Famous James Cendol from Sitiawan @ Old Klang Road, Kuala Lumpur

It looks like it's going to be a HOT day today..

Time for some cendol, I reckon.

The perfect remedy for a hot day - Famous James Cendol from Sitiawan, Perak

Thanks to Ciki, I got to know about this place from reading her blog. Since we were already at Old Klang Road, we made a point to visit this place since it was a hot day and we needed something to cool ourselves down. Cendol is the answer and James Cendol is pretty awesome.

We got a little lost looking for the place since we're not familiar with Old Klang Road, but the turning is just before BHP Petrol Station into a basketball court and Lee Chong Wei Sri Sentosa Sports Complex.

So cool, they even have a Facebook page here

Anyway, we were greeted by a man in a bow tie and chef's hat, not James himself but it's definitely the first for us to be served by such a smart looking cendol man! (sorry forgot to take his photo) We ordered 3 bowls of cendol (RM3) (they also have durian cendol but it wasn't in stock yesterday). They also have rojak pasembur here and banana fritters which is only available on weekends.

Rojak ingredients

We loved the way the cendol was served, in a halved coconut shell ;) Very pretty and unique. The cendol here is served with red beans and pulut rice. The ice melts a little too quickly since it was a hot day. But it's okay as I actually like eating my cendol like that (melted). Love the soft strands of cendol, which had a hint of salt in them - we saw the lady cutting pandan leaves when we were there too, which is used to naturally colour the cendol strands, that's why the colour is so light and not garish green like other places.

Cute bowl

Very yummy!

We heard the coconut grater at work and couldn't resist intruding going for a look and taking some photos. ;P

Nice breeze when we were there..

Map to James Cendol on Old Klang Road

They have also opened another branch in Bangsar at Simply Spice (behind Wisma UOA).

Location: James Cendol, 21 Jalan Sri Sentosa 2a, Jalan Klang Lama, 58000 Kuala Lumpur.

Tel: 012- 2253 564

GPS Coordinates: 3.081423, 101.662534

S.Wine: The BIG Finish

Here's Part Four of our S.Wine Quadrilogy, finishing up with a fourteen-dish feast.

Earlier entries on S.Wine: March 16, March 18 & March 20.

Soup's up! Know the phrase, 'thick as pea soup?' It matches S.Wine's recipe precisely. Blended into a creamier-than-expected broth, rendered savory with smoky slivers of ham hock.

Craving Chinese? This pork rib & duck soup, slow-boiled with silken tofu & salted veggies, tastes nourishing & homemade. Familiarity breeds comfort; grandmothers would assuredly approve.

Ham-&-veggie soup, a tomato-based one with cannellini beans, barley & coriander. We gotta give a shout-out to Collin & Leong, the long-suffering leaders of S.Wine's week-old service team. They represent some of the finest folks on the BIG Group's front l! ines _ g ive 'em a raise, Ben!

A perfect pork-seafood pairing: apple wood-smoked bacon, fitted tightly around remarkably fleshy scallops with a spicy tartar dip. Succulence squared equals satisfaction quadrupled (it's a culinary-mathematical miracle!).

Roasted whole rib with crackling & apple sauce. For the first six days of S.Wine's existence, this dish taunted customers with its presence on the menu but was impossible to order because the chef insisted on perfecting the recipe. The crackling's chewy, but some want it that way.

More ribs, this time in a baby-back slab of twelve, soaked in kitchen-made BBQ sauce. Masterfully prepared, with a flavorsome tenderness that rivals KL's best. Some might feel deterred by the roughly RM80-ringgit price tag, but this must be shared by two or three.

Pork meatballs in tomato-capsicum concasse. The closest thing to Spanish tapas at S.Wine. If the restaurant ever extends its business hours through midnight, we'd love to nibble carelessly on these bewitching ba! lls at t he witching hour.

