Black Bread

As promised, black bread. It's what I crave when I think of winter-time baking, and I've been making consecutive loaves over the past few weeks. Caraway-crusted, flecked with dashes of grated carrot, it's dark and hearty, and perfect when toasted then topped with a fat smear of dill butter. This is a hodgepodge of a recipe that isn't shy with the rye flour, and stems from a version of black bread in Dan Lepard's Short & Sweet. I use Dan's ingredient and the method of bread-making I learned as a kid. Pretty much - mix, rise, punch, rise, bake.

Black Bread

What you end up with here is a rustic, elbows-on-the-table style of crusted loaf with an assertive caraway-molasses streak. Once it's out of the oven, use your best butter to top it. Or, let a slab of it sit under a broiler topped with your favorite melty cheese - either gruyere or goat cheese does the trick. Beyond that, allow me to tell you what I've made of it. For lunch: An open-faced sandwich on toasted Black Bread, with the dill butter from SNED, a bit of sauteed kale, and a fried egg. Remains of a two-day-old loaf? Cubed, tossed in a bit of garlic butter and toasted into croutons. And dare I tell you that this bread was made for fondue? Because it was.

Black Bread

I hope all of you are enjoying the start of the new year. The citrus flood has hit, and I find myself binging on sweet, sweet clementines. Now I'm just waiting on the kishus. xo -h

Continue reading Black Bread...


Im off for the Honda Insight Media Test Drive to Melaka!

Good morning!!
Here I am at The Bee, Jaya One, all geared up and excited to the max for another round of test drive with Honda Malaysia!

honda insight blogger test drive

A row of Honda Insight beauties ready for us..

honda insight blogger test drive-1

Yups, again in a Honda. My previous media drive with Honda was in July 2010, when a bunch of us had a blast in a half day drive in the Honda Freed.

honda freed - best team1

Oh memories! And who can forget my infamous picture? Hehe..;-)

honda freed - team winnin pic

Incidentally, I was at the Asian Auto Ambank Fuel Efficiency Awards 2011 Dinner just yesterday nght and the Honda Freed won the 1st price for the Compact MPV segment, gurgling only 6.1l of fuel for every 100km drive.

SAM_7322

The Honda Insight won too! It came in 3rd place in the Hybrid category, at an impressive 4.6l/100km, behind Toyota Prius 3rd Gen and Lexus CT200H. Congrats Honda!

And today we shall see the Honda Insight in action!
Our itinerary is looking good; starting off with briefing at The Bee (NOW!) and upon flag off we are headed for Avillion Port Dickson for lunch. The Amazing Pace game runs concurrently with the first leg of the drive, with each driver behind the wheel for about 40 minutes before passing it onto the next driver.

Lunch is at Avillion Port Dickson. This is going to be my first time at Avillion. I have heard much praises about the resort and finally Ill get to see whats the fuss is about.

Our luxurious rest stop tonight came in the form ofPhilea Resort& Spa, the first and largest log resort chronicled in the Malaysia Book of Records, whichprides itself on being an eco-friendly resort. Built using natural resources, I was told that Philea is anindulgent and modern wellness retreat built within pristine greenery.

Oh my, I cant wait! Stay tuned alright, as I will try to update as much as I can. Follow me on Twitter @wackybecky and FB for live updates!

Tomorrow we are hittingThistle Resort at Port Dickson before finally arriving back in dusty KL at 4pm. So its a 2D1N trip, all thanks to Honda Malaysia! :)

Meanwhile, check out my wacky Honda Freed experiences below. Pics and videos included! :)

1. Sneak Preview: A day out in the Honda Freed

2. wackybecky in a Honda Freed

3. VIDEO Honda Freed Day Out in summary!


Kulim Koay Chap before a Golf Game @ Kulim Golf & Country Resort

Old Kulim scent is still there at this corner, the smell of the market, the temple but not the bus station anymore it has been relocated......My breakfast before a game of golf.Additional order for some braised duck meat.All the "chap" for the noodle.This is the aunty selling "Koay Chap" in the morning and all the customers were mostly elderly people.Assorted duck drum sticks if you care to try, very enticing indeed.Kulim Golf & Country Resort is situated at Kulim Hi-Tech Park and I just need to pay for using the buggy and no green fee required. Thanks to the affiliation with Kelab Rahman Putra Malaysia. It's a beautiful course and the only one in Southern Kedah.
Just the two of us and fortunately we were allowed to play during weekend.

