#shrimp foo yong

[manwalksintobar]

A poem for vipers // John Wieners

I sit in Lees. At 11:40 PM with Jimmy the pusher. He teaches me Ju Ju. Hot on the table before us shrimp foo yong, rice and mushroom chow yuke. Up the street under the wheels of a strange car is his stash—The ritual. We make it. And have made it. For months now together after midnight. Soon I know the fuzz will interrupt, will arrest Jimmy and I shall be placed on probation. The poem does not lie to us. We lie under its law, alive in the glamour of this hour able to enter into the sacred places of his dark people, who carry secrets glassed in their eyes and hide words under the coats of their tongue.

6.16.58

[hunty627]

Shampoo: Feeling hungry? Shampoo know how to make yummy meals for you. And Shampoo know how many meals to make.

Ramen Tanmen (soup noodles) Chaahan (fried rice) Chaashumen (sliced pork noodles) Wontons Gyoza (fried dumplings) Yakisoba (fried noodles) Wontonmen (wonton noodles) Champon (pot luck noodles) Shumai (open meat wonton) Kanitama (egg fu yong) Moyashi Soba (barley noodles) Gomoku Wonton (rice-meat-vegetable wonton) Ebi Chaahan (shrimp fried rice) White rice Suigyooza (dumplings) Hiyashi Soba (cold noodles) Yasai (Vegetable) Soup Tamago (Egg Drop) Soup Gomoku Soba (rice-meat-vegetable noodles) Niku Dango (sweet & sour meatball dumplings) Kani Tama Soba (egg foo yong with noodles) Chuukadon (Chinese style ricebowl) Gomoku Chaahan (rice-meat-vegetable fried rice) Ebi Soba (shrimp noodles) Tenshindon (Tenshin-style rice bowl) Yasai Itame (stir-fried vegetables) Maabo-tofu (tofu stewed with black beans and pork) Subuta (sweet & sour pork) Nirarebi Itame (garlic chive & shrimp stir-fry) Happosai (eight treasures dish)

[40sandfabulousaf]

大家好! I was on my way to get sushi at the mall nearby when Pa sent a photo of his lunch of salmon bibimbap at the same mall. After he finished his meal, he came to the supermarket cum food hall to look for me. There was a new item: a huge mound of salmon sashimi and I decided to try it, along with salmon and ikura sushi. It was too much for me, alas. In order not to waste good food, Pa packed up the rest of the sashimi to make soup at home with wong bak (Napa cabbage) and shredded ginger. After finishing the sushi, we headed to the local cafe for coffee and a quick chat.

Happy to say I got my standard yong tau foo fix! Wong bak (Napa cabbage), flower mushroom, stuffed brinjal and bittergourd, broccoli, carrot and okra were my chosen vegetables; tofu skin wrapped fish cake as well as an egg were my protein. Paired with rice, this is a balanced, moderately healthy and filling meal. I didn't have stomach room for snacks after lunch and waited till I got home and cooked dinner. Time flies, it's been over 14 months since I stepped into a fastfood joint. I usually feel lethargic after a greasy fastfood meal anyway, so there isn't a craving for it.

MI, SC, ML, CL and I frequently pass by a very crowded coffee shop which houses a cai fan (mixed dishes and rice) stall with very long lines of customers waiting to place their orders. Naturally, we had to visit and see what the fuss was about. I chose salted egg yolk prawns, tofu with red pepper and tree ear mushrooms as well as stirfried celery with rice. Mmm, those prawns! Besides being very fresh, they were well coated with a layer of savoury salted egg. The vegetables retained a slight crunch and weren't too salty. This was delicious and, at $5.50, provided good nutritional value. No wonder the stall is so popular!

Pa enjoyed his little adventure taking our public transport the weekend before, so on Sunday, we met again at the bus interchange. The little eatery we wanted to visit was located in a mall across the road. Most items on the menu are priced below $10 and there're some moderately healthy options, so, why not? The food isn't atas (fine dining) but dining here doesn't burn a hole in our pockets, very important when food prices are still much higher than before. Pa chose seafood marinara spaghetti, I went for shrimp and broccoli aglio olio spaghetti and we shared a chicken salad. The meal was decent, although we would've preferred less dressing on the salad. Most importantly, we enjoyed our father-daughter bonding time.

We're entering the rainy season though, so this may be 1 of the last times this year that Pa goes on these bus and train adventures. I don't want him caught in the rain if he forgets to bring an umbrella. Nonetheless, we had fun and that's what is most important! In a few days, YL and I will be off on our short getaway. Can't wait to indulge in their good food and roam the malls. I've been looking forward to this so much. 下次见!

[menuandprice]

Mayflower Menu Prices

Mayflower Menu Prices, AppetizersChicken Lettuce Wrap Comes with four$7.25Vegetable Spring Rolls Comes with two$2.50Chicken Egg Roll Comes with two$3.00Crab Ragoons Comes with eight$5.95Potstickers Comes with eight$5.95BBQ Pork$5.75Golden Fried Shrimp Comes with six$6.50Boneless Ribs$7.25PUPU Platter 2 Fried shrimp, 2 chicken on stick, 2 spring roll, 4 crab Rangoon, boneless ribs, 4 fried chicken wings$15.95Fried Chicken Wings Comes with eight$7.50Fried Spicy Chicken Wings Comes with eight$7.50BBQ Wings Comes with eight$7.50Chicken On Stick Comes with four pieces

mayflower menu SoupsName DescriptionEgg Drop Soup$2.75 +Hot and Sour Soup$2.95 +Wonton Soup$2.95 +Sizzling Rice Soup$7.25Chicken noodles soup$7.25BBQ Pork Noodle Soup$8.95Beef Noodle Soup$8.95Shrimp Noodle Soup$8.95Combination Noodle Soup$8.95 Lunch SpecialsLunch Mixed Vegetable$6.50Lunch Chicken Chow Mein$6.75Lunch Chicken Chow Mein$6.75Lunch Cashew Chicken$6.75Lunch Moo Goo Gai Pan$6.75Lunch General Tao's Chicken Spicy$6.95Lunch Kung Pao Chicken Spicy$6.50Lunch Mongolian Beef Spicy$6.95Lunch Pepper Beef Spicy$6.95Lunch Beef Broccoli$6.95Lunch Shrimp Chow Mein$6.95Lunch Sweet Sour shrimp Description$6.95Lunch Shrimp w. Lobster Sauce$7.25Lunch Kung Pao Shrimp Spicy$7.25Lunch Kung pao Two Spicy$7.25Lunch Happy Family$7.25Lunch Chicken Lo Mein$6.95Lunch Vegetables Lo Mein$6.95Lunch Beef Lo Mein$6.99Lunch Shrimp Lo Mein$6.99Lunch Pork Lo Mein$6.95Lunch General Tao's Shrimp$7.25Lunch Orange Shrimp$7.25

