Sugar Rush

Remember the cupcake masterclass by Cupcake Central I attended last year? I came home with a box of freshly baked and decorated cupcakes. Six beautiful and delicious cupcakes that lasted me 2 days!

Before we left, the very talented and generous Sheryl handed us a box of their very own Devil’s Cupcake Mix. That box flew with me across the Pacific Ocean and proved useful as our Chinese New Year dessert!

Add butter, add milk, add the mix and Voila! 9 cupcakes- baked, frosted and ready to be eaten!

Perfect for both Chinese New Year and the upcoming Valentine's Day!

These babies sure didn't last long in our house! ;)

And speaking of getting a sugar rush, cupcakes sure aren't enough!

What's the best part of Chinese New Year besides the hong paos (red packets)? HAMPERS! Specifically, hampers filled with goodies like chocolates and cookies! That was what I wished for and that was what I got.

We got two beautiful hampers from Marks & Spencer, both generously filled with cookies, Belgian chocolates, sweets, biscuits...

Trust me, some of these poor goodies couldn't even last a day!

And with two hampers, we had double of everything! All good things come in pairs right? ;)

And how lucky! Two jars of strawberry jams when I just finished my current jam jar!

With all these goodies lingering in my house, it's almost impossible to keep my eyes and well, hands off them! Chinese New Year really is the best time of the year!

Do check out lovely Jenn's blog for more eats!

Salted Egg Cookies

Last year, I made the classic Chinese New Year peanut cookies. Peanuty, melt-in-your-mouth type.

When they were gone, I whipped up a second batch of cookies but this time, they were green pea cookies.

This year, I challenged myself to make something different. I knew that some of my relatives were sick of eating the usual peanut cookies and pineapple tarts. So, a batch of freshly baked salted egg cookies awaited them...

Salted Egg Yolk Cookies
Adapted from Debbie Teoh (Flavours magazine Jan-Feb 2009)


• 250g plain flour

• 20g cornflour

• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 4 salted egg yolks
• 170g butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 
80g caster sugar
• 1 egg yolk mixed with 1 tablespoon of milk, beaten lightly, for egg wash
• white sesame seeds for sprinkling

1. Sift together flour, cornflour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda, set aside.

2. Steam salted egg yolks for about 5 minutes. Cool, mash with a fork and set aside.

3. Place butter, salt and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Mix on medium speed until sugar is dissolved.

4. Add mashed salted egg yolks and sifted flours. Mix to for a soft and pliable dough. If dough is too soft, wrap with cling film and rest in refrigerator for 30 minutes.

5. Line baking paper on the baking pans. Preheat oven to 175'C.

6. Roll out dough to 5mm thickness and cut into desired shapes using dough cutters. (I rolled them into balls and pressed the centre down). Place on baking pans and brush with egg wash. Sprinkle with sesame seeds to decorate.

7. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove and cool completely before storing in airtight containers.

And now, they're sitting comfortably in containers/cookie jars waiting to be eaten!

Enjoy!

Year of the Dragon

Like Christmas pictures, my family and I take a family picture every Chinese New Year! And I’d like to share our most recent Year of the Dragon 2012 CNY picture!

 

I have plenty to be thankful for and lots to look forward to this year.
So far, my family a.k.a my eating/food-tasting crew has been extremely supportive of everything I’ve done. They’ve put up with my mood swings to my crazy & random food cravings. So, thank you!

Hopefully, this year would be as mouth-watering as the last and with my honours application coming up, good food is what I need! I wish that the year of the dragon would bring happiness, strength and prosperity to every single one of you. Finally, THANK YOU for your support because you guys are the ones that made this blog possible! :)

Happy Chinese New Year to ALL!

Hometown Ban Mian, KL

With Ban Mian (Pan Mee) stores popping around KL like mushrooms after a rain, it would be interesting to try the different variations offered by various stores. In search for something different, Hometown Ban Mian caught my attention with their hand-made (short) noodles.

So, on a lazy Sunday, I decided to give this place a try. During my short trip to Singapore, my parents and brother (my food sampling crew!) went, ate and thoroughly enjoyed the food!

Pumpkin Barley

I love pumpkin and I love barley. But I've never had them together before! Chunks of pumpkin and barley seeds sat at the bottom of the glass, travelling up the straw with every sip of that warm, comforting concoction.

Hometown Handmade Chicken Paste Soup

An interesting change from the usual fish paste soup. The chicken paste was meaty, tender & delectable while the broth was satisfyingly heart-warming.

Pepper Pig Intestine Ban Mian

Unlike other Ban Mian that I've had, these noodles are short, thick and chewy. And trust me, you'd never find two pieces of noodles with the exact same shape as each of them are hand kneaded, rolled and pinched. 

As for the soup, each sip was packed with a strong peppery taste. For those who enjoy pepper or the traditional pig intestine soup, this is definitely the dish for you! And if Malaysia's weather was seasonal, this would be perfect for a cold, winter day.

Black Pepper Ban Mian

All the noodle dishes are made with the same type of ban mian- thick and chewy. So, the fried noodles are no exception. This dish reminded me a lot of the Shanghai savoury nian gao that I've had ages ago but flavour-wise, this was different. The black pepper in the noodles added a pleasant heat and intensity while the onions and vegetables gave a wonderful crunch to each bite of chewy noodle.