27 Holes with bungalows slowly but surely coming up and a nice place to stay, relax and play golf.My friend from Singapore was having a good time @ Kulim Golf & Country Club and thanks to the wonderful weather. Just before one o'clock in the afternoon we were done with 18 holes and time was running out we have to cross over to Penang Island.

KULIM GOLF& COUNTRYRESORT(KGCR)
Persiaran
Kulim Golf
Kulim Hi-Tech Park
09000 Kulim,
Kedah Darul Aman
Tel : 04-403 2828. Fax: 04-403 2888

GPS : 5.404868,100.583841

Taps Beer Bar

"Join the Craft Beer Revolution," Taps commanded. Meekly, we obeyed.

A "rotating tap" concept supplies fresh varieties of beer for every visit, making this the place to guzzle unusual brews. Nothing we recognized, since we're dummies when it comes to beer.

The basic one-page list of bar snacks here includes thin-crust pizzas, with a choice of toppings such as sambal ikan bilis, rendang, wild mushrooms, or what we had above _ spicy pepperoni. Decent, even though beer is the true center of the universe at Taps.

Tasting "paddles" of beer, spectacular for sampling. Reading from the menu's tasting guide: Chevalier Saison (Bridge Road Brewers _ floral aromas with farmhouse touches of orange peel), Pale Ale (Kooinda Boutique Brewery _ citrusy with a robust caramel & toffee backbone) & Mt Macedon Ale (Holegate Brewhouse _ biscuity malts). All Australian.

Brown Ale (Mornington Peninsula Brewery _ mildly nutty on the nose, with notes of chocolate & raisins on the palate & a bitter finish), Black (3 Ravens _ pronounced flavors of caramel, chocolate & coffee) & Robust Porter (Bridge Road Brewers _ toasted grain & milk chocolate characteristics, with a touch of roasted coffee to round up the aroma).

Live performances feature familiar guitar hits from the'70s through '90s.

Alfresco seating, overlooking the relative calm of the side streets near Changkat Bukit Bintang, is available for escaping the crowds & the music.

TAPS Beer Bar,
One Residency, Jalan Nagasari, Off Jalan Raja Chulan, Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-2110-1560
Open daily, 5pm till late.

Nakhon Kitchen

The thought of Nakhon Kitchen whets up my appetite easily. And I've only been there once.

When I order pineapple fried rice, I often (if not always) find myself asking - where's the taste of pineapple? It's usually just yellowed, dry (or oily, take a pick) rice stirred with prawns and green peas, and served in a halved, hollowed pineapple. Here, my first spoonful of rice came with a burst of sweet/sour juice from the pineapple cubes (be it canned or fresh) adding both taste and moistness. That's pineapple rice, literally. A good one at that.

I've learnt that the favourite meat among the female patrons here is not necessarily a dish, but for me, I've got my eyes set on the spicy minced pork with basil leaves. It's a simple stir-fry, perfumed with a handful of Thai basil leaves and sufficiently dressed in a mixture of savoury sauces. This is a dish that's compatible with any form of carbohydrate; rice, bread or noodles.

Perhaps it's the contrast between the colour of the plates and the food that....no, let me take that back. It's still their technique of the getting right fillet texture and the formulation of sauce that made the fried fish with sweet chilli sauce a winning dish. Of course, as mentioned, it was visually appetizing as well.

The small shoplot was atmospherically Thai; from the utensils to the decorations to the music. One can tell that the owner made an effort to impress the customers with these details. With food so good, that's not required. I think the neverending queue will agree.

Nakhon Kitchen
Blk 212, Hougang Street 21
#01-341
Singapore 530212


Salads and Wings @ Romers Burgers, Vancouver

I was in Vancouver for two days of work and a day of skiing in Whistler. My first meal was with my client who took me to Romers Burgers for a quick lunch. As the name suggests Romers specializes in Burgers but also serves up a variety of Salads, Starters and Sides.


R Wings
Fried Chicken Wings
The Wings were really good! The batter was light and crispy and the wings were seasoned just right.


Sesame Crusted Wild Salmon Salad
Sesame Crusted Wild Salmon Salad
This was my salad. The Salmon was a little dry for my liking but I liked Miso Dressing and Mango Drizzle which gave the Salad a Sweet and Sour flavor.