mayflower restaurant Chop SueyVegetable Chop Suey$7.99Chicken Chop Suey$8.75Pork Chop Suey$8.75Beef Chop Suey$9.25Shrimp Chop Suey$9.25 Egg Yoo YoungChicken Egg Foo Young$8.95Pork Egg Foo Young$8.95Beef Egg Foo Young$8.95Shrimp Egg Foo Young$10.55House Special Egg Foo Yong$10.75 Vegetable DelightVegetable Delight$8.25Steamed Broccoli$8.25Broccoli with Garlic Sauce$8.25Tofu with vegetable$8.25Ma Po Tofu$8.25Kung Pao Tofu$8.25Eggplant w/ Garlic Sauce$8.25Snow Peas with Garlic Sauce$8.99 Lo MeinChicken Lo Mein$8.79Pork Lo Mein$8.79Beef Lo Mein$8.79Shrimp Lo Mein$8.79Shrimp Lo Mein$9.99 Rice NoodlesSingapore Noodles$9.95Beef Chow Fun$9.95Chicken Chow Fun$8.99Pork Chow Fun$8.99House Chow Fun$9.95 Fried RiceChicken Fried Rice$8.29Pork Fried Rice$8.29Veggies Fried Rice$8.29Beef Fried Rice$8.29Shrimp Fried Rice$9.95House Special Fried Rice$9.95 ChickenChicken Broccoli$8.75Chicken With Vegetables$8.75Chicken with Garlic Sauce$8.75Sweet and Sour Chicken$8.75Kung Pow Chicken$8.75Moo Goo Gai Pan$8.75Curry Chicken$8.75Cashew Chicken$8.75Lemon Chicken$8.75 BeefBeef Broccoli$8.95Beef with Vegetables$8.95Pepper Steak$8.95Beef with Snow Peas$8.95Mongolian Beef$8.95Curry Beef$8.95Kung Pao Beef$8.95Sweet & Sour Beef$8.95Szechwan Beef$9.25Lemon Beef$9.55 PorkSweet & Sour Pork$8.75Pork with Snow Peas$8.99Pork with Vegetables$8.75Pork With Garlic Sauce$8.75 SeafoodSweet & Sour Shrimp$9.55Shrimp with Lobster Sauce$9.55Shrimp With Snow Peas$9.55Kung Pao Shrimp$9.55Curry Shrimp$9.55Shrimp W. Broccoli$9.55Shrimp with Vegetables$9.55Walnut Shrimp$11.99 Bojangles Menu Prices Chef's SpecialKung Pao Delight Spicy$9.99Orange Beef Spicy$9.99Orange Chicken Spicy$9.99Sesame Chicken$9.99General Tao's Chicken Spicy$9.99Salt and Pepper Shrimp$10.29Happy Family$9.99Special Cantonese Chow Mein Pan Fried thin egg noodles$10.99Four Seasons$9.99Teriyaki Chicken$9.99Sweet and Sour Combination$10.29Hunan Triple Crown$9.99Dragon and phoenix13.99Orange Tofu$9.99Three Kinds of Slipper$9.99Coconut Shrimp$11.99House Special Chicken$10.99Sesame Shrimp$10.99General Tso's Shrimp$10.99Orange Shrimp$10.99Boil Shrimp$10.99 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6vGKY3R1Fo MushuMushu Chicken$8.75Mushu Beef$8.95Mushu Pork$8.75Mushu Shrimp$9.55Healthy menu - steamed only Served without riceSteamed Mixed Fresh Veggies$6.95Steamed Cabbage & Broccoli$6.95Steamed Chicken with Veggies$8.75Steamed Shrimp Vegetables$9.75Steamed Shrimp & Chicken Vegetables$9.75 Read the full article

[beingjellybeans]

Birthday lunch from Lido Cocina Tsina, Rosario

Birthday lunch from Lido Cocina Tsina, Rosario

Celebrations call for good food enjoyed with loved ones and my recent birthday was no exception. My family and I sat down for a sumptuous birthday lunch of delicious Tsinoy comfort food in hearty servings delivered right to our doorstep from Lido Cocina Tsina. https://flic.kr/p/2kVf6GR https://flic.kr/p/2kVgaTw https://flic.kr/p/2kVgch8 This homegrown Chinese food chain came about in the 1930s…

[evilkitten3]

A POEM FOR TEA HEADS

I sit in Lees. At 11:30 P.M. with Jimmy the pusher. He teaches me Ju Ju. Hot on the table before us shrimp foo yong, rice and mushroom chow yuke. Up the street under the wheels of a strange car is his stash—The ritual. We make it. And have made it, for months now together after midnight. Soon I know the fuzz will inter- rupt will arrest Jimmy and I shall be placed on probation. The poem does not lie to us. We lie under its law, alive in the glamor of this hour able to enter into the sacred places of his dark people, who carry secrets glassed in their eyes and hide words under the roofs of their mouth.

[chizbun]

I know it's still early, but food this good deserves to be posted any time of the day. Chinese food done right is still at the top part of my favorite food list. I particularly like Fried Rice, of course! And some good old roasted food fare. Check out just some of these amazing dishes from Lido Cocina Tsina. Spareribs with Salt and Pepper Beef and Shallots Fried Rice Pugon Roasted Asado Lumpiang Shanghai Shrimp Foo-Yong Squidd in Chili and Taosi Manchurian Wings StirFried Vegetables Chunky Siomai Buchi The lunch spread was indeed a delight, specially to one who loves Chinese food. Its flavors resonate so much that you would want to take some home! And yes, you can, with their signature hexagonal bilao which can be filled to the brim with their fan favorites. Super perfect as a party tray or a an office potluck, or simply pasalubong for the family. They have a lot of branches as of the moment, but let me take this time to appreciate the alert and attentive staff and kitchen crew who took the time to make this lunch very worthwhile. ✔️ LIDO COCINA TSINA Shaw Plaza One Building 561 Shaw Blvd, Highway Hills, Mandaluyong City #lidococinatsina #welovetoeatph #wlteplus #chizbun #chizbuneats (at Lido Cusina Mandaluyong City) https://www.instagram.com/p/B9DJ2K2n6gl/?igshid=1kp8rrex8520u

[cgxsg-blog]

May 29-June 4 2017 [Week 3]

After a slow start, I picked up the pace during my second week of work. On Monday May 29, my supervisor tested me on pipetting techniques since all the sample preparations I do involves using varying sizes and types of pipets. Even though the last time I used a pipet was first year chemistry, I was able to accurately recall the procedures. This week, I also started to document my foodie experiences on Snapchat which mainly consists of cafeteria-style lunches at Mealbox, the lunch cafeteria at work. The different cafeteria stalls at Mealbox are: fruits and snacks, drinks, Chinese, Vegetarian, Western, Ban Mian, Yong Tau Foo, Japanese, Malay, and Indian. Ban Mian is a noodle stall with different dishes and styles of noodles to choose from. Yong Tau Foo is a stall where you pick a few items and the staff will cook it for you with rice or noodles. My goal is to try as many different dishes as possible by eating a new dish every lunch.

Click ‘Text’ to read the rest of the post!

I forgot to document my meal on Monday so I started on Tuesday May 30 instead. I ordered a chicken don from the Japanese stall, which consisted of Japanese-style fried chicken, broccoli, scrambled eggs, seaweed strips, and pickled vegetables on rice along with a small side of salad and miso soup. It was one of the most filling lunches I had at Mealbox. It was flavourful and authentic and the only complaint I had was the lack of vegetables.

