

Kimchi uses nontick hotplates so your food's not likely to stick to the plate while you're cooking.

They also got exhaust on top of all bbq tables to absorb all the smoke and smell from the bbq so you won't walk out of the restaurant smelling like smoked beef.

For appetizers, they have assorted kimchis for you to savour and also two soups

Seaweed Soup

Kimchi Soup

Korean Style Seafood Pancake which goes very well rolled with cabbage kimchi, sliced bbq meats or on it's own. One of my fav things about Korean cuisine!

Place your choice of kimchi or meat on top of pancake

Grab one end with chopsticks

Roll roll~~

Simply sensational! You can be creative and throw in bbq squid or sliced sweet potatoes topped with Korean hot bean paste~ be creative! Create your own pancake roll.

Now on to the stuff to BBQ. They come in 3 different sets. The meat, seafood and vegetables sets. It's all you can eat so you can ask for refill everytime you finish each set.

The first set is the assorted meat set which includes marinated lamb, beef and chicken (in two flavours - spicy and non spicy)

The seafood set consists of marinated squid, prawns, scallops and mussels topped with a cube of butter and lime slices. Hmm...

The vegetables set consists of sliced pumpkins and sweet potatoes, sweet corn and enoki mushrooms.

I like to grill my seafood shell side down

You can eat the BBQ meats on their own but koreans like to wrap their meats with fresh lettuce leaves, sliced onions, shallots or garlic and a little bit (or a lot) of Korean hot bean paste.

Assemble your wrap healthy delicious wrap~

Roll and eat~~ it's really enjoyable. And same with rolling pancakes, you can create your own lettuce wraps! This makes it an enjoyable dinner with family and friends.

They also have an array of desserts for this buffet.

Fresh rockmelon, honeydew and watermelon slices

Patbingsu, which is Korean's version of ABC. Give this a try!

I especially like their smooth Soy Bean Pudding which makes a refreshing ending to all the spicy and tasty Korean BBQ.

If you like Shabu shabu at Ice Bar, you will absolutely love the Korean BBQ experience. The cooking and wrapping of bbq meats with lettuce leaves and seafood pancake is simply enjoyable and fun!

Korean BBQ is $19.80 for adults and $11.80 for children under the age of 12.

For reservations please call:
2222233/7122283

Banana Muffins with Buttery Sugar Crumble~

2009-08-11T13:06:00.004+08:00

Was in a mood for banana muffins and decided to make one with a nice crisp top. This recipe is super easy to make! Your kids will love this, especially the crisp sugary top!

INGREDIENTS

* 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 3 bananas, mashed
* 3/4 cup white sugar
* 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon powder
* 1/4 teaspoon vanilla powder
* 1 egg, lightly beaten
* 1/3 cup butter, melted (I used canola oil for health)
* 1/2 cup of chocolate chips (add more if ya want)

For the crumbly sugar crust
* 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
* 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
* 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla powder
* 1 tablespoon butter

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease 10 muffin cups, or line with muffin papers.

2. In a large bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups flour, baking soda, baking powder cinnamon and vanilla and salt. In another bowl, beat together bananas, sugar, egg and melted butter. Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.

3. In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, 2 tablespoons flour and cinnamon + vanilla . Cut in 1 tablespoon butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle topping over muffins.

The Banana Muffin Batter

Scoop onto muffin pans or muffin cups~

The Buttery Crumbly Topping

Spread on top of your muffin batter, it's easier to use your hands to pat it evenly

Hmm.. Fresh Banana Muffins

Tarindak Restaurant @ Kota Batu

2009-07-03T15:19:00.007+08:00

As a Bruneian, I am very proud of Tarindak restaurant. It is a restaurant that I can proudly recommend to fellow Bruneians and visiting tourists.

Located at the Brunei Handicrafts centre at Kota Batu, this restaurant offers both traditional Malay and International Cuisine but also to showcase local handicrafts and traditional costumes, followed by the great view of Kampung Ayer.

As you can see, the restaurant is spacious and classy. A good place for fine dining or family special occasions. I'll showcase only some of their food, which is a wide variety.

They have an open kitchen which showcases their grilled meats

Their lamb satay is really good. Tender and juicy. Grilled to perfection.

Ah! Gotta be proud of our Ambuyat!

There are also various traditional Malaysian Salads~

Gotta be proud of our local malay kuehs! And you can also see various traditional handicrafts on display too! If only they have Tapak Kuda!

Good food, good ambience and not to mention the great view. After dinner, you can even take a romantic walk with your loved ones at the riverside. My friends who went there said the view's even better during the day where you can see speedboats and the view of the Water Village. Breakfast $8, Lunch $15 and Dinner $22. Ala Carte Menu also available for those on diet.

For more pictures, please visit my facebook album of Tarindak Restaurant
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=99669&id=581271416&l=ffeea6f22f

Molten Chocolate & Kahlua dessert

2009-06-03T18:20:00.000+08:00

I love food magazines. I enjoy reading them all the time. Once in a while, you'll discover a recipe that's simple enough yet looks visually delicious. I was reading the valentine's section and discovered this gem of a recipe. The original recipe calls for Baileys but I decided to use Kahlua instead. I also don't have ground almonds so I just add in some corn flour for thickening. The initial recipe is enough for only 2 servings but I tweaked it to make 4 servings. Seriously sinful dessert. As you dig into the cake, you can see the rich lava like chocolate flowing out. YUM!

Molten Chocolate & Kahlua dessert

225g dark chocolate, the higher quality the better and cut into small chunks for easy melting
100g butter
1 tablespoon corn flour
2 medium egg yolks
2 whole eggs
4 tablespoons caster sugar
7 tablespoons Kahlua (chocolate liquer)
icing sugar to dust the top

1) Heat oven to 230 degree celcius/210 degree celcius fan.