Mango Chicken Salad
Mango Chicken


Food: 3.5/5
Service: 4/5
Ambiance: 4/5
Price: $$ (Approximately USD $20 per person)

Contact Information
Address: 1873 W 4th Ave, Vancouver, BC V6J 1M4, Canada
Tel: +1 604-732-9545
Web: www.romersburgerbar.com
Map:

View Larger Map

FOOD: The Soup Restaurant 1 Utama, the NEW Old Wing

Heres another of my Food at the NEW Old Wing, 1 Utamaseries of posts. This restaurant is located on the same floor asPutien Malaysiaand enjoyed the same long queue as Putien did when it first opened.

I was there during its opening week (yes, this post is a bit late.. ahem..) and it was another night where we craved something tummy-warming sans post- gym session.

The name pretty much explained its menu and just like Putien Malaysia, The Soup Restaurant is a Singaporean enterprise that has recently ventured onto our shores.

the soup restaurant, 1 utama-4

Im all for new F & B outlets, as that gave us foodies more choices and a better variety of cuisine to sample. I am however, a bit bothered that there are a proliferation ofSingaporean F & B franchises in KL lately; of which most serves simple Chinese cuisine, something that I think we Malaysians can do as well.
The sad thing is, Malaysians food entrepreneursseems to prefer fusion, Italian and what-nots; and other than Ben Yong of the Bens/Plan B empire; are there any other foodentrepreneurs worth mentioning?
But I digress.

The Soup Restaurant promises dishes fromfamily recipes that are distinctive and traditional. All dishes are home-cooked style and assiduouslyprepared, and some dishes even have numbered daily servings, such as their signatureSamsui Ginger Chicken.

Since there were only 3 of us, we made do with 2 soups, a rice dish and a fibre dish in the form of my favourite Spinach with 3 types of eggs.

!

the soup restaurant, 1 utama-1

Though I find the chicken a tad salty, it was nevertheless flavourful and tender. I actually preferred the rice which was wonderfully aromatic from the chicken stock. A few stalks of kailan at the side provided the fibres necessary to complete a meal. The portion is good for one, and ideal for lone diners.

This spinach dish was more of a portion for 3. Priced roughly around RM16 (I remembered cos I was grumbling about how much it cost), it was again a tad salty.

the soup restaurant, 1 utama-2

Both our double-boiled soups was alright; richly flavoured with herbs and seemed reasonable enough at about RM18+- each.

the soup restaurant, 1 utama-3

the soup restaurant, 1 utama-5

Its hard to get good soups, something that I only realized lately as I have been seeking Chinese nourishment as advised by a friend. My health has not been too good and I have been falling sick consistently. Besides, both my Chinese physician and western doctor are in high favour of hot soups as part of my diet.

the soup restaurant, 1 utama-6

The Soup Restaurant is certainly convenient for my soup-diet, and the other is Tang Shifu, which I personally think offers better soups in comparison to The Soup Restaurant. Anyone here has tried both and if yes, which would be your preference?

the soup restaurant, 1 utama-7

the soup restaurant, 1 utama

For more reads on my series of Food at the NEW Old Wing, 1 UtamaCLICK:

Putien opens in Malaysia- serving authenticHeng Hwa (or Xing Hua) cuisine from China
Moo Cow, my favourite froyo is in 1 Utama! Current new flavours for CNY is Mandarin Orange & Dragonfruit!
AK Noodles Housefor a economical meal

Soup Restaurant @ 1 Utama, (same row as Pappa Rich)
G210A, Ground Floor,
One Utama (old wing), Bandar Utama, Petaling Jaya.
Tel: 03-7727-2788

Chinese New Year Menu 2012 @ Tai Zi Heen, Prince Hotel & Residence Kuala Lumpur

Chinese New Year is fast approaching. Traditionally, yee sang used to be eaten only on the seventh day of CNY but the trend nowadays seem to be to eat it as soon as it is available. Many Chinese believe that the more yee sangs you toss, the more prosperous the upcoming year would be. So far I have tossed six yee sangs, I am hoping that it translates to a "good year" for me. :)

Four Seasons Prosperity Yee Sang

Recently, we were invited to Tai Zi Heen in Prince Hotel KL to sample their CNY menu. Chef Michael Wong with 27 years experience recently joined Tai Zi Heen and for CNY, he has come up with 3 special 8-course set menus -- Spring and Happiness Set (RM1088++ for 10 pax), Everlasting Prosperity Menu (RM1388++ for 10 pax) and Wealth and Fortune Set (RM1688++). There are also six yee sang creations,click hereto find out more.