Minced sausage roll with tomato relish. How can we find fault with golden-hued puff pastry that's this light & flaky, without the tiniest trace of excess oil? Or stuffing that's so generously portioned & fabulously flavored with pine nuts, mushrooms & garlic? The truth is, we can't.

Chicken isn't spared from porkification at S.Wine: the coq au vin comprises chicken leg braised with pork stock, pancetta, white wine & herbs, served with toasted ciabatta. Note: dinnertime is the best time to be at S.Wine; that's when beloved '90s hits flood the air _ everything from Duran Duran's 'Ordinary World' to the Crash Test Dummies' 'Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm.'

Nyonya assam pork curry, sweet & rich like nobody's business. Perhaps some potatoes could be splashed in for extra enjoyment, but that's simply being greedy.

Thick buttered toast ('pain de mie' for Francophiles), filled with nearly-as-thick honeyed ham &! Bransto n pickle spread. Notwithstanding the pork, this looks like something customers might find at Ben's, Plan B or Estate (it's a BIG world after all). But though we won't turn our snouts up at roast beef or chicken sandwiches, we'd rather hoof it to S.Wine for this.

On the menu, this failed to whet our appetite: salted fish pork patties. But on the plate, it turned out to be one of our favorites (don't judge a dish by its description?). Hit all the right notes for taste & texture _ S.Wine shoots, S.Wine scores!

Epitome of evil, sin incarnate: Russet potatoes roasted in duck fat & accompanied by bacon, to send us straight into a starch-fueled stupor.

Is there anything on S.Wine's menu that's pork-free? Only one: a quirky-cool dessert of Chinese black jelly topped with vanilla ice cream, then topped further with a splash of espresso.

Last call: Wine from Booze.it at Ben's Independent Grocer. Extra tip: S.Wine's smoking section comprises two tables in an intimate, spacious setting. Take a risk & take a table there, since few venture inside; for three of our four visits, we had the entire room to ourselves.

S.Wine Cafe Deli @ Ben's Independent Grocer,

Solaris Dutamas, Publika, Kuala Lumpur.

Hot Pot @ , Hong Kong

I was in Hong Kong for a night and stayed with my friend Stanley who took me out for some Hot Pot just right below their apartment in Causeway bay. The Hotpot restaurant is popular among locals for their Tomato Crab Broth which was something I've never tried before.


Tomato Hot Pot Broth with Blue Crab


This is the restaurant's signature Broth. It tasted like HK-style Russian Bortsch and surprisingly complemented all the Beef, Lamb and Pork we ordered. The Blue Crab that was thrown into the broth added a richer flavor because of its roe.


Dipping Condiments



Fatty Beef

As the name implies the Beef was very fat and melts in your mouth. It was thinly sliced and wasn't served frozen which did not dry out the meat


Fried Fish Skin
The Fis h Skin here was really good. It was very crispy and was served piping hot.


Mongolian Lamb Slices

The Mongolian Lamb Slices was not very fat and had a strong lamb flavor.


Beancurd Sheet Rolls

A favorite of mine when eating Hot Pot in Hong Kong. The Beancurd Rolls were freshly fried and did not taste too oily. It was light, crispy and consisted of many thin layers which allowed the outside to absorb the broth and the inner layers to maintain its crispiness when bitten into.


Fish Maw Dumplings

It was my first time eating Fish Maw Dumplings.


I really enjoyed the Hot Pot at this place especially their broth which I've never had before. The Tomato flavor definitely help accentuate the meatiness of the all the meats we ordered.


Food: 4.5/5
Service: 3/5
Ambiance: 2.5/5
Price: N/A (I was treated for this meal)


Contact Information
Address: 22
Tel: +852-2890 9308
Opening Hours: 07:00-00:00

Traveling

I am currently traveling but will be back soon with images. Oh I cannot wait to share the tidbits of an amazing trip with inspired people!

