Restoran Sai Gong @ Bandar Menjalara - Good Food

There are 2 Sai Gong or Sai Kong in the same neighbourhood, one is in Bandar Menjalara and the other one in Kepong Baru. I was asked to attend a dinner at one of them at Menjalara. The shop was crowded and most importantly the food was very good.

Let say all the dishes were absolutely delicious and worth coming back for more of their food.

It was a good dinner for a good occasion. It was the birthday of Lai Yoong & Wei Xiang. And a H! < span>aPpYhApPy Birthday to them.

Restoran Sai Gong
No. 63 Jalan 1/62D
Medan Putra Business Centre
Bandar Manjalara
52200 Kepong
Kuala Lumpur
Tel : 016-6000 655

GPS : 3.19145,101.625728

Not so Happy Easter

Luxury can come in many forms. For some, a luxurious lifestyle is one that is filled with splendid food. Others see luxury in the form of high end fashion. In my point of view, sleep is a form of luxury. Last year, I suffered from insomnia, living on three hours of sleep for three months. These days, sleep is slipping away from my fingers. Sometimes, I wonder, why sleep must be robbed away from me. It is not that take naps during the day. In fact, my brain goes through a thousand mental laps, churning the available theories, making abstractions of what I read and categorizing complex phrases into necessary paragraphs for the perfect essay or lab report.

Is sleep so hard to ask?

If there is a chance, I would want to buy some sleep for myself. I do not mind if it is hundreds or thousands. I just want to be able to sleep for at least 8 hours every single day of my life. Two weeks ago, I found myself waking up at 4am although the my alarm is set at 6am. This morning, I woke up at 3am and struggled to transport myself into the blank space that sleep offers. It's so difficult for me to sleep after I've woken. It's so torturous that I cried to my mom about not being able to sleep. I hate it when I cannot sleep because sleep is the only time when I do not have to think. Not that I hate thinking but I feel that my brain is being pushed to the limits.

Speaking about limits, I seem to be dyslexic to my most of my neuropsychology lectures. Ironically, I don't have a problem with my history subjects although I have not done American history before. I can even get away with it by just reading my American history texts and not doing the lectures but I cannot do this to neuropsychology. Sometimes, I feel so shitty because of this. Both psychology and history should be equally difficult!





Sorry for ranting. Happy Easter Sunday by the way. I made Japanese curry lamb today. :) What did you have for Easter?

Laluna Spa (Batu Ceper)



Massage parlour in North Jakarta. Info needed, please comment.

Laluna Spa
Jl. Batu Ceper No 20A,
Hayam Wuruk, North Jakarta
Phone: +62 21 - 351 9448/384 1486

Sien Cuk Thang (Jakarta)

Sien Cuk Thang is a tiny Chinese massage parlour with a dodgy look but excellent, cheap massages (less than Rp100,000) for one hour. Also provide reflexology. Only if you feel adventurous because it is a little bit hard to find.. Another reason could be to try ear-candling, a traditional (yet controversial) technique supposed to improve your well-being.

Some of the prices (March 2011, please update if you notice changes):

Reflexology: Rp50,000 for 1,5 hours
Ear candle: Rp75,000 for 1 hour
Swedish massage: Rp 100,000 for 1,5 hours
Body scrub: Rp150,000

Sien Cuk Thang Health Center (There may be another one in Kelapa Gading)
(in front of Harmoni bus station)
Jl.Hayam Wuruk No.3CC

Phone number: +62-21 351 2006/351 7046
Open from 10am to 10pm, with the last order at 9pm.

Crumbs Froyo (Frozen Yogurt) @ Causeway Bay, HK

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Causeway Bay
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Crumbs Frozen Yogurt is arguably the best frozen yogurt in Hong Kong amidst the heated competition among all the other froyo players. Long queues are often spotted outside its hole in the wall outlet in the ever bustling Causeway Bay area.

