Japanese Strawberry Cream Shortcake

Only a few short years ago, I didn't know why strawberry shortcakes here were not the crumbly, scone-like real shortcake shortcake. Turned out that the Japanese, lover of all things cute and girlish, came up with a strawberry and cream sponge cake (usually flavored with kirsch or other liqueurs) that is completely different from the American shortcake (poor Americans, now their shortcake is not the only shortcake around). I love both types. American shortcake is the first dessert I ate in America as a student visiting from Canada when my aunt Lucia made dinner. I thought it was the best thing I had eaten in years (sorry, Canadians, all I could afford was cakes from Safeway so anything else made a huge impression). And really, the two different shortcakes show the contrast in taste between westerners and easterners when it comes to cakes, although more and more of my friends are demanding more than just 'airy moussy nothingness'--my term for most cakes sold here. Westerners prefer cakes that are sweeter, more substantial in texture and more depth in flavor while easterners perfer super light, less sweet, very soft and delicately-flavored cakes. I like both. That makes me a Wasterner.

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One more seat left for tomorrow's baking class. Japanese strawberry cream cake will be one of the cakes you'll learn.

Pho Ha Noi Vietnamese Restaurant, Erlangen, Germany

One of the best things to have during a cold day is a bowl of pho. There is something satisfying about the beef broth that soothes the rumbling tummy and stirs your taste buds. In the quiet student town of Erlangen, Pho Ha Noi Vietnamese Restaurant is where I go to get my fix of pho.

PhoHanoi

It is a small store situated right between a Turkish market and a bistro/cafe restaurant. There is nothing glamourous about the place, it has basic seating and it isn't the largest of places but the main attraction here is the food.

The location


Most Vietnamese restaurants in Germany serve food which has been a bit more suited to the local taste buds and it is no different at Pho Ha Noi. However, they do have an extra menu which serves some properly authentic Vietnamese noodles such as the pho, bun and also a couple of spring roll dishes. What I do order most of the time here is the Pho Hanoi, with flat noodles, thinly sliced beef (never overcooked I might add!) and a generous amount of herbs and bean sprouts. There is a few other versions of the pho here, one of them called the Pho Saigon, whereby the only difference is that they stir fry the beef first and add in some beef balls to the noodles. There is also a chicken version for non-bovine eaters. I prefer the Hanoi style as the b! eef is c ooked to my liking and much smoother that way.

Another dish I like to have is theBn b Hu, with a spicier broth and uses Bun, a thin noodle (but is thicker than our Malaysian bee hoon). For those who want a break away from the standard soup noodles there is the Bun Bo La Lot. This is a refreshing dish which is sort of like a noodle salad and comes with some assorted vegetables and Bo La Lot, ground beef wrapped in betel leaves and grilled. It is served with a Vietnamese dipping sauce called the nuoc mam cham, which is sweet and savoury. The dish is very clean tasting and combining its elements together, it produces some very nice flavours with the crunchy vegetables and the aromatic Bo La Lot.

The star attraction... Pho Hanoi



Bn b Hu


Bn b l lt

Nuoc mam cham sauce


Verdict: Great authentic vietnamese noodles with minimal fuss.


Opening times: Monday to Saturday: 11.00 - 21.00; Su! ndays an d Fridays: 14.00 - 22.00

Service: Brisk

Price: Between 6.90 to 8.00 euros for a bowl/plate of noodles

Location: Pho Ha Noi Vietnamese Restaurant, Kammerstrasse 4, 91054 Erlangen, Bavaria, Germany

Tel: +49 9131/9738441

*This is a guest post by The Unc. All photos taken with Samsung Galaxy SIII.

Malaysian Tourism Hunt 2012 19th 25th Sept 2012

Today is the 2nd day of the Malaysia Tourism Hunt 2012 and as I sit here uploading pictures and writing in my barely conscious state, I realized how fulfilling the previous 2 days has been. The Malaysia Tourism Hunt is organized for the 1st time ever and tomorrow is the official flag-off day.

Malaysia Tourism Hunt 2012

Almost 200 participants from the local and international media has congregated in Pullman Putrajaya Lakeside Hotel in the last 48 hours and we are all thrilled for the break of dawn tomorrow when the ala amazing race/fear factor/treasure hunt event officially kicks -off.

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Below: The soft launch 2 weeks back in MATIC, Jalan Ampang with Datuk Ng Yen Yen in attendance.

Malaysia Tourism Hunt 2012-001

We have certainly enjoyed the networking opportunity the last 2 days (I have made many new friends! :) )and our comfortable stay inPullman PutrajayaLakeside, all thanks to Malaysia Tourism Board.

pullman hotel putrajaya  - room

Yesterday we were taken for a crui! se on Pu trajaya man-made lake where wemarveled at the splendour of the majestic buildings and architecture of the buildings within Putrajaya. The tour also served to give all the media involved a crash course about Malaysias model city Putrajaya.

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1 Putrajaya Lake Cruise - Cruise tasik Putrajaya-011

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There were a total of 8 bridges, 8 parks, 8 governments buildings here and each boasts stunning and intricate designs that beckons photo-taking frenzy.

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Putrajaya Lake Cruise - Cruise tasik Putrajaya-008

I for one, hoped that all the lights are from solar energy. It would

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Today we were split into teams of 4 and were given a quick brief about our itinerary for the next 5 days. Our kind sponsors provided Touch & Go smart tags, Petronas petrol refuel cards and Garmin navigational devices. Meanwhile, our comfy rides are taken care of by Proton.

Malaysia Tourism Hunt 2012

Malaysia Tourism Hunt 2012 - sepang international circuit Proton

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Below: My teams car the Proton Exora! :)

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The international media were given a tour of Sepang InternationalCircuitand many came away impressed. Surprisingly it turned out to be a first for some of our local media (Brunei, Perlis, Pahang, etc) too!

