27.9.07

Sawadee Karp #4

What other liquid in Thailand is popular beside tom yam kung? The answer is alcohol. Alcoholic industry there is the largest among South East Asia. Beer is cheap and everywhere!

I had been to few large breweries in Thailand during my previous job in a F&B cleaning chemical company. The size and capacity of the plants are huge compared to our two breweries here. Based on their output, we certainly know that Thai drink far more beer than the rest of us in this region.

25.9.07

中秋节快乐!


Time fly and so fast, one year gone. What did you do during last year's Mid Autumn's Festival? Eating mooncake, drinking tea and playing lantern just like yesterday year? What have you done this year?

Last year no moon at sight, but this year we saw pretty moon at sky. When time past, things do change.

24.9.07

Sawadee Karp #3

Fried insect... finger licking good?


20.9.07

Sawadee Karp #2

Sawadee karp. I fall in love with the place ever since my first visit about 6 years ago. The land is full of nice and gentle people and I felt very safe walking alone in those jammed packed street in Bangkok, anytime anyhow.

A food hunter should hunt for tom yam there as this is the signature food. But this time I took another route and found something else, which totally surprised me.

19.9.07

Sawadee Karp! #1

Been to Bangkok recently for a short business trip. Although it is short, but manage to snap some photos to share.

I am sure most of you out there already has experience with the tom yam land. Especially nowadays it is so convenient and cheap to travel via AirAsia. It is a place cheap and fun for shopping and the people there are so polite and friendly.

I love the country as you all do. Hope my makan experience will be a little away from you did and give you a tiny spark to go there again.




This will be a series of 3 - 4 posts in Mark's Travel. So, stay tune. Sawadee Karp!

18.9.07

Red dragonfruit agar-agar mooncakes.



Click on the photo to link for more Mummy's Yummy.

Red dragonfruit agar-agar mooncakes
Originally uploaded by Mummy's Yummy



"I have something to show you..." Huey was very excited on her notebook.

"Mnnn... ?" I was reading newspaper and thought "Being a good boyfriend ain't easy..."

I took a look at the screen and what a nice piece of moon cake I saw.

"It's Jelly mooncake with red dragon fruit filling and coconut cream." She explained.

"Looks delicious and pretty too! You know who made it?"

"Yup, its from the hand of Sharon. She has all the patient to make those. And I bet she is very creative too!" She was very proud.

"Hehehe... Do you ever ask her to teach you?" I teased her.

"Wanna buy? Although it is her hobby and she learn that for her kids, but she do sell for RM20 per box." She ignored me.

"....." I ignored back.

*****

I thought those jelly mooncakes were very lovely. My mouth is watering to try for the taste.

I had have some jelly mooncake bought by my sis the other day and I kind of like it.

People try to be very creative to differentiate their mooncake as it is a very lucrative product. Mooncake is also kind of a food allow us to be very wild in innovation. Years after years, we see new products in the market. It has been a trend and excitement to look around who has created what new thing. I have not seen people explore other festive food like this yet.

Bravo to all the chefs and mummy out there!

16.9.07

How I wish my doctor say these to me?

All my friends who eat with me know that I love "high risk" food. Healthy organic vegetables never in my mind. I thought grass is for cow and vegetables are for rabbit. We are human, need to live life in full by eating human food. :)

So, when I saw below Q&A from a forwarded mail, I was so happy. How I wish it is true.

HEALTH QUESTION & ANSWER SESSION

Q: I've heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life; is this true?

A: Your heart is only good for so many beats, and that's it... don't waste them on exercise. Everything wears out eventually. Speeding up your heart will not make you live longer; that's like saying you can extend the life of your car by driving it faster. Want to live longer? Take a nap.

Q: Should I cut down on meat and eat more fruits and vegetables?

A: You must grasp logistical efficiencies. What does a cow eat? Hay and corn. And what are these? Vegetables. So a steak is nothing more than an efficient mechanism of delivering vegetables to your system. Need grain? Eat chicken. Beef is also a good source of field grass (green leafy vegetable). And a pork chop can give you 100% of your recommended daily allowance of vegetable products.

Q: Should I reduce my alcohol intake?

A: No, not at all. Wine is made from fruit. Brandy is distilled wine, that means they take the water out of the fruity bit so you get even more of the goodness that way. Beer is also made out of grain. Bottoms up!


Q: How can I calculate my body/fat ratio?

