Marinated Prawn Entree
Duck Slices on a Rocket Bed, garnished with Lychees
The Mains
The Dessert
Subscribe To
Posts
All Comments
Friday, 31 July 2009
One Night at Ee-Laine Yap's Possum's Nest
Refreshing Greens
Marinated Prawn Entree
Duck Slices on a Rocket Bed, garnished with Lychees
The Mains
The Dessert
Marinated Prawn Entree
Duck Slices on a Rocket Bed, garnished with Lychees
The Mains
The Dessert
Tuesday, 28 July 2009
A Presence in Paddington, Sydney
Old and New
Just Round The Corner
The First Ever Max Brenner
Street Art
.jpg)
The Iconic Paddington Terrace
Sign for the Optometrist
Window Shopping, Literally
Past Heritage
Just Round The Corner
The First Ever Max Brenner
Street Art
.jpg)
The Iconic Paddington Terrace
Sign for the Optometrist
Window Shopping, Literally
Past Heritage
Friday, 24 July 2009
Catching Up, Three and More
I was so bowled over being able to see my cousin Yin again on July 13. In my opinion, she is an outstanding graphic specialist and advertising-marketer in the extended Yong family. It was so special to me to be able to sit down to share a meal
with her, my uncle and aunt and Yin's sister Honey at the Purple Cane Restaurant at Shaw Parade in the heart of old Kuala Lumpur, the part where its illustrious founder Kapitan Yap Ah Loy and peers congregated in the early historical days of the city.
The food was delightfully light and yet tasty, with tea-infused flavours and attention to detail. I felt revitalised. My aunt had cooked her unique black vinegar dish at home the evening before - another cousin, Lai Wan, and her hubby Shaun, had also brought over delicious satay for an apparently deprived visitor from Wollongong.
Still in old KL, that same Monday morning, I had the opportunity to taste again the traditional south Chinese congee. It may be the character of the place but the taste had an old world charm and zing that cannot be replicated in Sydney's Chinatown outlets.
The yum cha brunch on July 19 at the Prima Revolving Tower offered more than food - the views showed the intricate results of stringent and strategic planning by a Government which knows how little land they have as territory. In the eighties, one could go across to Sentosa Isle either by cable car or ferry boat. The former means are still there, with two stations on the destination isle and many more operating coaches. However , Sentosa is now linked by a bridge to the main island of Singapore, with the MRT trains in striking colours shuttling like toys between the Vivio stations and those on Sentosa itself. It was a truly hot equatorial day for getting the beach tan my peers would love after a day's basking on a Bondi summer's day. Traces of the old Sentosa - the giant Merlion, wax museum and Siloso Beach - remain as anchor attractions, but in 2010, the Universal Studios Theme Park and nearby casinos in an environment of an integrated resort will bid for the tourist dollar with Macau, Bangkok, Shanghai and Hong Kong.
Neil and Yeen Yee's wedding dinner at the Sunway Lagoon in the Kelang Valley offered much toasting, the elegant beauty of the bride and Neil's just-right speech. Neil looked so tanned already in his tropical sojourn to Malaysia, even before the bridal entourage's journeys to the islands of Penang and Langkawi. Neil's parents, uncle, aunt and others in the immediate Irish family had come all the way from Dublin, where they had another recpetion at the Hilton in that city just a week before. The dessert at the Malaysian Chinese reception signified the roundness of the marital union, and the other banquet dishes had meaningful connotations of prosperity, happiness and togetherness. I caught up with Yeen Yee's grandmother in the outer reception hall after so many years.
To be continued
with her, my uncle and aunt and Yin's sister Honey at the Purple Cane Restaurant at Shaw Parade in the heart of old Kuala Lumpur, the part where its illustrious founder Kapitan Yap Ah Loy and peers congregated in the early historical days of the city.
The food was delightfully light and yet tasty, with tea-infused flavours and attention to detail. I felt revitalised. My aunt had cooked her unique black vinegar dish at home the evening before - another cousin, Lai Wan, and her hubby Shaun, had also brought over delicious satay for an apparently deprived visitor from Wollongong.
