Yummy Malaysiana: 07/01/12

Eight Very Good Ideas

Im full of all sorts of ideas. Loads of ideas. Im just brimming with them. Good ideas often include afternoon margaritas on a sunny patio. Bad ideas often include margaritas on a sunny patio without sunscreen. Its a thin line between good and bad the difference usually has to do with whether or not there was sunscreen involved.

This weeks awesome includes: eating too many fresh cherries and continuing my aggressive jean shorts tan. Im also announcing an exciting partnership (tomorrow!!), and daydreaming about upcoming days in NYC (and how frizzy my hair will be) (seriously how do you New Yorkers deal with the sweat and frizz?) (help!).

I hope your week is full of good ideas. Heres a few should you need a little jumpstart.

Good idea: Simple Roasted Apricots with Honey Mascarpone.

Its time to slatherBourbon Orange Barbecue Sauceon absolutely everything. You might start on things like chicken and ribs but really just put this stuff on everything from saltine crackers to gingersnap cookies (yea Im nuts).

Sunsets in Seattle are alw! ays a go od idea. I love this big, bright, and whispy sky.

Lemon Meringue Pie Milkshakesmean that you can drink pie. What could go wrong?

Its made with tart lemon sorbet and graham crackers, and does not involve pie crust or hot ovens. Summer dream!

Yogurt is always a solid idea. You can tell a lot about a person by their yogurt choices. Im in it for the Fruity Pebbles cereal. The yogurt is a vehicle for the Pebbles thats real. I also have some major tan lines on my feet. That must mean Im livin! or just wear the same shoes all the time.

I love theseWhole Wheat Flatbreads! Theyre so simple to make, requiring only a hot, oiled skillet. The Herb Yogurt Cucumber Dipis a perfect pairing. Its a summer dinner without much fuss!

Is it weird that I keep encouraging you to stay out of the kitchen this summer?

This particular dinner was enjoyed on the ground with lots of cutting boards. Bread, meat, and olives is totally dinner.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ballsare one of the best ideas Ive ever had in my life. Cooke dough, without egg, fork stuck, chocolate dipped and frozen. They are perfect! Actually.. .theyre so good, they might actually cross the line and become a baaad idea. These things are dangerous to have in the freezer. Nothing but trouble. Good trouble. Bad trouble. Geez, I cant even tell!

Peko Peko @ South Melbourne

Peko Peko to me is one of those places where we can get a fuss-free quick and cheap dinner. Well almost fuss-free. Unlike most places in my book that do belong to that category, Peko Peko requires you to call them up in advance just to make sure there's a table waiting for you because they are always packed (or close to packed). Once you are seated though, the affair is pretty straight forward. Choose one item from the bountiful list of dishes you can order from, wait a little while, eat up, pay a very reasonable $15-20 per pax and off you go.

Feeling a little peckish and want a starter on top of your main course? Try the taiwanese sausage.

Slightly sweet and spiced, this was rather lean compared to the ones we have had in Taiwan or the ones you get in the supermarket.

The beef noodles comes with a light herbal broth that anyone would be happy with especially during cold winter nights. I can't really say the same about the beef though for it was rather forgettable.

While I preferred the broth used in the beef noodle, I loved how generous the battered pork chop was in this dish. The batter and the taste reminds me of the night markets of Taipei where freshly battered chicken chops are sold by the hundreds if not thousands each night.

Apart from noodles, Peko Peko serves a mean bento box. Alongside two small random side dishes, you get to choose the main dish from a list of 20 over items (I think). The pop corn chicken is recommended, a classic and done similarly to the battered pork chop. The only problem I had is how dry it was trying to eat fried chicken with plain white rice (then again, I love gravy / sauce with white rice).

The honey beef comes with a sweet glaze gets a little sweet as you reach the last few pieces but great to eat alongside the rice.

So if you happen to stay in the South Melbourne / St Kilda Road area, this is a small brilliant place for a weekday dinner (although I will regret saying this if I have to wait for a table the next time I visit).

