2011 Ramadan Bazaar @ Subang Jaya SS18

 
                rotisserie chicken on hot charcoals (there's another turning variety)


Let the fasting and feasting begin.


This month of August marks the holy month of Ramadan. It is also the best time for foodies to enjoy a plethora of Malay food from all over Malaysia at the bazaars.



                                                        fluffy briyani gam 


As usual, everyone seems to pack themselves in the first week to the bazaars to see what's on offer.


Limited by where I'm located, I decided to give Subang Jaya a try. It took me a breeze to get there but traffic back to the office was like playing bumper cars in an amusement park.



                           slow cooked rendang Tok, a specialty from Perak


It's fun to rewind back to almost one year and visit these places. Kinda like looking back to old friends.


As usual, whenever I walk down Subang Jaya, I'll bump into one of my blog readers, fulltimemomkl who lives around the corner.



          lemang - glutinous rice is cooked in a bamboo tube over a charcoal fire


So what's on offer this year?


The usual stuff I reckon with a few stalls peppering the regular ones.



               Sabri Hoi's roast ducks are now a common feature in bazaars


It is not only about Malay food as Western themed stalls are also a great draw here for the variety.


Hence you have roast potatoes (foil wrapped with various cheesy fillings), oblong or a Chinese twist as they call them prosperity burgers, deep fried potato chips (those funny rotating ones in one long stick) and there's even Uncle Bob's fried chicken.



        A permanent feature in this market, the roast potatoes with various fillings


Being a multi-cultural country, there's even Chinese influences like roast ducks, a common thing you see in this part of the town as Shah Alam's bazaar will also have these gleaming feathered chaps.


I was quite surprised to see the Petaling street's Air Mata Kuching there but I suspect the banner was all about marketing since it also proclaimed to see Taiping Ling Chee Kang!



                         crispy crunchy prawns to crackle your way through


Some changes also to regular stalls.


The most popular Malay dishes stall that is usually nearer to the main road had shifted across and done away with his signature large enamel trays. Instead it looks almost unrecognisable with their steel long containers that remind me of a buffet spread. Nevertheless, the varieties are still there such as crab curry, vegetables and etc.


.
                             double decker grill for ikan bakar (grilled fish)


Grilled items are often a big draw here. I've often said spot the smoke and you will sniff out a bazaar. It's one of my "tricks" to suss out where a place is if I'm ever lost. Kinda like smoke signals.


There's not too many grilled fish stalls (2 to 3 I think) but one chap did something innovative with his grill - a double decker version to keep his fish warm. Hopefully it does not dry it out as his fish looked really carbonised.



                                              the busy stall owners


There's also the rotisserie chicken stalls - whole chicken turning on a steel pipe over charcoal fire.


And strangely enough, this daging bakar rimau nangis stall. The guy manning this stall was pulling my leg saying it was tiger meat but it looked like beef slices rubbed in a chilli mix that is grilled on an open charcoal fire.



                                            daging bakar rimau nangis


One stall completely grabbed my attention span for most of the time i.e. Azmi Murtabak.


Usually when the stall is full of people, it's either the murtabak chaps are super slow or they are incredibly good, rising above the many other stalls. (pssst, but when you have no time you buy the no queue ones since you're rushing to go home)



          some love this while others hate the strong jasmine scented Teh Sosro


There's a lot of effort in cooking this RM3 murtabak.


First, the roti canai like dough is pulled and stretched till thin. Then it is pan fried on a hot plate with oil till both sides are crisp.







The pan fried piece is placed back on the hot plate. An eggy meat mixture is whipped up in a jug and poured on top of the pan fried pieces. Flip it over like an omelette and it gets cooked even though it kinda looks like an eggy mess.





Top with another slice of pre fried roti canai and then repeat with egg mixture, flipping it over. Remove it and place on another piece of stretched roti canai dough.


Wrap this up and pan fry until both sides are brown. Literally a "murtabak lasagna" as I heard one of the queue people mention since you get the layers of crispy roti canai dough sandwiching the eggy meat layers. Incredibly innovative I reckon.


Desserts though seems to be the big downfall here with few kuih muih (Malay cakes) available. There was one stall selling jelly that sold like hot cakes. One interesting stall sold ondeh ondeh using gula melaka from Thailand. Seems this variety does not melt so fast hence I can imagine it'll still be whole when you bite into each green morsel covered with fresh coconut. For drinks, there's Teh Botol Sosro, the jasmine scented tea drink and Barbican non alcoholic beer.


Ramadan Bazaar
Along Jalan SS18/6


For more pictures, see the Flickr Set. Previous years bazaar are in: 2006, 2008.

