The Search for Steamed Fish

I don't know why, but it is becoming increasingly challenging to find a place that serves good steamed fish on the island.
Perhaps it was my own picky taste buds creating the barriers, but at the same time, most of the restaurants do not seem to have the exact fish that I want, to begin with.

I don't ask for much, just for a simple dish of steamed fish served in that appetizing sauce (yes, I am not referring to plain Chinese steamed style with soy sauce).
The fish that I am craving for, which would fit the bill to be served in such a manner, is none other than the snapper species.

Red snapper, to be precise.
Don't ask me why, I just have specific cravings during those specific periods, enough said.

At this point of time, I just crave for red snapper to be steamed the Teochew style (think a combination of salty and sourish plum sauce loaded with pickled vegetables, tomatoes, thin slices of mushrooms and white beancurd, garnished with coriander leaves).
For somewhat reason, I just know that's the one plaguing my mind and the taste just rolls on the edge of the taste buds, and no, I am not pregnant, despite all these cravings.
They are just my usual seasonal cravings that just come and haunt me once in a while.

The search took months, seriously, and I think I may be the one running out of places on my mind for good seafood restaurants.
Then I decided to revisit this seafood restaurant in Teluk Kumbar; Hai Boey Seafood Restaurant, which I have previously blogged here.

Well, it was a good thing I thought of Hai Boey, because they met my requirements and I almost squealed for joy when they told me that they have the red snapper fish.
On top of that, they can even customize to a smaller-sized fillet portion to accommodate the two of us.

I would have suggested the Teochew style that I craved for, but then I was enticed by one of their styles which brought back memories and ignited another craving, so this was what I settled on;
Steamed Red Snapper fillet with sour lime juice and garlic



The fish fillet is weighed by the size and weight, but approximated to a range of MYR35-40 for a serving like this.
I had this twice, and both times the price fell in the range mentioned.

It was the right choice definitely, and I never looked back since; after all, how else could one explain the repeated visit to enjoy this, like two times in a row.
I was hooked on the flavorous tastes of the exotic yet appetizing sauce; which is sweet, sour and exciting all at the same time.
It is teasing to the taste buds, and is simply irresistible to keep away from.
The flesh of the fish was smooth and succulent, and I am pleased that it was fresh, which is just the primary requirement (or the basic) for a fish to be steamed to enjoy the real tastes of the juicy fish fillet.




The bird's eye chili seeds and the red chilies added just contributed that hint of spicy taste; just a tiny weeny bit but also sufficient to fuel that excitement in the flavorful sauce to complement the tender fiesh.




I would be happy with the fish alone, but then again, a trip to a seafood restaurant located at the far end of the island thronged by crowds of seafood enthusiasts comprising of local and tourists from other states/countries would not be justified without having a real meal accompanied by other seafood served in the restaurant.

It will be terribly unjust to the restaurant which had all the large aquariums filled with swimming fishes and live seafood greeting their patrons at the entrance of the restaurant, promising that fresh variety and that one will not leave dissatisfied with their fill of fresh local seafood.

Deep fried Mantis prawns with dried chilies/Kung Pow style (MYR12) - one of my usual favorites.
(I have tried their other style; which was quite unique too in my previous visit here, equally relish as well)



They have done this dish quite well, I must say, as I am also, again, particular with the way the mantis prawns are fried that they do not end up too deep fried to the extent of dried hollow.
The juicy flesh is to be maintained at a medium done level; maintaining that balance between the crispy outer part and the moist trapped for a tender bite into the flesh of the prawns.




Another side order of Spicy Stir Fried Clams/Lala (MYR12) also promises more appetite stimulating experience to the meal.



I am not big on shell stuffs or clams, but I have to say this is one fiery way of serving the clams which were again, amazingly fresh and made its worth to be added to our list of orders.

I guess I could say that the search is over for my favorite steamed fish, until, they tell me that they run out of my favorite fish, but I can see that is highly unlikely.