2) Rub butter on four large ramekins or heat proof coffee cups

3) On a microwave bowl, melt butter and chocolate together in a microwave. Mix well. (You can do this the double boiler method if you wish.

4) Whisk the eggs and sugar until light and pale. Fold the chocolate mixture into this and then mix the Kahlua and corn flour in.

5) Pour into the four buttered ramekins. You can bake them straight away or keep them in the fridge.

6) Bake for 10 minutes/ 12-13 minutes if taken out from fridge.

7) Dust with icing sugar before serve.

The Batter~ Hmm.... must resist urge to dip finger in~

Rise my precious! RISE I SAY!

Ice Cream is a must with this rich dessert~~hmm....

Purposely popped one for you to see the liquid centre~

Chocolate Cheesecake Swirl Brownies

2009-05-22T20:19:00.015+08:00

Imagine this~ two tasty desserts combined into one. Chocolate Brownies and Cheesecake. Simply heavenly - sinfully delicious~~ I made chocolate cheesecake muffins before which is chocolate muffins with a cheesecake topping but this dessert is up the next level. Imagine the rich chocolaty brownie swirled with delicate cream cheese. Hmm....... I'll leave that to your imagination!

Chocolate Brownie
85g unsalted butter, cut into pieces
115g dark chocolate, chopped
2/3 cup caster sugar
2 large eggs (room temperature if possible)
1/2 cup cake flour
1 tablespoon cocoa powder (Dutch Processed ones if possible, unsweetened only!)
1/8 teaspoon salt (or a pinch)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (Can't really find in Brunei anymore, so I used Galliano, vanilla liqueur)
1/2 cup chocolate chips (or dark chocolate cut into very small chunks)

CreamCheese Filling
200g cream cheese, at room temperature
1 large egg yolk
5 tablespoons (75g) caster sugar
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract (Galliano)

Steps

1)Preheat oven to 350 degrees (180C).

2) Melt the butter and chocolate in the microwave, stirring until smooth.

3) Beat in the 2/3 cup (130g) sugar, then the eggs.

4) Mix in the flour, cocoa powder and salt, then the vanilla and chocolate chips. Spread evenly in the prepared pan.

5) In a separate bowl, prepare the cream cheese fillin. Beat together the cream cheese, the yolk, 5 tablespoons (75g) of sugar, and vanilla until smooth.

6) Distribute the cream cheese filling mixture on the brownie mixture, and use a blunt knife to swirl, combining them - like a marbling effect.

7) Bake for 35 minutes or until centre of the cake is set.

I love these silicon bakeware! Great investment I tell ya! Wipe some butter though for easier release.

Melting the softened butter with the chocolate.

Adding chocolate chunks to the brownie batter

Pour batter into silicon moulds~

Prepare the cream cheese filling

Technically, supposed to drop the creamcheese fillings in 5-6 big spoonfuls spreaded around evenly but I was lazy so I just dump the whole thing at the centre. Use a butter knife or spoon to swirl the mixture.

Tadaa! The wonders of silicon bakeware! Easy Release!

Kota Kinabalu Review: Grazie and Little Italy

2009-05-12T14:19:00.010+08:00

When asked about where to eat in Kota Kinabalu, friends always recommend Little Italy. A place that is just opposite Wisma Merdeka. A good place to eat Italian pasta and pizzas.

Little Italy's Menu

Walls and paintings gives this cafe a feel of Italy.

I ordered the set lunch which gives you free garlic bread and soup of the day for every pasta you ordered (except for the raviolis)

Hmm... Thin Crispy Pizza. In my opinion, better than Fratinis.

I ordered Squid Ink Seafood Pasta. This dish has a very strong seafood taste and is not for everyone. Most people would not even touch it but hey - give it a shot if you're a seafood lover.

Overall, I would come back to try other pasta and pizza dishes again here, especially their Raviolis which I did not get to try because I was already stuffed! Must remember to try their desserts next time as well! Table service was prompt and friendly.

Another Cafe that comes highly recommended is Grazie. My KK friends highly recommend this place and insist I must try it. It is located a few blocks away from Marina Court Apartments, and is opposite or next to the Celcom building.

Prices are quite affordable, if you consider the exchange rates nowadays.

The place is a nice open air style cafe so during lunch time, it gets a little warm here. Dress casually, like tourists; comfy Tshirts and short pants.

Smile Mona Lisa~ Smile~~

Pastas and Pizzas are made fresh here. I think it's a slow afternoon, so they made our pastas on the spot~ hmm...

Our appetizer is Tuna Carpaccio, which is sashimi grade sliced tuna, drizzles with extra virgin olive oil and pesto. Seriously good stuff! Tastes great with crispy bread or on it's own.

I ordered Canneloni, pasta sheets wrapping mince beef (popiah or spring roll style), and baked in a cheesy sauce.

Simply Ooomph!

Roasted Lamb with Rosemary and Garlic Sauce. Soft, succulent and juicy with the hint of rosemary.

Beef Tenderloin with herbs and mushroom sauce. As you can see, it's cooked to just the way I like it, medium where you can still see the slight pink in the middle so that it retains some of it's juices. Mama Mia~ Bon Appetit !

Simply delightful Tiramisu. A must try in this cafe as well.

Grazie's ambience and decor really won me over despite it being an open air cafe. Their service was really prompt and the food arrived almost all at more or less the same time. Note that we did have to wait 20-30 minutes for the main course to arrive but the appetizers kept us busy. The food is really good and I highly recommend this place to anyone visiting Kota Kinabalu. I would definitely come back here to sample their other dishes again!

Brunei Hotel: Mawar Restaurant May Promotion!

