Scallion Pancakes Revisited

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Scallion pancakes are best rolled very thin. I couldn't make the pancakes too thin because the lard melted easily and made a mess, causing the pastry to break when rolled and pushing out the spring onions. On another try, I used shortening (Crisco) and the results were much better.

Recently I'm crazy about scallion pancakes, cong you bing. I prefer them to Korean pancakes because cong you bing are more fragrant. They are also easy and quick to make and cost very little. All you need is scallions, salt, oil and plain flour. Sesame seeds are optional. Scallions are more suitable for the pancakes because they are have thicker leaves and you can still taste them after they are cooked, unlike spring onions which are thinner and delicate. Scallions, however, do not smell as fragrant as spring onions.I have pots of spring onions in my backyard so I use those instead of scallions. I also have a large patch of Chinese chives that have been growing perennially and they can be used in place of the scallions to make jiu cai bing. You can also add ground meat or even fried bacon bits, like I did here.

Scallion pancakes from street vendors in Shanghai are usually thick and about the size of a small saucer, handy for eating on the go. The pancakes from restaurants are twice as big, very thin and crispy and I prefer them to the vendor-type. Whether thick or thin, scallion pancakes are best eaten when hot. Once cold, the pancakes are heavy and soft.

Whoever came up with the flaky pastry for scallion pancakes was a genius. T! he dough is flattened into an 'ox-tongue' shape and oiled, then rolled and coiled. When fried, the pastry separates into layers, the outer pastry crispy while the inner pastry is soft. Most recipes do not call for lard or oil in the flour but I do add some to make the pastry short.

Some people mix the salt and oil with the scallions but the water in the scallions and the oil will dissolve the salt which give a general saltiness to the pancakes. I prefer to use medium-texture salt and sprinkle it on the dough so that I can taste a grain of salt here and there. I think the worst recipe I've come across is one where the salt is added to the flour. I also prefer to use shortening (or better still, lard, but it tends to melt to easily in our weather) because it doesn't wet the dough like oil does.

Scallion pancakes are best eaten as a light meal with hot and sour soup because the sourness cuts the oil and refreshes the palate. You can also eat the pancakes as a snack with a cup of hot green tea.

Scallion Pancakes (makes 5 to 6 large pancakes)
3 cups plain flour
1 1/3 cups boiling water
3/4 cup finely sliced scallions
salt (I'm told that vendors add msg)
veg oil or lard or shortening (shortening is best)

1. Sieve the flour into a bowl, pour the boiling water in (leaving 2 T, as all flours have different absorbency) and use a pair of chopsticks to mix, swirling round and round until all the flour form lumps. Wait a minute if you can't handle the hot dough.Gather into a ball. If needed, add the remaining water. Mix in 1 heaped T shortening. Knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Add more flour if too soft, or more water if too hard. Overall, the dough should be bouncy and soft-firm when you press it with a fingertip. Cover and leave 10 minutes or you can even continue without resting the dough.

2. Divide the dough into 5 or 6 pieces. You c! an also use the whole ball of dough in one go to make a long roll but I find that working with small pieces of the dough is easier. Roll one piece of dough into a cylinder and flatten into 'ox-tongue' shape (oblong) of about 1/2 cm thick. Brush veg oil or spread shortening over entire surface. I prefer shortening because it doesn't melt too easily in hot weather so that the pancakes won't break so easily when rolled.Sprinkle with a generous pinch of salt, followed by the scallions (but leave the furthest edge clear so that the scallions will not get squeezed out when rolled) and roll, tucking in snugly. Now coil the roll, the seam inside the coil so that it can't open. Sprinkle some sesame seeds over and flatten with your palm. Roll into a thin pancake, the thinner the better.

It's best to cook one pancake and taste it so that you get an idea of how much salt to use.

3. Heat up some oil (1/4 cup or less) in a frying pan and fry the pancakes one by one until crispy. Turn over once only. The oil must be quite hot so that the layers of pastry'll separate and puff. Cut pancake into wedges and serve hot with a dip of black vinegar and light soy sauce if like.