On Wednesday May 31, I observed my supervisor washing the HiSeq machine, which was not difficult but consisted of multiple types of washes with long wait times in between. I also observed the NextSeq procedure. This sequencer is the easiest to learn as there is no washing or clustering involved, thus the process consists of sample preparation and sequencer operation. Lunch was dry noodles with dumplings and bok choy and a side of soup. People who are familiar with my gastronomic preferences will know that I adore dry noodles, so that coupled with my favourite food in the world was the best lunch I ordered so far. I wished there were more dumplings since there were only 2 or 3 of them in a big bowl filled with noodles. I also received my employment pass from the Ministry of Manpower today, thus was finally able to open a local bank account. This marks the end of all the administrative tasks I have to complete as part of settling down in Singapore. 

Thursday was the first day of June. This time, my supervisor observed me washing the HiSeq machine. I put forward my best efforts to do an excellent job, making sure not to miss any small details. Hopefully I will become more efficient at each step as I accumulate more experience washing the machine after every run. In addition, I completed my first supervised NextSeq run, which yielded high quality results. For lunch, our lab members trekked over to StarVista, a shopping center close to GIS, for a celebratory farewell lunch for the two Singaporean interns leaving next Friday. We ate at a Japanese restaurant so I ordered a vegetable stir fry with chicken, carrots, onions, soy beans, and snow peas, with a side of rice, cold tofu, and pickled vegetables. According to one of our administrative lab members, this restaurant offers unlimited servings of rice, but I was too full to even finish my bowl. This lunch was the first time I had a non-work-related conversation with my lab members which was a pleasant experience.

I realized that this post consists of 90% food-related topics but that is the beauty of Singapore. On Friday June 2, I ate flat and thick noodle soup with bok choy and shrimp bits. Normally, I am not a noodle soup person, but we were having a BBQ at a friend’s place for dinner, so I figured to eat something light for lunch. After work, a few friends and I headed off to my friend’s condo not far from GIS. We ordered a BBQ set meal from a wholesale company, thus it came with all the items we needed to start a fire along with the food. Starting the fire was difficult because we did not have experience. Soon after, it started raining, which made it worse. We relocated inside his apartment and cooked the food on the stovetop and oven, which I thought was a better idea since I was afraid the meat might not cook thoroughly on the half-fire we made downstairs. After eating and chatting on the balcony, we headed downstairs to the pool for a late-night dip. I forgot to bring my swimsuit, thus sat on the lounge chairs and continued chatting. It was a great night meeting new friends and I arrived home around midnight which prompted a scolding from my grandma. For comparison, my grandpa was glued to his iPad and did not bat an eye when I came back.

On Saturday June 3, I watched my cousin’s tennis lessons in the morning with my uncle. The court was covered by a tarp, but it was still burning hot. After his lessons, we headed off to Jem and Westgate shopping malls again to meet my aunt for lunch. I ordered 3 items on rice after circling the food court for 30 minutes due to my indecisiveness. I also ordered a passionfruit green tea from a popular café named Koi Café which was refreshing and delicious. I visited my usual stores – Muji, Uniqlo, and Mango, but bought a pair of new classics at the Vans store since my old ones were dirty. Books Kinokuniya had a 20% off sale of which my cousin and aunt took advantage and probably was the reason behind our trip to the mall.

Playing with Snapchat filters during my cousin’s tennis lesson.

Sunday June 4 was my long awaited eyelash extensions appointment. In the morning, I journeyed to Clarke Quay and walked to the boutique. I was so excited to get extensions because of my non-existent eyelashes. The procedure took an hour and a half during which I fell asleep in the comfortable beds. The process was going smoothly until the end when my left eye started stinging. When I opened my eyes, my lashes felt uncomfortable and heavy but looked cute and curly. I left without much thought, thinking that the uncomfortable feeling should subside in a few hours. I strolled around Clarke Quay and took some scenic pictures as part of my architecture photography series.

Afterwards I headed off to Orchard Road to take more photographs and shop. Since it was Sunday, the malls and streets were packed with people. My eyelashes were still uncomfortable and my left eye was stinging. It felt like putting on contacts on the wrong side. I bought a cute dress from Mango, then rushed home to rest. The train back had a broken air conditioning which made my head throb and body sweat profusely. Once home, I felt more comfortable as I was able to rest on the couch. I taught my grandma how to take photos of me using my camera so we did a small photoshoot downstairs by the pool. We proceeded with the highly anticipated event of the day – dumpling night. As usual, my grandparents prepared the dough and filling. Then, my grandpa rolled each individual dumpling wrapper while my grandma and I made the dumpling. I loved every moment of spending quality time with my grandparents. It felt nostalgic as I recalled dumpling nights when I still lived in Singapore a decade and a half ago. Altogether, we made around 200 dumplings. Eating them was another delight on its own. My grandparents make the best fillings I ever had. Fun fact, dumpling nights with my grandparents were the catalysts for my everlasting love of dumplings.

Architecture of Ion Orchard.

Picture credits to grandma ♡

I’m not sorry this whole post mainly consisted of my gastronomic adventures. Singapore has delicious, unique, and easily-accessible food, thus I will fulfill my quest of sampling as many dishes as possible during my work term here. Speaking of work, I had an educational week learning the HiSeq washing protocols and NextSeq protocol. Next week, I will be operating the NextSeq on my own, which I cannot wait to do.

C.G.

[topfygad]

Kuala Lumpur’s Choice Chinese Cooking

Chomp your way through the Malaysian capital’s storied eateries.

  The city blocks are chock-full with heritage eateries and roadside stalls. On a single outing visitors will most likely see satay (top left) licked by flames, the vermillion skin of Peking duck (top right), chopsticks pull at a tangle of beef noodles (bottom left), and billows of hot air coursing out of behemoth bamboo steamers holding a trove of dim sum (bottom right). Photos by: Julian Manning

Plumes of cigarette smoke rise like white ribbons, coiling amidst the clamour of Kuala Lumpur’s Chinatown. What incense is to Tao temples, cigarettes are to these streets. Warm notes of roasted chestnuts are replaced by the beer-soaked breath of elderly men quarrelling in Cantonese as I walk down Petaling Road—the spine of a neighbourhood predominantly made up of Chinese immigrants new and old, and throngs of tourists eager to eat.

Some people insist that Chinatowns are the same everywhere. They are, simply, wrong. From haggling over sweet pork sausages in Bangkok to rolling dice over whisky shots in San Francisco, in my experience, Chinatowns are far from cookie cutter replicas of each other. And if I had to choose one in particular to challenge that ill-informed notion, it would be the wonderfully scruffy streets of KL’s Chinatown.

