The Perak invasion #1: Anson Food Company

Everyone have this spot for homey hearty meals. Most of the times, they are simple food prepared at home with lots of love, passion and usually for the longing return.

Back then when I come back from the morning school, I always wonder what mom is cooking. And I could instantly tell through the lovely smell while walking up the stairs. Opening the blue plastic-net-like cover would reveal what I smell and initiate the hungry nerve reactions.

Similarly now whenever I ‘balik kampung’, it is the hearty nostalgic meals and lots of ‘makan’ session (and family of course) that is meaningful the long driving distance.

Jenifer invited the few of us to sample her hearty ventures, in Section 17. Known as Anson Food Company, it is also under the same management of the nearby Food Foundry. To get as homey as it could, Jenifer is from Teluk Intan (Anson) also the chef hails from the same town too.

Nyonya acar (RM 7) is a good way to start with its tangy and spicy flavors; tossed with chili sauce, crushed peanuts and topped with toasted sesame seeds. The ‘bakkien’ (RM 8) which translates as pork rolls is a common dish during festive seasons is the next dish. You get seasoned pork with minced pairing vegetables all wrapped up in a bean curd skin and fried to golden crisp.

There is the aromatic crispy duck (RM 25) which is pretty much interactive food. You get to wrap together in their home made popia skin with minced roast duck with cucumber, spring onions and sweet sauce.

More appetizers coming in with the sesame prawn toast (RM 6). A simple white bread covered with sesame seeds with prawn fillings. This is new for me, and I immediately love the aroma from the sesame seeds. There is this crunchy bite with the sweet prawn filling which would make this dish great for an all day snacks. While we’re almost full with the appetizers, the mains are served, we’ve got steamed pork with salted fish (RM 18), sweet sour pork (RM 19), stir fry vegetable (RM 11), Hakka pork belly with yam (RM 26), curry chicken (RM 19), steamed fish with Anson sauce (RM market price), Anson braised duck (RM 26) and Assam Seafood (RM 30). This is one heavy lunch!!!

Overall I like the appetizer choices and the pork dishes. To sum up, Anson Food Company is inspired by memories of a childhood filled with good food. Their menu comprises home-style Chinese dishes, with Nyonya influences. They currently serve lunch every Tuesdays to Sunday.

Anson Food Company
619, Jalan 17/10
46400 Petaling Jaya

Tel : 03- 7955 2336

 
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On Blending

I’ve always wanted to get a blender but never seem to found the one I liked. Well, I do have a food processor, but I wouldn’t want to mix the usage as most of my cooking tend to use strong herbs and ingredients. And a random field work last Friday around Shah Alam, found me a blender. A blender with a bloody good deal.

Supposedly working, we then happen to be in the compounds of the renowned home appliances warehouse sales, where it’s up to 80% off the usual retail price. Instantly a colleague of mine got herself hooked to the ‘cult’ (apple-lah) accessories and I was browsing around aimlessly. And little did I know, I am standing at this special ‘Happy Hour’ section.

Out of no where, a pallet of mixed home appliances were park right in front of me. I reached out for the blender, and there was this tornado of people pushing me left, right, centre and out of the radius. Apparently the ‘Happy Hour’ section is where random selections is being sold at a even cheaper price. Discounts plus more discounts.

I hugged my blender. Tightly. And I should have hugged that bloody deep fryer too. Or that LED TV. Or that Micro Hi-Fi. But seriously RM39 for a blender that is retailing for RM129.90, I am happy!

Since then, I have been blending up concoctions I could think of, and be merry with it. Banana + milk on Saturday, Banana + orange juice + evaporated milk on Sunday and I have been reading about Aguas frescas too.

Wikipedia: Aguas frescas (Spanish for "fresh (cold) waters") are a combination of either fruits, cereals, or seeds with sugar and water, blended to make a beverage.

 

Aguas Frescas: Termerry = (watermelon + strawberry)

So for Tuesday’s blend I have a combination of any preferred amount of: orange juice + watermelon + strawberries + ice

Method: Blend everything and served chilled.

Perfect for the hot weather.

Curry crab + prawn

And over a wedding dinner, an ex colleague whom I’ve not seen for months said, so you don’t update anymore? It’s straight forward statement and yeah, I was being lazy and I blame the recent hot weather and the spoilt air conditioner which only I got it fixed yesterday. It’s just sweltering hot recently and I couldn’t blog. (I am attempting tactical excuses here! LOL.)

And so, I was at this sales conference recently, and seated among the seniors during lunch time. Now to have meals with senior management, one must hold back, somehow eat lesser and laugh gracefully. But the good curry I had keep appearing in my mind during the second half of the full day conference. The hotel serve this good blue crab curry!

