Pho Hien Vuong @ Market Square, Brisbane

We had our fair share of pho in our two odd months in Melbourne. There's isn't really anything better than a bowl of hot soup with barely cooked beef slices and noodles on a cold winter's day. Not to mention it is one of the cheaper options too.


However with the warmer months, the last thing you want to do is sweat before, during and after a bowl of hot pho. Thankfully with the evident colder nights around, we couldn't wait to get back to our "pho" habit and there is no better place to start than in Market Square. With a reputation for being a jack of all trade (simply because there are so many restaurants serving so many different kind of asian cuisines) and nothing really standing out, Pho Hien Vuong seem to have proved me wrong with their pho.


With their long queues, old decor and furniture that looked past it's prime and busy waitressing staff; I swear these are prerequisites for an Australian pho shop judging from my experiences in Adelaide, Melbourne or Brisbane.


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It was one of those funny days when you can't resist a cold drink despite the cold, just like the other day when we had ice-cream on a 10 degree night in short pants.

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Apart from pho, there is the beef brisket noodles; thick gelatinous sauce, chunks of meat and carrot and smooth noodles.

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How can one not order pho in a pho shop, its like not ordering fried chicken in KFC. The pho was pretty good, well boiled stock (not sure if there was MSG though), lots of beef slices and other parts you fancy.

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If you are tired of pho, there are the lemongrass pork and chicken chops served with rice, pretty decent too!

Cheap and delicious vietnamese food (a noodle and a drink goes for just about 10-11 dollars depending on the size you want), what is there not to like? The best part is you can always squeeze a bit of fish sauce if you need more flavour!

Address and contact details:

Pho Hien Vuong on Urbanspoon

Verdict: 3.5 stars out of 5 stars. It is what it is, cheap and fast pho, just don't expect the best of service, the quietest of ambience and a place to impress a girl on a first date (unless she totally digs pho).

Char Chai Tau Kueh @ Food Republic.

Tea time at Food Republic @ Pavilion..

Spied a stall selling Penang food.


Ordered a dish of Char Chai Tau Kueh aka fried carrot/rice cake-one of Penang Island's top street food.

The fried carrot/rice cake was covered with a huge layer of egg omelette and garnished with chopped spring onion with a plate of red chillies sauce for dip. .


For such a big serving and only for Rm7/-was worth the money.




The carrot/rice cake was coarsely cut-well fried with light/dark soy sauce until fragrant with chai poh and beansprout-the egg omelette added a smooth texture to it-dip it into the red chillies for extra kick.




Let's Go to Balakong for Yong Tau Foo

This is another paradise for Yong Tau Foo in the vicinity of Balakong. There are 3 corners for Yong Tau Foo in and around these robust commercial area of Taman Sg Besi Indah and all are family related but operating on separate entity.

This particular Leong Ya is facing the tolled road of Sg Besi Highway and car parking could be a hassle during peak hour but thats a norm in Kuala Lumpur and you will get used to it.

The two intermediate shop lots are usually filled with Yong Tau Foo lovers.

We came to this eating shop for this delicacy, it is simple looking and thats Leong Ya typical Yong T! au Foo.< /span>

Another must try dish is this chicken in wrapped in paper chee pau kai.

Yummy braised duck with ginger to makes your taste bud more exciting.

So don't forget to order these dishes when you are at Restoran Leong Ya be it in this shop or the other two just around the corner.