Cherry-red arches and faux Yeezys on ‘discount’ hardly define the area. Cooks are the core of the community, whether they don a sweat-stained ganji or a double-breasted chef’s jacket, and you will realise as much walking down the streets. The culinary roots of this Chinatown’s inhabitants spread out in a tangle, like that of a banyan tree. Baba-Nyona cuisine, also known as Peranakan cuisine, is a mix of influences from early Chinese immigrants who integrated themselves with the local Malays. They are represented by dishes like beef rendang and nasil emak, the latter a medley of coconut milk rice, sambal, fried anchovies, a boiled egg, with the typical addition of chicken. Later waves of immigrants brought along delicacies from their respective regions: char siu pork and dim sum of the Yue cuisine, porridges of Fujian or Hookien cuisine, and the much-coveted Hainanese or Hunan chicken rice, to name a few. In the bylanes of this bustling quarter, culinary traditions stick to these streets like the patina of a well-used wok.

Here, vermilion-hued ducks hang from hawker stands, glowing like the gauze lanterns that line the streets, outshined only by flames dancing below clay pots filled with golden rice and morsels of chicken, fish, and lap cheong sausages. Each stall and station is manned by a master of their craft. Plastic chairs become portholes to skewers laden with charcoal grilled meat and bowlfuls of fragrant asam laksa, wafting tangy notes of tamarind, the broth waiting to be swiftly slurped up.

Finding a memorable meal in KL’s Chinatown is as easy as promenading down its central streets. A hot jumble of thick hokkien mee noodles have been a staple at Kim Lian Lee for decades, the once-upon-a-time stall now a two-storey tall institution. Just across the street is Koon Kee, another neighbourhood stalwart serving up their popular wan tan mee, char siu pork-topped Cantonese noodles tossed in a sweet black sauce, served with pork and shrimp dumplings. And just down Madras Lane (the street’s name has officially been changed, but locals still use its original title) lies a long line for yong tau foo, tofu typically stuffed with minced pork and fish paste, which has had customers queuing up for over 60 years. The catch? In this hubbub, it is all too easy to miss some of the less central but equally important eateries.

This storied assortment of kopitiams (coffee shops), family restaurants, and outdoor stalls from the halcyon days of Chinese culinary influence in Kuala Lumpur are tucked away from the bustle, a few even mapped outside of the boundaries of Chinatown. So if your palate craves a bit of the past in the present, weave in and out of Chinatown and explore restaurants where the same dishes have been served up for decades, for very good reasons.

  1. Sang Kee

Est. 1970s

Address: 5A, Jalan Yap Ah Loy, City Centre

At dinner time Chinatown’s sidewalks (top) turn into a menagerie of meals. Chef Won San (bottom) gets to work on an order of freshwater prawn noodles. Photo by: Julian Manning

Sang har mee, or freshwater prawn noodles, are quite the treat in KL. The best sang har mee places are typically stalls, yet they do not come cheap, the most popular joints serving up the dish from anywhere between RM50-90/Rs835-1,500. Even though the portions are usually enough to fill two people, for those kind of prices you want to be sure you’re indulging in the best sang har mee in the neighbourhood.

Tucked in a discreet alleyway in the shade of pre-World War II buildings, on a little lane where late night courtesans would once congregate, lies Sang Kee. For over four decades this open air kitchen has been serving up some of the best freshwater prawn noodles in KL.

Those interested in a performance can inch up in front of the old man behind the wok and watch him work his wizardry, he doesn’t mind. Two beautifully big freshwater prawns are butterflied and cooked in prawn roe gravy, stirred in with egg, slivers of ginger, and leafy greens. Wong San, the chef, understands his wok like Skywalker understands the force—meaning, the wok hei (wok heat or temperature) is on point.

Once on your plate, plucking a plump piece of prawn out of the open shell is an easy feat. The fresh and supple meat is charged with the gravy, bite into it, and a flash flood of flavour courses out. In KL most versions of sang har mee sport crisp, uncooked yee mee noodles, which are then drenched in the prawn-imbued sauce. A lot of people love ’em this way, but I personally feel this gives the noodles the texture of a wet bird’s nest. Sang Kee’s noodles are cut thick, boiled, and then stir-fried, coated with oodles of scrambled egg, a style that lets the prawn’s flavours permeate every bit of the dish. At Sang Kee, for most folks a single p

ortion is enough for two at RM65/Rs1,085 a plate, but if that’s too steep a price, you can get the dish made with regular prawns for significantly less.

  2. Soong Kee Beef Noodles

Est. 1945

Address: 86, Jalan Tun H S Lee, City Centre

The fine people at Soong Kee have been serving up beef noodles since World War II, and the product speaks for itself. It’s always crowded at lunchtime, but don’t worry about waiting around too long. Usually a server will squeeze you in at one of the many large round tables with plenty of neighbours who don’t mind the company. I love this approach because it means you get a good look at what your table-mates are munching on. That being said, newcomers should inaugurate their Soong Kee experience with beef ball soup and beef mince noodles—simple but hearty dishes that will give you a good idea of why the place has stuck around (small bowl of noodles from RM7/Rs120).

  3. Sek Yuen

Est.1948

Address: 315, Jalan Pudu, Pudu

Mealtimes beckon travellers to dig into bowlfuls of beef ball soup (bottom left), pluck of piping hot scallop dumplings (middle left), and perhaps chow down on a myriad of meat skewers (top right). For dessert, munch on crunchy ham chim peng (bottom right), delicious doughnuts filled with red bean paste. If the flavour is too earthy for you, just pick up an entire bag of regular doughnuts (top left) or roasted chestnuts (middle right) from one of the city’s many street vendors. Photos by: Julian Manning

Sek Yuen is made up of three separate sections, spread out over adjacent lots a few feet from each other. One is being renovated, another is the original 1948 location, and the last is the crowded AC section built in the 1970s. I wanted to eat in the original section, but by the time I arrived the service was slowing down and everyone was dining in the AC section. When in doubt, follow the locals.

Two noteworthy staples of the restaurant, steam-tofu-and-fish-paste as well as the crab balls, were already sold out by the time I placed my order. So I happily went for the famous roast duck with some stir fried greens. The duck was delicious; the skin extra crispy from being air-dried, yet the meat was juicy with hints of star anise, which paired well with the house sour plum sauce. But what I enjoyed most was the people-watching. A Cantonese rendition of “Happy Birthday” played non-stop on the restaurant’s sound system for the entire 50 minutes I was there. The soundtrack lent extra character to the packed house of local Chinese diners, most of them regulars. To my right, a group of rosy-cheeked businessmen decimated a bottle of 12-year Glenlivet, and were perhaps the most jovial chaps I’ve ever seen. In front of me, a group of aunties were in party mode, laughing the night away with unbridled cackles. Perhaps the most entertaining guest was the worried mother who kept scurrying over to the front door, pulling the curtains aside to check if her sons were outside smoking. The sensory overload hit the spot. You could tell people were comfortable here, like it was a second home—letting loose in unison, reliving old memories while creating new ones.

I learned that when all sections of the restaurant are operational, Sek Yuen is said to employ around 100 people, many of whom have stuck with the restaurant for a very long time, just like the wood fire stoves that still burn in the kitchen (duck from RM30/Rs500).