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Review: Weissbru German Bistro & Bar

**Non-Halal**


There seems to be an influx of non-halal German bistros and restaurants in Klang Valley for the past couple of years andWeissbru German Bistro & Baris one of them. Located at the Connection floor, Pavilion KL where the 2 rows of restaurants with alfresco dining are.

It was a very hot afternoon, Capt'n Hook can't resist a glass of Franziskaner (RM31.80++) to chill. I wish I could then indulge in one but alas I can't since I wasn't allowed to take cold drinks as I was on TCM treatment.

Franziskaner (RM31.80++)


For lunch, he ordered a Giant Wienerschnitzel (RM34.00++) even though he was thinking of having a pork knuckle but decided not to knowing that we might not be able to finish one. The Giant Wienerschnitzel is a deep fried breaded pork escalope (a piece of boneless meat thinned with mallet) served with mash potatoes and sauerkraut which he opted. When it says "Giant", it really meant GIANT here. The whole piece of meat filled up the entire rectangular plate with excess meat hanging outside the plate!

Giant Wienerschnitzel (RM34++)

Just to show you that I'm not kidding that it's really gigantic... the piece of meat against the fork & knife! I think for us, this piece of meat could have fed three of us nicely. Capt'n Hook did not managed to finish this and ended up packing the remainder hom! e.

Giant Wienerschnitzel

I felt like having a bit of everything, so I went for Alsatian Sauerkraut (RM38.00++) and opted for roesti for my carb. This platter has braised pork belly, loin and knuckle. These braised meats are rather plain tasting. The knuckle tasted like boiled meat. Wished the knuckle served is the roasted kind for variety sake since the other two parts were braised. There were two sausages on the platter which are frankfurter and nrnberger. Loved the grilled nrnberger here as I can taste the robust spices. At least the sausages here doesn't tasted like commercial factory made ones. Best dipped in mustard.

Alsatian Sauerkraut (RM38++)

The roesti (pan-friedshredded potato strips) served on a separate plate is done to perfection. The inside is steamy soft whilst the outside is crispy! Thesauerkraut is a winner too.

Roesti that came with the Alsation Sauerkraut

I can't say much about Weissbru since we have only been here once. I supposed we need to try out more items on the menu to decide if they really lived up to being a good German bistro. The litmus test would of course the pork knuckle. Another time then...


Weissbru German Bistro & Bar
Lot 3.05.02 & C3.16.00, Level 3,
Pavilion Kuala Lumpur,
168 Jalan Bukit Bintang,
55100 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-2142 0288
Opens daily10:00am to 1:00am(till 2:00am on Friday & Saturday)
Happy hours throughout the day till 9:00pm


Pourboy Espresso @ Wharf Street, Brisbane

It is jolly about time that they start serving double ristretto lattes in Brisbane. After discoveringDriftwood and Dandelion where all their latte are made with a double ristretto shot but was really a weekend option since it was a good 10 minute drive away, Pourboy came to the rescue.


Situated on Wharf Street, I happen take this road to work so it cannot be any more convenient for me to drop by for a coffee. With the barista understanding what a double ristretto latte when I ordered (trust me when I say not many places understand what a double ristretto latte is in Brisbane), this has been my go-to-for-coffee every working day of the week.


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The slight irritation is that Melbourne charges AUD3.50 for the same cup but Brisbane charges a premium of AUD4 and at the same time we don't get paid more than them, so what gives I wonder?


Back to Pourboy.


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On my weekday trips, I have tried their buttermilk muffin, chocolate and cinnamon broiche and trust me there are all awesome to go with your coffee, even if it is quite a sugar overdose early in the morning. My favourite has to be the cinnamon brioche.


On a particular weekend, we decided to skip down the hill for their weekend breakfast menu. So was it any good?

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Poached eggs, jamon serrano and corn blinis. The blinis or savoury pancakes were bland on their own but eat it with the flowing egg yolk and the salty cured meat, it was a satisfying breakfast from the looks of the Wife.

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If anything this was a slight overkill, the egg benedict came with brioche. Rich as brioche already is, it is topped with the familiar items making this quite a calorific meal. Unlike the other poached eggs on the table, mine was slightly overcooked but overall it tasted alright.

