The Old Jolly Times

On last Sunday, I organized an dim sum breakfast gathering for the OWL & BND thread members in SS2. Well, it's been some time since the entire gang (though some pioneer members couldn't make it) met up.

The place in SS2 was packed by the time we got there. Forgot the name of the shop but it's located on same row with Pelita mamak and next to Sports Toto.

We had a variety of excellent dim sums, and it taste better than most dim sum shop I've been to. Rotten PSP not included

Dim sums accompanied by chinese tea and good chats to kick start the morning

We divided ourselves into 2 tables during the eating session. Here's the Table #1 kakis posing for a line-up

Think about it, it's been almost three years since the gang first met. At that time, we became one of the most widely visited social & networking thread in Lowyat.Net. Heck, we sure had serious fun times along the years, having occasional gatherings like BBQ parties, futsal activities, convoy trips, eating sessions and more.

What a fun morning it was, well you certainly can't beat good friends, good food and good quilting... all together. Next up for the gang - a bak kut teh gathering!

- Frag

Half Past Five

Gosh, I'm suprised to find myself still here awake at 5 in the morning. Must be the iced tea drinks I had during yumcha earlier. Thank God it's Sunday today. Had this deep hunger striking my stomach. I have a terrible feeling that I must pay a quick visit in Chow Kit, to satisfy my hunger and crave for a juicy Bak Kut Teh meal now. Must... resist... temptation...

H'mmm... pork. Any friends up for a gathering feast?

Just had a couple of DOTA games with my bro via LAN and I definitely sucked big time, after not playing it for almost a year. Nothing interesting today, as I've been surfing online hanging out in Facebook and tried my Twitter for the first time. It's the next big thing online, however I find it nothing great though. Perharps, I'm missing something I guess. Add me!  

Anyways, we had a quite a dinner earlier at this Bumbu Bali restaurant in Bandar Puteri Puchong, man... they served great authentic Balinese food. If you're reading this Pa, I would like to wish you the awesome-est birthday and thanks for being everything to the family. I love you, man!

More updates on the Bumbu Bali dinner up next. And I can't wait till next Monday when my dear comes home... :)

-frag

A Chinese Delicacy - DIY Style

This was supposed to be posted probably 6 months back ago, few days prior to the year of Ox (aka Chinese New Year 2009). 

Anyways, it's food-related, who cares? Haha! We came up with the idea of doing Chicken Floss Fried Wantons ala homemade style, instead of buying it from outside. Recession and tough times ahead mah... what to do? 

A small-size container of these fried wantons would probably cost you about RM20 to 25 out there nowadays. Plus, some sellers would usually give little stuffings (either chicken or pork floss) inside. Things nowadays definitely are integrating the "Pay More, Get Less" practice. Damn buggers!

The ingredients prepared by us were chicken floss, frozen wanton skin (small pieces), a few eggs (stirred) and tons of patience. Know where to get these, right?

Place a handful of floss onto the wanton skin. Next, start rolling and wrapping them. Finally, patch any opening with the beaten egg to prevent any leaks of the floss during the frying session. Firstly, hand wash required though, very important

The essence of this DIY project are... to stuff, roll, wrap and patch the wantons. Then take a breather. Repeat all these steps until you're done. This stage can be tiring, so get a partner (better if you've got a few to help out) to accelerate things up 

Here's Dear cooking the 1st batch of wrapped wantons

Fry these awesome babies till they turned golden brown, for around a couple of mins... I think

Even an Iron Chef was flew in from Japan specially to cook this delicacy. He declined his name and identity to be posted here though

Viola! Homemade delicious snacks... beats buying from outside. And taste much better yo!

That's all for now I guess. Still trying to sort out some pics for upcoming post. So people, take good care and we will try to blog regularly if possible! 

- Frag

Mooncakes from Chynna

Mooncakes. What's that?

Some of you noobs out there might ask...

Uncle Google said it's a "Chinese pastry traditionally eaten during the Mid-Autumn Festival (yup, it's on this coming weekend!). Typical mooncakes are round or rectangular pastries with thick filling usually made from lotus seed paste is surrounded by a relatively thin crust and may contain yolks".

The packaging - a long rectangular contemporary box with a iron lock. Looks like a traditional treasure chest box to me.