Restoran Leong Ya
No 26-28, Jalan Dagang SB 4/1,
Taman Sg Besi Indah SK 4,
Balakong
Sri Kembangan
Selangor
Tel : 03-8941-5942
GPS : 3.025194,101.715733

Gyoza Recipe

Gyoza Recipe

June 1st, 2011 | Endorsement, Japanese Recipes | No Comments

Gyoza pictures (1 of 5)
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BackGyoza is Japanese-style dumpling. Originated from Chinese jiaozi (dumplings), gyoza has become a mainstay of Japanese cuisine, a staple that is very popular in and outside of Japan. In the United States, you can find gyoza at Japanese restaurants and Asian-themed restaurants.There are four ways of preparing gyoza: steamed, boiled, deep-fried, and pan-fried. I am especially partial to pan-fried gyoza, or yaki-gyoza. Its hard not to like yaki-gyozatiny parcel of juicy filling encased in a dumpling wrapper, pan-fried to crispy golden brown at the bottom, and then lightly steamed to create the nice contrast in mouth feel and texture. The highlight of gyoza lies in the exceptional and flavor-enhancing ponzu dipping sauce, which compliments and completes the tasteGyoza is commonly made with a ground pork filling (you can also use beef, chicken, or even turkey). Other ingredients include cabbage or Napa cabbage, chives or scallion, and seasonings. I created my gyoza recipe with ground pork and cabbage, and flavored the filling with Mizkan (Bonito Flavored) Soup Base, which is soy sauce with dashi. For serving, I made a ponzu dipping sauce with Mizkan AJIPON Ponzu. The addition of Mizkan (Bonito Flavored) Soup Base delivers magical resultsthe gyoza were extremely juicy with a heavenly umami note, and the ponzu dipping sauce was refreshing with a mild citrusy nuance that paired beautifully with the gyoza dumplings.Making gyoza can be challenging to many people if you dont know how to assemble the dumpling. For your easy reference, I have create an easy step-by! -step pi cture guide in the gyoza recipe below. Please take note that practice makes perfect, so get yourself all the ingredients in this gyoza recipe and start making gyoza at home. I can guarantee you that you will be rewarded with a serving of delicious and juicy gyoza that you just cant stop eating!
Gyoza Recipe (Japanese Pan-fried Dumplings) Ingredients: Oil, for pan-frying
Water, for steamingFilling:
8 oz ground pork
2 oz cabbage, shredded and cut into small pieces
1 thumb-sized ginger, peeled and grated
1 clove garlic, peeled and grated
1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
1 1/2 tablespoons Mizkan (Bonito Flavored) Soup Base
1/2 tablespoon sake
3 dashes white pepper
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon chopped scallion, green part only
Pinch of saltPonzu Dipping Sauce: 4 tablespoons Mizkan AJIPON Ponzu
1/2 teaspoon sesame oilMethod:
  • In a bowl, combine all the ingredients in the Filling and blend well. The Filling should be sticky and cohesive.
  • In a dipping bowl, combine the Mizkan AJIPON Ponzu with the sesame oil. Stir to blend well.
  • To assemble the gyoza, place a piece of the gyoza wrapper on your palm or a flat surface. Spoon about 1 teaspoon of the Filling onto the center of the wrapper. Dip your index finger into some water and moisten the outer edges of the dumpling wrapper.
  • Fold the gyoza over, press and seal the left end.
  • Use your thumb and index finger to make a pleat. Pinch to secure tightly.
  • Repeat the same to make the pleats. (Start with 3-4 pleats if you are a beginner). A nicely wrapped gyoza should have a cresc! ent shap e.
  • Heat up the oil in a skillet or stir-fry pan over medium heat. Arrange the gyoza and cover with the lid. Pan-fry the gyoza until the bottoms turn golden brown and become crispy.
  • Add about 1/4-inch water into the skillet or stir-fry pan and cover the lid immediately. The water should evaporate after a few minutes. Continue to cook the gyoza for a couple of minutes to crisp up the bottoms.
  • Remove the gyoza from the skillet or stir-fry pan and serve immediately with the Ponzu dipping sauce.
  • Cooking Tips for Gyoza:
  • To grate the ginger and garlic, you can use a Japanese grater (oroshigane) or Microplane.
  • Get a good gyoza wrapper. Gyoza wrapper is generally thicker compared to other dumpling wrapper. Most of them are round in shape, but some are oval-shaped. For easier assembling, I suggest the round-shaped gyoza wrapper. If you cant find gyoza wrapper, you can always use pot sticker wrapper, or Chinese jiaozi wrapper.
  • Traditionally, Japanese home cooks use their hands to mix the gyoza filling for the best texture.
  • You can adapt this recipe and make vegetarian gyoza.