  4. Ho Kow Hainan Kopitiam

Est.1956

Address: 1, Jalan Balai Polis, City Centre

Although it has shifted from Lorong Panggung to the quieter Jalan Balai Polis, Ho Kow Kopitiam remains outrageously popular. Customers are for the most part locals and Asian tourists, unwilling to leave the queue even when the wait extends past an hour. In fact, there is a machine that manages the number system of the queue, albeit with the help of a frazzled young man whose sole job is telling hungry people they’ll have to wait a long time before they get any food. It’s safe to say the gent needs a raise. If you haven’t guessed already, get there early, before they open at 7:30 a.m.—otherwise you’ll be peering through the entrance watching the best dishes get sold out.

Many tables had the champeng (an iced mix of coffee and tea), but I’m a sucker for the hot kopi (coffee) with a bit of kaya toast, airy white toast slathered with coconut egg jam and butter; treats good enough to take my mind off of waiting for an hour on my feet. I then dove into the dim sum, and became rather taken by the fungus and scallop dumplings. The curry mee, whether it is chicken or prawn, was a very popular option as well. When it comes to dessert, the dubiously-named black gluttonous rice soup sells out fast, which devastated the people I was sharing my table with.

They also serve an assortment of kuih for dessert, including my personal favourite, the kuih talam. It is a gelatinous square made up of two layers—one green, one white. They share the same base, a mixture of rice flour, green pea flower, and tapioca flour. The green layer is coloured and flavoured by the juice of pandan leaves, and the white one with coconut milk. For someone like myself, who doesn’t have a big sweet tooth, the savoury punch, balanced by a cool, refreshing finish make this dessert a quick favourite (kaya toast and coffee for RM5.9/Rs100).

  5. Kafe Old China

Est. 1920s

Address: 11, Jalan Balai Polis, City Centre

A relic from the 1920s, the Peranakan cuisine at Old China continues to draw in guests. The ambience seems trapped in another era, as is the food, in the best way possible. Post-modern, emerald green pendant lamps, feng shui facing windows, and old timey portraits make up the decor. A meal here is not complete without the beef rendang, hopefully with some blue peaflower rice. It is also one of the few places to get a decent glass of wine in Chinatown (mains from RM11/Rs190).

  6. Cafe Old Market Square

Est. 1928

Address: 2, Medan Pasar, City Centre

Kuala Lumpur skyline (top left) lies adjacent to the low-slung Chinatown neighbourhood (bottom right); A regular customer looks inside the original Sek Yuen restaurant (bottom left); Cooked on charcoal, the traditional clay pots brim with chunks of chicken, slivers of lap cheong (Chinese sausage), and morsels of salted fish (top right). Photos by: Julian Manning (food stall, woman), BusakornPongparnit/Moment/Getty Images (skyline), f11photo/shutterstock (market)

There is something incredibly satisfying about cracking a half boiled egg in two at this café, the sunny yolk framed by a cup of kopi, filled to the point the dark liquid decorates the mug with splash marks, and slabs of kaya toast. Despite a new lick of paint, I could feel the almost 100 years of history welling out of the antique, yellow window shutters lining the three storey facade of the building, the last floor operating as the café’s art gallery.

This place won me over as the perfect spot to read my morning paper, everything from the high-ceilings to the petit bistro tables allowed me to pretend I was in another era—a time when people still talked to each other instead of tapping at their smartphones like starved pigeons pecking at breadcrumbs. Yet, the best time to see this place in its full form is post noon, when the lunch crowd buzzes inside. Droves of locals cluster in front of the nasi lemak stand placed inside the café, hijabs jostling for the next plate assembled by an unsmiling woman with the unflinching demeanour of a person who has got several years of lunchtime rushes under her belt (lunch from RM6.5/Rs110, breakfast from RM1/Rs17).

  7. Capital Cafe

Est. 1956

Address: 21, Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, City Centre

Beneath the now defunct City Hotel, Capital Cafe is your one-stop satay paradise. The cook coaxes up flames from a bed of charcoal with a bamboo hand fan, using his other hand to rotate fistfuls of beef and chicken skewers liberally brushed with a sticky glaze. The satay is a perfect paradox, so sweet, yet so savoury; the meat soft, but also blistered with a crisp char. This snack pairs wonderfully with hot kopi—perhaps because it cuts the sweetness—served by a couple of uncles brimming with cheeky smiles and good conversation (satay from RM4/Rs70). 

  8. Yut Kee

Est.1928

Address: 1, Jalan Kamunting, Chow Kit

Like many of KL’s golden era restaurants, Yut Kee moved just down the road from its original location. Serving Hainanese fare, like mee hoon and egg foo yoong, with a mix of English and Malay influences, YutKee has remained one of the most famous breakfast joints in all of KL for almost 100 years. At breakfast it features an almost even mix of locals and tourists, the former better at getting to the restaurant early to snag their regular tables.

During peak breakfast hours, waiters slap down face-sized slabs of chicken and pork chops, bread crumbed and fried golden brown, sitting in a pool of matching liquid gold gravy, speckled with peas, carrots, and potatoes. You can’t go wrong with either one. If your gut’s got the girth, follow up a chop with some hailam mee, fat noodles tossed with pork and tiny squid.

On weekends guests also get the opportunity to order two specials, the incredible pork roast and the marble cake. A glutton’s advice is to take an entire marble cake away with you. By not eating it there you save room for their seriously generous portions. The cake also lasts up to five days, which gives you about four more days than you’ll actually need. Plus it makes for a perfect souvenir, especially since the Yut Kee branded cake box is so iconic.

One of the many delighted people I gave a slice of cake to back home hit a homerun when they put into words what was so special about the marble cake: “It’s not super fancy, with extra bells and whistles, but it tastes like what cake is supposed to…like something your grandma would make at home.” As he said the last words he reached for another sliver of cake (chicken chop is for RM 10.5/Rs180, a slice of marble cake is for RM1.3/Rs20).

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source http://cheaprtravels.com/kuala-lumpurs-choice-chinese-cooking/

[infinitelyandrea]

Singapore Part ✌️

Views, view, views

Hey guys! I'm back again with part 2 of my Singapore trip! I will do the same thing again by highlighting the places, the food, and the sites that stood out the most. So let's jump right into it!

Day 3

View from Suntec City

We started the day off once again at Chinatown for our first meal of the day! We were there to try other different Singaporean dishes we haven't eaten the previous day. On our way, I found really cute decorations along the streets near Chinatown, so of course I had to take a picture of them!

Chinatown

Year of the Rooster Chinese New Year Decoration

We ate at the same hawker center as yesterday, and this time we got oyster omelette, char kway teow, hokkien mie, popiah, and fishball soup. The char kway teow fell below expectations because it was more on the saucy side rather than on the fried side as noted by the char in char kway teow. Next, I finally got to try for the first time hokkien mie. The hokkien mie was the best! It was flavorful in every bite, and it will be something I look forward to eating again.

Top left clockwise: oyster omelette, char kway teow, hokkien mie, sugarcane juice, popiah, and fishball soup

The popiah was also another new dish I've tried, and it was also delicious! It looked like a Singaporean wrap containing noodles, shrimp, carrots, bean sprouts, and other sorts of vegetables. Lastly, I had fishball soup, and it was really different from all the fish balls I've tried. This one was soft almost to the point it can melt in your mouth.