2009-04-28T10:32:00.000+08:00

Brunei hotel's Mawar Restaurant is introducing their new menu promotions starting 1st of May 2009. Their menu boasts fusion cuisines that will wet your taste buds.

Uttar Pradesh Spicy Chicken
It's tastes like lemon chicken with a touch of spiciness to it. Indian dishes are usually quite rich but this one is light and tastes great.

Cashew Kung Po Chicken
Chicken chopped into cubes and stir fried with chilies, cashews and spring onions.

Milk Sweet Corn Chicken

Crispy Chicken Patties served with a creamy corn sauce.

Black Pepper Buttermilk Chicken
Has the rich buttery taste of buttermilk chicken but with the added ooomph of black pepper! A must try dish.

Sautéed Fish Fillet
Fish slices sauteed with shrimp paste and assam. Spicy and sour dish.

Shanghai Chicken
Crispy chicken coated with a plum sauce

Clay Pot Lamb Curry
Lamb Curry. Needs no explanation really. Soft succulent lamb slow cooked with spices. Hmm..

Chicken Patties with Avocados
Chicken shaped into patties and served with slices of healthy avocados.

Their dishes cost only $6.50 per dish and includes one soft drink of your choice. A really good price for a hotel restaurant. Be sure to visit Mawar@Brunei Hotel restaurant this May.

Old Town Cafe: Available now also in MIRI!

2009-04-24T10:49:00.010+08:00

I remembered when I was in Kuala Lumpur or in Singapore, I would always have this craving for Old Town Cafe's Sliced Chicken Ipoh Hor Fun. Simply one of the best noodle soup dishes and it always put a smile of satisfaction to my face. Here are some pics from Genting's Branch.

Recently I went to Miri and I was really excited to see Old Town Cafe there. Was supposed to go eat Bah Kut Teh but they ran out ~ so when I stumbled upon this cafe, it was like finding treasure. Let's take a look at the Miri version so we can compare.

Ok~ the entrance may not be as grand and the location is a bit far from town, but hey .. that's why it's like finding treasure.

The inside decor is not bad, looks quite cosy in fact.

They still got the nice Ipoh Town signs as part of their decor.

Their menus are quite similar but the pricing is cheaper than the one at Genting.

Trying to decide what to order with a smug look on my face~ hee hee

This is their toasted polo bun with kaya and butter

Their signature toast is not as dark as the one you see in Genting. It tastes good with the nice fragrance but it's not as tasty as the one in Genting.

Toast with Strawberry Jam and Peanut Butter

Chicken Ham Toast

Lor Mee - my friend regretted ordering it not because it's not good, it's actually tasty ... but she tasted my horfun and she regret straightaway! hahaha!

Here it is - Sliced Chicken Ipoh Hor Fun that I missed so much, noticed that the soup is not as clear as the original one and there's no prawns.

Taste? It's good, very good in fact, but I still think it's not as good as the original ones in KL. However, it is the closest thing to the Ipoh Hor Fun that I craved so this will do!

I *hearts* Ipoh Hor Fun!

So tunggu apa lagi? Hop off to Miri and pay this cafe a visit! You will not regret it de! It's on the same block as the Famous 10 Miles Bah Kut Teh restaurant, near the Vegas club, for those who know where all the clubs are. If you drive on the way to the Mariott Hotel, you will surely see it.

Kota Kinabalu Restaurant Review: Welcome Seafood Restaurant

2009-04-15T18:53:00.010+08:00

Welcome Seafood Restaurant is a great place to satisfy your seafood cravings. This place is cheaper than those restaurants near KK town that will overcharge poor tourists for seafood. This restaurant is quite popular with the locals.

Seriously packed this place, I came here to eat 3 times within 5 days in KK and it's almost packed every time. The prices are quite cheap here that's why!

You get to pick and choose from the aquariums and baskets of fresh seafood here.

Different types of shellfish

Fresh Crabs! Slurp!

Two veggie dishes that are uniquely Kota Kinabalu dishes because you only see them in KK. I think they're Daun Ubi or something. I forgot what it's called but it's simply delicious. I like their great crunchy texture. You can order it stir fried with eggs or with sambal belacan. Hmm...

Mongolian Style Pork... Their sauce is really unique and I like the sweet buttery taste of the sauce. Thumbs up!

Mongolian Style Chicken

Their seafood tofu is simply delicious... but too bad it has to take second place to the wonderful array of seafood dishes. Now on to the seafood! Bring it onz!

Butter Prawns!

Fresh Steamed Prawns

Steamed Fish with Ginger Soy Sauce

Steamed Fish with Sweet Spicy Sauce

*SLURPS* Simply sensational black pepper crab

Shellfish platter!!

This is Tong Fong Luo, I don't know the English name for this but you simply must try it!

Use toothpick to pull the meat out

Dip in sauce and then enjoy!

located in an area called Bundusan, Penampang, behind Super Tanker Restaurant. Everyone in KK knows where Super Tanker is, so if you grab a taxi, just tell him to go Super Tanker. Welcome Restaurant is 2 shop lots behind it.

Brunei Restaurant Review: Ice Bar Shabu Shabu

2009-04-10T19:02:00.006+08:00

At the streets of Qlap, a new restaurant called Icebar & Cafe appeared on the first floor at the hotel where Funwok, the hongkong restaurant was located. The restaurant's name showed no hint of what type the restaurant would be. One would wonder if it's a cafe for eating ice like Charmy snow ice or some fancy fine dining restaurant. Instead, it's actually a Shabu Shabu place.

Shabu Shabu means you have your own soup (there are a variety of soups to choose from) and then you cook your food hot pot style. As you can see from the tables, each person has their own individual hot pot. The last time I went to a Shabu Shabu place was in Miri, so let's see how this places does. I did hear many complains that service was quite slow especially when it's packed, so if you're on a rush, definitely not a good place to visit. Fortunately, for me though, the service was not as slow as I expected. My drinks did take some time to arrive though.