  • TeaRoom by Bel Jee

    It's a terrific time to harbor a sweet tooth in Bangsar, since several divine dessert specialists have sprouted here. This week, TeaRoom by Bel Jee joins that list of sugar-high suppliers.

    Belinda Jee has spent years baking for online orders, but she now has her own sunny cafe where walk-in customers can savor top-flight wares such as decadently creamy coffee cupcakes & densely moist carrot cupcakes, bursting with fragrant bits of grated carrots, raisins & walnuts.

    We also liked the chocolate cupcake with dark choc ganache, but if you choose only one item, make it the chocolate blueberry cheese cupcake. Instead of a cake base, this has a soft, sticky layer of rich chocolate at the bottom, a nectarous swirl of blueberry-filled cream cheese in the middle and thick, luscious frosting on top. Otherworldly.

    Strawberry cheese cake. Juicy morsels of ultra-fresh strawberries pervaded every bite of this slice, proving that Bel Jee tolerates no short cuts or second-rate ingredients.

    Chocolate cake with milk choc icing. TeaRoom Boutique Cafe is smallish, so it might get crowded for lunch. Business hours are 8.30am-6pm on weekdays _ inconvenient for those of us who work away from Bangsar, but let's hope it eventually stays open for dinner.

    TeaRoom Cafe,
    TeaRoom by Bel Jee,
    Wisma Volkswagen, Lorong Maarof, Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur.

    Pork Sausage Roll

    Just a little short break from the KoreaTrip2011 posts, heres an uber outdated post, probably many months ago when I made the bagels. Just checked on my iPhoto, these were made on March 13, and it is now what? JUNE!! Oh my goodness. It is said that time flies faster than an airplane after turning 25 and goodness gracious, I just turned 26 last week. It all still seem like a blur picture to me. I guess time wont be waiting for me to figure out, thats for sure.

    Ok right, so pork sausage roll. Minced sausage / meat + puff pastry = magic. It is nothing too spectacular or posh, just simple homey comfort food.

    I adapted the recipe from Trissaliciouss Great Australian Sausage Roll, and used half pork and half lamb instead.

    Pork Sausage Roll

    • 250g minced lamb
    • 250g minced pork
    • 40 grams roasted pine nuts
    • 4 eschalots
    • 2 cloves garlic
    • 50 grams couscous
    • 2 teaspoons salt
    • fresh pepper to taste
    • 150 grams tomato puree
    • egg wash for brushing
    • poppy seeds
    • puff pastry (I used frozen store bought Pampas puff pastry)

    Method

    1. Dice eschalots and garlic. Mix together all the ingredients except for egg wash, poppy seeds and puff pastry with your hands until thoroughly mixed.

    2. Roll out puff pastry on a floured surface. Divide the sausage filling and brush one end of the puff pastry with egg wash.

    3. Fold the pastry over the sausage filling and press down to seal (you dont want the roll opening while baking). Brush with egg wash and sprinkle poppy seeds on top.

    4! .Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180C for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown.

    You can cut them into the desired length as your wish. First I cut them about 2 inches long, then the second time around when making it, I lefti t about 4 inches long. You can even cup them to 1inch and serve them as party food.

    As for the filling, if youre feeling all lazy, buy nice sausages (not those ayamas frankfurters ok), cut open the sausage skin and mix up the meat so it acts like youve just whipped up the filling with different minced meat, spices and flavours. They are also freeze friendly. After folding them, I put in a ziplock bag and put it in the freezer. When youre ready to bake, remove from the freezer to thaw, then brush the egg wash and sprinkle poppy seeds on them. Just the same.

