Edamame and Toasted Coconut in Avocado

Its not that I forget that you darling people come here to read my blog and make cakes, and weird vegan soups.

I never forget it. Ever.

sometimes I clam up, and Im not sure what I could possibly write that might seem of interest to you.

other times, I just write to myself. Its like putting my head in a box, and pretending that Im the only one in this little blog world of mine. That usually works. Thats when I start writing letters to my future husband, or start droning on and on about getting pulled over by the cops.

Can I tell you something real? (Were somewhere in between me clamming up, and me putting my head in a box right now) Real talk: I feel the rumble inside. The rumble usually means that its time for a new tattoo, a sky dive, a cliff dive, an international flight, or a shark tank. Something is rumbling and Im not sure how its going to turn out. I do know that my desk is not going to get any cleaner in the process. That can wait.

Does this happen to you?

The solution usually requires more than salad but salad will suffice for now. It has to, until I get my hands on a shark tank (and a shark).

Have you seen the trend of people baking eggs into avocados?

Yea Im not going to do that. That feels like mush on mush in my mouth. Perhaps the only two things that could make the baked avocado egg situation right is tortilla chips and spicy salsa. Otherwise no go.

I do! , howeve r, have a desire to stuff my avocado with soooommmeething.

Edamame, fresh parsley, crisp red onion, black sesame seeds, and a bit of nori. This will do.

Every salad dressing I make starts with Dijon mustard. This one is married with sesame oil, olive oil, lemon, and soy sauce.

The simple edamame salad was missing something.

Whenever anything is missing, I generally add toasted coconut just as a rule. Success!

Avocados are art from God. Well everything is art from God.

Avocados are just some of my favorite edible art.

I made these little salad bowls in the Shutterbeans kitchen.

She made bread. Naturally.

Tracy also made an awesome arugula salad with apples and arugula.

The lunch of sisters (from other misters (an! d mother s)) ok, so Tracy and I totally arent related at all, whatever.

Tracy! Thanks for letting me cook in your kitchen! Youre my Maj!

Lets call this lunch.

Lets call this creamy, crunchy, healthful lunch. Scoopable with a spoon. Smearable with bread. Tupperware friendly. Dont let someone swipe it from the office fridge.

Edamame and Toasted Coconut in Avocado

makes 4 stuffed avocado halves

Print this Recipe!

2 ripe avocados, sliced in half and pits removed

For the filling:

1 1/2 cups shelled edamame

1/2 cup unsweetened coconut, toasted

2 tablespoons diced red onion

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

1 teaspoon black sesame seeds

2 tablespoons chopped nori (optional)

For the dressing:

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon soy sauce

a few tablespoons of fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

In a medium bowl, toss together all of the ingredients for the filling.

In a small bowl, whisk together mustard, sesame oil, soy sauce, and lemon juice. Whisk in olive oil in a slow stream to emulsify. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Pour the dressing over the filling. Toss to combine. Spoon the filling into halved avocado. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Cafe Matchbox 1960s-Style Cha Chaan Teng @ Causeway Bay, Hong Kong

Tea culture in Hong Kong is very different from what we have in Malaysia. For us, we like to hang out at the 24 hours mamak stalls while the Hongkies enjoy it at their numerous of Cha Chaan Teng. Most of these establishments big or small serve similar kind of food, typically Hong Kong-style Western cuisine like macaroni, fried chicken wings, French toast etc. And they usually come in sets too.
Among the few that we went to in Hong Kong, Cafe Matchbox at Tsim Sha Tsui (Causeway Bay) is more memorable thanks to its unique menu and 1960s decor, complete with colored tiled walls, light fixtures and old-school Canto music playing in the background.

Here, pancakes are eaten all day instead of being just a breakfast and they come with various toppings including minced beef, honey, fried eggs, banana and walnut. One of the sets (tea or coffee included) here is a combo of two of their signature food Floating Chicken Pie in Green Pea Soup and Banana Walnut Pancake for $HKD45. The chopped crunchy walnuts give a contrasting texture to the soft pancakes and the syrup and banana slices provide the sweet flavor. It tasted as good as it looked, more like a dessert actually.

I reckon that the green pea soup is not something everyone will like because it is almost tasteless, kind of watery too. But the chicken pie was delightful with a crispy crust and delicious filling. If you dont f! ancy the green pea soup, you can order just the traditional chicken pie alone off the menu a la carte.

The Fried Egg and Ham pancake was not as good as the banana walnut version, the combination of ham and pancake just do not go as well as expected.