You can choose the type of soup you want and then choose your set of food you want to cook with your hotpot.

This is the economy one which is around $8.80. You can choose to have beef slices instead of chicken. I definitely prefer the beef. Basically like a typical price for a steamboat dish per person.

This is the $13.50 beef set, which has more slices of beef. I personally preferred this as I like to quickly cook them slice by slice in the hotpot, dip into the sauce I personally mixed, then eat~ hmm...

You can mix and match from the many ingredients and sauces they have available like a buffet style.

This is my special mix: black bean sauce, sar char sauce, sesame oil, garlic, chives and coriander(daun sup). Mixed well. Great dip!

This is the normal seafood soup. Although the flavours are not strong at first, and I feel that it tastes more like chicken soup than seafood soup, once you cooked a variety of your food in it, it get's better and better! The other soups tend to be overpowering. This soup is only $1.50, and refills are free of charge.

This is the miso soup base. I really liked the flavours of this soup. Would definitely pick this one next time. $2.00 for the soup and $1.00 to refill.

The hot and sour soup is for those who can really take spicy food! One sip of this made my lips and tongue really numb! That's why in Taiwan they call this "MA LA Hotpot" which translates to Numbing Spicy Hot Pot. Definitely an experience for the adventurous ones. $2.00 to order, $1.00 to refill.

I did not take pictures of other types of soups but the Tom Yum and Tomato based soups ($2.00 ) are worth a try as well. I personally tried all of them and if I could rank them, I would prefer the miso followed by tom yum, then seafood soup base. The others are good as well but that's just my preference.

You can separately order your side dishes, such as this lamb here which is $6.00 per plate. I personally felt that this is too expensive for just 8 slices. I hope the management would adjust the pricing. 15 slices would be more appropriate.

The drink Green Tea Calamansi is pretty good and I highly recommend it. However, I wish they would give us complimentary cold water, especially if we're eating the hot and spicy soup bases. If they can give us complimentary sauces, I am sure they should give the customers complimentary iced water, if we order a few drinks from the table. This would greatly improve our overall experience.

Overall, I was impressed that they offer competitive value for most of their menu items. The complimentary sauces and green bean desserts were thumbs up and I hope they will keep this up. What I would suggest is

1) Include wontons and dumplings, or other possible additions to their hotpot menus.
2) Complimentary iced or warm water if the customers order drinks already at the table, to act as a fire hydrant for those spicy soup bases or sauces.
3) Be more generous on the lamb and beef slices when we order separate sets. $6.00 for simply 8 thin slices of lamb is simply ridiculous.
4) I saw some nice ice desserts on their menus which they had not started serving yet but I hope we will get to see these desserts in future. Imagine the sensation of a spoonful of ice cold dessert after all that hot and spicy food. Hmmm....

Once again. Thumbs up for Ice Bar's Shabu shabu and I am sure you will enjoy your experience there. Remember to book beforehand to avoid disappointment!

Desserts I like in Hong Kong

2009-04-10T14:41:00.001+08:00

One of the reasons I gained so much weight in Hong Kong was their delicious desserts. People advice that you eat 5 servings of fruits per day and I think I overdid it~~

Chung Kee Dessert Shop near where we stayed at Yau Ma Tei.

Black Sesame Dessert~ Strong nutty taste~~

Tang Yuans filled with black sesame paste in a gingery sweet soup.

Kam Chi Yuk Lor (Mango, Pamelo and Sago dessert) I really loved this one!

Honeydew and huge sago pearls~ chilled~ Yummy~~

Another great dessert place is Hui Lau San, see their logo. It's all over Hong Kong, you won't miss it.

The menus are bilingual - very helpful for those who can't read Chinese nor speak Cantonese in Hong Kong. The fruits looked really attractive, we were wondering if it'll look as good. I'll leave it to you guys to judge.

Gui Leng Kou

Red Bean Pudding

Swallows nest with mangoes and other mixed fruits

Looks fantastic! I really loved those fruity desserts! They're not cheap though and can go from BND5-8 per dessert, so make sure your wallets are fat when you walk in here.

Mei Shun Steamed Milk Restaurant is a place where you can enjoy a traditional Hong Kong delicacy: Steamed milk!

The ginger steamed milk is one of the recipes in my blog. This is specially good for women during that time of the month. Many don't like this flavour but if one likes it, they'll be hooked!

http://cookiemonzters.blogspot.com/2007/01/chinese-dessert-ginger-milk.html

Chocolate steamed milk~hmm...

They got many other flavours so be sure to try as many as you can!

They also serve nice french toast with slice of butter and syrup~

Mango Smoothie for breakfast~

Don't miss HK's famous Polo Pau (Bun); crispy butter top, with cheese and jam in the centre. Simply tasty. Note: Some shops had terrible Polo Bun though. So hope you're lucky like me and managed to hit a good store.

Hong Kong people seem to have desserts every where, even in night markets, I saw this tasty Mango Slushies for BND $1.10. Simply refreshing!

d

Sea Coconut and Grass Jelly Dessert

Glutinous Black rice with Sea Coconut and Coconut milk~

Forgot what this is called but it's like a mango wrapped with cream and pancakes.

NYUMMY!!!

I know it's not beer, but their Jolly Shandy Lychee flavour is nice!

Hong Kong Restaurant Review: Hai Wang Porridge Restaurant

2009-04-08T12:29:00.000+08:00

Near where we stayed in Hong Kong, there's this porridge shop called Hai Wang (Neptune) Porridge Restaurant. We decided to have our breakfast here.