    The 2nd time I made it, I used minced pork, sage and red apples as filling. The combination is totally up to you.


    Makin & tastin Tea-infused Dim Sum @ Li Yen, Ritz Carlton KL

    Makin & tastin Tea-infused Dim Sum @ Li Yen, Ritz Carlton KL

    I love Dim Sum. Love it to the point that I could eat those little dumplings everyday! Siu Mai, Har Gau, Loh Mai Kai little steamed balls of joy! And the fried dumplings? Heaven.

    The award-winning Cantonese restaurant, Li Yen, is introducing a series of tea-infused Dim Sum to accompany its usual lunch-time servings. Chef Tan, the restaurants dedicated Dim Sum chef, has married a range of Chinese teas with traditional ingredients, ranging from dark and bitter Pu Erh to lighter Cha Wang, to create seven unique and interesting dishes.

    Somehow, our dear friend Oliver Ellerton (PR, Ritz Carlton KL) zoned in on my adoration for Dim Sum, and invited us over for a slightly unorthodox tasting. The tea infused creations sounded irresistible!

    CHEF TAN CREATES TEA-INFUSED DIM SUM AT LI YEN,

    THE RITZ-CARLTON, KUALA LUMPUR

    P5256796

    Chrysanthemum Bean Curd Puff with Shredded Lotus (): Chrysanthemum flower, Chrysanthemum sauce, bean curd puff, shrimp dumpling, fish dumpling, salted egg, shredded lotus. RM18++.

    Longjing Sesame Sandwich with Shrimp Dumpling (): Mint sauce, sesame seeds, shrimp dumpling, Longjing. RM18++.

    Pu Erh Soup with Siu Mai (): Superior broth, ginger, Pu Erh, glutinous rice skin, pork, shrimp, water chestnut, scallop, onion. RM18++.

    Crispy Shui Xian Spring Roll with Fresh Fruits (): Onion ring, spring roll skin, honeydew, rockmelon, papaya, parmesan cheese, Shui ! Xian. RM 18++.

    Chee Cheong Fun with Tie Kuan Yin (): Rice flower, scallops, choy san, light soy sauce, Tie Kuan Yin. RM18++

    Green Tea Durian Spring Roll (): Lemon, sesame seeds, spring roll skin, durian, Green Tea. RM18++.

    Cha Wang Pear with Snow Frog Oil (): Sugar crystal, pear, Cha Wang, Snow Frog oil. RM25++.

    Chef Tan Tiong Guan is truly a master of Dim Sum, and Fatboybakes, Wackybecky and I were privileged to have him for an intimate, hands-on session that included us wrapping, rolling, tying and tasting, all within the space of a couple of hours.

    Unfortunately, due to time constraints we didnt get to do any actual cooking. I mean, the first dish we made was a bonus dish, and takes 6 hours to cook! We did get to bring the ones we made home though, and those babies fed an army of hungry family members.

    Ko Ching Chung Steamed Glutinous rice dumpling with split yellow peas. RM 32++

    The concept of this is pretty simple actually. Take a bunch of tasty ingredients, wrap em in leaves and cook for hours until theyre extremely tasty.

    Basic ingredients

    The method is also quite straightforward. First, lay lotus leaves and bamboo leaves as the base. Put a layer of glutinous rice, a layer of split yellow peas, and pile on other ingredients.

    Roast Pork

    PORK

    Chestnuts

    Chestnut

    Dried shrimps, and more

    dried prawn

    Basically, take one of each ingredient and pile it on. A piece of pork, pork fat, duck, salted egg yolk, dried scallop, dried shrimps and chestnut arranged to your liking.

    P5256827

    Cover with more split yellow peas, then rice, and finally another layer of bamboo leave.

    Pack it tight

    Wrap it all nice and tight, secure with string (this is the tricky part!) and steam for 6 hours.