So here I have come, and here I will stay (at least when I crave for that zesty lime sauce drizzling my juicy snapper flesh) ~






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Original Taiwanese Desserts at Ice Bowl

The trend of themed-tea/beverages/drinks and desserts seem to be in the air lately as one after another of these cafes pop up around the major cities and towns in Malaysia.
I have to admit, they do interest me; especially when they have creative stuffs to offer.

Focusing on the concept of healthy goodness and yet maintaining that yummy factor is the theme behind Ice Bowl; a new cafe spotted in Mahkota Cheras town (right opposite Aeon Mahkota Cheras).
Specializing in Taiwanese desserts, their menu is none like any other I have seen so far in their choices.



They have the sets which combine three ingredients; or you can opt for the regular types of dessert soups or even drinks.

We chose the bowl sets; priced at MYR6.50 each and thankfully we opted to share, for the portions were generous!

Set B: Green Bean + Lotus Seeds + Grass Jelly + Black Pearl toppings 




Served chilled with slightly sweet soup, this is my favorite combination and this bowl can be quite filling too!



Red Bean + Grass Jelly + Cream + Black pearl topping



Pour in the milk to make it richer in texture.



Finally, this is another of my favorite:

Aiyu Jelly + Bird's Nest + Lemon + Black pearls toppings



My family and I loved the desserts and I am glad I dragged everyone there to try out their desserts after the celebration lunch at Dragon-i.
This is not the first Ice Bowl outlet; as there is another outlet in SS2. I do hope they would launch an outlet in Penang soon as I do enjoy their healthy desserts.
Now I know where I am heading to when I am back in the city and looking for a place to chill, with good and healthy desserts too! :-)

Memories of Yesteryear in a Root Beer

I have a relationship with A&W and it started since I was a little girl of seven.
Yes, this fast food restaurant chain and me go way long back, from the time I took my first real examination and achieved results which made my parents proud.
Call it a bribe, or anything you want, but at that time, my dad would reward me with anything I want; which included a day of celebration (my choice of where to go for breakfast, lunch and dinner) and also a special gift for me to pick as we go out shopping for the whole day.

Back then, that was something kids our days look forward to.
Okay, I am not THAT old, but which kid is not enticed by that offer, and my very first time I was at the top of the class, I remembered my first treat was to  A&W  restaurant which had a huge field behind it and a lovely playground; and to a kid, that is synonymous to lots of fun.
It was then that  A&W and me embarked on this relationship.

The waffles are one of  A&W 's pride, and with good reason too.
The crispy layers and the rich freshly baked aroma just entice one's appetite, not to mention the extremely decadent sight of raspberry ice cream topping the waffle.



The star, is not either the ice-cream nor the waffle alone, but rather, the combination of both, which works together to provide that memorable flavor as it melts with a mixture of cold from the ice cream and the heat crisp of the pastry.

How can one not fall for such temptation, especially when you are an excited young little girl of seven?



Please do not mind my many photos of the beautiful views of the waffles and its companion; the honorable raspberry ice cream as I reminisce on those lovely childhood memories which just spells success and achievement as  A&W  waffles come to mind.
Of course, I am fine without the ice-cream too, as honey and maple syrup are equally excellent companions to the waffles ;)

The other trademark of  A&W and what it is commonly known as truly their product, is the ever popular Root Beer.

Ever the often misunderstood as a alcoholic beverage due to its connotation of the word beer, this, I can verify, is definitely alcohol-free yet offers much more than a beer with its sparkling taste and exotic scent which is suspiciously close to that of Sarsi.


To enjoy the root beer to its maximum although it is still great on its own (I can testify to that), is to add in ice cream to make it a float.
Yes, that is the term but it is a no-brainer, as the ice-cream floats in the density of the bubbling drink.
Frothing, bubbling, sparkling, exciting all describes the tastes of this root beer float and it is one drink you should try at least once in your lifetime!

