Tembak Fishball Noodle @ Senawang Jaya, Negeri Sembilan

The likely food search you can get from Google would possibly be Asia Curry mee as far as Senawang is concerned. But I reckon this shop is much more interesting than the over rated curry noodle.It is situated along the same block as Restoran Asia Curry Mee @ Taman Senawang Jaya and I bet you would agree with me the good quality fishball noodle found here.The history of Tembak fishball is also interesting as you can read it from this photo taken from the menu of this eating shop. Well done Mr. Swee.The second generation operating in Senawang Jaya and they have another branch in Cheras too. Paul Chiew & Jessie Swee.Delicious deep fried fish paste with chopped long beans was a good appetizer.Mala MeeThe soup with fish paste which comes with the Mala mee.A few pieces of Yong Tau Foo to supplement the lunch.The gorgeous fish noodle which I enjoyed very much. The texture of the fish noodle was nice to bite. Got spring leh..... A must try dish. We wanted 3 bowls and only left two. What a good demand for this fish noodle.

Tembak Fishball Noodle

333, Jalan Berlian

Taman Senawang

70450 Senawang, NS.

Paul Chiew 017-316-8743

Jessie Swee 017-309-1948

GPS : N02 41.479' E101 59.014'

Tembak Fishball Noodle @ Senawang Jaya, Negri Sembilan

The likely food search you can get from Google would possibly be Asia Curry mee as far as Senawang is concerned. But I reckon this shop is much more interesting than the over rated curry noodle.It is situated along the same block as Restoran Asia Curry Mee @ Taman Senawang Jaya and I bet you would agree with me the good quality fishball noodle found here.The history of Tembak fishball is also interesting as you can read it from this photo taken from the menu of this eating shop. Well done Mr. Swee.The second generation operating in Senawang Jaya and they have another branch in Cheras too. Paul Chiew & Jessie Swee.Delicious deep fried fish paste with chopped long beans was a good appetizer.Mala MeeThe soup with fish paste which comes with the Mala mee.A few pieces of Yong Tau Foo to supplement the lunch.The gorgeous fish noodle which I enjoyed very much. The texture of the fish noodle was nice to bite. Got spring leh..... A must try dish. We wanted 3 bowls and only left two. What a good demand for this fish noodle.

Tembak Fishball Noodle

333, Jalan Berlian

Taman Senawang

70450 Senawang, NS.

Paul Chiew 017-316-8743

Jessie Swee 017-309-1948

GPS : N02 41.479' E101 59.014'

The Long DUO Weekend

This time, I knew the words to most of his new songs and sang along happily. That's a Chinese pop concert for you. It's an extended karaoke session that I usually think twice before attending since I can do the same in a private room (with 2 drinks) for less than RM30. But how can one say no to Eason Chan's concert? Call me a conservative but I do feel that the Cantopop scene is declining to a stage where voices are faint, some forced and mostly indistinguishable. The catchy melodies and profound lyrics (well, sometimes) stay but often tailored, these are not representative of the quality of the singer. Eason's gifted voice is one of the very few that I still listen to ardently. He started strong that Saturday night at Stadium Merdeka with , a befitting opening number, which we thought was a new song. In fact, it was sort of a B-side from his early days. I'm definitely attempting this at K next time! There were a few covers that night too, like , and , which may be unfamiliar to the younger crowd. He did include a few of my personal favourites into the repertoire like and BUT where are the other hits like , , , , Shall We Talk, , , , and K? The banters could have been shortened to make way for more of these songs. The atmosphere, despite the humidity, was great throughout the 25 songs set. The KL crowd, to me, has always been enthusiastic, responsive and supportive. The singers themselves acknowledged this as well. Honestly, I was expecting a 3-hour concert packed with more than 30 songs but I forgot that this was not a Jacky Cheung show. So, I left the stadium slightly disappointed. The company of old schoolmates made up for that. To think that we first heard Eason when we sat for our SPM examination. We've definitely come a long way. Maybe I should now stop laughing at my elders who travel to the Arena of Stars in Genting to watch their favourite sin! gers fro m the 70s perform.

The concert marked the beginning of my long weekend in KL since the lunar new year. There was no preplanned eat list but that turned out fine. For a change, we lunched at Dubrovnik (finally) and found the recommended dishes, mostly dairy products-based, commendable. And for a change to that change, it was Klang bak kut teh for breakfast at Hock Kien, Bandar Manjalara. The famous braised claypot pork belly, to me, could have been more harmonized a dish. The ingredients seemed unevenly proportioned. The aroma of the sesame oil was strong, that's good. But the soy sauce based reduction was bland with some flavours clearly lacking, like ginger, cinnamon and peppercorn. On the positive side, the pork ribs served in the claypot bak kut teh were succulent and huge.