To top it all off, we had sugarcane juice. This was good in that it was not mixed with the typical orange juice but just pure sugarcane. It was not too sweet and refreshing, and all for the price of about $2! Every time we ate hawker's food, this was the drink I always got. So every time you see any more pictures of hawker's food, I must have had sugarcane juice as well. Our dessert was es campur, and this was good! A mix of jellies and ice doused with condensed milk. What more is there to ask for?

Es Campur

Our next destination was to see the Merlion! I've seen many pictures of the Merlion where people took those cliché drinking poses, and I know this has to be a must go!

Merlion

And Merlion was a must go! It wasn't too crowded, so I could be less embarrassing with my photos, but... I was still embarrassing either way haha. I enjoyed this and the view I saw of Marina Bay. It was literally opposite across the bay or river (I'm not too sure).

Me just being me

I think going to the Merlion side has a better view of both Marina Bay and the city, so this is a must see! I remember looking from the Marina Bay side, and the view of the Merlion was not that great. So definitely head to Merlion!

See how gorgeous the view is?

We also went to Orchard Road again because shopping wasn't enough the day before haha. This time, we got to see a really great view of Singapore, a 360 degree view of everything, to be exact!

Views from Above

MARINA BAEEE

Orchard Rd x Scotts Rd

Our next stop was Gardens by the Bay! We literally spend a few hours that day there just to see 2 of the domes and the light display of the Supertree Grove. Gardens by the Bay was really gorgeous from its garden containing the Supertree Grove to all the flora it contains.

Gardens by the Bay

The 2 domes we went to were Flower Dome and Cloud Forest. The first one was the Flower Dome! It was sectioned into different floras from different countries or continents. At these different sections, there were animals made of either twigs or cement that blended in with the flora. Also, since the Christmas decorations were still there, we got a glimpse of a giant snowglobe and nutcracker decorations!

Flower Dome

  Fishes and Flowers at the Flower Dome

Hydrangea at Flower Dome

The next place we went to was the Cloud Forest. We were greeted by a really cool waterfall that was a few stories high. The place also contained 2 cool skywalks that look like you were literally walking on air, mainly because they have this iron net, so you can see what you're walking on top of. This is good for those people who love views and can take heights, because personally, it scared me out of my mind. Not gonna lie. By the end of it, my feet were drenched is cold sweat. Literally. If you can look past the heights, the view is definitely amazing!

Waterfall at Cloud Forest

Remember how we missed the light show the first night we were at Gardens by the Bay? Well, this time we finally viewed it! The theme was Asia, so they played different tunes from different countries, and the lights on the trees were in tune with these different songs. I can tell you, this left me in awe. It was so pretty, and it left me speechless. If I were to visit Singapore again, I would want to see this many times for sure!

   Supertree Groves before the light display

   Supertree Groves during light display

Just look at it! It's so pretty! See why I would see these displays again?

Since we didn't fulfill eating 5 meals a day, we decided to go for a late night dinner at Lao Pa Sat! Most of the restaurants were closed by the time we arrived there at 9pm, but this didn't stop us from eating! We ordered our favorite hokkien mie, beef ball noodle soup, and char kway teow.

The hokkien mie was good as usual, and it will always be something I look forward to eating if I get a chance to visit Singapore again. The char kway teow was better than the last time we ate it at Chinatown. It was really good in that it was more on the dried/fried side. It had that good sweet and salty flavor that I've been craving, and no doubt the hawker stall that we ordered from cooked it well! The beef ball noodle soup also was delicious especially for a soup lover like me!

From top clockwise: hokkien mie, beef ball noodle soup, char kway teow

Lao Pa Sat is also known for their satay, so we definitely had to try it! It was different from the satay that I'm used to in that it looks like it has been marinated for a really really long time that all of the meat had this orange hue to it. The sauce was really good, but I wish the meat was more on the juicy side. It seemed too hyped in my opinion.

Beef and Chicken Satay

This concludes the very heavily packed schedule of the third day in Singapore!

Day 4

The last day was a wind down day because the majority of our time was spent at Marina Bay Sands. We just wanted to have a look at different designer brands out of curiosity. In the meantime, I got really pretty shots of the mini river used for those gondola rides. 

                                        Other shots I got were the gorgeous city view. Just look at it!

City view

We also ate at Marina Bay Sands, but the food was way too pricey compared to the hawker foods we have been eating. I got yong tau foo, which is also a well-known Singaporean dish, where you can choose tofu, tempuras, vegetables, noodles, and choice of soup. This dish was really good because it had that nice clear chicken broth with an assortment of tofu and vegetables. The sauces given to dip the tofu and tempura added a nice touch of flavor. I would definitely have this again but maybe at a hawker center for the affordable price, ya know?

Yong Tau Foo (don't mind my shadow haha)

Our last of the last stop was Marine Parade, which had a local hawker center. You know how much I love hawker food by now, so we had to go here on our last day! This was near a place my mom lived before, so we had to definitely visit this place as well as the beach nearby. Since we had a pretty filling lunch, we got dessert instead!

  Cheng tng and Iced Bubur Cha cha

My mom really enjoyed the cheng tng because it was definitely more filling with tapioca balls compared to the one we had at Chinatown. I always wanted to try Bubur chacha because it had those tapioca balls and taro bits drowned in this delicious milky substance, most likely condensed milk or just milk. Suprisingly, this was a really good goodbye treat! I really enjoyed this because it was really refreshing and because I never knew this mix would be that good. 

   Beach! (not sure what the name is)

The last stop was the beach! We found that locals would like to ride bicycles here and just hang out at the beach, but sadly, the rain stopped us from enjoying it even further. The thing I found interesting was that the horizon was filled with freight ships that were shipping containers and containers of goods. 

And that concludes Part 2 of my Singapore trip! I hope you found this to be inspiring, and hopefully you guys will one day visit and enjoy Singapore as much as I did!

Side note, but Singapore will forever be another destination I want to visit again!

Till next time,

[40sandfabulousaf]

大家好! Besides yong tau foo, another healthy meal option for locals is lei cha (tea rice). Brown rice is commonly used in this dish, topped with choy sum (Chinese flowering cabbage), green beans, cabbage, tau kwa (firm tofu), chye poh (preserved turnip), peanuts and anchovies. It also comes with a green tea paste broth made from ground seeds, veggies and tea. I don't like basil and mint so I usually give the broth away. I don't like brown rice either except for congee but once all the toppings are mixed together with the rice, it's acceptable. MI, ML and CL introduced me to a lei cha stall and it was very tasty. The texture of the toppings was mostly crunchy, along with savoury notes from the anchovies and chye poh. YUM!

I thought of skipping news about the genocide in Gaza for this post but decided not to. There's too much suffering inflicted upon Palestinians. All the same, I'll need a short break to keep my spirits up, possibly for 1 or 2 weeks. I'll still be keeping abreast of the news and praying for an end to the war, but won't share articles for a short period of time. Maybe I'll post mukbangs or recipes, something more light-hearted and fun for abit before returning to the events in Gaza and the west bank.