Below: At the pit.

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The control room.

Malaysia Tourism Hunt 2012 - sepang international circuit

We did a quick test drive of our Proton cars on the Sepang circuit itself and I was thrilled to actually be driving on the very tracks that famous F1 drivers had pitted among themselves on and won championships!

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** In full concentration mode while drifting driving on the Sepang tracks!

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Below: Im certified! :dd

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A quick introduction to SIC session followed which was rather interesting as it revealed some interesting insights. For instance, do you know that the Sepang International Circuit is fully booked everyday of the year?Surprised? Same here! I thought it was only in use during F1 season! :)

Apparently the tracks are popular for events, races , practice sessions and shows.

Malaysia Tourism Hunt 2012 - sepang international circuit-004

After the familiarisation session with our Proton cars, we drove back to the hotel and immediately proceeded for a 5km cycling route around Putrajaya. Yes it was a hectic day! And the hunt has not even begun!

Malaysia Tourism Hunt 2012 - bicycle rent - riding

Those who didnt cycle went brid watching instead. The Putrajaya Lake and Wetlands are home to almost 300 species of migratory birds. A few ! lucky me dia even spotted some otters.

Malaysia Tourism Hunt 2012 - Bird Park

Malaysia Tourism Hunt 2012 - tasik and wetland putrajaya

Malaysia Tourism Hunt 2012 - Day 1-002

With barely 45 mins left, we rushed back to the hotel to freshen up before our dinner on thepresenceof the President of Perbadanan Putrajaya.

Malaysia Tourism Hunt 2012 - Day 1

Malaysia Tourism Hunt 2012 - Day 1-001

And thus ends our day 2! Tomorrow is Day 1 -Malaysian Tourism Hunt 2012!

There are many exciting activities lined up to challenge the participants knowledge about the locations of the hunt; which begins at Putrajaya, then to Frasers Hill, Water Theme Park Bukit Gambang Resort City, Raub Pahang, National Elephant Conservation Centre Kuala Gandah, Kuala Terengganu and Redang Island! :dd

Pictu res in this post:
sony nex f3


The Fish of Alaska

sitka alaska sustainable fishing

Sitka Lake

When you are invited by the Alaskan Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI) to participate in a Seafood Culinary Retreat during which you will go fishing to learn about Alaskas wild and sustainable fishing industry, youll sample amazingly fresh wild Alaskan seafood and stay on a private island, its hard to say no. The people who invited me didnt know it, but Alaska had always been a place I was dreaming to visit one day.

Of course, I was tempted.

So I said yes-and I traveled to Alaska.

And was amazed by what I learned and discovered.

Reminded of the power and natural beauty found in Nature.

This post is divided into seven pages, so make sure to click on the page numbers at the bottom of each page to read the complete story. Im hoping this will make it easier to enjoy long posts like this one.

Alaska fishing sustainable tartine gourmande

Alaska

I had always imagined that in Alaska, I would find atmospheric landscapes, with snow-capped mountains hiding behind thick layers of fog; glaciers that take us back to ancient times; forests where ever green trees stretch high up in the sky; infinite bodies of wate! r; abundance of fish, and authentic faces that witness of the connection to the earth.

They were all there, surrounding us.

talon lodge alaska

The last time I fished happened in France with my school friend Patricia, when she and I caught une truite (trout) in the small tang (pond) near the village. I was ten years of age then, and remember how proud I had felt walking home with my catch in hand.

Needless to say that I felt pretty lucky to be part of this new fishing adventure! And in Alaska nonetheless!

alaska fishing tartine gourmande sitka

Located at the northwest tip of the North American continent, Alaska is the largest state in the United States. In 1867, Americans buy the land from Russia. In 1959, Alaska becomes the 49th American state with its own constitution.

I learned that Alaska is the only state in the nation with a constitutional mandate that requires sustainability of its fish and wildlife resources.

Which means that, fishing is highly regulatedto be able to fish, you need to obtain a fishing license; each person has a quota determining how many fish can be caught each day.

In return, this ensures that resources will never be depleted; there will always be more fish to catch in the future.


Kuan Hwa, Pasir Penampang, Kuala Selangor

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Fresh clams, cockles(still alive) and oyster

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Fresh cockles boiled, to be eaten with their appetising green chilli sauce

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Lala meehoon, just ok

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mix seafood(fish stomach, sea cucumber, prawn, mushroom, vege)

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steamed prawn, fresh

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steamed pomfret, very fresh

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sharkfins in spicy sauce, dont like this at all

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mantis prawn, so far the best mantis is from Gee Seng in Bukit Tambun. This one though fresh is not sweet tasting enough.

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Four heavenly king(brinjal, petai, long bean and ladys finger)

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steamed flower crab, yummy!

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steamed mud crab, a lot of roe, wish the roe is not overly steamed though, the flesh is steamed just right.

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If you are their regular customer, you might be able to get the better soy sauce as above

Above is all the food for 8 adults, a treat from friend and her mom, i think average out to RM90 per pax, we were so stuffed till no one could stomach one lone piece of steamed meat crab with roe!

Address: Kuan Hwa Seafood restaurant

No 1A, Jalan Bagan Sungai Yu,

Pasir Penambang,

45000 Kuala Selangor

Telephone: 03-3289 6719; 016-213 8070/012-274 7417/012-203 5097/016-213 6268

Post by other blogger:

My previous visit to Kuan Hwa on October 2011

augustdinersfoodblog

Places and Foods

Ling In De House

SyingK

Related posts:

  • Restoran Kuan Hwa Kuala Selangor
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