Cookies Quartet, a very famous cookies and palmier storeis located next to Crumbs. Though the price is a bit on the steep side, do drop by if you have some time to spare.
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Apart from the creative and delicious frozen yogurt flavors with an awesome selection of toppings, Crumbs also serves scones with 3 flavours to choose from cheese, raisin and chocolate (HKD 6-7 each). Freshly baked from oven every 10 minutes, the home made scones are selling really fast.
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Choose from a myriad of toppings such as the signature house crumb, meringue, mochi, roasted peanut, oreo, blueberries, strawberries, gummy bears, etc.
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Regular with 1 toppings costs KHD 28 while Large with 2 toppings costs HKD 32. Tasted just like those crumbs from your typical apple crumble, the house crumbs with a bit of a cinnamon taste was amazing! The froyo wasreally smooth and firm, with a nice yogurty tang. It was way creamier than our usual yogurt.

Shop 1C, G/F, Central Mansion, 8 Cannon Street, Causeway Bay
telephone: +852-2793-9393

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crispy potato roast

crispy potato roast

I fell for a photo this week. It was on marthastewart.com and it looked like an accordion, or maybe a Slinky, of thinly sliced, crisped potatoes and my brain computed this as CHIPS. POTATO CHIPS MASQUERADING AS GROWN-UP SIDE DISH. MUST MAKE POTATO CHIP CASSEROLE (I was kind of like this dog here) and although further investigation of the recipe unveiled no actual use of potato chips, creamed canned soup or anything also that would really allow it to be titled a Potato Chip Casserole, it was too late and I was making it anyway.

spuds
peeling

Plus, I was looking for a gratin alternative for potatoes for my familys Seder on Monday night and this fit the bill perfectly. Its not that I dont like, nay love, any excuse to drown potatoes in cream and butter and swaddle them in a blistered cheese lid, but given that there was already going to be a spread, it didnt seem necessary that the potatoes be so over-the-top.

slicing

... Read the rest of crispy potato roast on smitten kitchen.com

smitten kitchen 2006-2011. |permalink to crispy potato roast | 9 comments to date | see more: Photo, Potatoes, Side Dish, Vegetarian



Cranberries Hot Cross Buns

Cranberries Hot Cross Buns
(Trying to "instagram" the pic lol)

I really loved Donna Hay's Hot Cross Bun recipe which I've made last year. I've knead one today based on this recipe but with some changes in the ingredients. Loved the cinnamon smell whilst the buns are baking in the oven!

Cranberries Hot Cross Buns
Adapted from Donna Hay's Modern Classics 2

Ingredients:
For the buns:
1 tablespoon dry yeast
1/2 cup caster sugar
1 1/2 cups milk, lukewarm
4 1/2 cups plain flour, sifted
2 teaspoons all spice
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
50g butter, melted
1 egg
1 cup dried cranberries

For the crosses: (mix the ratio of flour and water into thickish but still runny)
1/2 cup plain flour
1/3 cup water

For the glaze:
Strawberry jam, warm in microwave for 10 secs cos I was too lazy to make the glaze (see I told you guys I'm a very lazy person!)

Method:
1) Place the yeast, 2 teaspoons of the sugar and milk in a large mixing bowl. Set
aside for 5 minutes, until the mixture starts to foam. When it forms, it means
the yeast is active.

2) Add flour, all spice, cinnamon, butter, egg, raisins, cranberries and remaining sugar to the yeast mixture. Use a spoon to mix until a sticky dough forms.

3) Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for about 8 minutes, or until it feels elastic. You can use the hook dough on your heavy duty mixer but I didn't. Stretching this dough is not all that difficult.

4) Place in a large oiled bowl, cover with a tea towel and allow to stand in a warm place about 1 hour, or until the dough has doubled i! n size.< br>
5) Divide the dough into 12 pieces and roll into balls.