I took leave on Friday so after my daily morning calisthenics, Pa and I treated ourselves to a buffet breakfast. First plate - cold soba, enoki mushrooms, seaweed and a tiny bit of soya sauce, smoked salmon, tofu with bakchoy and fish, steamed wong bak (Napa cabbage) with dried shrimp and conpoy, hashbrown and 2 eggs sunny side up. Next, more vegetables - mushrooms, wong bak, tofu with bakchoy and fish, topshell and cucumber salad, asparagus, braised chicken and siew mai. Third plate, fruit - watermelon, blueberries, dragonfruit, rock melon and delicious grapes. Finally, I shared waffles and ice cream with Pa. I was so stuffed, I went for a 15 minute walk/run at the park near my home later on to help with digestion; mostly brisk walking with about 5 minutes of running since I'm still new to running.

I introduced LL, my expat friend from China, to a place that serves 1 of the best meepok (flat yellow noodles) in Singapore. This isn't found at a hawker centre or hotel restaurant; it's a diner which specialises in siew lat (traditionally refers to roast pork and waxed duck, now commonly refers to roast meats). I ordered their char siew, green beans stirfried with garlic and har mai (dried shrimp), dong guai (angelica herb) roast duck and the star of the show, meepok. The char siew had a nice char and was lightly crispy on the outside and very tender on the inside. We adored it! Also loved their green beans which were fragrant and still retained a slight crunch. The duck was juicy with a robust herbal taste and that meepok, THAT MEEPOK! This is made in-house, not sourced from a supplier. It was slurpable, QQ and oh so smooooooth! This delighted our senses so much. Enjoy the video!

Well! It's the start of a brand new week and I'm feeling less exhausted after taking Friday off. There will be more to come as I clear my leave for the year and carry forward the number of leave days the company allows to 2025. Time really flies; we're approaching the end of the third quarter of 2024. My mini getaway with YL is also happening in 2 weeks. Can't wait! 下次见!

[40sandfabulousaf]

大家好! Like everyone else, I have food cravings except they're not for fastfood. I haven't eaten tomato egg la mian (hand-pulled noodles) for some time. All of a sudden, I was reminded of them and had to have some, because, why not? Back it was to the stall owned and operated by the middle-aged couple from China. Ahh, those vibrant colours and chewy noodles! A very long queue formed in front of the stall as I enjoyed my meal. Looks like they're doing very well and they deserve it. Their dishes are delicious!

We had some crazy hot afternoons this week. What can be better than conveyor belt sushi for WFH lunch? It's moderately healthy, delicious and quick and keeps me cool in this insane heat. Off it was to a popular restaurant chain for some bite-sized yumminess. I chose tuna gunkan which came with chopped tomato, shoyu tuna (admittedly a wrong order because I wanted maguro), conger eel, botan ebi (giant shrimp), squid, 2 servings of salmon belly and a green tea. The first order of 5 plates and green tea were served under 5 minutes. Now THIS is MY kinda fastfood. YUM!

ML had been raving about the Hakka yong tau foo stall she frequents for quite some time, so this week, I finally joined her, SC and MI when they went to get their fix. The moment I saw they offered meepok amongst other types of noodles, I was sold. There were only 4 pieces - stuffed bittergourd, brinjal, fu pi juan (tofu skin roll) and tau kwa (firm tofu) but they were pretty large. Mannnnn, this was DELICIOUS! The pork stuffing was perfectly seasoned and had a bouncy texture, their chilli sauce was divine, the light clear broth was tasty yet not too salty and meepok is always yummy. Definitely something I wanna have again.

I hardly buy sterling silver jewellery because they tarnish easily and require more regular cleaning than solid gold. Because my wrists are small, bolo bracelets are pretty much the few types of bracelets that fit. Yeah, inclusivity and all, but I find it too emotionally taxing to have to demand that stores cater to my size. More fun and less stressful to shop around and discover gems in different places. Anyway, there aren't many bolo bracelets in solid gold here, so I turned to sterling silver which I can wear with athleisure outfits. Whilst at it, I also wanted to support local small businesses. Well, I found my bracelet and bought earrings too! I didn't opt for gemstones so that cleaning would be easier - just dunk them in cleaning solution, rinse, pat dry and voila! These gleaming pieces are so lovely. Can't wait to wear them.

I haven't written much about the genocidal war in Gaza simply because events are unfolding so quickly that by the time I post, something new has happened. But I follow the news as well as continue to pray for the Palestinians. Perhaps what is happening to Biden is the punishment he deserves? May parties supplying weapons to Israel all feel the power of God's wrath. Thou shalt not kill. 下次见!

[40sandfabulousaf]

大家好! Our government distributed another set of vouchers to all households to help with the rising cost of living. These vouchers are split into those for dining out and the ones for buying groceries. I used to donate them to charity; now that GST has increased by another 1% this year on top of a whopping 18% rise in water bills (IIRC another 7% next year), I gave them to my parents. This lessens their financial burden since they have retired.

At a time when many retirees around the world struggle with the cost of basic essentials, I feel thankful that my parents eat well. Making sure that they're comfortable means fewer cafe and restaurant visits. Dining out often is possible by avoiding overpriced artisanal dishes. Avocado toasts served at cafes average between $12 - $18 in Singapore, whereas in the photo below, black pepper stirfried chicken and vegetables, tomato and onion scrambled eggs and stirfried hairy gourd with rice cost me $4.50. Higher nutrition, more wallet-friendly.

If we crave fried chicken, local food stalls do a great job making them crispy on the outside and juicy, tender and flavourful on the inside. For $4.50, I got fried chicken, rice, stirfried cauliflower with fu pi (tofu skin) and stirfried green beans. Add iced local coffee at $1.60 and the total cost of my lunch was $6.10, whereas a KFC Zinger meal with a burger, fries and Coke is priced at $6.50. For many of us, dining out often nowadays involves making smart choices and focusing on nutrition instead of aesthetics. I do visit cafes and restaurants once or twice a week at most instead of a few times a week.

Fish, meat, poultry, eggs and tofu aside, I also love seafood; cuttlefish is high in protein, low in saturated fat and a rich source of vitamin B12. I choose it sometimes when I have yong tau foo (they're the light brown slices in the following photo). Because cuttlefish is mostly tasteless on its own, yong tau foo customers normally dip it in sauces. In order to reduce my salt intake, I dip everything in the light briny broth and have my noodles plain, without soy sauce or oil. This seafood, eaten in moderation, is a rich source of nutrients and I have it on rotation with other proteins.

It wasn't long ago when I expressed horror as the death toll in Gaza reached 20,000; today, it has surged past 32,000. Survivors aren't faring any better - emaciated bodies, gaunt faces and haunted eyes tell a story of immense hardship and 1 by 1, they're dying. This genocide is the worst I've seen inflicted on an entire population and it's sickening that some hypocritical nations still supply Israel with weapons whilst trying to appear sympathetic to Palestinians' suffering. They have no right to dictate to other countries what human rights are; I'll never believe them again. 下次见!

[40sandfabulousaf]

大家好! Once in awhile I like to switch things up and, given the current global unrest, it's time to replace what used to be viewed as stable. Posts usually began with an exercise photo; similarly, we viewed daily nutritious meals as the most fundamental human right. As global tensions rise to bubbling levels, this is something I don't take for granted any longer. So for the rest of 2023, I'm celebrating food because chi de bao, shui de hao (to have a good meal and good sleep) is a luxury to many nowadays; exercise pics will be back in a coupla months, or by 2024.