Taiwan Fruits and Vegetable Fair (till August 14)

Apologies. I've been distracted with work.


Hopefully I am back on track. I'm returning to the blogosphere with some fruits and vegetables from Taiwan that was launched last Saturday at Empire Subang Jaya.





I've a big fan of fruits and vegetables hence it was great to discover some new variants of the fruits.


Taking centre stage for the opening ceremony was the jumbo watermelons - huge babies that needed two hands to cut them into half. I had a taste of the juicy melons and compared to their local cousins, the Taiwanese ones have a denser texture while still maintaining a sweet and juicy taste.





The whole ceremony took place at the front part of the ever busy Jaya Grocer, one of my favourite shopping places.


Everyone had a great time milling around to sample the fruits such as the Golden Mangoes. They kinda resemble the Thai versions in look but not in size (everything in Taiwan seems a little super sized, I wonder if it is their water?). The flesh is silkier with very little fibre making it a better bite.





Another crowd favourite were the Kyoho Grapes. I've tried the Japanese and South Korean versions and the Taiwan ones are a little different. These thick skinned grapes come with a fragrant sweet juicy flesh that I often associate with grape gummies. I reckon the ones brought in were just the right ripeness as their skin and flesh could be eaten together like a plum. I often find the Japanese and South Korean grapes skin to be inedible since they are too hard.







This is the second time, Euro-Atlantic aka the fine fruits and vegetables purveyors are holding. The first one was also held in Empire Subang Jaya but on a smaller scale. One of the most popular items from the previous fair was also brought in - the white bittergourd. Genetically modified to remove the green colour, these gourds have a milder taste. The vegetable is often juiced with honey to produce a refreshing (but still bitter) healthy drink.





They had also brought in a water bamboo shoot that resembles leeks. Seems it is grown in water hence the smell is not so pungent but sweet.







Other fruits and vegetables you can get your hands on during the fair are guavas, green bamboo shoots, apple mangoes, President pears, sweet musk melons, red plums and etc.


The Taiwan Fruit and Vegetable Fair runs till August 14 at Jaya Grocer, Empire Subang; Jusco in Midvalley and Bandar Utama; Urban Food in SS2 Mall and Carrefour at Tropicana Mall.


*This event was by invitation. For more pictures, see my Flickr set.

Thai Food @ Restaurant Chef Choi, Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur

Thai food in a Chinese restaurant?


Yeah, you heard right....





The owners of Chef Choi are extremely adventurous when it comes to food. Instead of just focusing on Chinese food as their name would suggest, it's literally anything that they love to cook and eat, that is served here.


Thus, you find Western classic desserts like crepes suzette, creme brulee mingling among steamed Soon Hock fish or Hokkien noodles in the menu. We recently sampled their Thai food and from what I hear through the grapevine, there's talk of a BBQ menu as they have outfitted the kitchen with a rotisserie BBQ.





Since their main focus is not Thai food, the items featured from this particular dinner are by special order.


The dinner struck a chord among us as each particular dish had a specially concocted sauce that was utterly delicious. One of my friends G, who loves her Thai food hijacked the sauces and was literally drinking it down.





We started dinner with the Kai Sam Yang (fresh lettuce and dried shrimp in Thai style) - a variation of mieng kham whereby lettuce leaf was used instead of the usual betel leaf. It's simple as 1-2-3 to eat this.


Just lay a lettuce leaf on your palm, fold it to resemble a cup and start adding the goodies in it. You get a choice of tiny deep-fried aromatic prawns, galangal, chillies, lime and onions. Drizzle the Thai chilli sauce, a mixture of fish sauce, chillies, vinegar and lime that has all the nuances of a Thai dish. Shape into a money bag and pop into the mouth.





Next was the Nam Prik Kapi (fresh vegetables served with Thai shrimp sauce). Loved the pungent aromas of this sauce laced with Thai belacan. We could not get enough of the deep fried eggplant, blanched four angle beans, long beans, cucumbers and white cabbage. Who said vegetables are boring should give this dish a try.





Next was an unusual dish, kung cheh nam pla (prawn in fish sauce). Super fresh estuary prawns are served raw with an addictive sauce laced with fish sauce, lime, garlic, chillies and sugar.


Even though my tongue tingled from the chillies, I could not get enough of this sauce that I was literally drowning my crunchy sweet tasting prawns with it. My friend G kidnapped this sauce after a while as she could not get enough of it. I kinda suspected she was drinking up the sauces quietly in her corner of the table.