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e.g. Conference

After my daughter's Yao Ming portrait went viral on Youtube, she received many offers. The two I liked best were an invitation to exhibit her art, along with other young artists, in Casa Batlo, Barcelona, and the other was to participate in e.g. Conference in Monterey, California in April this year. After checking e.g.'s site, I told Yi that the e.g. invite could be a hoax. The people invited to speak are renowned astronauts, scientists, musicians, explorists, writers, people from Ivy League schools. In e.g.'s words, "EG convenes500 of the most extraordinary talents from an rich array of fields: artists, scientists, educators, entrepreneurs, entertainers; Oscars, Nobels, Pulitzers, MacArthur laureates; risingstars, and living national treasures.I told Yi that maybe she was asked to attend or help in workshops.

Then Mike Hawley, an MIT professor and one of those left and right brainers, called to tell her last month to inform her that she is to be one of the presenters at the conference. She can speak on any topic, 20 minutes being the max time given for any speaker. There will be 50 to 60 other presenters plus hundreds people from around the world attending the conference. Yi will speak on 14th April morning, so if any of you are interested, do sign up at e.g.'s website. The fee is not cheap but you are going to hear extraordinary ideas and network with top industry people. Here's a description of the conference:

EGis the premiere gathering of and for innovators in media, technology, entertainment and education. The conference explores our most cr! eative e nterprises, by engaging a gifted mix of people from rising stars to
living national treasures, the people who attend EG are among the most industrious and iconoclastic talents of our time.

If you want to out-think or out-create your competition, you need more
than fresh ideas: you need individuals and teams who are driven to
develop them. EG overflows with these exemplars.

I thought it was so great I want to attend every one.

Steve Wozniak, Apple co-founder

e.g. has found a sponsor who is paying all expenses for two of us. Other than the chance of visiting the pacific coast of the US, which is gorgeous, I will also have the intimidating privilege of rubbing with the the top brainy and talented people of America and the world. I'll think about who to present myself as when I get to Monterey. Home maker I think.

As I sat in my car today waiting for my son to pick up his SPM results from his school, feeling anxious and unhappy, this thought came to me.I think God in His wisdom gave me both types of kids--the easy and the hard--so that I can empathise with others.Many people tell me that they envy me because of Yi. Yi is one kid. They don't know what else I go through as a mom. When friends tell me about their struggles with their kids, I truly understand because I've been there. The highs and the lowest lows. The people I can't stand are those who ask their kids when they score 80, 90% and above in their exams, "Why can't you score 100%?!" What ungrateful parents! These people just haven't been there. Some of us just ask for passing grades.

Wey passed SPM. He didn't do well. But I am hopeful.

e.g.'s write up on Yi:

6

Red (aka Hong Yi)Architect and Unconventional Artist

BIOGRAPHYPHOTOSNEXT >< PREV

Red grew up in Sabah on the beautiful tropical island of Borneo. She dreamt of becoming a cartoon animator and Lion King is still her favourite cartoon.

Reds paintings of Yao Ming, painted with a basketball for a brush, and Jay Chou using coffee and a cup, were Youtube hits, giving her 15 seconds of fame on CNN, ABC, Gizmodo and other media around the world. Her previous work includes portraits of Ai Weiwei using 100,000 sunflower seeds and Justin Bieber using gochujang (Korean chilli paste). Red is currently experimenting with unconventional materials and exploring structural design principles for her next projects.

Red holds two degrees from the University of Melbourne (Architecture; and Planning and Design). She was awarded a Melbourne Abroad Scholarship to study at the Technical University of Delft in the Netherlands, which broadened her perspective and exposure in the field of European architecture.

An Australian national finalist in the SONA Superstudio competition in 2009 and 2010, she was given Jury Special Mention and awarded the Elenberg Fraser Prize for Best Presentation in both years. She also received Special Mention for the AA Prize for Unbuilt Works 2010, and featured in the Jan/Feb 2011 issue of Architecture Australia Magazine.

She is currently working in the Shanghai offices of HASSELL, an established Australian architecture firm. She absolutely enjoys being an architect by day and an artist by twilight.

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