I love crabs and knowingly I would mess up my white shirt, I had to take a small piece of it. Freaking small piece. So on the drive back, I decided to make dinner and it’s going to be the crab curry I had earlier.

Curry crab + prawns

2 blue crabs

200gm prawns

2 medium sized eggplants

2 onions

Pounded paste of 2cm ginger + 3 cloves of garlic + 1cm turmeric + 1 buah keras + a few white peppers

1 bruised lemon grass

Thick curry paste (5 tablespoon of Adabi crab/prawn curry powder + 2 tablespoon of cili boh + enough water for a thick paste)

100ml of evaporated milk

 

Heat up wok with oil and sauté the pounded paste till aromatic. Add in the lemon grass and a teaspoon of mix spices (cumin + mustard seeds + 2pc of cloves). Then add in the onions and the curry paste. There’s this change of colour you can easily spot when making curry, it turn darker and that is the time to add in the protein. Once it come to boil, lower the heat and add in some water and the evaporated milk. Then put in the eggplants and let it simmer. Salt and pepper to taste.

Blue crabs make great seafood stock and adding prawns make it even better. The curry spot this a sweet hint and creamy gravy from the evaporated milk. I didn’t bother making another dish to go with it so there is just white rice and curry.

Long Weekend

And so with the Hari Raya holidays making it a long weekend, my parents make their way to visit me, and went for their shopping spree as well. Coming over to the Klang Valley during Hari Raya holidays seems like a yearly affair since they always like the city without its usual bustling crowd and traffic. And when they are in town for visits, I get goodies. Kampung goodies.

So mum brought me two chickens and a basketful of dokong.

Knowing how I like things certain way, mum get the chicken cleaned, chopped up and froze in containers. All sealed in a polystyrene box all the way from Kelantan. And unlike the usual chicken you get from the supermarket, I know mum has definitely chose the best and the freshest of all.

Fresh ingredients make a huge difference even with the simplest way of cooking it. So I thaw the chicken, and prepared a simple sauce for steaming.

 

Steamed Chicken with dong quai

1 chicken (cut and cleaned)

3 slices of dong guai (adjust to your preference, more if you like it more ‘herby’)

Sauce mix (a tablespoon of soy sauce, a dash of black pepper, a dash of sesame oil, a tablespoon of Shaoxing wine and two to three tablespoon of water)

A few slices of ginger

A teeny bit of garlic (a clove, chopped up)

The garlic and ginger on the base of a heat proof place, then arrange the chicken on it. Pour the sauce mix over and slot in the dong guai slices evenly. Steamed for about 20 minutes or till the chicken is tender.

 

 

And like all meals, balanced it with vegetables.

I call this,

Cabbage crunchies

200gms of cabbage, sliced

100gms of carrots, sliced

A handful of wood ear fungus, sliced

A teaspoon of dried shrimps

A teaspoon of chopped garlic

A few slices of ginger

In a hot wok, fry the ginger, and the dried shrimps with a mix of sesame and cooking oil. Add in the garlic and fry ‘em till it's sweet smelling. Then add in carrots and the wood ear fungus. Add in teaspoon oyster sauce, then put in the cabbage. Stir fry till its soft, then add in a dash of soy sauce, nampla and pepper. Plate it.

A simple dinner with awesome kampung goodness. Yumz.

Buka Puasa charity dinner

Not something that I would usually post up but I joined monkey & “fairy God mother” at a recent buka puasa dinner, hosted by the Empire Shopping Gallery. With 25 orphans from the Rumah Amal Kasih Bestari, this is the first social responsibility effort by the Empire Shopping Gallery which opened just a few months ago in Subang. It has shone as a one-stop neighbourhood mall that provides for all the needs of the surrounding area, in fashion, food, fitness, beauty, leisure and education.

So without further adieu, I help myself with Kelantanese food by Belanga.

A simple and tasty East Cost delights, there’s Rendang Daging, Ikan Tongkol Masak Lemak, and Nasi Dagang. There is something about buka puasa ‘ramai – ramai’ , where everyone sits together and wait till the time to break fast. And especially for the children, a tinge of excitement and shyness didn’t deter them from having fun.

It was time for giving, in the big-hearted spirit of Raya. The Empire Shopping Gallery management had RM10,000 to present to Rumah Amal Bestari which is located in Kampung Melayu Subang. Ustaz Johari B. Maksom, who runs the home, accepted the cheque from Danny J.Y. Cheah, group executive director of Mammoth Empire Holdings, Yap Chiew Lee, director of Mammoth Empire Project Management Sdn Bhd and May Woo, general manager of Empire Shopping Gallery.

Selamat Hari Raya !!