Introducing the Chynna Mooncakes by KL Hilton, thanks to Feebz!

The mini mooncakes printed with Chinese symbols and Chynna logo. This one comes with a single yolk - averagely sweet and taste great.

The mooncakes are placed in boxes and packed as a set, in a classic wooden chest box which makes a great collection, specially for box lovers. Haha!

Here's one that we brought back from Lavender Cake Shop & Bistro in JB. Tried samples of nearly every kind they have there and we ended up buying boxes of the normal ones for our families, plus this Strawberry Snow-skin Mooncake with black bean paste inside.

So anyone's up for a mooncake festival gathering?
Time for some mooncakes hunting!

-/frag/-

Sweet Holidays...

Reporting live from Bamboo Hut Bistro (thank you for the free broadband internet access!) in the Aldy Hotel Melaka, situated a few blocks away after the Red Square Clock Tower by the Malacca River.

Seeing that the holidays are coming this week, the Team F&F consist of... us decided to head off here for a day doing the 'walk-walk-eat-eat' stuff in Malacca, an UNESCO world heritage historic city and followed by a trip back to Feebz's hometown in Johor Bahru. Hehe.

By the way, Jonker's Street is just a stone throws away from this hotel. So it's pretty convinient if you are into sight seeing and visiting places of interest. Will be meeting up some friends later for lunch at a place selling Satay Babis (Pork Satays), which is a must eat whenever I'm in Malacca.

So long for now peeps, enjoy your holidays & Happy Merdeka!

Yours truly...
-/frag/-

Indulge Yourself...

with Durians, of course... the king of fruits! :)

Mum bought home 5 bijis as there's a fruit stall nearby selling it. Seeing that it's been a while since we all ate one (yeah, we heart lu-lians), we decided to have a feast after dinner.


A few lu-lians have rich yellow flesh, clearly distinguishable from the rest. However there was one which the flesh was in a black-ish color, Mum return it in exchange for a better one.


We raided quite a huge amount of Lu-lians that night. Such an excellent taste that feels like it surpasses in flavour of every food in the world. I felt... awesome.

Anyone interested for a durian fest-cum-gathering? Can't wait to fart though.

-/frag/-

Joyful Month of Birthdays

Budget for June has been always tight, with a number of my family birthdays' falls on the same month. Gosh, things gets tighter considering the fact that Father's Day happens to be on the same month while Mother's Day just is a month earlier.

6 Jun Dad's Bday
Most respected man in my life's hitting the half-a-century


14 Jun Christina's Bday
She's my grandmother's caretaker


17th Kidd's Bday
Bro's turning into a fine man already, any girls interested?


20th Mum's Bday
World's greatest & caring mum I dare to say.


For Mum's bday, we dine out at Hau Kee Seafood Restaurant in Yulek.

This place's pretty popular in Cheras as they served good food and it's packed during nights. This was the first time we ate here and the food was satisfyingly good. Herb Chicken Bucket is awesome as the meat is tender and served with tasty chicken essence. I personally dig the Lotus Roots Stir-fried with Macadamia Nuts. Price wise, a bit costly but worthy. Thanks to Dad's Google skill, he's doing good in his Internet. Lol!

Most of the cakes are being actually baked by my sister. I think she's pretty good at it seeing that she's been doing it for a few years and received number of cake orders. So should you be interested to get a cake or share some baking tips, leave me a message or check her blog out here @ mcwhisky.blogspot.com. She also takes orders for cupcakes as well, all for a good price.

Alright, gotta continue watching the Golden Compass DVD... bought for quite some time ago but didn't have the time to watch it. Will be attending for another job interview in Public Bank tomorrow. Hope things will turn out to be good.

Next post on our Zoo Negara trip coming up. Adios'

-/Frag\-

Dumpling Festival!

Last month, both of us went back to hometown for Dumpling Festival last month. My grandma was preparing dumplings for the whole family members and relatives. Grandma's dumpling was so popular and delicious, that even everyone insist to have them. However, lot of preparations are needed to make these nice dumplings.