A big cup of HK milk tea that came with the set ordered earlier. Imagine the Malaysian version of teh panas but kurang manis, by 5 times.

Worth a try if you happen to be shopping around Causeway Bay. In fact, we were here simply because of the Mooncake Celebration held at a nearby park so we just figured we should do a quick drop by for the sake of experience. But if you are not into Cha Chaan Teng food there are plenty other restaurants nearby in this prime shopping area.

Cafe Matchbox
G/F, Highland Mansion, 8 Cleveland Street,

Launch of the new BRATPACK lifestyle concept store at e@Curve

My awesomely comfortable loyal, durable Crocs will be retiring soon. Frankly speaking, if I could still get the stock for this I would buy a few pairs and keep, wearing one after another til the rest of my life.
Seriously, its that comfortable. When I was travelling in Korea and Thailand, I walked everywhere for hours in them and never felt any pain at the end of the day.

Its durability is amazing; its good for the beach, casual outings, and I even wore it once for an amateur trekking session. Though it has a wedge (which I love as thats added height!), its very steady to walk in.
It fact I loved my Crocs so much that I was a proud Crocs Malaysia Blogger Ambassador for 2010.

Just a few days back I attended the launch of the BRATPACK lifestyle concept store at e@Curve. I have been aiming for a pair of Fitflop but the prices are pretty outrageous steep. I wonder how it compares to Crocs.

Anyhow, this pair of Sanuk was much much more affordable. At RM129 (ok, I know most of us cant spare RM129 for a pair of slippers!) its pretty comfy. No marks for the design though. Way too simple and plain for its price.

But you can check out the other pretty pairs. The pricing is about RM100+- and the reason why I didnt choose these was because I insisted on one with elevation. And this black pair is the only one that offers a bit of a heel.

I was sorely tempted with the pink Native ones. It was extremely comfy as well. But elevation, yes, thats whats most important for now.

The launch saw a group of models parading the gear from all the brands here at Bratpack, namely thefun global labels for bags, footwear and apparels such as FitFlop (UK & US most famous footwear with gym built-in), Sanuk (Sandals that brings you to the comfy paradise in no-time), Native, The North Face, Boxfresh, Ellesse, and many more.

Im always of opinion that if you maintain a healthy and fit physique, whatever you wear looks good anyhow. Heres a key example.
Im referring to the hunk of course.

Heres more pictures of the fashion show. Designs are fun and simple and very wearable.

As for me, Im still aiming for a pair of Fitflops, as they claim to beUK & US most famous footwear with gym built-in. The past 2 days strutting around in my Sanuk has been a pleasant experience so far. Lets see how long it last.

Bratpack Concept Store:
Hartamas Shopping Center (opened in May 2011) too bad I missed this one!
Concourse at e@Curve

Roast Pork Rice Vermicelli @ Restoran Megah Good Luck.

Sunday morning breakfast at Restoran Megah Good Luck, a bustling coffee shop in Tamam Megah, Petaling Jaya.

This is the third time, the forgetful lady stall owner forgot about my order of roast pork rice vermicelli.

When queried she said 'I thought you couldn't wait and left' !!!!!!!

The roast pork belly was nice with a good balance of fats and lean meat with crispy, crackling skin.

Sharing of tables is common, here.


Parking is OK on weekends.


Rice vermicelli seated on a mixture of dark and light soy sauce/sesame oil/ lard oil - garnished with chopped spring onion/crunchy blanched beansprout and topped with roast pork belly with green bird's eye chillies/soy sauce for more kick.

Location:Jalan SS24/11,

Taman Megah,

Petaling Jaya.

Putien @ 1 Utama Shopping Centre, Petaling Jaya

Getting back into the groove of work means sacrificing the blog, just a little bit...sorry!


Must admit I've fallen into a food rut. You know the kind where you prefer to eat the old and familiar versus the new and happening?


It's not as though I've not tried to hit those happening places such as that latest burger bar but the food there was dismal, it didn't even inspire me to whip out the DSLR to snap a picture of it.


Better not talk about failures but talk about something so much better i.e. Singapore's latest import that is making us eat our words and admit that, Singapore food is actually rather decent.





Technically it is Heng Hwa food and not Singaporean to say the least but the restaurant's origins hail from that tiny red dot down south.


It is not the first time we have been invaded by the Singaporean restaurant chains (one remembers Crystal Jade's delicious openings) but late last year, early this year saw a huge influx of them trooping up north to our capital. First, it was Paradise Inn in Sunway Pyramid. Then Soup Restaurant that serves Samsui homestyled fare and this place Putien started their b! usiness in the refurbished 1 Utama Shopping Centre's old wing.