Address and con! tact det ails:

Verdict: 4 stars out of 5 stars. For what it is, simple satisfying dishes for a weekday dinner, this place is a keeper.

Taiwan House @ Ampang Point - Beef Noodle

SF: Tartine & Bi-Rite

18th April 2012

I've had someone recover some of my lost photos but I'm unable to re-size them. It's unfortunate because I'd love to show you around Pixar, even if I can't show you the photos taken inside. So let's skip to the next day, 18th April.

Hub had left for home on 17th April and Yi and I went back to stay with CY in Oaklands after staying two days with K and FC in Saratoga. The next day, Yi and I got into the city and unfortunately again, I can't show you the video I took of her dancing in the subway station to"Stand By Me" played by a guy on his saxophone. It was a silly dance, but it was great to me because she was so happy and so was I. We also felt totally relieved as the conference was over and we were now free to do anything.

Yi's friend N suggested late lunch at Tartine Bakery (600 Guerrero St), one of San Francisco's most famous bakeries. The place was fully packed and it was hard to even stand in there because there was only room for the queue. The only available table was outside and even though it was chilly, we spent about 2 hours just catching up and watching people go by.

I think this was Tartine's croque monsieur, USD9.75

Tartine's owners previously ran a bread bakery and were judged the best pastry chefs (James Beard Awards) in 2008. I didn't know then that I was eating one of the best artisan breads in SF, and I guess it adds to the rusticness! but as N had observed, the sandwich and quiche were a bit too burnt. I wasn't impressed with the sandwich.

Ham quiche, USD4.95.

Lettuce wedges. I found the dressing too acidic.

A seriously good banana cream tart, USD7.

And a seriously yummy toasted coconut cream tart, USD7.

Passion fruit lime Bavarian slice.

The coffee came in a bowl (no handle) bigger than regular rice bowls and it was perfect for warming up our hands.

Tartine is more rustic and 'homemade' (but whose mama bakes as good as they?) than any bakeries I've been to in recent years. I will definitely go back to Tartine for their famous bread pudding, scones, croissants...and maybe even their sandwiches. And while there, I will definitely grab a copy each of their cookbooks too.

Right after lunch, N took us to her favorite ice cream place, Bi-rite Creamery & Bakeshop at 3692, 18th St in the Mission District, a short walk from Tartine. After all the cream pies we had at Tartine, we still had room for ice cream, and on a cold day!

Bi-Rite's salted caramel ice cream is AWESOME!

3692, 18th St in the Mission District

Marini's On 57 @ Petronas Tower 3

Marini's on 57 Bar: Round Two. Earlier entry: June 26.

While waiting for Marini's on 57 Italian Restaurant to open at Petronas Tower 3 (soon, they say!), we've satiated our cravings at the 57th-floor bar here, ordering basic pastas and bar bites like these beautifully battered whitebait (RM25++), served with delicious sea salt and chive dips.

Bruschetta sampler, piled impressively with tuna and balsamic vinegar, tomatoes and olive tapenade. Pricey at RM28++, but truly tasty, thanks to the fresh, flavorsome toppings.

Burrata cheese salad (RM52++), the flavor of the year for every top-flight Italian eatery in KL.

Simple but satisfying: Monte Verdi pennoni, a slightly larger version of penne, tossed with seafood in tomato herb sauce (RM45++). Probably as good as a recipe like this can get in KL.

Orecchiette with duck breast and truffle oil (RM38++). Marini's full-fledged restaurant, likely to launch before Ramadan, is expected to feature not one but two Italian chefs. Not sure if they're toiling in the kitchen already, but the pastas here are fairly flawless.

Slick, slurp-worthy strands of fresine, partnered with porcini (RM38++). It's unclear whether these recipes are representative of what the restaurant will offer; let's cross our fingers that there'll be more uncommon offerings from various Italian regions.