Do you have a childhood favorite, or one that triggers your memory?
I am not really big on fast food, but A&W is always that one name that holds a certain forte in my memory; and no, I am not a affiliate and I think I should be endorsed as a A&W childhood fan someday.
I just told my mum that it was not the waffles or root beer alone, but I actually liked the environment in that particular outlet I used to go, the playground and just the thought of being with my family when we celebrate at A&W, being the main reasons I often chose to go there whenever I get to select my reward :)

Yes, we go way back.....

Tasty Jiang Su Biscuits

I have seen this on Hong Kong TV dramas/movies since I was a kid; this is a type of biscuit which is packed for Imperial scholars/travellers as they embark on their journey/travel to the city for the Imperial examinations or just from one place to one place.
This has come to be known to me as a low cost/cost-saving food, as they are publicized as such, where the poorer scholars are often spotted in the movies/dramas with it.

I even gave it the name "Travel Biscuit", yeah, that's what I refer to it, and they are often depicted as hard and filled with flour.
In Cantonese, they are known as "Kong Sou Peng"

So, you can imagine my surprise at my Mummy's excitement when she told me that she bought a packet of Jiang Su Biscuits (name in Mandarin) when I got home.


Alright, gone are the days when they are considered cheap biscuits, as for a packet of 4 pieces, I think they cost about RM3.50 (maybe it's cheap in the US, but it's considered expensive to the Asians for biscuits like these which only cost a few cents each. Then again, flour, sugar and egg prices have gone up considerably too...so, fair enough:)


They are made of battered flour, with eggs and sugar; such simple ingredients, but they tasted great to me (I've always loved simple pastries like these:)


Big and round, it's supposed to be a filling type of food. After all, it was created and meant for travelling scholars.
(I remembered it looking a lot bigger in movies, maybe this is the commercial version)

It's not as hard as I thought either, or as depicted in the movies. In fact, it reminded me of light egg cakes.

Mummy cut this up into pieces so we could share, and guess what, we couldn't get enough of it! (yup, ALL of us loved it!:)

My verdict? I want more of Jiang Su biscuits!! :)


Have another fabulous weekend, and I am gonna scout for Jiang Su..hehehe, but I am too busy this weekend...and the next week too!

Some of my favorites from home...

Staying away from home means a lot of privacy and independence (I would not say freedom as I always have a lot of freedom at home too).

One thing that is amiss is the nice and freshly cooked meals served hot on the table when you get back to work.
For me, I only come home with a box of takeaway sometimes or having my dinner after work and to be greeted by the furnitures and stone cold walls in the house.

Sometimes at work, you also hear about colleagues going home to enjoy their wives' cooking or the unmarried ones will be looking forward to dinner or weekend at their parents.
It is during times like these that you truly longed for some homecooked food; especially those of your mum's.

Everyone says their mum is the best cook (maybe not for all, I've heard a friend complaining that their neighbor cooks better than his mum, LOL) and I dare say the same about my own mum too.

Whenever I am home, I am always spoilt by the lavish meals (I say lavish although mum says it's simple is because of the time and effort she took to prepare the meals and I appreciate her for that;)

There is always fish; and she always will get me fish fillets like these; garoupa or threadfin are some of my favorites!

I love the tender and juicy fillets marinated and steamed to perfection (not too harsh nor raw, I am really picky with my fish too!) in that soy sauce and a hint of Chinese wine before garnished with sliced ginger and garlic.
I am seriously craving for this fish as I am writing this!

Diced long beans with beancurd and fishcakes; sometimes she may throw in some prawns as well when she's in the mood!!