Then, it was a classic Thai dish, the tod mun pla (Thai fish cake). It's done beautifully here as each fish paste patty is juicy and bursting with flavour. Chopped long beans added a nice textural crunch.


Another classic was the yam pla duk foo (deep-fried fish with mango chilli sauce). Usually made from catfish, they had used siakap instead. No complaints as the deep-fried fish was beautifully light, flaky and crispy. It's Splashie Boy's favourite Thai item and he kept eating this "floss" like dish, drizzling over the mango chilli sauce that was more sweet vs spicy.





Our stomachs were groaning but we were almost reaching the end. I didn't expect it but the served my favourite food item, poo nam prik prao (crab with Thai basil and chilli). Local mud crabs were used so they had a sweet unbeatable taste that no Sri Lankan or Indonesian crab can ever imitate. It was again very aromatic with the Thai basil while the sauce was on the sweeter side. I wished I had more time to slowly pick through the crab but it was time for the piece de resistance.


Oh, I almost forget another dish not of the Thai genre but a preview of the BBQ menu. The full slab of juicy grilled pork ribs. Really good stuff that we had to use our fingers to enjoy each morsel of it.





The dinner had started out as a request for Thai duck noodles, a specialty of the owner. Rather than just serve us the noodles, it became a full blown Thai meal.


We had left crucial stomach space for this dish and I'm glad we did. The broth was light yet fragrant from the pork and duck bones. It came packed with shredded duck, bean sprouts and incredible sin in the form of fried lard cubes and crunchy pig's skin. We also tried various noodles - the usual Thai kuey teow, Chef Choi's own egg noodles and beehoon. I preferred the egg noodles as it seems to absorb more of the broth compared to the Thai kuey teow noodles. Others had varying opinions. At one time, the room was silent from everyone slurping down their incredibly tummy satisfying noodles.


The meal ended with another classic, the tad thim krob (red rubies dessert) with water chesnuts and jackfruit in a coconut milk broth.

Restaurant Chef Choi
159, Jalan Ampang
Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03- 2163 5866

(Non halal. House next to Pelita Restaurant. More pictures are in my Flickr set. Remember to pre-order the Thai food.)

* This meal was by invitation from the owners of Chef Choi as a preview of their Thai food menu.

KLickr (Kuala Lumpur Flickr) Heritage Themed Photo Walk with Kam Raslan

Let's take a little break from food and go for a walk. To be precise it is a slow walk around Kuala Lumpur sprinkled with a splash of history and a dash of stories from the past.


Recently, I joined the KLickr (KL's Flickr group) Heritage Themed Photo Walk that was led by famous book author and newspaper columnist Kam Raslan. You may have seen Raslan's Ceritalah's column in The Star or his numerous books such as Confessions of an Old Boy gracing our local bookstores.


Having been a long standing fan of Raslan's works (I dutifully thumb through The Edge for his column every Saturday even though I've left the corporate world aeons ago), I was thrilled to have him rant about the city's notorious past. So raptured I was with the stories I admit I took very few photos to justify my existence in that photo group (hangs head in shame!).





Nevertheless I manage to cobble together a decent picture album for the Flickr set. However, I seriously doubt it is good enough for this Saturday's Urbanscapes (the most happening event with music, food, photos from Klickr and etc).


Back to the walk and that chunk of history. Tune out now if you fall asleep of the single mention of that H word.


But seriously, it is good stuff that had me riveted, which I will "try" to capture below in easy digestible chunks. I've also done some research and supplemented it with dates and more facts.





Why Kuala Lumpur as a city?


Raslan points out that historically capital cities are usually located next to a port. However, in our case it was a little different since Kuala Lumpur was nowhere near the port Klang or Swettenham as it was known those days. From what I read, prior to 1880s the port was originally the administrative centre. However it was subsequently shifted to Kuala Lumpur, which had gained a commercial importance as boats would dock near sand bank where the two rivers, Sungai Klang and Gombak met. These boats would carry goods that would be shifted onwards to the booming tin mines in Ampang.  Raslan tells of how goods would be uploaded next to the bridge. Guards will stand there with guns not to shoot people from crossing the bridge but in case any crocodile from the river will attack these boat handlers.





Yap Ah Loy's town


Kuala Lumpur was ruled by the infamous Kapitan China, Yap Ah Loy. Raslan points out that the Chinese left their homeland China following the Taiping Rebellion where an estimated 25 million people perished during those bloody civil wars. The Chinese came in waves to work in the mines. Life was tough those days hence they turned to opium that was controlled by the Chinese secret societies headed by Yap. Raslan tells of a story on how Yap once issued a lucrative reward for the head of his enemies. People would overzealously cut off their friend's heads just to try and collect the reward.