Still in old KL, that same Monday morning, I had the opportunity to taste again the traditional south Chinese congee. It may be the character of the place but the taste had an old world charm and zing that cannot be replicated in Sydney's Chinatown outlets.
The yum cha brunch on July 19 at the Prima Revolving Tower offered more than food - the views showed the intricate results of stringent and strategic planning by a Government which knows how little land they have as territory. In the eighties, one could go across to Sentosa Isle either by cable car or ferry boat. The former means are still there, with two stations on the destination isle and many more operating coaches. However , Sentosa is now linked by a bridge to the main island of Singapore, with the MRT trains in striking colours shuttling like toys between the Vivio stations and those on Sentosa itself. It was a truly hot equatorial day for getting the beach tan my peers would love after a day's basking on a Bondi summer's day. Traces of the old Sentosa - the giant Merlion, wax museum and Siloso Beach - remain as anchor attractions, but in 2010, the Universal Studios Theme Park and nearby casinos in an environment of an integrated resort will bid for the tourist dollar with Macau, Bangkok, Shanghai and Hong Kong.
Neil and Yeen Yee's wedding dinner at the Sunway Lagoon in the Kelang Valley offered much toasting, the elegant beauty of the bride and Neil's just-right speech. Neil looked so tanned already in his tropical sojourn to Malaysia, even before the bridal entourage's journeys to the islands of Penang and Langkawi. Neil's parents, uncle, aunt and others in the immediate Irish family had come all the way from Dublin, where they had another recpetion at the Hilton in that city just a week before. The dessert at the Malaysian Chinese reception signified the roundness of the marital union, and the other banquet dishes had meaningful connotations of prosperity, happiness and togetherness. I caught up with Yeen Yee's grandmother in the outer reception hall after so many years.
To be continued
Wednesday, 22 July 2009
Catching Up Too
Kuan Hong kept me captivated on his tales of the Shenzhen woods. We were there with Mui Na at Spinelli Cafe in Novena, Singapore,where we all had a night cap after a effective degustation at Lao Beijing Restaurant of the Tung Lok Chain. What caught my imagination was that Kuan Hong spoke highly of the entrepreneur-like ambitions of each of his staff, and that each one of them went all out to make the extra effort at work.
The Friday before, Mui Na had shown me some hidden aspects of north-east Singapore Island. Skirting Changi, we had arrived at a well-maintained park in Punggol, within hearing range of the sea waves lapping up the Johor coast and where cycling, skating and running were encouraged. I saw the massive developments at Sengkang, Pasir Ris and Tampines, where new Housing Development Board flats looked more like commercial beauties. After a home made lunch, we went to a nearby shopping centre where the $2 wares at a pretty Daizo store dazzled me with its wide variety of inventory and the over whelming impressions of Japanese pink red across its shelves. It puts the Australian $2 shops to utter shame.
The same Daizo store appeared at the Pavilions in the heart of Kuala Lumpur City, where Bob and Sanei had taken me to Ichiban for a Japanese lunch. Oh yes, sea urchins, roast tender eel and salmon egg roe are my weaknesses. I then came across Gaik Lian, originally from Penang, on the wide pedestrian pavements - come to think of it, she and I never have to make appointments, for we often bumped into each other casually in KL, the last time being in the Mid-Valley shopping mall. I love such casualness, whether with Gaik Lian or with Ewe Joo and Yew Ting showing me some exercises in qi gong. Joo and Ting had taken me to the Klang Town bah kut teh (pork rib tea) one Sunday morning, and I loved the bustling crowds at coffee shops serving this iconic food of Klang.
On a Saturday morning, I was immersed in the history and nuances of Straits Chinese culture at the recently set-up Armenian Street Peranakan Museum in Singapore. The dazzling jewelry of Baba bling from the pre-war days of rich families in Malacca and Penang could still not match the intensity of my interest in the displayed heirlooms, conveniently stored in various rooms which reflected the daily life in cooking, porcelain used, bedroom regalia, wedding customs, kitchen utensils, antique furniture, family relationships and so forth. Karen Chiang volunteered as an English-speaking guide for two hour walkabouts - Bee and I were fortunate to catch her delightful and informative tour at the reception as we stepped in around 11am that day.