How aesthetic is yong tau foo even without fancy plating. There's no need for artsy fartsy dividing of a cherry tomato into 3 when vibrant colours take centre stage. Flavour is the name of the game, whether it's due to the freshness of the vegetables or the expert way tofu, vegetables, meat, seafood and fish are turned into culinary works of art. Paired with rice or noodles, yong tau foo gets my mouth juices working overtime every single time! This is a dish locals rely on whenever we wanna eat something nutritious and tasty.

This week, I tried braised seafood noodles. The QQ strands were perfectly complemented by crunchy shrimp, clams, taupok (bean puff) and roasted peanuts; veggies wise, there were choy sum, cabbage and flower mushroom. It was so delicious that I returned the next day to try their white bee hoon (rice vermicelli). Essentially, it was the same dish, except stirfried bee hoon replaced braised noodles as the carbohydrate. Between the 2, I prefer the braised noodles, but both were excellent!

These days the most frequent laments I hear are 'Standard has dropped' at popular food establishments. Overall inflation is falling but dining out is much more expensive than it used to be; skimpflation/shrinkflation and possible price gouging remain rampant. This week, I'm praying for a ceasefire in Gaza. If the unrest widens in the Middle East, not only could more civilians die needlessly, oil prices may spike as a result of supply chain disruptions and inflation may soar. As if life isn't hard enough already!

I disagree with the narrative that anyone who doesn't support the massacre of Palestinian civilians is pro-terrorist. My country already condemned the attack against Israel but 2 wrongs do not make a right. I'm also extremely supportive of a ceasefire and 2 state solution so that conflict ends, hopefully once and for all. This is what I pray for, out of love for mankind, because wars only worsen suffering. In many countries, food insecurity has worsened.

How can I be evil when all I'm doing is love? I don't buy that narrative at all. 下次见!

[40sandfabulousaf]

大家好! During my last grocery run, I found an unsweetened soya bean milk and purchased a carton of 6 packs, as well as macademia nuts. Certain nuts, like macademias and cashews, are delicious when added to tofu veggie stirfried noodles for a moderately healthy weekend breakfast. I've seen Jon Kung use soya bean milk as a soup base for noodles and might try his recipe. Besides his protein choice of pork belly, shrimp/sardines, golden mushrooms, radish, carrot, Napa cabbage and spring onions/leek might also work, or lotus root, sweet peas, tau kwa (firm tofu) and macademia nuts for a vegan version; it may even be used as a soup base for pao fan (soupy rice)!

Also, when will this craving for noodles end? If you're in the noodle business, you know which influencer to engage to promote your dishes! At a new stall, I ordered their yu piao tang mian (fish maw soup noodles); what was served was yu piao tang (fish maw soup) + mian (noodles) 😅 This is essentially an elevated bak chor mee with yu piao, known here as a very rich source of collagen. After finally tasting dry mee pok (flat yellow noodles), I'm still firmly on Team Soup #notsorry

Back it was to the ma la xiang guo (mala hotpot) stall where I loaded up on nourishment in qing tang (clear soup) - fish, fu pi (tofu skin), Chinese mushrooms, wood ear mushrooms, cabbage, kelp and roasted peanuts. I also revisited the yong tau foo stall and feasted on tofu, fu pi, carrot, radish, broccoli, brinjal, Napa cabbage and seaweed. Fruit is undeniably important in our daily meals, but to health-conscious family, friends and I, veggies are king; we eat a lot of them. To help you increase your veggie intake, I'll be sharing more tasty recipes. Variety helps us avoid boredom here and I hope it helps you!

This week, Grace and Douglas officially moved into their new home, quite some distance away. Douglas had wanted to drive me to and fro, but I've been looking forward to hopping on public trains and exploring new food spots at the same time. Eventually, he relented and I checked the route via a public transport app - gosh, this will be a very long journey to unfamiliar territory! Before making my way there, I headed back to the vegetarian stall for unpolished rice congee but they'd sold out, so I ordered their chao guo tiao mian (fried flat rice noodles and egg noodles) instead. Happy that I didn't decide to visit another stall, the hunch-backed elderly uncle heaped food onto my plate.

Stomach full, I made my way to Grace's and Douglas' new home, which involved a total of 26 train stops and 2 train platform switches! The journey took about 2 hours, including a bus ride to the MRT station, making all those stops, then Douglas picking me up and driving about 5 minutes to their block of flats. It was only later that I realised there was a shorter way to get to their home. I'll share more about this in the next post. 下次见!

[40sandfabulousaf]

大家好! We're starting to have cloudy and rainy days and with them comes the craving for soup noodles; or maybe the craving after watching Mike Chen slurping merrily away never left. I tried si chuan suan la fen (Sichuan hot and sour glass noodles) which tasted like ma la soup combined with vinegar. I opted for fish instead of chicken or pork and didn't finish the soup in order to lower my sodium intake. What a gorgeous bowl of vibrant, colourful and spicy deliciousness!

Besides xiao long bao (which I forgot to take a photo of because I simply inhaled them all) and veggie dumplings, Ding Tai Feng serves very good soup noodles. Pa and I celebrated an achievement with their xia ren la mian (shrimp hand pulled noodles), which came with bamboo shoots and bak choy. The broth was flavourful without being too salty, which makes it an ideal option for Pa when he dines there again. Our meals are simpler now, in line with our goal to eat moderately healthy, and we wouldn't have it any other way. Gimme a balanced meal, gimme nourishing soup and I'm happy.

This week, from suan la fen, yong tau foo and kimchi chicken ramyeon to healthy qing tang (clear broth) at a ma la xiang guo (ma la hotpot) stall with fish, fu zhu (tofu skin), pea sprouts wood ear mushrooms, Chinese mushrooms, okra and roasted peanuts, several meals have been about noodles but even more so, about soups. As we move into the rainy season and days and nights get colder, I'll crave these dishes even more. Not all ma la xiang guo stalls serve qing tang, so I ask before ordering. Yong tau foo and qing tang bowls at ma la stalls are like souped up salads. They can be very healthy and great for cooler weather thanks to the piping hot broths.

My country is the newest Blue Zone, 1 of the countries with the world's longest living and healthiest people! Check out the following articles to find out how citizens' lifespans have increased by 20 - 25 years over half a century. Besides excellent government policies, regular exercise and limiting fastfood are key factors to healthy aging. Speaking of limiting fastfood, it's been almost 2 months since I ate some! The last time I had it was at Pizza Hut on 4 July and today is 1 September so... yup, about 2 months.

What many of us prioritise is eating plenty of vegetables and a wide variety of them. A meal doesn't feel complete without at least 1 type of veggie and, if for some reason, we don't eat any during a meal, we make up for it when we next eat. We do eat salmon sometimes, just not as obsessively, because we have other nutritious fish in this region which provide equally good health benefits. They also emit less oily fishy pungence, unlike salmon, even if they're fatty. For instance, I find pomfret much yummier than salmon and it contains the highest amount of Omega 3 amongst all fish (check out the following article; I'm not making this up).

下次见！