Of all the food that I'd tried over the long weekend, it was the wan tan mee from an obscure at Taman Usahawan Kepong that had been most remarkable. The influx of customers was not high that Monday afternoon, which was good. Well, for us at least. serves handmade, whole-egg noodles with a couple of toppings to choose from. The simplicity of their menu may not be attractive to many but they've done well with the noodles being refined, springy and without a hint of lye. For getting the fundamentals right, deserves a revisit.

What's homecoming without a homecooked meal, right? I had a couple of those, including a large plate of steamed yam cake for tea, prepared by mum. Always generous, she filled the yam cake with a copious amount of steamed yam cubes that gave ea! ch cut a nice bite. The cake itself tasted rather plain, so a sprinkling of chopped waxed sausages provided some sweetness and colour. It's incomplete without a dollop of mum's dried shrimp chilli paste. It's a basic, versatile condiment that can be used to cook curry, sambal for nasi lemak, etc. For the yam cake, she added more salt and doubled the chilli. Let's see, I might have consumed more of the chilli paste than the yam cake.

Over the long weekend, I'd also experienced a pleasant, almost seamless passport renewal process at the immigration department in KL. And in between food and meetings with friends, I managed to hit a good running mileage. At the end of this short getaway, I felt recharged. What a difference a day makes, eh? I'm beginning to understand the lament of most employees now....YES, I do need more leave days!


74, Jalan Metro Perdana Barat 3
Taman Usahawan Kepong
52100 Kuala Lumpur

RM5.80 Noodles

Just 3 years ago, you could eat a bowl of noodles for RM3.50/USD1.10 but now, you'd have to pay at least RM6/USD1.95 for less than the same. I've eaten fish noodles for RM8/USD2.60 where there were only TWO slices of fish. It is just crazy.

While shopping at the market recently, I challenged myself to cook lunch for less than RM5 to feed 4. It had to be nutritiously balanced, meaning there should be meat and veggies on top of the basic starch. I also wanted a simple dish that doesn't take much preparation and cooking time. The dish that fits all that was fried noodles, with the least expensive ingredients I could think of: bean sprouts (RM1), wheat noodles (RM0.80) and pork roll (RM4). The total cost came to RM5.80/USD1.88, more than my budget. I could push the cost to less than RM3/USD1 if I used two eggs instead of the pork roll but that would be too much of a shock to the family although Hub would probably be very pleased.

Despite the scrimping, the noodles were delicious and went very well with a chili-lime sauce.

Any suggestions for more budget meals?

RM5.80 Noodles (serves 3 to 4)

1/2 kg yellow 'oil' noodles

1 pork roll, sliced

1/2 kg bean sprouts

2 T oyster sauce

1 to 2 T light soy sauce

pinch of salt

2 T veg oil

1 T garlic, chopped (optional)

spring onions from your garden for garnishing

1. Heat up a wok or a non-stick frying pan. Add t! he oil a nd fry the garlic until gragrant but not brown. Toss the noodles (which are pre-cooked) under medium high heat, mixing well with the oyster sauce and the light soy sauce. This will take several minutes, to heat the noodles through and to sear some of the noodles to give a smoky fire taste. If you like softer noodles, sprinkle chicken stockor waterby the spoonful over the noodles. Adding too much water or stock all at once will make the noodles starchy.

2. Push the noodles aside, throw in the bean sprouts and a pinch of salt and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the pork roll and push the noodles into the center to mix by tossing and turning. Taste and season if necessary. Throw in the spring onions and dish up. Serve with a chili sauce.

note: if you prefer saucy noodles, use one tablespoon of the oyster sauce and one tablespoon of the light soy sauce to mix with 1/2 T of cornstarch, a pinch of salt, a pinch of sugar (if like), some white pepper and 1/2 cup of chicken stock or water and add that to the wok/pan just before adding the spring onions. Make sure to let the cornstarch sauce boil before dishing up or the sauce'll taste floury.

NICE RICE SHINE

Truth be told, I completely forgot about my suggestion for Ricetaurant's Best in Grain contest in its Facebook page. Until I received an email informing me that my proposed rice dish have made it into the 10 final dishes!

I was invited to attend the food tasting session with a friend where we'd get to sample the shortlisted rice dishes.

Raise the red lanterns...Ricetaurant boasts plenty traditional accents as part of its decor

I haven't been to Ricetaurant before so I thought it'd be great to see what the outlet has to offer. Located next to Canoodling (its sister outlet) at Bangsar Village 2, the new concept rice-centric eatery is part of the BIG Group which also runs Plan B, Bistro42, Tea Forty Two, Ben's General Food Store and Ben's.

Rows of tiffin carriers and the rooster motifs found on Chinese crockery
of yesteryear should evoke waves of nostalgia in you

Cheeky...the menu is designed to resemble a primary school exercise book while
special daily offerings are listed in a 'report card'!

We had a field day savouring all the 10 rice dishes suggested by Ricetaurant's FB fans and then some! Rising to the occasion is delectable Nasi Ulam with Ayam Percik, Salted Egg and Sambal. Once the various local herbs and salted egg was well-tossed with the fluffy rice, one could almost devour the tasty grains on their own. The East Coast-style grilled chicken with its spicy sauce was grilled to such perfection that I was tempted to grab the whole thing and chomped on it!