That Saturday evening, the Shangri La Singapore was already encouraging pre-orders of their delightful mooncakes for September. Kit, Bee and I were having a kaiseiki dinner at its Japanese outlet of Nadaman. It can be so relaxing to be with friends in ambient surroundings and to partake in crafted food. Shared experiences, whether for nostalgia, adventure or new things, form nurturing bonds. They reinvigorate and make us cherish. Add with laughter, ease of conversation and a gradual pace, and one is revitalised. We reaffirm our convictions with mates or relatives and mutually grow new perspectives in our hearts. We take comfort in our roots and memories, and use them to jump into unknown dimensions, but knowingly with the support of continuing friendships and new experiences.
To be continued.....
The Friday before, Mui Na had shown me some hidden aspects of north-east Singapore Island. Skirting Changi, we had arrived at a well-maintained park in Punggol, within hearing range of the sea waves lapping up the Johor coast and where cycling, skating and running were encouraged. I saw the massive developments at Sengkang, Pasir Ris and Tampines, where new Housing Development Board flats looked more like commercial beauties. After a home made lunch, we went to a nearby shopping centre where the $2 wares at a pretty Daizo store dazzled me with its wide variety of inventory and the over whelming impressions of Japanese pink red across its shelves. It puts the Australian $2 shops to utter shame.
The same Daizo store appeared at the Pavilions in the heart of Kuala Lumpur City, where Bob and Sanei had taken me to Ichiban for a Japanese lunch. Oh yes, sea urchins, roast tender eel and salmon egg roe are my weaknesses. I then came across Gaik Lian, originally from Penang, on the wide pedestrian pavements - come to think of it, she and I never have to make appointments, for we often bumped into each other casually in KL, the last time being in the Mid-Valley shopping mall. I love such casualness, whether with Gaik Lian or with Ewe Joo and Yew Ting showing me some exercises in qi gong. Joo and Ting had taken me to the Klang Town bah kut teh (pork rib tea) one Sunday morning, and I loved the bustling crowds at coffee shops serving this iconic food of Klang.
On a Saturday morning, I was immersed in the history and nuances of Straits Chinese culture at the recently set-up Armenian Street Peranakan Museum in Singapore. The dazzling jewelry of Baba bling from the pre-war days of rich families in Malacca and Penang could still not match the intensity of my interest in the displayed heirlooms, conveniently stored in various rooms which reflected the daily life in cooking, porcelain used, bedroom regalia, wedding customs, kitchen utensils, antique furniture, family relationships and so forth. Karen Chiang volunteered as an English-speaking guide for two hour walkabouts - Bee and I were fortunate to catch her delightful and informative tour at the reception as we stepped in around 11am that day.
That Saturday evening, the Shangri La Singapore was already encouraging pre-orders of their delightful mooncakes for September. Kit, Bee and I were having a kaiseiki dinner at its Japanese outlet of Nadaman. It can be so relaxing to be with friends in ambient surroundings and to partake in crafted food. Shared experiences, whether for nostalgia, adventure or new things, form nurturing bonds. They reinvigorate and make us cherish. Add with laughter, ease of conversation and a gradual pace, and one is revitalised. We reaffirm our convictions with mates or relatives and mutually grow new perspectives in our hearts. We take comfort in our roots and memories, and use them to jump into unknown dimensions, but knowingly with the support of continuing friendships and new experiences.
To be continued.....
Tuesday, 21 July 2009
Catching Up
It is a good idea to drop by and pay a visit to someone we do not get to see on a regular basis. I did that recently with some family members and close friends, including some past university classmates, who all reside outside Australia. True, it dawned on me, only when I reached there, that it was the fruit season over there -and I do love those fruits, especially mangosteens and durians - but more important to me was the opportunity for saying hi and having a chat, face-to-face, instead of the usual telephone, skype and email.
Mum made her jazzy and tasty version of char koay teow - stir-fried rice noodles with prawns and so forth, unique to Penang - and I did not want to eat that dish from the street hawkers anymore. My sister-in-law Sian Kin made bean paste biscuits (tau snar pneah) and I was addicted to them, they being less sweet than those made by the commercial bakeries. I bumped into my aunt Kuchai and my uncle Peter at a coffee shop near their home - and they joined us for an impromptu breakfast, even if we had met the night before.