A: Well, if you have a body and you have fat, your ratio is one to one. If you have two bodies, your ratio is two to one, etc.


Q: What are some of the advantages of participating in a regular exercise program?

A: Can't think of a single one, sorry. My philosophy is: No Pain...Good!


Q: Aren't fried foods bad for you?

A: YOU'RE NOT LISTENING!!! ... Foods are fried these days in vegetable oil. In fact, they're permeated in it. How could getting more vegetables be bad for you?


Q: Will sit-ups help prevent me from getting a little soft around the middle?

A: Definitely not! When you exercise a muscle, it gets bigger!!!!!!. You should only be doing sit-ups if you want a bigger stomach.


Q: Is chocolate bad for me?

A: Are you crazy? HELLO Cocoa beans! Another vegetable!!! It's the best feel-good food around!


Q: Is swimming good for your figure?

A: If swimming is good for your figure, explain whales to me.



Q: Is getting in-shape important for my lifestyle?

A: Hey! 'Round' is a shape!


Well, I hope this has cleared up any misconceptions you may have had about food and diets.

And remember: "Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways - Chardonnay in one hand - chocolate in the other - body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOO HOO, What a Ride"



13.9.07

Great BBQ party for a factory opening.

The company I work had just shifted to a new factory in Balakong recently. Boss suggested to have a simple opening ceremony. Therefore, a simple yet surprisingly good catering BBQ was served. I managed to snap some pictures and I thought why not to show it here.


BBQ lamb do it at site. Fresh and tender. We finished it at no time!


Very large prawn, BBQ. Seldom see it done like this.


Pan fried sotong. Of cause it is my favorite!


BBQ chicken.


Pan fried fish. Mass production with consistent quality.



Professional service at site. Of cause there were other cooked food, which I missed out the picture. Busy taken care of our visitors that day.

12.9.07

Starbucks?!


Checked my Yahoo! mail and saw this forwarded mail. No description, no where to trace. But a picture tell us thousand words.

Do you have any idea for your new kopitiam concept in Puchong?

If you are thinking what am I thinking, kill me, please...

11.9.07

Indian Stall @ Sri Kembangan II

Good food revisited and discover more good food serving. So how? Keep visit the good food place lorr...

This Indian Stall was first posted few weeks ago. So, I will not elaborate further but only the special creative food below.



I think it is call roti chingkering or something sounds like that. I saw many people ordered it and I thought I should try. So, I called the waiter and pointed to a lady eating that. The skin was made of ordinary roti chanai telur, then it was wrap and roll like poh piah, with chicken meat, vegetables and mayonnaise inside. Special in a sense that it is very creative combining traditional Indian bread and wrapper style. Taste was fantastic. Portion unbelievable large.

10.9.07

Pan Mian @ OUG

Ever heard there is one popular stall selling Pan Mian 板面 in OUG?

I love their hand made noodle when I first ate it about 10 years ago. That time it was still operated under a huge tree, beside Pearl Point.

It has been years I miss the biteful noodle as other food. And suddenly I noticed that it has moved.

Asking and searching, I finally found it. It is now situated in a newly build food court, just behind Central Supermarket and Parkson.




This is the stall, simple and ordinary. You never know they serve some non-ordinary food.



Dough sheets were pressed and waiting to be cut into noodle form.


A bowl of freshly prepared hand made noodle, with plenty of fried ikan bilis and mushrooms. The noodle has a tougher texture. You can feel the bite. Soup was very sweet.

5.9.07

Tian Yew @ Bandar Puteri Puchong

Another new venture in Bandar Puteri Puchong, another new food hunt for me.

Restaurant Tian Yew in Bandar Puteri Puchong, open at those new shop lots near DHL. A rather "healthy" Hakka signature food serving.

I personally not a fan of "Lui Cha" 客家擂茶 as I thought the soup taste a bit strange. Very green it taste. I felt like a cow drinking vegetable juice.

Anyhow, Huey love it very much and I had other dishes to test also. So, there we went.



Vegetable, vegetable and vegetable... I believe it is good for certain people and it sure feel healthy, provided they wash off all those pesticide before cooking. 客家擂茶



Fried SangMin was quite nice. It fit my tongue very well.


This is another Hakka signature food, call abacus 算盘子. Sticky yam pieces cooked with peanuts and mushroom. The abacus has sandy texture but full with yam flavor. So, if you love yam, should try.