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The other option came with smoked salmon which looks like it could have been made in-house which looks just as scrumptious.

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Looking for a sweet option, the pancakes looked divine but the comment that came back was that it was too sweet as a main, I suggest this be shared if the table has a sweet tooth.


Given that the place is after all less than a 10 minute walk from my house, there could very well be more weekend re-visits if we don't want to drive out but meanwhile, this is still the place to takeaway my daily caffeine fix.


Address and contact details:

PourBoy Espresso on Urbanspoon

Verdict: 4 stars out of 5 stars. In terms of coffee in the CBD, this is as good as it can get. Although I am hoping there will eventually bring in a different blend to mix things up in their regular lattes instead of their Mecca blend. Otherwise, I can always order their single origin aero press style.

Bumbu Desa Restaurants

Bumbu Desa is a chain of Sundanese food restaurants, popular in Jakarta and in other Indonesian cities. There are quite many branches, at least 27, so I cannot say if the quality is the same everywhere. The one I tried was in Bandung, near Paskal Hypersquare.

Compared to other similar buffet restaurant, I was impressed by the standards of Bumbu Desa. The number of dishes is huge, with around 50 to choose from, and they all looked very fresh. Since I cannot handle spicy food very well, I had to stick to only a few specialties unfortunately and could not give you a fair review. Yet, my friend, a native of Bandung, had only good things to say about what we ate, even though she considered that you will find better and che! aper foo d in many warungs everywhere in Indonesia.
I guess for non-adventurous expats, Bumbu Desa is worth trying since it will familiarize you with Indonesian cuisine without taking too many risks.
The design is traditional, but modern and comfortable, and the service very attentive. Considering all this, I found the value for money of Bumbu Desa excellent: Rp100,000 for two.

To find the location of one particular branch, you can visit their website: http://www.bumbudesa.com/.

PT Bumbu Desa
Jalan Tengku Angkasa no7
Dago, Bandung, 40132

Phone number: +62-22 253 4460
Fax: +62-22 253 4390

Olive Tree Restaurant (Hotel Nikko)

The Olive Tree is one of the restaurants of Nikko Hotel. If you don't choose the buffet (Rp228,000++), the menu " la carte" consists of various popular international dishes, plus some local favourites.

We tried 3 dishes, the Tasmanian salmon (Rp155,000++), the Lamb Rack (Rp180,000++) and the Seafood Pesto soup (Rp50,000++). Note that the Indonesian dishes are much more affordable. The food tasted fine, just as you would expect for these prices. However, my overall feeling was that the restaurant lacks charm. We were the only customers that evening and it seemed like the whole place was sleepy.





Overall, if you stay in Nikko Hotel, it is a good place for eating, but otherwise don't bother coming: You won't find anything in Olive Tree that you cannot find somewhere else, especially for such prices.

Opening hours:
Breakfast buffet (5.30am to 10am)
Lunch Buffet: 11.30am to 2.30pm
A la carte: 11am to 11pm

Olive Tree Restaurant
Hotel Nikko Jakarta
(On the upper floor of the Lobby)
M.H. Thamrin No. 59.
Central Jakarta

Phone number: +62-21 230 0288
Website: Olive Tree Jakarta
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/#!/nikkojakarta

Oak Room (Hotel Nikko Jakarta)

Oak Room is quaint lounge located inside Nikko Hotel. I went there to have a quick drink after eating in the Olive Tree restaurant, and even though I would not come back, I thought it was a nice place to relax. Since the bar is quite small, almost all the sofas were taken on that evening.

I guess most clients are Nikko Hotel guests since there isn't anything special to make anybody else visit. Some pop music in the background, a lot of cigarette smoke, free magazines/books, old furniture, that's about all for the atmosphere.

Oak Room has a decent selection of wines, liquors and cigars, with prices slightly inferior to that of a 5-star hotel bar (Rp80,000 for a cocktail).

Opening hours: Everyday from 11am to 1am.