I was taken to a live singing venue across the Penang Bridge late one week night - and I thoroughly enjoyed the renditions belted out by a three-person band, whilst also having relaxing drinks with two friends. Part of my culture is that people meet up over food on the table -and in this respect, I concurrently had a food tour of Georgetown, including Hainanese spring rolls (choon pniah), Indian spiced tea (teh tark), tandoori with bread (roti), mung bean dessert drinks (cendol) and a range of Chinese dishes at a downtown club.
Oh yes, the seasonal fruits, of which I had a chance of eating them in the three main cities I visited. The taste is different eating them in the more humid air of the equatorial belt. I had watched with some interest, on pay television at home, the white peppery soup of bak kut teh (pork rib tea)they make in Singapore, as opposed to the darker soup version they sell in Klang (and Wollongong) - and after arrival by air flight from Perth, Bee had taken me to a bright-lit place, near her Singapore home, where they serve exactly that. Cousin Lai Han introduced me to what must be the best fish head flavoured vermicelli (yee tau my fun)in Kuala Lumpur - but she also did not forget my penchant for Malaysian-styled chicken curry puffs from Petaling Jaya. Chet and Karen inculcated me in the different nuances of Katong curry laksa in a lively strip near Joo Chiat, a traditional hub for Singaporean Straits Chinese.
To be continued....
Mum made her jazzy and tasty version of char koay teow - stir-fried rice noodles with prawns and so forth, unique to Penang - and I did not want to eat that dish from the street hawkers anymore. My sister-in-law Sian Kin made bean paste biscuits (tau snar pneah) and I was addicted to them, they being less sweet than those made by the commercial bakeries. I bumped into my aunt Kuchai and my uncle Peter at a coffee shop near their home - and they joined us for an impromptu breakfast, even if we had met the night before.
I was taken to a live singing venue across the Penang Bridge late one week night - and I thoroughly enjoyed the renditions belted out by a three-person band, whilst also having relaxing drinks with two friends. Part of my culture is that people meet up over food on the table -and in this respect, I concurrently had a food tour of Georgetown, including Hainanese spring rolls (choon pniah), Indian spiced tea (teh tark), tandoori with bread (roti), mung bean dessert drinks (cendol) and a range of Chinese dishes at a downtown club.
Oh yes, the seasonal fruits, of which I had a chance of eating them in the three main cities I visited. The taste is different eating them in the more humid air of the equatorial belt. I had watched with some interest, on pay television at home, the white peppery soup of bak kut teh (pork rib tea)they make in Singapore, as opposed to the darker soup version they sell in Klang (and Wollongong) - and after arrival by air flight from Perth, Bee had taken me to a bright-lit place, near her Singapore home, where they serve exactly that. Cousin Lai Han introduced me to what must be the best fish head flavoured vermicelli (yee tau my fun)in Kuala Lumpur - but she also did not forget my penchant for Malaysian-styled chicken curry puffs from Petaling Jaya. Chet and Karen inculcated me in the different nuances of Katong curry laksa in a lively strip near Joo Chiat, a traditional hub for Singaporean Straits Chinese.
To be continued....
The Airline Test
Here are some observations on my personal experience with three different airlines in July 2009.
At Qantas, they do not seem to stock copies of magazines aboard the aircraft, whether for domestic or international flights. This is a far cry from travel expectations on long haul flights or those above three hours in duration. Perhaps the current global financial crisis has dictated cuts in such basic services.
I did love the user-friendly navigation logic of Q on-board entertainment, better than that of Singapore Air (SIA). Your personal remote control for movies, audio and the like also rests in a more ergonomic way than that for either Malaysian Airlines (MAS) or SIA.
The stiff upper lip is still well alive and kicking in some Qantas cabin crew members - some individual staff members have perfected the art of saying goodbye or thank you to disembarking passengers by looking at the ceiling and not at the customers. However, the demographics of the Flying Kangaroo staff in the air are beginning to reflect the crowds on a Melbourne or Sydney CBD street. Although MAS crew are beginning to perhaps level the playing field by also smiling at non-Caucasian passengers, the best vibes of welcome for every customer are still sent by the beaming smiles of SIA cabin crew. The reality of joint code sharing between two or three airlines on a single consolidated flight may be the best thing to infuse the best of a service culture amongst airlines in alliance.