I've dined at this place twice and noticed how packed it is every time. Even when I walk past it to patronise other places, there is always an eager queue of people at its doorstep and the hidden restaurant within seems to heave with people during lunch and dinner time.


Their key is consistency - everything is rather well cooked. Also helps when you serve up a rarely seen cuisine like Heng Hwa that makes it stand out among our usual Cantonese, Hokkien and Hakka cuisine.


For those whose tongues are more accustomed to robust flavours, this place is definitely not for you since their flavours are delicate and light.


I found certain dishes exceptional here such as the classic Chinese restaurant dish of poached spinach with superior stock. It is served with a triple whammy of eggs here - the stock is infused into a brilliant orange with creamy salted egg yolk and egg, while niblets of century egg complete the whole trilogy of cholestrol-highness. Really so lovely and decadent that those who don't eat greens really do not know what they are missing out.





The cuisine is a humble one that uses lots of root vegetables such as yam, a big favourite of mine. I love the crispy yam with duck that is like a grown up version of the wu kok, with its crispy filigree c! oating a nd chunks of duck meat in between.


The briny seaweed as a starter is also rather nice and tangy. There is also the decadent pig's intestine - tender niblets of the offal all rolled up in so many thousand layers that it is wonderful when bitten into. Another favourite, not pictured here is the deep fried pig's trotter - just the right crispiness mingling with the soft collagen that begs you to get the hands all dirty and eat it with your fingers.





We also sample the sauteed french beans that is lovely and crunchy. There is also prawns with tea leaves, a kinda forgettable dish that leaves us not much of a food memory. I'm no fan of their o chien either since it is rather chewy and dry. The Heng Hwa fried beehoon is rather nice, beautifully fried with each strand absorbing the rich pork stock it is cooked in.





Dessert is simple...the age old classic of soft yam with gingko - a decadent treat of silkiness mingling with sinful lard. There is also the cooling and refreshing lemongrass jelly.


I reckon I will keep returning to this place as it is my new Chinese comfort food. I also love the lor meen here with its silky white noodles and the lusciously sweet broth dotted with prawns, vegetables and pork.


Putien
G213A, Ground Floor
Promenade Section
1 Utama Shopping C! entre (O ld Wing)
Bandar Utama
Petaling Jaya


Tel: 03-77221539


(Non Halal. Reservations are advised or else expect long wait during peak times. Open from 11.30am to 9.30pm. From next week onwards, they will not break during the afternoon. For more pictures, see the Flickr set.)


*Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here is entirely based on my personal tastebuds and may vary for others. This review is time sensitive; changes may occur to the place later on that can affect this opinion. The reviewer also declares that she has not received any monetary or non-monetary compensation from this place for writing the review.

Paradox Art Cafe

Paradox Art Cafe: Round Two. Earlier entry: March 9.

Engineer-turned-chef Khay Woo seems painstaking in his preparation of Paradox's recipes, fussy for only fresh mushrooms to be sliced into this kitchen-made soup & slathering the bread with extra garlic for stronger pungency.

Woo has no formal cooking training, but is bold enough to experiment: his signature spaghetti is sauteed with oyster sauce, chicken, egg & yellow onions to create something that tastes Chinese. The pasta isn't al dente, but that might be part of Woo's master plan.

Pan-seared Aussie lamb chops with shallot mint sauce & Holland potato shoestring fries. Paradox's prices are reasonable; the mushroom soup is RM10+, most pastas cost below RM15, while even the costlier items, like this lamb, won't exceed RM30.

Forgo Kim Gary's cheese-baked rice & try Paradox's version, fried with beef & topped with a melted mix of cheddar & mozzarella cheese. We've found it a little too salty for our liking, but Woo is still tweaking the food & remains interested in customer feedback.

Comfort food, evocative of the stewed, gravy-soaked rice that one might order in a kopitiam. Paradox fries this rice with olive oil & garlic, then tops it with a braised blend of chicken, prawns & fishcakes in egg-&-corn batter. Hot & hearty, ideal for a cold, rainy night.

We're liking the music selection here too; if you haven't heard Roxy Music's "More Than This" in many years, you might get the opportunity here.

Note: despite the absence of crowds for now, Paradox's kitchen takes time to get its food ready, so be prepared to wait a bit. Not too long, but slightly longer than expected.

Dim Sum Galore @ Zuan Yuan Chinese Restaurant, One World Hotel, Petaling Jaya

Do you like feasting like a king over the weekend? I do...