The menu layout is very good but you'll need to be able to read Chinese. We took quite some time to make our decision on what type of porridge to order.

Pork porridge~~

Fish porridge.

This is pumpkin and corn porridge. Slightly sweet and fresh porridge flavour. A unique taste.

When you have porridge, you cannot forget Char Kueh. Hmm..... they are like Fries with Coke, Butter and Kaya, Salt and pepper...... you get the drift....

On the menu, I saw buffalo tongue... and went.... what's this? My adventurous foodie sense showed no fear and ordered it, only to realize it's char kueh but shaped like an ox tongue - as shown in above pic~

Noodles with curry fish balls~

Fried chong fun rolls with XO sauce and taugeh~hmm.....

Pan fried carrot cake~~ *slurps*

But my favourite thing in this restaurant has to be this dish. It is Char Leung, it is Char Kueh, wrapped with Cheung Fun skin, then drizzled with soy sauce. Simply delectable! Good with porridge or even on it's own.

Enjoying my porridge~~

And Char Leung~~ Hmmmm....... I like~~

So be sure to check out Hai Wang Porridge Restaurant when you're in Hong Kong next time for your breakfast.

Brunei Restaurant Review: Nur Wanita

2009-04-05T11:26:00.005+08:00

One lunch time, colleagues were talking about this new Thai-Malaysian cuisine Restaurant and we decided to have lunch there. Nur Wanita is located at Kiarung, two blocks behind Baiduri Kiarung.

The entrance is pretty grand, and makes you feel like you're walking into an upscale restaurant.

As you can see, they have quite good ambiance from their decor. It feel's quite comfy albeit a little cramp during lunch hour.

Saw this 'Thai style coffee' and decided to try, it has a unique burnt coffee taste. Not bad, good for the experience but I probably would try something else next time but if you never tried it, be adventurous and give this a shot.

The typical soup of Thai cuisine, Tom Yum soup. Their version is not too spicy and is just right for our palette. Nothing too special to mention though. Just Tom Yum Soup.

Thai style Fried Kway Teow. Slightly spicier than the usual char kway teow we have. Good flavour and taste but not as caramelized as how we would liked.

Mango Chicken Rice. You can't go wrong with Thai style Mango Chicken or Fish in Thai restaurants. Spicy, Sour and Sweet flavours with the crispy texture of fried chicken. Yum!

Chiang Mai Curry Noodles, this is quite a heartening dish as the noodles are crispy and the curry sauce is thick and spicy. I liked this dish and would certainly order it again. It might be too spicy for those who can't take spicy food, so be sure to tell the chef to adjust according to your tastebuds.

Green Curry Spaghetti is one of their Thai-Western Fusion dishes and it's actually pretty good but the heat factor of this dish is "Oh god It's Spicy!" so order this if you love green curries and enjoy the kick, otherwise ask the chef to make it not so spicy, though the taste might be compromised.

This dish would be my favourite in the restaurant. Deep fried kangkong with meat gravy. The kangkong is fried till a very crisp texture and seasoned very well. I really enjoyed this dish and as I am typing this post, my mouth is already salivating from the memories of wolfing down mouthfuls of the deep fried morsels. Hmm.... Anyone up for Nur Wanita?

Foods that help reduce hair loss

2009-03-15T08:02:00.001+08:00

A bad diet can often result in hair loss. Due to the diet of today, many are experiencing balding at younger ages. Below are four of the most valuable nutrients to help reduce hair loss.

Proteins

Hair is primarily made of protein and, therefore, it makes sense to eat a protein-rich diet if you’re trying to maintain your healthy hair. Avoid hamburgers and steaks because high-fat diets will result in increased testosterone levels, which have been linked to hair loss. Eat lean proteins such as fish, chicken, low-fat cheese, eggs, almonds, beans, and yogurt. Soy milk and tofu are also smart to add to your diet because they are high in protein and low in unhealthy fats.

Iron

Iron plays a key role in manufacturing hemoglobin, the part of the blood that carries oxygen to your body’s organs and tissues. When your hemoglobin is at a healthy level, oxygen is properly dispersed. This means your scalp is getting a good flow of blood, which will stimulate and promote hair growth. Dried fruits such as raisins are packed with iron and also red meats (However, go for leaner cut's of red meat) Vitamin C improves the absorption of iron, so fruits such as oranges, strawberries and lemons should be on your grocery list of foods that prevent hair loss.

Silica

More reason to eat the ‘taugeh’ or bean sprouts with your soup noodles because they are rich in Silica. Silica may not be a word you commonly hear associated with diet. The body uses silica to help it absorb vitamins and minerals; if you’re not consuming silica, eating your vitamins might not be helping much. Silica can be found in bean sprouts and the skin of cucumbers, red and green peppers, and potatoes.

Zinc

Many men who suffer from hair loss are found to have zinc deficiencies. Zinc plays a key role in many of the body’s functions, from cell reproduction to hormonal balance, and all these functions affect hair growth. Perhaps most importantly, zinc manages the glands that attach to your hair follicles. When you’re low on zinc, these follicles become weak, causing strands to break off or fall out. Don’t overdose on zinc though as that might do more harm than good.

Balanced Diet

Just as your overall health will benefit from eating a balanced diet, so too should the health of your hair. Once it’s gone, it’s gone, so don’t put foods in your body that speed up hair loss. You may be experiencing a thinning on top already, but you can counteract this (or at least slow it down) by eating from every food group daily -- concentrating on foods that are rich in protein, iron, silica, and zinc.

Curry Pastes

2009-02-10T22:25:00.007+08:00

Tour around the supermarket and you'll be faced with a lot of different types of ready made curry pastes. With such a vast array of styles, spice mixes and heat ratings, it can be hard to match the right curry paste to the right ingredients. Here's a guide to help you choose.