During the weekends in JB, we stopped by Desaru with my brother, Issa hoping to get a sun-tan session BUT too bad, the weather was not friendly at all. Every beach or seaside we stopped, it will start to drizzle and rain. Sweat... it seems like the gray cloud was chasing us where ever we go~ What a disappointment!

This is the way my grandma cook the dumpling, the traditional way!


Taken by Issa, chilling in a small shop, waiting for the rain to stop


Nice sea wave but no more sunny day


Look at the cloud, it's terrible & chasing us everywhere >_<


My bro in the background~ Busy taking picture


We then stopped by in Kota Tinggi after we gave in to the weather~ Aunty Linda & Uncle Henry brought us to a famous restaurant for lunch. We tried a various of special dishes! This one is certainly nice - BBQ Pigeon!

-FeeBz-

Kuching, Sarawak (Part One)

The F&F Squad decided to touched down and spent a few days hanging around in the Cats City aka Kuching, Sarawak courtesy of Air Asia! Kidding... they were offering free tix promotion recently.

Paired with soon-to-be husband & wife, Rourou and Hois joined along by home boy Casa who acted as our local guide, we had quite some great time on our trip there. The fact is I've never been to Kuching, was hoping to experience the life there and also catch a real S'wakian Orang Utan, like the one below.

Meet Kenny Sia...


The Cat Museum (ground floor of Dewan Bandaraya Kuching Utara, DBKU) located on top of Bukit Siol, 60 meteres above sea level. Beautiful sceneries overlooking the Cat city, I'd say.


Dewan Bandaraya Kuching Utara (DBKU)


Tried to imitate the lovely cats behind, but I failed miserably.


1 unique museum, showcasing everything related to the world of cats. You'll find artifacts and memorabilia's from all over the world. Entrance's free btw.


Stopped by the Holiday Inn Damai Lagoon Resort in Santubong, isolated from the city area. Has a nice resort ambiance to it.


Pretty nice beach with chalets around, this place definitely makes a nice romantic getaway!


We chilled and relaxed there for quite some time, looking at the beautiful sea front and listening to the waves. Like what Borat said, nice...


Hopped over to Sarawak Cultural Village, hoping to see the diverse tribes, their culture and lifestyle. However, we were put off by the ridiculously expensive entrance fee, even for Malaysians like us. No doubt, we left after that. Talk about double standard!


Something cheap, we stopped by the stalls on the road side to have some coconuts on the way back to the city.


Went over to the Sarawak State Museum next, we visited several museums there as well. Would have been much more interesting if they have more things in there.


In the Art Museum, RR and home boy Casa touching the wooden statue's wee-wee. Wonder what are they both praying for... something big?


Not to be missed are the food! Here's the authentic Kuching Kolo Mee! Had a number of them during my stay - simply delicious. Also must try are "3, 4 or 5 layer Teh-C-Peng" (available in all kopitiams ), tomato fried noodles (forgot the place), belacan noodles (forgot the place as well) and the popular "Sio Bee" (Sin Kwang Heng, open air market). We ate almost everything there! Kenny Sia has a better review here on S'wak food!

Coming up next will be highlight of our Kuching trip, our adventure in Bako National Park! Later in part 2 I guess, not now. Very sleepy, ciao.

-/frag/-

Steamboat

Yesterday during the late noon, we head over to KLCC Convention Centre for the Pikom PC Fair. The entire venue were so crowded, sometimes it's just hard to walk around and take a look at the computer stuff and such.

However after some time, we bought a Canon 3-in-1 printer, Seagate 160GB 2.5" Portable Hard Disk and also a "kap-chai" headphone for quite a bargain price. Met Casa there as well because he need to get a MP3 for his sista in the PC fair too.

Frag's parents went for their vacation and since there were a few of us at home, so we had decided to have a simple home cooked steamboat session. We invited Casa to join us and Frag's siblings along as we have bought quite a large amount of steamboat ingredients and food.

All of us were so hungry, cant wait the food to be cook~


Waiting for the soup to boil~ This is 2nd round already.

Thanks Aunt for buying all the food for us, before the vacation :D

-Feebz-

Old Town Kopitam

Reporting live from Old Trafford Town, Taman Midah along with dear Feebz. Yes, it's freaky Friday today and seeing that wonderful weekend's coming, we decided to hangout here as the place's suitable for chilling out and relax.