Oak Room
Nikko Hotel Jakarta, Ground Floor
Jl. M.H. Thamrin No. 6
Jakarta Pusat 10350, Indonesia

Phone number: +62-21 230 1122 ext 22423
Website: Oak Room Jakarta

Ben's General Food Store

The BIG Group continues to commandeer Bangsar Village's culinary battlefield, swelling its ranks with a fifth recruit to champion the cause of mouthwatering meals. (For the scorecard, BIG's Bangsar brigade also includes For Goodness Sake, Canoodling, Plan B & T Forty Two)

Not to be confused with Ben's at Pavilion and KLCC, this cafeteria-like eatery specializes in wood-fire pizzas, with a staggering 20 (!!!) savory varieties on the menu. Our choice: the super-large Caesar salad pizza, tantalizingly topped with cos lettuce, beef bacon, anchovies & eggs. Can't tell which is crispier: the hot-from-the-oven crust or the lettuce leaves.

Since this is a BIG restaurant, fresh salads are a serious matter. Scrumptious new recipes are available, with our favorite so far being the combo of scorched sweet corn & succulent crab meat with frisee, coriander,! lime &a mp; mayo. Similar to BIG's other outlets, prices here are praiseworthy; salads cost slightly north of RM10, while pizzas average RM20.

Marinated button mushrooms & barley with spring onions, soy & lemon. Deliciously earthy and indelibly aromatic. We'll have no trouble remembering this when the west wind moves among those fabled fields of barley.

Customers who refuse to cower at the sight of carbs can reward themselves with a hearty plate of orecchiette pasta, baby peas, capers, arugula, garlic & parmesan. More terrific news: Ben's General Food Store will also be stacking shelves at a take-away section soon with bread, cheese, deli produce & wine.

Don't leave without discovering the dessert pizzas. This is one fine mess, flowing with lava-like mascarpone, sticky butterscotch, pears & almonds. Sweet dreams surely are made of this.

Nutella milkshake & chai tea latte. Final words to the food-wise: reservations seem essential, since every table here was taken by 8pm on ! opening night.

Ben's General Food Store,
Bangsar Village, Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-2284-8790

My Honeymoon Dessert Now Open At Kuchai Lama Entrepreneurs Park and Dataran Sunway Kota Damansara

The trend of desserts growing rapidly since the fall of cafes which gradually reducing lately. In 3 months interval there are 3 new desserts house marking its appearance at Kuchai Business Entrepreneur park which famous for F & B outlets. My Honeymoon just launch their new outlets last week having a new image look and feel across all its branch and outlets. A very refreshing and modern yellow makes the whole ambiance very bright and cheerful with its new mascots.

Brand new opened outlet in Kuchai Lama

Ample of desserts in the fridge ready to serve who need some desserts fix.

A wide range of new desserts were created by the central kitchen to fulfill the latest trends and market segments by using the best ingredients. Quality and freshness are the priority here. Every bowl served were using the best quality natural ingredients like durians, mangoes, premium grade grass jellies and hygienic. Below were some of the top seller at My Honeymoon

Smooth and fragrant durian shaved ice with grass jelly. The grass jelly used here were silky smooth and bouncy. It doesnt have the grainy and sands due to improper cleaning of it.

Mango Cream Ice with Pomelo and sago

Six Happiness Sweet Ball on Ginger Soup. Each of the balls come with a different flavor and it may surprise you that it blend in so well with the glutinous rice and ginger soup.

Marble Soy Bean Curd Grounded and made from Canadian Soya Bean Curd

Mango Glutinous Roll, made by wrapping fresh cut mangoes in a thin layer of glutinous rice and then coated with coconut

Mellow Fella Pastry

Oreo Milk Shake

Wash down the sweet stuff with a glass of flower tea.

My Honeymoon Dessert House (next to Chicken Hot Pot, opposite Snowflake)
19, Jalan Kuchai Maju 8,
Kuchai Entrepreneurs Park,
58200 Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia.
Tel. no: 1-800-22-1880 / +603-7982 9596
Website: www.myhoneymoon.com.my
Facebook page: www.facebook.com/myhoneymoon
GPS Coordinates: 3.090478,101.6873