Indian curry pastes

Rogan josh paste is a medium-hot blend that is a specialty of Kashmir in northern India. It features tomatoes, fenugreek, coriander, paprika and cumin, and is most commonly used for lamb curries.

Korma curry paste, a mix of mostly heat-free spices, forms the base of a mild, almost nutty, slow-cooked curry. Korma curries can vary widely but often include chicken or vegetables cooked with yoghurt.

Biryani curry paste is a mild blend that powers the classic Indian rice dish after which it's named, where aromatic basmati rice is topped with vegetables or chicken and dried fruit or nuts.

Vindaloo curry paste fires the famous stewed vinegar curry introduced by the Portuguese to India (where it was bolstered with copious amounts of spices, garlic and fresh chillies). Traditionally made with pork, vindaloo also works well with prawns, lamb or vegetables and has a very hot heat rating.

Balti is both a paste (characterised by tomatoes, coriander and chilli) and a style of cooking. Tenderised meat (usually lamb) is stir-fried with balti paste in a wok-style pan and served with naan bread. Balti ranges from mild to medium-hot.

Tandoori curry paste is a mild blend of paprika, lemon juice, garlic, onion and various spices blended with yoghurt and used as a marinade. Marinated meat is grilled in a tandoor (Indian clay oven) or over coals.

Butter chicken curry paste is a mild, quickfix base for the popular creamy poultry dish.

Madras curry paste is a cumin, coriander and chilli mix from southern India that's hot to very hot. It's best used for beef, but is also suitable for pork and chicken.

Tikka masala curry paste produces an aromatic, slightly smokey, rich curry based on tomatoes and cream or coconut cream. It's a mild paste, most commonly used with chicken.

Thai curry pastes

Thai curry pastes are classified by colour, but all feature common flavours such as galangal, prawn paste and lemongrass.

Thai red curry paste is the most common, and spiciest. Along with the similarly spicy Penang curry paste it's used in many familiar dishes such as fish cakes, satay and beef curry.

Thai green curry paste has virtually identical ingredients and uses to red curry paste except that fresh green chillies are used instead of dried red chilli powder. It is also milder and teams well with chicken or fish.

Thai yellow curry paste is the mildest of the Thai pastes and gets its intense colour from yellow peppers and turmeric. It's great with seafood, noodles and beef, but also makes a fabulous soup.

Massaman curry paste marries Indian and Thai curry flavours in a spicy, aromatic mix that goes brilliantly with beef. A massaman curry always contains coconut milk and usually roasted peanuts, tamarind and bay leaves, and is served over rice.

Laksa curry paste is the foundation flavour of the classic Malaysian soup-based curry. Generally mild to medium in heat, laksa curry always contains coconut milk and rice stick noodles, and goes best with seafood, tofu or vegetables and chicken.

Orange Chicken: The hidden rival to Lemon Chicken

2009-01-06T19:48:00.007+08:00

Always hidden behind the scenes in the history of Chinese cuisine, Orange chicken has rarely seen the light in restaurants unlike the popular Lemon Chicken. This post, we bring the Orange chicken to the spotlight!

Orange Chicken

Prepare:
700g boneless chicken thighs cut into one inch pieces(you can use chicken breast if you don't like thigh texture)
Eight to ten strips of Orange zest. Use a peeler and peel slowly, make sure you don't peel too deep and get the bitter white part.
8 pieces dried whole chilies, can buy from Hua Ho, I used the Indian type, not too spicy. They are mostly for decorative purposes but still add a hint of spicy flavour.

Drying the marinated chicken

Marinade:
3/4 cup chicken stock (if you don't have chicken soup or stock on hand ... just add one tablespoon chicken stock powder and mix with 3/4 water, won't be as good though)
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
3 garlic cloves, crushed and minced
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1/2 teaspoon chili powder (add more if you like spicier)
1/4 cup light soy sauce
1/4 cup dark soy sauce
zest of one orange (make sure you don't zest till you see whites, the white part is bitter)
3/4 cup orange juice (about 3 oranges for me)

A nice view of the sauce

Deep fry fry fry!

Instructions:

1)Make the marinade above.

2) Pour half the marinade into a mixing bowl with your chicken, mix well, refrigerate for 30 minutes. Do not marinade longer than 45 minutes.

3) While waiting, make the sauce. Pour the remaining marinade into a saucepan (pot) and heat it up to a simmer.

4) On a small bowl, mix 1 and half tablespoons of corn starch and add some liquid, about 2 tablespoons of water and mix well together into a slurry using your hand or chopsticks.

5) Add the slurry to the simmering mixture and cook till it's nice and glossy thickness. Then remove from heat.

6) Add in your peeled orange zest and your whole dried chilies and stir. Set aside.

7) When your chicken is marinated, drain all the marinade liquid, and wipe it dry using tissues or towels. Drying them makes it easier for the coating to cling on to chicken

8) To coat, beat 3 egg whites till nice and frothy.

9) On another plate, combine 1 cup of corn starch with 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda. Add pinch of salt and pepper for seasoning. For me, I add some chili powder here as well. I love spicy food.

10) Dip your chicken on the egg whites, then dip on corn starch, then drop your chicken on to a hot deep frying oil at 350 farenheit or 180 celcius. Deep fry in batches.

11) Before adding and tossing the chicken with the sauce, heat up the sauce first.

Toss toss with the heated up sauce

12) Serve with steamed rice. Enjoy!

Plate it nicely and show the dried whole chilies and peel. Hmm.. the aroma and texture! YUMMY!

Best murtabak in Brunei.

2008-12-19T15:47:00.008+08:00

Roti Canai , Roti Prata or Murtabak; it is one of the staples in Brunei foods you must try. Everytime I have friends coming from overseas, I will surely bring them to my favourite Murtabak store.