The yee sang at Tai Zi Heen was one of the more traditional ones ! we encou ntered this year. The Four Seasons Prosperity Yee Sang (RM48 [small], RM72 [medium], RM120 [large]) is topped with butterfish, salmon, tuna and jellyfish. Chef Michael believes in creating things which are different to stand out from the crowd -- hence the use of blackcurrant plum sauce instead of the usual plum sauce. The oil which is drizzled on the yee sang is the fragrant peanut oil fried with ginger and onion. The jellyfish adds some texture to the yee sang. Chef Michael calls this his version of "Chinese rojak".



Raw butterfish, salmon, tuna and jellyfish

Blackcurrant plum sauce

Peanuts symbolise harvest

Raw fish for abundance.

Crackers represents "gold nuggets"

Ready for tossing!


The higher you toss, the better! (it is believed it symbolises higher growth in fortune)

Sixth yee sang of the year!

After our "lo hei" session, we were treated to a six-course menu specially crafted by Chef Michael (selection made from his CNY a la carte menu). To start, we had the Double Boiled Shark's Fin Soup with Fish Maw, Dried Scallops and Vegetables (RM240 per person). The soup was clear and light, and tummy-warming.
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My favorite dish for the evening was Chef's Special Baked Cod Fish (RM34 per 100g). Fish is usually served during CNY as fish in chinese "yu" literally translates to abundance. When the dish arrived, I could smell cheese. Surely my mind must be playing tricks on me. Later on, I asked Chef Michael if he used cheese and he said "yes" and said that I must have a very good "nose" to be able to distinguish it. LOL. Anyway, the fish was flaky and moist and the coating (which is made of garlic, mayo, seasoning and cheese) is very flavoursome. Plus, I love cod fish and the fact that it is served in individual portions rather than us having to "fight" for a piece from a whole fish served.



The next dish is Sauteed Fresh Sea Scallops with Fungus and Vegetables (RM60 [small], RM90 [medium], RM150 [large]). As you all know, I am a big fan of scallops so it was already a winner to me. LOL (how easily pleased!). The scallops used are Australian scallops and were fresh. Instead of the usual black fungus, Chef Michael Wong uses this brown-colored fungus called "yue yee" (not sure what it translates to in English) as it is much meatier in texture. Another reason is for the auspicious meaning, a common Chinese saying -- "yue yee kat cheong" ! which tr anslates to "wishes come true and lots of blessings".




The brown fungus is called "yue yee"

Oyster is also another auspicious dish commonly served during CNY as "hou see" means "all good things". So, we were not surprised when the Stewed Dried Oysters with Fatt Choy and Lettuce(RM70 [small], RM105 [medium], RM175 [large])was served to us. "Fatt choy" means wealth and lettuce "sang choy" means prosperity. So this is a dish screams auspicious all the way!



I love the name that Chef Michael gave to this dish... the dancing seafood fried rice. Know why? The fried rice is topped with tobiko and bonito flakes... the bonito flakes looks as if it is "dancing" (swaying) when there is air blowing past it. Very pretty indeed. Tastewise, the tobiko adds a nice (subtle) crunchy texture to the rice.

Wok fried shrimp fried rice with tobiko and bonito flakes

Instead of the usual CNY desserts such as nian gao or layer cake, Chef Michael served us the chilled avocado cream, which was refreshing and light on the palate. A sweet end to our meal for sure!


We have been told that Tai Zi Heen's a la carte menu will be revamped in February 2012 with 173 new dishes! (Sean, take note.. lol)

For full set of photos, click here. The yee sang menu can be viewed here. The CNY menu is available from 5 January to 6 February 2012. There will be an acrobatic lion dance performance ! on 30 Ja nuary 2012 from 9am and this event is open to the public.

Pork-free.

Opening times: Lunch; 12.00 pm - 2.30pm, Dinner; 6.30pm-10.30pm.

Location: Tai Zi Heen, Level 2, Prince Hotel & Residence Kuala Lumpur, 4 Jalan Conlay, 50450 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Tel: 03-2170 8888

Website: http://www.princehotelkl.com

GPS Coordinates: 3.150179, 101.714516