Dim sum galore

Last weekend, I was invited to sample the a la carte dim sum buffet at Zuan Yuan Chinese Restaurant. Zuan Yuan is located in One World Hotel and is pork-free. Well, I've eaten pork-free dim sums in the past before and they can be just as good as the porky ones.

The a la carte dim sum buffet is available everyday for lunch, whereby diners will get to order from a special menu (around 20 items to choose from) with one complimentary serving of seafood noodle and shark's fin soup/steamed seafood dumpling with superior Stock and Sharks Fin.The good thing here is that it is an a la carte buffet, hence the dim sum is made to order (and we all know what happens if dim sum is left on the buffet line for too long!).

One of the private rooms in Zuan Yuan

Restaurant interior

Since there was quite many of us, we decided to try EVERYTHING on the menu. Gluttons! ;P Hubby and I shared one each of the steamed seafood dumpling with superior stock and shark's fin soup. The seafood noodle's superior stock is slightly on the sweet side, though I couldn't quite figure out where the sweetness came f! rom. Ins ide the parcel (dumpling), there were lots of mushrooms and seafood and topped with a little shark's fin. I prefer the shark's fin soup which is rich and laden with crabmeat.

Shark's fin soup

Steamed Seafood Dumpling with superior Stock and Sharks Fin

Everything we tried from the a la carte dim sum menu was good. There were a few items which stood out for me. The highlight for me were the steamed teo chew siew mai, deep fried sesame ball, pan fried Shanghai dumplings, taro dumpling wu kok style, steamed scallop dumpling and steam minced squid ball. Do order them in stages though, as dim sum is best eaten hot.

Steamed Prawn Dumpling - prawns were reasonably fresh, though we took too long taking photos hence skin was a little sticky by the time we got to eating them.

Steamed Minced Squid Ball with Dried Octopus and Crab Stick ! - I liked the taste and texture of this one. Have never tried minced squid balls for dim sum (it's always the same old fishballs usually).

Zuan Yuan Style Steamed Siew Mai with Flying Fish Roe

Steamed Glutinous Sui Mai

Steamed Sharks Fin Dumpling

Steamed Teo Chew Sui Mai - this siu mai is made with chicken, but it almost tastes like pork! Wow!

Steamed Scallop Dumpling - this was pretty good and I love the pretty green hue.

Chee cheong fun with either BBQ char siew or scallop/shredded dried scallop

Oven- Baked Cheese Tart (left), Flaky Barbecue Char Siew Pastries (right) - nice, flaky pastry.

Deep-Fried Prawn Dumpling and Salad Dressing

Bean Curd Roll

Taro Dumpling Wu Kok Style with Scallop and Miso Sauce - I don't usually like eating wu kok much, but the version here is really goo! d. Crisp y exterior, melting soft centre and the miso sauce is sweetish and goes well with it.

Pan-Fried Shanghai Dumpling - this was pretty good, juicy.

Stir-Fried Turnip cake with XO Sauce

Oven-Baked Mini Egg Tarts with Caramel and Cinnamon - flaky pastry, the kind of egg tarts that I like.

Deep-Fried Sesame Ball with Peanut Paste - I liked this, the peanut paste was a nice change from the usual red bean or pandan ones that we usually get.

Seafood Noodle - one time order only. I found this to be quite good, since I like noodles like this, deep fried and then soaking up the flavoursome gravy.

Steamed Wild Rice and Glutinous Rice with Mushroom and Roasted Duck - this is not part of the a la carte dim sum buffet but ordered from the a la carte menu, Very reasonably priced at RM8 since portion is quite big.

Chilled Aloe Vera infused with Lemon Grass - this was so refreshingly good after a heavy lunch.

Double Boiled Crystal Pear with Fresh Ginseng - this was also good, with a slight herbal taste from the ginseng. It seems that it will give you very nice, fair looking skin too ;)

Thanks to May from One World Hotel for the invite.

Pork-free.

Opening times: Mon-Fri 12.00noon to 2.30pm, Sat, Sun & Public Hols 11.00am to 2.30pm. Dinner 6.30pm to 10.30pm.

Price: RM55 per adult, RM28 per child (! 4-12 yrs ) on weekdays, RM65 per adult, RM33 per child on weekends and public holiday.

Location: Zuan Yuan Chinese Restaurant, One World Hotel, First Avenue, Bandar Utama City Centre, 47800 Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

Tel: 03-7681 1159

Website: http://www.oneworldhotel.com.my

*Promotion: OneCard Offer - Buy 4 Free 1 for Dim Sum Galore in March and April 2012.