Sultan Abdul Samad Building

The bridge divided the two areas - on one side it was Chinatown but on the other side was where the British held court. They built the magnificent Sultan Abdul Samad building that was named after the present Sultan of Selangor. Designed by Arthur Norman, the building had a Moorish influence that the British felt will fit in the area. The building housed the colonial British adminstrative headquarters. Just across the road was the Padang that became the cricket playing grounds. There's a quirky history reference that Raslan remembers on a young Malay boy that once won a biscuit eating competition organised at these grounds.

Masjid Jamek

Designed by the same architect, Arthur Norman, the mosque was located on the sandbank where the two rivers converge together. In a similiar style to the Sultan Abdul Samad Building,  the domes had a Moorish look. According to Raslan, the mosque was actually wrongly aligned as it was built to fit that piece of land. It is the oldest mosque in KL being built in 1909. Originally Malay burial grounds, some but not all of the graves were moved to other parts of the KL when they built the mosque. It is interesting to note that in the olden days, the river actually rose up to the bottom of the steps of the mosque. Due to development, the land around KL had been leveled layer by layer causing the river banks to sink lower and lower in comparison. 

Medan Pasar - The Market Square


Just located off the landing point, this was the heart of Kuala Lumpur in those days. Yap Ah Loy's home built after 1881 was where the old HSBC building is located that faces the square (not the present building). Here he could oversee everything from his notorious dealings in the opium dens and gambling houses that he owned. During the day, stalls will be found n the square but at night, people flock here for opium and to gamble for a chance to get rich. After Yap's death, these stalls were then relocated to Central Market. Long before Central Market was a tourist place, it was a wet market. In 1937, an Art Deco clock tower with geometrical designs was built to commemorate the coronation of King George IV, the present Queen Elizabeth II's father.



Bukit Aman


The Colonial British used to have their police headquarters known as "the Fort" on a site overlooking the Padang. This was later renamed as Bukit Aman. This was one of the strategies the British employed since it was at higher ground that gave them a vantage point should the Chinese ever attack them. As a warning to the Chinese, everyday at noon the British will fire a cannon that could be heard as far as Chinatown.

Sin Sze Ya Temple

Located just behind the shophouses along Central Market, this small temple is said to be the oldest Taoist temple in Kuala Lumpur. Built by Yap Ah Loy in honour of the Sin Sze Ya deity, you can find a picture of the Kapitan China within the four walls of the temple.

Nowadays devotees offer their prayers here. Street people also consider this place their refuge to rest a while. The temple is a popular place for tourists and of course photographers.

I reckon it is the best place for photography since you get colourful characters and there's something real magical about the incense, hanging lanterns and joss sticks. We end our walk here with a group photo and a little Malaysian custom, a drink and a chat at the nearby mamak stall. 







The walk was organised by KLickr in conjunction with this coming Saturday's Urbanscapes. If you haven't checked it out yet, do visit their site and see what acts are playing, food you get and of course entertainment like KLickr-ville. There are various photography contests and photo screenings. Read more about it here. Foodies can also look forward to The Last Polka's ice cream including their special one day KL flavour, which will be unveiled on that day itself. For more details on KLickr, follow them on facebook or join their KLickr group on Flickr.







If you are interested to learn more about Kuala Lumpur, there are free Heritage Walks conducted by volunteers. They take off from the Central Market Information Counter at 10.30am daily.

Les Deux Garcons @ Desa Business Park, Kuala Lumpur

"I've got chills, they're multiplying," sang John Travolta in Grease's You're The One That I Want.

I often feel that way whenever I blog about a place I love - that thrill (and chills) of sharing a close secret of how good the place is. While I realise not everything I like appeals to the general public (I tend to have weird tastes unlike an average Malaysian), it still excites me to share it. And yes, it's about macarons - again! (there goes the chorus of groans).

I first read about this place from Hungry Female. She raved about their truffle macarons that I decided it worthy to make it to the list of places to check out. Hence one day, I decided to seize the opportunity to take a drive to Taman Desa to check it out.





I got a little lost trying to figure my way around Taman Desa. It didn't help someone threw me a red herring that led me to Ficelle at Taman Danau Desa instead. I pushed on and found it at the Desa Business Park near the fire station.


It's hard to spot the place since there's no signboard but luckily I matched it to their frontage pictures from the Facebook. I wanted to shout Bingo when I discovered the place.





The shoplot houses a pristine white and stainless steel outfitted bakery where they work on the cakes and macarons. Don't expect a showcase of cakes or macarons though since everything is kept away.