Qantas does not even print a menu booklet for some passenger sectors on domestic flights. On the other hand, the airline is conscientious to supply gluten-free, dairy free and organic stuff once you have made requests ahead of the flights.
The state of Qantas toilets made me think I was in some crowded city suburb. They no longer meet the standards met only ten years ago - wet, unkempt and perhaps not cleaned on a regular basis for flights of more than three hours.
I applied a simple test on the flights I took on the three airlines recently. This was me asking simply for a pack of playing cards. On the flight from Sydney to Perth, the Qantas crew member said they do not supply such things on domestic flights. From Perth to Singapore, they did not have stocks aboard. The MAS crew were so busy trying to serve rolls and drinks even on a 45 minute haul between the nearby cities of Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. When I made the same request on the flight from Penang to Singapore, the lady instinctively gave me three packs instead, surpassing my expectations. And yes, I can confirm that SIA staff members politely look at you when talking to you - they take it to heart that they are in a service industry and business.
At Qantas, they do not seem to stock copies of magazines aboard the aircraft, whether for domestic or international flights. This is a far cry from travel expectations on long haul flights or those above three hours in duration. Perhaps the current global financial crisis has dictated cuts in such basic services.
I did love the user-friendly navigation logic of Q on-board entertainment, better than that of Singapore Air (SIA). Your personal remote control for movies, audio and the like also rests in a more ergonomic way than that for either Malaysian Airlines (MAS) or SIA.
The stiff upper lip is still well alive and kicking in some Qantas cabin crew members - some individual staff members have perfected the art of saying goodbye or thank you to disembarking passengers by looking at the ceiling and not at the customers. However, the demographics of the Flying Kangaroo staff in the air are beginning to reflect the crowds on a Melbourne or Sydney CBD street. Although MAS crew are beginning to perhaps level the playing field by also smiling at non-Caucasian passengers, the best vibes of welcome for every customer are still sent by the beaming smiles of SIA cabin crew. The reality of joint code sharing between two or three airlines on a single consolidated flight may be the best thing to infuse the best of a service culture amongst airlines in alliance.
Qantas does not even print a menu booklet for some passenger sectors on domestic flights. On the other hand, the airline is conscientious to supply gluten-free, dairy free and organic stuff once you have made requests ahead of the flights.
The state of Qantas toilets made me think I was in some crowded city suburb. They no longer meet the standards met only ten years ago - wet, unkempt and perhaps not cleaned on a regular basis for flights of more than three hours.
I applied a simple test on the flights I took on the three airlines recently. This was me asking simply for a pack of playing cards. On the flight from Sydney to Perth, the Qantas crew member said they do not supply such things on domestic flights. From Perth to Singapore, they did not have stocks aboard. The MAS crew were so busy trying to serve rolls and drinks even on a 45 minute haul between the nearby cities of Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. When I made the same request on the flight from Penang to Singapore, the lady instinctively gave me three packs instead, surpassing my expectations. And yes, I can confirm that SIA staff members politely look at you when talking to you - they take it to heart that they are in a service industry and business.
Scenes from Singapore
Singapore CBD in miniature
Outlet cooking wantan egg noodles at Tiong Bharu Market Food Court
The new Singapore River mouth
National street food of Singapore - Hainan-styled chicken rice, this stall from Tanjung Pagar Food Centre
Planned Sports Hub for the City State
New and old at Raffles City
Outlet cooking wantan egg noodles at Tiong Bharu Market Food Court
The new Singapore River mouth
National street food of Singapore - Hainan-styled chicken rice, this stall from Tanjung Pagar Food Centre
Planned Sports Hub for the City State
New and old at Raffles City
Equatorial Harvest
Mangosteens and guavas
Hanging durians - the king of fruits - and pomeloes from the grapefruit family
Produce of the Equatorial Belt
View from the highway, travelling north, near limestone outcrops
Jungle string beans (petai), pomeloes, purple coloured mangosteens and sour mangoes
Steamed soft shell groundnuts
Langsat berries, with clear transparent succulent insides after you peel off their thin skins
Hanging durians - the king of fruits - and pomeloes from the grapefruit family
Produce of the Equatorial Belt
View from the highway, travelling north, near limestone outcrops
Jungle string beans (petai), pomeloes, purple coloured mangosteens and sour mangoes
Steamed soft shell groundnuts
Langsat berries, with clear transparent succulent insides after you peel off their thin skins
Tuesday, 7 July 2009
Winter Nights
Manly Beach never looked and shone better than on a July winter's night. The electric lights of shop signs took centre stage, with Manly this and Manly that. The white foam of a gentle tide matched the silence of the sea side under an almost full moon. The roads near the Esplanade and the Wharf remained narrow, and fitness obsessed runners trudged their way in the semi-darkness on the surrounding pavements.