6) Line a 9X9-inch cake tin with non-stick baking paper. Place the dough balls in the tin and cover with a clean tea towel. Allow to stand for 30 minutes in a warm place, or until they rise.

7) In the mean time, preheat the oven to 200C. Combine the flour and water for the crosses. Place in a piping bag or a plastic bag with the corner snipped off and pipe crosses on the buns when they are ready to be baked.

8) Bake for 35 minutes or until browned and springy to the touch.

9) Brush the hot cross buns with the warm strawberry jam while the buns are hot. Serve warm, with butter.

Ref: Modern Classics Book 2, Donna Hay


Have a blessed Easter!




Crusader reviews: Yan Toh Heen, Intercontinental Hong Kong

It's been a while since I was able to take time off to really sit down, and enjoy a good fine dining experience. Fortunately, during one of my recent business trip to Hong Kong, I got to do just that with my colleagues. The venue for this long overdue experience was the Yan Toh Heen Chinese Restaurant in Intercontinental Hotel, Tsim Sha Tsui.

It is not easy for a restaurant to be under the same roof as otherprestigiousnames such as Nobu and Spoon by Alain Ducasse. Instead of falling into oblivion, Yan Toh Heen has grown from strength to strength, from being known as Tsim Sha Tsui's best restaurant to being awarded the prestigious Michelin 1 Star. Expectations were sky high from the moment we congregate at the entrance - waiting for their 6pm opening hour.



Entrance mildly grandeur but inviting nevertheless.

Apparently the name of the restaurant loosely translates as 'elegant dining withpicturesque view'. The name was spot on.



View was nothing short of breathtaking.

The restaurantambianceprovided good 'Ying and Yang' balance as well. Here's the Ying:-


































And here's the Yang:-


































The setting of each table within the restaurant is nothing short of refined luxury. All handcrafted out of green jade.




















First dish - Crispy pork belly, roasted to perfection and cut in cubes.


































Second dish, one of my all time favorite, perfectly roasted Peking Duck Skin. The waiter skilfully demonstrated his slicing skills next to the table as we watch the succulent meat and skin being carved with grace.


































The result was paper fine crispy skin with on your plate waiting to be folded and devoured.


































The duck meat was later brought back to the side of our table to be cooked with vegetables. Simple brilliance.


































Third dish was a little overshadowed by the duck dish that we just had - Crispy fried wanton prawns.




















As expected, close to perfection - fresh prawns with healthy ingredients complementing the flavours.


































The other dishes were stars in their own way too.
















!


The remaining trio were - wok-fried wagyu beef with shishito pepper and mushrooms served on a sizzling hot plate, braised garoupa fillet with ginger and spring onion in bean paste, and my all timefavorite- Sweet and sour pork - A dish to remind you that the simple pleasures in life need not be expensive.

Oh, I almost forget the soup that clears lingering taste so that we can move from dish to dish - Seafood abalone soup.



































It was getting dark when we were about to end our dining experience and the skyline that painted the backdrop of the restaurant quickly changed to an illuminated light display. Just nice to create an appetite for dessert.


































Overall, it was a brilliant experience to say the least. Feels as if for the first time, each dish is carefully thought off, masterly planned and brilliantly executed. My colleagues and I were denied the opportunity to pay, hence our only regret is not being able to tell you the cost of this experience. We highlyrecommenddining at Yan Toh Heen to complete your Hong Kong experience.

Ratings:

Food: 9/10
(Refreshing brilliance)

Ambience: 9/10
(One of the few most appreciated view in Asia - the Hong Kong harbour)

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Service: 9/10
(Friendly waiters and captain having small talk with you about the Hong Kong property market)

Presentation of food: 9/10

Overall: 9/10


I hardly reward good ratings, and when I do, you know its something. Cheers

Yan Toh Heen
Lower level, Hotel InterContinental Hong Kong,
18 Salisbury Rd.,Tsim Sha Tsui,
Kowloon,Hong Kong