The most basic Roti Kosong is probably my favourite. Crispy Croissant like textures and pleasant buttery smell. You won't find this in any other place in Brunei.

R0ti BOM is filled with Susu Manis (Sweetened Condensed Milk). Most of my friends preferred this type. It's Da BOMB! They'll say ;)

Roti Pisang is roti filled with bananas. Ask for the sweetened condensed milk to dip this with. It's simply delish!

Roti Tissue is a thin crepe like roti that is sweet and crispy. You simply 'peel' this mountain and eat the thin crispy sweet roti.

I usually order lamb kurma to dip my roti kosong with. One of my favourite kurma dishes. So next time give this place a try. It is House of Curry which is in the same row as WYWY Lambak, and right next to the KFC. My vote for best murtabak in Brunei.

Gingko nuts, Barley, Beancurd Sheets and Quail Eggs Sweet Soup

2008-12-16T16:45:00.000+08:00

Traditionally, this sweet soup (tong sui) is usually made for pregnant ladies and is thought to give the babies a fairer skin. I decided to do more research on the health benefits of the ingredients.

Barley has recently been researched to help lower cholesterol and blood pressure. Barley is also good for your bladder.

Gingko nuts, are considered lung soothing and is prescribed in TCM for bronchitis, asthma, cough, and numerous other conditions. It is also said to be good for the brain and memory boosting. The recorded use of ginkgo seed in China for food and medicine dates back 2,000 years. Although one should not eat more than 8 gingko nuts per day, as too much can be toxic.

Chinese medical practitioners have used quail eggs for thousands of years to successfully combat allergies such as rhinitis (sensitive sinus or nose) , asthma, hay fever, spasmodic cough and skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis. More recently they have been used in Russia and Poland, and they are widely available from pharmacies in France, Switzerland and Germany.

It's no wonder this recipe has been passed down for generations as a nutritious soup. Now let's get cooking~~

Ingredients:
1 cup Of China Barley(中国薏米)
2 packets Of Ginkgo Nuts (白果) - can buy from fridge section of Hua Ho near their fresh mushrooms.
1 Packet Of Bean Curd Sheet(腐竹) - buy from dried foods section
1 can of quail eggs - can find in most canned food sections
200g Rock Sugar To Taste (add more if you want it to be sweeter)
2 Litres Of Water
Few Pieces Of Pandan Leaves, wash and tied into knot
1 Egg, lightly beaten

Directions:

1. Rinse barley in several changes of water until water runs clear.
2. Place barley in a stock pot with water and pandan leaves, bring to boil and low the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, marinate the ginkgo nuts with 1-2 tablespoons of castor sugar and set aside. At the same time, drain and wash the quail eggs from the can, then soak them in water with 1-2 tablespoons of sugar.
4. Soak the beancurd sheets in water until really soft. If not soft enough, add 1 teaspoon of bicarbonate soda to the water. (This step is crucial for silky soft bean sheet skin)
5. When the barley water is done, removed the pandan leaves and add in the bean curd sheet and simmer on medium heat for about 20 minutes.
6. Next add in the rock sugar and ginkgo nuts then continue to simmer for about 10 – 15 minutes depending on how scattered you want the bean curd sheet to be.
7. Lastly, add in the beaten egg and stir until well combined .
8. Add the quail eggs, stir well, then kill the heat. Serve it warm.

Made this recently and I added fresh lotus seeds for more health benefits ;)

Hong Kong Restaurant: Tsim Chai Kee

2008-12-11T14:22:00.006+08:00

Tsim Chai Kee is a popular wonton noodle shop in Hong Kong. Hong Kong food is usually pricey but this place is different as the food is reasonably priced compared to other places.

This place has been recommended by many magazines and newspaper articles one. That's how I came to hunt down this place.

Just take MTR to Central and look out for Number 98 Wellington Street and you will see the restaurant.

We arrived very early in the morning, so they were still preparing the wontons. Now we know our wontons are definitely hand made with tender loving care and fresh!

While the lady went to prepare our orders, I took a snapshot of her workstation. Notice the size of those wontons! HUGE!

A closer look shows how big they are. Biggest I've seen! You won't see wontons this big in Brunei!

Noodles finally done! W000! Let's check them out!

I ordered the one with everything. Beef, Meatballs and Wontons.

The noodles are quite thin and springy. It goes well with the soup. Like very thin kolomee. I especially like the soup. Good flavour!

Huge wonton, wonder what's in it.

*slurp slurp* lots of prawns!

You die die must add their home made chili to the soup.

I definitely liked the Wonton Mee. Give it a try when you visit Hong Kong.

Italian Hot Chocolate

2008-11-21T18:52:00.005+08:00

When I was in Australia, in winter, we love the feel of a warm mug of hot chocolate. When I was at a particular Italian cafe in Aus, they have this thing on the menu: Italian Hot Chocolate. Being a typical foodie, I ordered that item on the menu. What came was a cup of thick syrupy dark chocolate drink. The smell of cocoa was heavenly. The texture resembled creamy mushroom soup. I took my spoon, dipped it into this thick sinful drink and took a scoop. I was hooked! Simply a chocolate lovers dream!

After that, I found the recipe and this has been a regular drink during my stay in Australia. Easy to make and simply delicious. I love to have a cup while snuggling up to watch TV on a cold winter.

Italian Hot Chocolate.

Mix in a high sauce pan -

1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch

Add about 1/4 cup water to this mixture and mix well.

After that, put the saucepan over medium heat and stir constantly.

Once this mixture comes to a boil, add 2 cups of liquid (water, brewed coffee, full cream milk or skim milk) and stir over heat until heated through and mixed. I usually add 2 cups of skim milk.