We just had dinner at Ginger & Spice along Military Road in Sydney's lower North Shore - a motley but rather amiable group from Alberta (Ed and Adrian), Auckland (Shaun and Adelyn), Wollongong, Cammeray (Ella) and Neutral Bay(Doris, Rob and Arlene). I loved the tender and smooth Hainan chicken rice, accentuated in the mouth with three concoctions - lime-flavoured pound chili sauce, dark soy sauce and a ginger condiment. Doris liked the Singapore noodles, whilst most went for sago dessert, bathed in palm sugar and coconut milk, to close up the meal. I could not resist the ice kacang, a slurpy sorbet ice-shave pile garnished with cooked red beans, pineapple slices, black jelly bits and more. The Singapore styled ice kacang was so different from the Penang version. The chili prawns had an appetising sauce, and contrasted with the stir-fry freshness and clear taste of the bok choy. Meat curry with chicken stock flavoured rice exemplified the fusion of South-east Asian, Indian and Chinese cuisines. The smoked hor fun was definitely Cantonese.
I found a pair of Mossimo black denim that I liked the next evening at Wollongong's Crown Street Mall. Some things are meant to be ours, others for browsing and not taking up at all. Oh yes, there is the Rodd & Gunn trousers that I spotted at the St Ives Village long ago, but did not follow up. On the Saturday night following Adelyn's arrival from Auckland, we discovered a secret gem of an Italian restaurant only three minutes drive from my place. Il Nido was packed even by 6pm, and with lots of families. We were fortunate to get a table - and we tucked in the lamb cutlets wrapped with prosciutto, four types of thin crusted pizza samplings and the seafood fettuccine.
We just had dinner at Ginger & Spice along Military Road in Sydney's lower North Shore - a motley but rather amiable group from Alberta (Ed and Adrian), Auckland (Shaun and Adelyn), Wollongong, Cammeray (Ella) and Neutral Bay(Doris, Rob and Arlene). I loved the tender and smooth Hainan chicken rice, accentuated in the mouth with three concoctions - lime-flavoured pound chili sauce, dark soy sauce and a ginger condiment. Doris liked the Singapore noodles, whilst most went for sago dessert, bathed in palm sugar and coconut milk, to close up the meal. I could not resist the ice kacang, a slurpy sorbet ice-shave pile garnished with cooked red beans, pineapple slices, black jelly bits and more. The Singapore styled ice kacang was so different from the Penang version. The chili prawns had an appetising sauce, and contrasted with the stir-fry freshness and clear taste of the bok choy. Meat curry with chicken stock flavoured rice exemplified the fusion of South-east Asian, Indian and Chinese cuisines. The smoked hor fun was definitely Cantonese.
I found a pair of Mossimo black denim that I liked the next evening at Wollongong's Crown Street Mall. Some things are meant to be ours, others for browsing and not taking up at all. Oh yes, there is the Rodd & Gunn trousers that I spotted at the St Ives Village long ago, but did not follow up. On the Saturday night following Adelyn's arrival from Auckland, we discovered a secret gem of an Italian restaurant only three minutes drive from my place. Il Nido was packed even by 6pm, and with lots of families. We were fortunate to get a table - and we tucked in the lamb cutlets wrapped with prosciutto, four types of thin crusted pizza samplings and the seafood fettuccine.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)