Ramadan Bazaar, Kg. Sg. Penchala

During Ramadan, food bazaars sprouts out in every corner, campaigning like the Malaysia Mega Sale. Whether you’re fasting or not, streams of hungry people would double park, pushing their way, just to check out the mishmash of Malaysian food. So, despite the sweltering heat of a hot Saturday afternoon, I make my way to Kampung Sg. Penchala to let myself willingly ‘seduced’ by the abundance of food medley.

Swaggering around with joy with hungry ‘eyes’, the folks in the bazaar greets with excitement and inviting note for me to photograph them. Well, much to my knowledge there were journalists earlier there that goes around snapping away for Sunday write ups. That is why there’s flair of volunteering poses for me to photograph their food and stalls.

While snapping away and like all impulse purchases, I bought too much than what I could handle.

 

And. Stuff. Myself.

I feel like a thanksgiving turkey.

BURP.

Now, which Ramadan bazaar should I go next …. Decisions, decisions.

Buka Puasa, Rama V

Put together a group of people with good food, comfortable ambience, flows of wine and it will soon filled with laughter and a heck of a good time. It is hard to stay composed despite being in this fine Thai cuisine restaurant. The buffet line, the ooohs and aaahs, the jokes are hard to miss. Over heard during dinner;

Is the oyster half in, or half out?! <Intelligent quote of the day>

Suck the oysters! <Authoritative>

In Thai, bitter gourds are called “Fakiu” <Suggestive quote>

Hey! I wanna touch Meens’ pad pad ! <Feline curiosity>

Why are you vandalizing my table?! <Caught RED HANDED>

How to stay composed and eat properlylah.

And over the buffet line, we’re being spoilt with varieties of (take a deep breath):

 

Appetizers

Chả Giò (Spring Roll)

Tod Mun Pla Krai (Fish Cake)

Chor Ladda (Flower shaped dumplings stuffed with minced chicken and peanut)

Thung Ngen Young (Deep fried minced chicken and shrimp wrapped in bean curd)

Fresh Oyster with Thai Sauce

Fresh Green Mussels

New Zealand Steamed Mussel

Kurma (Imported Turkish Dates )

Salads

Som Tam (Spicy papaya salad with peanuts)

Yam Nue (Egg Plant beef salad)

Yam Yai (Mixed vegetable salad served with shrimp and chicken)

Ulam-ulam (Fresh Green Vegetables)

Soup

Tom Kar Kai (Spicy chicken soup with coconut milk)

 

Main Courses

Kao Ob Sab Pa Rod (Stir-fried pineapple rice with shrimp coral)

Pad Thai Kai (Thai fried noodles with shrimps)

Steamed Rice

Pra Chon Pad Prik King (Crispy fried fish with Rama V sweet dried chili sauce)

Kai Pad Mamuam (Chicken fried with cashewnut & dry chili)

Gaeng Ka Ree Kai (Yellow chicken curry with sweet potato)

Hor Mok Kung (Otak-otak prawns)

Mussaman Nue (Mussaman style beef)

Stir-fried Four Angel Beans with Belacan

Ka Na Pra Kem (Kailan fried with salted fish)

Pra Meong Tod Krathiam (Deep fried squid with garlic)

Dessert

Assorted Mixed Fruits

Lod Chong Nam Kati

Jelly

Mango Sticky Rice

 

Condiments

Sambal Belacan

Chicken & Shrimps Sauce

Rama V Special Spicy Sauce

 

Drinks

Coffee / Tea

Teh Tarik

 

In the next 3 hours, we were singing birthday song, listening to a solo, posing for pictures, lighting up plates with torch lights for photos, pose some more, slurp an oyster and all that Jazz. All thanks to Andre (of Rama V), the “makan” gang and the lovely venue.

Rama V, a fine Thai cuisine is tucked among the embassies rows are currently serving the Ramadhan Buka Puasa Buffet, charging RM 75++ per adult.

 

RAMA V,
5, Jalan U-Thant, KL
Tel: 60 3 2143 2428

Open Hours
Lunch: noon-3pm daily.
Dinner: 6p-11pm daily.

Mid Autumn

In about a month’s time, it’ll be the Mid Autumn Festival. I still remember how it is back at home. Mom will be preparing dinner and dad’s friends would send box and boxes of moon cakes. After dinner, my siblings, cousins and me would so look forward to go around parading with lanterns and lighting up candles.

My parents would set up the tables and lazy chairs at the porch with trays of fruits (Pomelo is a must!), Chinese tea, peanuts, and of course moon cakes. Friends and neighbours would join us and chatting and laughing away with the charming tea scent filling the air. Mom says, it’s Mid Autumn, everyone has to get together and gaze at the beautiful moon. And so we gaze.

An over the years, mid autumn festival has evolved into a multimillion business (there’s my favourite HK TVB drama too), reminding people about family ties, reunion and getting together chomping down moon cakes. And with the ever demanding consumerism, moon cakes are taking a bolder step forward.