This will produce a rich chocolaty Italian Hot Chocolate.

Scoop onto your coffee cups and if you like alcohol, add a splash of Kahlua, Tia Maria or Baileys to every cup.

Remember to provide your guests with spoons! They'll be scooping that thick delicious goodness!

Dulce de Leche

2008-11-12T17:23:00.005+08:00

When I first saw the recipe in one of the cooking magazines. It looked death simple and the pictures of this rich caramel like milk syrup got my attention. Some people use it as a topping for cakes, some use it like jam to spread on bread, some use it to drizzle over ice cream, some smother it over waffles and pancakes, some even just take a spoon and eat it out of the jar.

Here's how to do it. Really simple and easy.

Preheat the oven to 425° F (220° C).

Pour two cans of sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk) into a shallow baking dish. Add a pinch of salt and stir.

Set the pie plate within a larger pan, such as a roasting pan, and add hot water until it reaches halfway up the side of the pie plate.

Cover the pie plate snugly with aluminum foil and bake for 75 to 90 minutes. I usually just leave it for 90 minutes. (Check a few times during baking and add more water to the roasting pan as necessary).

Once the Dulce de Leche is nicely browned and caramelized, remove from the oven and let cool. Once cool, whisk until smooth.

Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Warm gently in a warm water bath or microwave oven before using.

Hong Kong: Hua Man Rou at Mongkok

2008-10-10T17:45:00.007+08:00

Situated near Mongkok Station. You just walk a few blocks and cross the road, take a lift to the second floor and you will see Hua Man Rou.

Hua Man Rou (Full of Flowers Restaurant?)

A Beijing style cuisine restaurant

The Menu

Ordered our food and ready to eat!

Drunken Chicken

Trademark Tofu

Hot and Spicy Ramen! Hmmm....

Tell you man - the texture of the ramen is splendid! It will take me only less than a minute or two to finish sucking up all the noodles. So succulent.

Fried Pork Chops that comes with Ramen.

Stir fried sliced beef with shallot sauce

XO Sauce Mixed Meats

Grilled Eel (Unagi) with Kolo Ramen

Simply oomph!

And last but not least - the best Xiao Long Paos I've tasted~~ w0000! Simply Siok la!

Charmy Snow Ice is coming to town~

2008-09-14T09:56:00.007+08:00

There is a new hangout place in town! Charmy Snow Ice! This is specially good in Brunei where the seasons are 'hot summer' or 'very hot summer'.

The atmosphere and ambience is icy cool!

A nice place to really 'chill'! Hee hee.

It also has a nice cosy feel to it, especially if you are feeling the hot weather- pop in for a nice bowl of....

Nice and Cool and Refreshing Textured~~ Snow Ice!

This is Milk flavour!

Strawberry flavour

They are not even letting me snap the pictures before eating it!

Peanut Flavour

Mango~ My favourite flavour amongst all

Green Tea with Azuki Beans

Coffee Flavour

Yogurt Flavour

As soon as it hits the table, my mates already popped their spoons and forgot I wanted to take the pics!

We tried out all the basic flavours but there's other ones which include toppings. Since it's still soft opening, we haven't gotten the privilege yet.

Everyone's fighting for their favourite flavours! Oitz! Save some for me! I'm busy taking pics!

A nice place to hang out with your friends!

Just be sure not to eat too fast like me and get brain freeze! LoL

After all that ice, A LOT OF ICE, have some nice sip of hot tea. Ahhhhh~~

Location?
Look out for DeeJay, which is same block as McDonalds Gadong. Then go upstairs. You won't miss their sign~ Charmy Snow Ice

Korean Food in Brunei.

2008-08-20T19:15:00.002+08:00

Just decided to post some pics from my visit to the Korean restaurant in Kiulap. At the moment there's only one Korean restaurant in Brunei but I still think they are not up to the standards of a good Korean restaurant yet. When I was studying in Aus, I actually like Korean restaurants and would frequent them more often than Japanese restaurants. Good news is: There will be a new Korean restaurant that will be opened in Brunei soon in Kiulap as well. Can't wait to try it.

Korean version of Sushi, some people say the Japanese copied sushi from the Koreans.

I simply love kimchi

Seafood Korean Pancake tastes marvelous with kimchi I tell you.

Walnut soup, chinese dessert

2008-08-15T14:51:00.005+08:00

Walnut Soup (Hup Tul Woo) is quite a famous Chinese Dessert that we don't usually see in Brunei. In fact, how many Bruneian Chinese has even heard or tried it?

It is said that Chinese believed that walnuts resemble the shape of the brain and, thus, are good for nourishing the brain. Walnuts are also associated with longevity, since walnut trees live for hundreds of years. This is a rich and creamy soup that is simply delicious.

Ingredients:

2 cups shelled walnuts (can buy in huaho dried foods section), about 230 grams
1/4 cup rice flour (make sure it's NOT glutinous rice flour)
85g yellow rock sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven at 350°F. In a large saucepan

Bring 1 litre of water (around 4.5 cups) to a boil over high heat. Then add the walnuts and boil, uncovered, 1 minute. Drain well.

Spread the walnuts on a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden and fragrant. Cool on a rack.

Place the cooled walnuts in a food processor or blender with 1/2 cup cold water, and process until almost a smooth paste, scraping down sides of work bowl. Add 1/2 cup cold water and process until almost smooth.

In small pot, whisk the rice flour and 1 cup water until smooth. Whisk in the walnut puree and add 2 1/2 cups cold water.

Heat over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until mixture comes to a boil.

Add the rock sugar slowly. Reduce heat to low, and simmer 10 minutes, whisking occasionally.

The soup should be the consistency of a light cream soup.

If mixture is too thick, whisk in up to 1/2 cup more water.

This soup is best served hot.