    Tying

    The result is stunning! Moist, sticky rice infused with the flavours of all the meats, whose juices had slowly seeped into every grain of rice. I wasnt sure about the grainy, slightly powdery texture of the yellow peas, but tastewise, fantastic.

    Glutinous rice

    If I want to recreate it at home, I could probably do all but the tying up of the parcel. Chef Tan made it look so easy! I tried, and failed, several times, so he had to come in and save the day!

    Tying parcel

    It does take a lot of practice, but I guess once you nail it, you never forget.

    We moved on to the next 2 dishes, which proved to be far easier!

    It is best to try the tea first, especially if you have not tried it before, then eat the Dim Sum. That way you will be able to taste and recognise the subtle flavours of that particular tea within the dish whereas you may not be able to otherwise. said Chef Tan, adding the main challenge was finding a tea or ingredient that complemented one-another, rather than dominating and overpowering each other.

    *My camera battery dies at this point, so the rest of the pictures are from my phone camera, and courtesy of Ritz Carlton KL.

    Longjing Sesame Sandwich with Shrimp Dumpling ()

    Longing

    Blend up fresh shrimp into a chunky paste. Season well with salt and pepper, and add the Longjing tea leaves. Grab a spatula or knife, and spread it over bread thats been cut into triangles. Gardenia can ah, chef? I asked. Apparently, you can make this with any bread! Roll the prawn pate side in sesame seeds, until fully coated, then deep fry to a golden brown.

    Photo Courtesy of Ritz Carlton KL

    Photo Courtesy of Ritz Carlton KL

    I really liked this one, because the flavour of the tea provided such a subtle bittersweet taste to the shrimp. And the sesame seeds meant that! one sid e was extra crispy, and extra nutty. The trick, Chef Tan tells us, is getting the oil hot enough that it cooks evenly throughout, but not so hot that it burns.

    Served with mint sauce which was lovely on its own, or had it been served with lamb, A little odd to eat with the shrimp toast, but maybe youll like it.

    Crispy Shui Xian Spring Roll with Fresh Fruits (): Onion ring, spring roll skin, RM18++.

    springroll

    Here is a classic example of fusion gone right! I think all three of us were a bit wary of a springroll that was filled with honeydew, rockmelon, papaya, parmesan cheese, and the all important Shui Xian, a very popular variety of Oolong tea. You can actually buy readymade springroll skins at your local supermarket, if you dont want to make it yourself like they do at Li Yen. Rolling is pretty easy, then you have to gently twist the wrapper into the desired ring shape, and secure with premixed flour and water. Deep fry to a golden brown.

    Photo courtesy of Ritz Carlton Kl

    Photo courtesy of Ritz Carlton Kl

    One bite and I wanted more. I loved the delicate, crisp skin, the sweet and mellow chunks of fruit within, and the flavor of the mild parmesan cheese. It just worked. The best part was the floral aftertaste that came from the tea. Superb.

    If youre feeling brave enough to try these at home, please do. But if youre like me and thinking, hey, theyre making it already at Li Yen, so why go through the trouble?

    To many Cantonese speakers yum cha means Going for Dim Sum whereas the literal translation is Going to dr! ink tea. Such is the inextricable link between the small dishes of Dim Sum and Chinese tea drinking culture. Tea was incorporated into the early morning ritual of Dim Sum due to the belief that it would aid digestion and is now as ubiquitous in early morning Dim Sum restaurants as the old man in the corner reading a Chinese newspaper.

    The tea-infused Dim Sum is definitely worth a try!

    Thanks Mr. Ellerton for the kind invitation, and Chef Tan for the yummy food!

    Dim Sum is served from 12.00pm until 2.30pm from Monday to Saturday and 10.30am until 2.30pm on Sundays and Public Holidays. Li Yen is situated on Level Two of The Ritz-Carlton, Kuala Lumpur. For more information and reservations, kindly call Li Yen at begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 03-2142-8000 end_of_the_skype_highlighting03-2142-8000. Please note, Li Yen is non-halal.