Of course I was biased towards the Chicken, Yam and Dried Prawns with Nam Yue Sauce in Claypot since it was based on my suggestion! A superbly rustic dish that has chunks of tender chicken, browned garlic pips and dried prawns in soft, powdery yam mash serv! ed pipin g hot in claypot.

Another surefire winner is Sweet and Sour Fish which tantalised the palate with its enticing tangy sweet nuances. The lightly battered dory was firm and sweet to the bite; complemented by chunky pieces of cucumber, pineapple, red and green capsicums, tomato and onion. This dish is so good that we actually ordered it on our subsequent visit!

My other favourite is Inche Kabin - a perennial Nyonya favourite of flavourful marinated fried chicken served with Worchestershire sauce. Crisp and savoury, the meat remains delightfully juicy and moist.

Other scrumptious rice offerings in the running include Malaysia's evergreen Nasi Lemak, a peppery and rather unusual Fried Rice with Chinese Olives and Seafood, Hainanese Chicken Rice, Chicken and Long Bean Fried Rice, Teochew Porridge with Condiments, Terriyaki Chicken with Rice and Black Glutinous Rice with Coconut Milk.

You can also make your vote count! Just click on the link below to indicate which rice dish you want to see in Ricetaurant's menu:

http://www.facebook.com/TheBigGroup?sk=app_115773185178843

Ricetaurant is located at 2F-29, Bangsar Village 2, Kuala Lumpur. Call 03-2287-1566 for reservations.

Roasted Tomato and Caramelized Onion Farro Salad

I meant to make cake. I meant to make whipped cream. I meant to buy fresh raspberries. I mean to smash the three things together into a large bowl and eat it all and then I made salad.

Dont yell. We can not survive on doughnuts alone.

Let me tell you a little something about me I do this weird thing wherein I eat one thing, all day. Thats not to say that I eat one carrot all day. No. I eat carrots, and only carrots all day. I dont know why I do this. Welcome to crazybrain.

So! A few days ago when I made doughnuts. I ate doughnuts all day. Doughnuts and lime popsicles because I was thirsty. Clearly something is wrong with me.

I tell you all of this because its important you understand that salad is a good thing around these parts. A salad recipe means that Im eating salad all day. My thighs like those days.

Know what make salad tolerable? Doughnuts.

No stop that. Caramelized onions.

Im pretty sure that caramelizing onions with a touch of balsamic vinegar is just like turning onions into candy.

!

Do yo u know what farro is? Its one of my favorites. Farro is a type of wheat. Its boiled in salted water like pasta, then drained. When cooked its puffed and tender, with a hint of al dente crunch. I love this grain. Hearty, wholesome and delicious.

I found farro is the bulk section at Whole Foods, but you can also order it online here.

Its one of my favorite grains. Its popular in Italy. Lets make it popular here.

Oh! If youre not into farro, why not try Israeli Couscous?

Secret: roasting cherry tomatoes on the vine makes them instantly more fancy and cool.

It is our mission in life to be fancy and cool. Duh.

Yummy candy onions, fancy roasted tomatoes, hearty farro and fresh parsley.

Yes, I put parsley in every savory dish I make. Its my thing It makes me feel chef-y. Its like Rachel Ray calling extra virgin olive oil EVOO. Just give me this parsley thing and well call it even.

Oh. Ps. Put fresh grated Parmesan Cheese on this salad. It is a wonderful suggestion from me to you.

Roasted Tomato and Caramalized Onion Farro Salad

serves 4

Print this Recipe!

2 cups cherry tomatoes

1 tablespoon olive oil

3/4 (or a few ! good pin ches) salt

1/2 teaspoon (or a good pinch) crushed red chili flakes

2 medium yellow onions, sliced

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 cup farro

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 cup coarsely chopped parsley

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Place cherry tomatoes on a sheet tray. Drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and red chili flakes. Bake for 15 minutes, or until some tomatoes have burst and are golden brown and sizzling. Remove from the onion and set aside to cool slightly.

Place olive oil and butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add sliced onions and toss to coat in fat. Allow onions to cook down for 5 minutes without stirring. Toss after 5 minutes, then allow to cook without being disturbed for another 5 minutes. Add salt and toss. Onions will begin to brown and break down. Remove from the heat momentarily, keep your nose back, and add balsamic vinegar. Toss to coat all of the onions. Return to heat and allow to cook down to a melty onion consistency. Onions will be browned, broken down and delicious.

Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a large pot. When water boils, add a pinch of salt. Add farro and stir. Cook farro until it is softened through and has a light al dente bite to it, about 15 to 20 minutes. Drain farro in a strainer, return to pot, and toss with olive oil. Add roasted tomatoes, caramalized onions, and chopped parsley. Toss and serve warm.

Farro salad will last up to 4 days in an airtight container in the fridge.