This may sound like a simple dish; but I don't think so, as it takes time to prepare them; dicing the long beans, making the beancurds into little cubes, and the carrots as well.
The preparation is tedious, but the cooking process is just to toss them into the wok and stir-fry!
Interesting how simple ingredients like these can make such a perfect meal~

Occasionally, she would get some fishballs or fishcakes (Yong Tau Foo style) from the market if they are available


I particularly liked this one, it's known as the Kampar fishcake, and pretty hard to come by too. (Maybe I should go to Kampar one day;)


That is all I dare to update at the moment before I crave too much....
I doubt I will ever be as good a cook like my mum....

My little cupcakes

I am not into fancy cream cupcakes since I can't take cream and stuffs like that and neither am I into chocolates, etc.
However, I do have a penchant for these little cupcakes which can only be found on the 1st and 15th of the lunar month and I look forward to it:D
It's typically used for worship and in fact, some of them were drenched in dark colours which may make them non-edible.


I just love these fluffy little cupcakes!:)

*I know, I have peculiar food taste buds sometimes:p*

Favourite Kueh

It's the 15th of the month again....I mean the Chinese Lunar calendar...
Every 1st and 15th of the months in the Lunar Calendar is a day of worship and abstinence.
As such, you will see lots of stalls selling flowers; kuehs and in Penang where 90% of the island is Chinese, you will see lots of unique kueh and cakes around such as the rice cakes, mee koo(red tortoise buns), ang koo(glutinous rice cake with bean paste filling), etc.
Since I am a Catholic, how would I know about all these and why the sudden interest, right?
I am a PickyEater, right...and I do have only certain foods which I like and so happen, the stuffs that I really like are pretty rare and can only be found in specific locations and also during certain periods.
Hehe....I think I have mentioned this before in this blog....hehe:)

The part about coming to Penang was with the hope that it should be easier to locate my favourite kueh/cakes....hehe, the little adorable and fluffy cup cakes:)
So, here, specially featured; the little cup cakes which have captured my heart and tastebuds...hehe...
Some people say this is plain and this in fact, is not exactly a favourite among people:p
At one point, some even say this is not good for health; the flour and also the dye on it (supposedly banned:( )
Anyway, I still like its soft cushion-like fluff and it's really nice when it's freshly steamed!

Hehe...get ready for some food porn:p

Nice ler...so pink:)



Closer shot...

So nice...and only 50 cents per piece....:D



There are also other cup cakes on sale...
This is the egg cup cakes....surprisingly, it smelt like the CNY's Kueh Bangkit...

Notice the dyed stripes; Mummy used to say that this kueh is for the other world offering. But for deities or happy occasions, Chinese culture always emphasizes on bright colors; particularly red to mark the joy and importance of the occasion.
That's why you see colors on most of the plain-colored cakes; particularly colors like white cup cakes or pale yellow cup cakes (like this).

Also priced at 50 cents for one....


And this, is another of my favourite...
The Orange Cup Cakes...yeah, there's orange flavour in it...smells and taste like orange somemore:D

Those red spots on it are the orange chewy bies....

Too bad can only get them fortnightly...but maybe it's a good thing...else, will get bored of it:p

Custard Apple!

Mummy gave me a little fruit from home the last time I was back in KL; we have this tree which bears this fruit; it's a unique fruit called custard apple (buah nona in Malay).
It can be found in most countries; although its origin was said to be of the West Indies and then to West America and Mexico. Then it was brought into Africa, India, the Philippines and Malaya in the early days. They call this the "ugly duckling" in the series of the genus of apples...hahaha....
The scientific name of this fruit is Annona reticulata L.
Not very attractive in appearance, the fruit is pretty small; 3 quarter to 6 and a half inches (8-16cm)in diameter and may appear heart-shaped, lopsided or irregular in shape.
Anyway, you can find out more about this here

And so, I waited patiently for this fruit to ripen and lo behold; after 2-3 days bringing it back here; the fruit starts to soften and ripe to age:)

This is a very nice and soft tasty fruit; lots of seeds by the way...but it's indeed like its name implies, soft as custard!


YUMZ.....when will I get my next Custard Apple ler? Boeah Nona:)