I was at Golden Phoenix Restaurant, of Equatorial Hotel recently for their moon cake contemporary flavours launch. While maintaining the regular moon cake range, Equatorial also include a 6 new range of modern day flavours. There have the German Black Forest, Pumpkin Taro, Charcoal Baked Yam, Bamboo Hazelnut, Espresso Chestnut and Red Yeast Sweet Potato. Besides the new contemporary moon cakes, there is also the limited (only 20 boxes per day) puff pastry Gold Ingots for ordering. The bite size ingots makes lovely door gifts too.

German Black Forest

Clockwise from top: Red Yeast Sweet Potato, Charcoal Baked Yam, Bamboo Hazelnut & Espresso Chestnut

 

Pumpkin Taro

More often, people avoid having moon cake for it is to sweet. My take, if it is not sweet, it is not a moon cake. The German Black Forest in an immediate favourite. But the rest fares well too, with it’s innovative stint, pop it in your mouth and guess what you could taste. And to complete the gift festive, the packaging boxes are also crucial. Here, the bright oriental boxes comes with a set special edition of fork and knife. There’s a Chinese saying, gifts should look presentable and generous.

Now after a good chunk of moon cake, it is good to wash it down with a nice cup hot of jasmine tea.

Causeway Bay Spicy Crab

There’s a new restaurant in town!

A Hong Kong seafood chain, Causeway Bay Spicy Crab (CBSC) makes its way to Sri Hartamas. Thanks to Su Teng, Ciki and Qwazy Monkey I got to try out the ‘typhoon shelter’ cuisine.

Spotting a modern chic interior, CBSC has a widespread range of seafood menu, which comes a long way from the typhoon shelter - way of living. The infamous dish is the Typhoon Shelfter Crab (避風塘炒蟹). Mega size crabs are deep fried then coated with a heavy (HEAVY) dose of garlic, chillies, spring onions, black bean, salt (SALT) and etc. Presentation wise, it looks as if the crab is crawling out from desert.

The Typhoon Shelter Crab (or Garlic Chilly Crab) spots a spicy, salt’ish and garlicky flavour. With that dose of garlic, vampires and neighbours would be raving mad. According to the host, about 100 kg of garlic is being used within the span of 3 days.

The next dish is the Baked Crab with Salted Egg Yolk (流沙黃金蟹) and this is my favourite dish. Unlike the usual salted egg yolk crab, CBSC has a different way of preparing it. Even so, we didn’t manage to catch the busy host on ‘dissecting’ this dish, but from the looks of it, they manage to get the salted egg yolk coatings into this nice crunchy and crumbly covering. Thumbs up!

Another garlicky dish is served and we have the Steamed Scallops with Garlic (蒜茸粉絲蒸扇貝) and garlic and garlic. Always love the texture of fresh scallops. YUM!

 

An array of compliment dishes came along, and we have the soy sauce fried noodles, honey garlic fried pork ribs, sweet and sour pork, braised chicken feet , and a platter of duck’s tongue, silver fish and chicken gristle.

And to ‘carb-up’ the evening, we have the ‘Sang Har Meen’. Fresh river prawns toppled with deep fried ‘sang meen’ and thick gooey sauce.

In true spirit of chaokar, I shall attempt the Baked Salted Egg Yolk at home. SOON!

Stay tuned!

 

Causeway Bay Spicy Crab

26 & 26-1, Jalan 30/70A, Desa Sri Hartamas,

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 50480

+603 6205 2280

 

ciki wrote

fbb wote

Bayan Indah

I was talking to qwazy monkey about how blogging has actually leads one surprise to another. From getting invites, to meeting people that I’ve been reading their blogs and to getting to know even more friends. Through the recent the Hot Can event, I got to know  Babe_in_the_city_KL through FatBoyBakes, and after a chain of e-mailing, it leads to this cooking session with Rohani Jelani. And of course I met even more people and made friends.

So on that Saturday morning, I ventured through the Kampung Sungai Penchala looking for Bayan Indah, the cooking school. Despite being close to the city, Bayan Indah sets in this calm kampung environment with it’s charming kitchen and lovely herb garden.

 

I got there slightly late, with the rest of the bloggers and cook enthusiast waiting while chomping down cucur udang and FBB’s lovely cake. After a quick round of ice breaking session, we were then spilt into 3 groups and being briefed about the menu. After the briefing session, we then put on our denim apron and head to our work stations.

Menu of the day:

Nasi dagang with acar timun and ikan tongkol masak lemak

Rendang ayam

Soto ayam

Mee rebus

Kuih talam

Kuih bengka ubi

 

And I shall let the pictures do the rest of the ‘bloggin’