Usually, we'll be seen here surfing online (him) and getting busy with the PSP (her)... sipping cool ice milk teas to pass our time slowly here. This Cheras outlet (between Honda showroom & Toyota service centre) sure is crowded - very crowded especially when it comes to night. People of all ages coming here to sip iced ''kopis'', ''goyang kakis'' and talk grandfather stories like there's no tomorrow.

The franchise for Old Town ain't cheap though, around 200k plus minus depending on shop's size, I heard. It's common to see such kopitiam concepts mushrooming all around the town within these few years, with Old Town White Coffee being the pioneer. We have Oldtaste, Olden Town, Old Kopitiam, Station Kopitiam etc. appearing everywhere, good enough to "tarpao" the big international players like Starbucks and Coffee Bean.

To many coffee kakis, maybe it does matter to them. But I don't really fancy coffee that much thus I dont really care what are the differences, pros & cons between all these holy kopitiams. As long as the place's serving a variety of food, cheap & affordable price, comfortable enough to rest my butt on... I'm good with it. I'll be a loyal die hard customer too.

Now where's my glass of "Xi Mut" ice tea and kaya & butter toasts? Bwahahaha!

~/Frag/~

Bangkok Invasion - Episode II

Sawadee krap-krapp-krappp...

After some serious hardcore wallet-busting shopping on our first two days in the Land of Transvestites Coconuts Smiles aka Bangkok, Team F&F decided to slow down things and explore further upon Saladaeng area in search for some good food on the 3rd day.

There are street food stalls everywhere within our hotel area selling a huge variety of street food, kind of similar to the ones found in a local night market here, but at a much cheaper price. Really ''peng-leng-jeng'' I'd say. Another thing, pork can be found almost everywhere! Woot!!

Had our brunch here at the HONGMIN Restaurant, serves Chinese-style food.


Decided to try to dim sum, so Feebz's put in charge of ordering.


Worn-out hungry soldier waiting, he survived the shopping massacre too!


The place's well decorated, giving us the Zen feeling. Very nice ambiance.


You've to try the orange (or citrus) juice whenever you're in BKK. The taste's great. Easily be found everywhere, usually selling at a price of 20 baht per bottle.


Tried the gigantic fried 'wu gok'! Very crispy and tons of yams inside. One is enough to stuff you full.


'Char Siu Paus', didnt find it nice as the inside seems to be half-done and there isnt any gravy at all. Definitely no match for the local paus back here!

After trying out a couple plates of dim sums, we decided to try one of the dishes there. Here's Pork Ribs Kuey Teow Noodles - very tasty.

Thai Ronalds here pray very hard occasionally, regretted that I didnt smuggle some McPorks back home.

Shopping mission began... continued walking around in MBK complex.


Got our Thai decorations / handicrafts here. Price's cheap provided if you buy huge quantity and bargain with the sellers well. Spent quite some time here, and our pockets got burned.

Outside MBK Centre, another shopping haven for the ladies.

While she's busy shopping, I'm busy snapping random photographs.


Sial Siam Paragorn Shopping Mall, Asia's largest. Didnt spend much time there as it's all expensive branded stuffs, similar to Pavilion KL. Under Water World's there. Saw a magic show being performed there though.

For our dinner in the evening, we managed to find a restaurant serving authentic Thai food. Quite crowded. All hail Banana Leaf Restaurant!

Two hungry souls waiting for food.


Thai Pandan Chicken - taste good, smells aromatic.

Seafood Otak-otak - rich with prawn and fish meats. The taste's not bad.

Seafood Tom Yum Goong - uber tasty, even though we requested the Chef to cook it less spicy. Best thing we ever had in Thailand. Yum Goong...

Yum Goong... after dinner we walked around & we saw this! Yum Saap betul!

Return of the Dark Lord, Darth Shopper. Night shopping was fun!


MBK during the night time. Traffic's kinda congested as well.

We even saw a group of Britney Spears wannabes performing on the street on our way back. Apparently a group of students were doing a MV there.

Wokies, next batch of photos will be coming up within a couple of days. We found that Bangkok's nightlife was quite lively, if only we went and visit A-Go-Go bars and clubs that night.

-/Frag/-