While the cakes need to be pre-ordered (read their website for details), the macarons are available on a daily basis depending on what is available. I suspect truffle is by order so maybe one day I'll get my grubby hands on those delectable gems.





Nevertheless my haul of macarons for that surprise visit was pretty decent. I liked how they were packaged them in nifty black boxes that give the colourful gems a look akin to an eyeshadow box. Eat your heart out MAC cosmetics!


When you discover awesome macarons, the best thing is to share them. I brought them over to my equally macaron crazy friend CS so she could give me her opinion straightaway. 





That afternoon, we had a special tea party among stacks of legal brown files and tasted almost all of the macarons with her colleague J. Copious cups of coffee and Korean millet tea were also provided. 


Our impromtu macaron tea party saw us going oooh and aah over their superb wasabi flavour (beautifully balanced with just a hint of horseradish to make it less sweet), lemon vanilla (another winner with a vanilla grey shell and not overly tangy lemon ganache), passionfruit (who said yellow is bad!?), pistachio (sigh!) and green olive (a little faint).


We also sampled other flavours like caramel, strawberry, peanut butter and dark chocolate. They're pretty good but not as mind blowing as the winners list.


Each perfectly formed macaron has a light and well balanced flavour. They're also not so sweet with a wonderful soft crunch once bitten into. These exquisite gems may probably be the best ones in town at the moment.


Seems the owner Yeong trained in Bangkok in a pastry kitchen. I'm also itching to try their cakes including their marble buttercake and the French gateaux. If they lavish the same love on their cakes like their macarons, I reckon they're winners. Incidentally they have a wicked sense of humour in identifying their macarons. For instance, the ones with a white shell and a green ganache filling is pistachio to resemble the nut while dark chocolate has a yellow shell that resembles a ripe cocoa pod.


Macarons are priced at RM78 for a box of 12 various flavours. For more information of their prices and how to order see their website.


Les Deux Garcons
16, Jalan 2/109E
Desa Business Park
Taman Desa
Kuala Lumpur


Tel: 03-7980 0200


(Pork Free. Open from 9.30am to 6pm from Tuesday to Sunday. Cakes must be pre-ordered vide their website or see their facebook page. They also do delivery but you need to check with them where they deliver. Call ahead to check availability of flavours and macarons. For more pictures, see my 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.

Ottolenghi Roast Chicken with Saffron, Hazelnuts & Honey

Life is so full of uncertainties that sometimes I feel a good old home cooked meal seem to bring us back to where it all started.


In a bid to find comfort, I turned to one of my favourite cookbooks, Ottolenghi that showcases recipes from the famous cafe in London. In some ways, places like Plan B and the other BIG outlets have a teeny weeny bit of Ottolenghi in them - the displays of salads, the tall trays of desserts and etc.


I was drawn to this Claudia Roden inspired dish, the roast chicken with saffron, honey and hazelnuts. What a wonderful combination. My mouth was watering when I read the ingredient list. As expected, the whole kitchen was perfumed with the delicate aromas of the chicken baking in its saffron marinade. Not overly sweet, the chicken was well balanced with the roast hazelnuts. Instead of couscous, we dived into the dish with fluffy quinoa instead, a kitchen staple.


The verdict - definitely a keeper recipe that I would make again and again. Give it a try. Incidentally, the saffron tinges the marinade and the juices of the chicken a pale yellow colour - the perfect colour to signify today's momentous Bersih 2.0 rally to seek electoral reforms.


Roast chicken with saffron, hazelnuts and honey (4 servings)


1 chicken, divided into rough pieces
2 onions, chopped coarsely
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
generous pinch of saffron threads (use good quality ones like Spanish)
juice of 1 lemon
4 tablespoons cold water
2 teaspoons sea salt flakes
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
100g unskinned hazelnuts
70g honey
2 tablespoons rosewater
spring onions (chopped and optional)


In a large bowl, mix chicken and all other ingredients except the hazelnuts, honey, rosewater and spring onions (if using). Leave to marinate for 1 hour or overnight in the refrigerator. 
      Preheat oven to 190 degrees Celsius. Roast hazelnuts on a baking tray for 10 minutes. Remove and leave to cool. Chop coarsely. Place marinated chicken on a baking tray in one row. Pour remaining marinade over chicken. Bake for 35 minutes. In the meantime, mix chopped hazelnuts, honey and rosewater together. Spoon over each piece of chicken after it has been baked for 35 minutes. Bake for another 10 minutes. Remove from the oven. Serve with rice or couscous. Garnish with spring onions. - adapted from the Ottolenghi The Cookbook