    CONTACT

    LI YEN

    (NON-HALAL)

    168 Jalan Imbi, 55100 Kuala Lumpur

    T: begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 03-2142-8000 end_of_the_skype_highlighting


    Whole Wheat Garlic Knots

    IMG_3565

    I turned lip liner into a pencil I use to write silly notes on my bathroom mirror.

    I turned an outdoor fire pit into an herb garden.

    I turned a toothbrush into a bike cleaner.

    I sometimes turn my desk into my bed by simply falling asleep at it.

    I can turn my bathroom sink into a cat bath.

    Turn breakfast into dinner? Ill do that. Yes.

    IMG_3515

    Turn whole wheat pizza dough into twisty garlic knots!? Thats a heck-yes. Thats a win.

    IMG_3527

    Whats your favorite part about garlic knots?

    My favorite part is the garlic knottiness (not a word, now totally a word).

    knotted

    (I know the above picture doesnt match completely. Lets just let that be ok. Ok?)

    Warm, yeasty bits soaked in garlic, butter, and olive oil.

    Whole wheat flour adds a nice heartiness, nuttiness, yumminess.

    IMG_3543

    Doesnt knotted dough look pretty? I like this.

    Oh! I should tell you that this dough also doubles as an AWESOME PIZZA CRUST! Roll it out. Dont slice it into strips, and top with sauce, cheese and toppings.

    IMG_3547

    Warm bread tossed in garlic, butter, olive oil, and parsley. This is where goodness happens.

    IMG_3554

    Whole Wheat Garlic Knots

    inspired by this delicious looking pizza.

    makes about 10 garlic knots

    Print this Recipe!

    1 package active dry yeast, about 2 1/2 teaspoons

    1 cup warm water (just warmer than body temperature)

    1 cup whole wheat flour

    1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

    2 tablespoons olive oil

    1 teaspoon sea salt

    2 teaspoons sugar

    For the garlic mixture:

    4 to 6 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

    2 tablespoons melted butter

    2 tablespoons olive oil

    1/4 cup chopped parsley

    1/2 teaspoon sea salt

    In a small bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar with warm water. Let sit for 5 minutes until yeast is frothy. That means its alive and ready to go.

    In a large bowl, whisk together flours and salt. Create a small well in the center of the flour mixture. Pour in the yeasty water and add oil. With a fork, mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. If the dough is too sticky, add more all-purpose flour. Do! ugh shou ld be slightly sticky, but not stick to your hands too much.

    Knead dough on a lightly floured surface for about 5 minutes. Place dough in a large greased bowl. Flip the dough over to coat the dough. Cover with plastic wrap and a clean kitchen towel, and leave to rest in a warm, draft-free place for 1 hour, or until the dough is doubled in size. At this point, you can make the garlic knots, or let the dough rise in the refrigerator overnight. Just bring the dough to room temperature before rolling it out.

    When ready to prepare the garlic knots, roll out dough on a lightly floured surface. Roll into a 10-inch by 10-inch square. Roughly. it doesnt have to be perfect. Use a pizza cutter to slice 10 1-inch stripes. Tie a knot in the center of the dough, and wrap the ends under and around the knot. This doesnt have to be perfect either just make sure that the dough is all tucked into itself. Cover with clean kitchen towel and let rest for 30 minutes.

    Place racks in the center and upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Place dough knots on prepared baking sheets and bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until golden brown.

    While bread bakes, in a large bowl whisk together minced garlic, butter, olive oil, parsley and salt. When rolls come out of the oven, immediately toss them in the garlic butter mixture. Toss until coated and remove from the butter bowl. Serve rolls warm.

    Rolls are best served the day theyre made, but will last for 3 days if well wrapped. Just reheat in a piece of foil in a 350 degree F oven for 10 minutes.