 Hokkien Fried Ban Mian

This was Hokkien Mee with a twist. Instead of using the usual long fat noodles, their special ban mian was used in the stir-fry. Like the black pepper ban mian, the dish was flavourful from the high heat of the wok used (wok hei). Both my parents are a big fan of Hokkien Mee and they truly enjoyed this dish.

 

Tai Chi Roll

Every main dish, needs a side dish right? So, we got this to share. You'd know that this was freshly deep-fried before serving as it was still piping hot- toothsome & chewy with a slight springiness.

Almond Pumpkin Roll

Before deep-frying, these were coated in slivered almond flakes. A great accompaniment to the noodles but I did wish that the crust was crunchier.

If you enjoy thick noodles, do give this place a try. The menu offers an extensive variety of soup and stir-fried ban mian, giving each person a choice that would satisfy his/her taste-buds!

50G, Jln Medan Putra 3,

Medan Putra Business Centre, 

Bandar Menjalara, 52200

KL

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Hometown-Ban-Mian/266739993346768

Cheapest Michelin-Starred Restaurant possible?

My incredibly short journey in Hong Kong was coming to an end. So, I needed to end my adventure with a bang! Something memorable. Something that would smack me right in the face and make me speechless with wonder & awe.

Before the trip, I did my research and discovered Tim Ho Wan. A humble restaurant located in Mongkok, opened by the former dim sim 'shifu' (master) of Four Seasons Hotel. And to my surprise, the prices were extraordinarily reasonable. In fact, the total cost of the bill was cheaper than some of my previous meals!

This was around 9.45 in the morning and the restaurant only opened at 10am! I arrived at 9, thinking I would be the earliest but I was wrong!!

The tiny & humble kitchen - where the magic happens!

Har Gow (Prawn dumplings)

When the first dish arrived, I was beyond excited. About 26 full-grown adults were fitted into the tiny place and sensing the excitement of others when their dishes arrived wasn’t difficult. With each dish, cameras clicked and there were ‘Oooooohs’ & ‘Ahhhhhhs’.

This Har Gow was the epitome of all the har gows out there. The skin was thin & translucent. Slightly chewy yet it gives no resistance when bitten. The prawns were plump, juicy & crunched with every bite. Gosh, it was superb start. Now, I’m really excited.

Teochew dumplings

The next set of dumplings arrived and smooth, silky, translucent skin blew me away again! Different flavours and textures were laughing and dancing in my mouth. There was crunch from the peanuts and diced turnips, saltiness from the minced pork and dried shrimp & fragrance from the Chinese chives. The best I've ever had.

Char Siew Buns

These Char Siew Buns were the main motivation that kept me waiting for more than an hour outside this place. Because of the high praises given by other food bloggers, my expectations were high. I was expecting the best. When sunk my teeth into them, I got more. I got better than the best. 

Unlike traditional BBQ pork buns, these babies were baked to perfection. The crust were crispy and slightly flaky while the filling inside was tender, juicy and filled with flowing char siew sauce. The saltiness and sweetness were harmoniously balanced. I almost wished that this dish came last and I could allow the taste could linger in my taste-buds as long as possible.

Pan-fried Turnip Cake

These are my mum's 'must order' in every dim sum restaurant and from all the pan-fried turnip cakes she have had, she'd know which was the best. And even though I wasn't generally a big fan of this dish, this changed my mind. It was smooth, silky, soft with bits of turnip in each bite. The pan-fried bits were slightly crispy and I enjoyed the fact that it was pan-fried instead of the usual deep-fried!

Deep-fried Spring Rolls

My brother insisted on ordering this dish and I'm glad he did. If you were like me, you'd probably ask, "How good can a Spring Roll get?". I was wrong. The roll was jam packed with prawns, mushrooms, pork & other 'I-wish-I-could-identify-ingredients'. The skin was crispy and crunchy without the layer of oil you'd normally get in spring rolls. It was brilliant.

Cheong Fun with Char Siew

I'm a huge fan of Chee Cheong Fun (rice noodle rolls) and when I saw this in the menu, I had to try some. When the dish arrived, I was immediately swooned. The skin was translucent! It was so smooth and silky, I felt like I could swallow it whole! If I could, I'd have the whole thing to myself ;)

Siew Mai

And our final savoury dish arrived. It was generously stuffed with minced pork, plump prawns and sliced of mushrooms. The hand-made skin was thin and held the filling together beautifully. There were chewy parts from the fatty minced pork and there were crunchy parts form the prawns. Again, there was no way I could find a single flaw. 

Osmanthus Jelly with Goji Berries

As the dessert arrived, my heart was ecstatic from all the food but was also heavy-hearted as I knew that no more dishes would be sent to our table. But the jelly was the perfect way to end this journey. It was light, sweet and we finished with a huge smile on our faces.

If you're a huge fan of dim sum, you should never give this place a miss whenever you're in Hong Kong. And those who aren't so keen on dim sums? This place would probably convert you. And if I had to, I'd queue the whole day to get into this place.

Shop 8, Taui Yuen Mansion Phase 2, 

2-20 Kwong Wa Street, 

Mong Kok

Lunch: Hong Kong airport
Before departing for my flight back to Kuala Lumpur, we stopped by the food court to have our lunch. Our final taste of Hong Kong before heading back!

Egg Tarts

The pastry was flaky and crisp but it was a slight disappointment. It wasn't warm and fell apart with a single bite. On the other hand, the egg custard filling was creamy and just sweet. If it was warm and freshly made, it would have probably been good!

Dace fishballs with Century Egg Congee

Every time I'm in Hong Kong airport, I'd have a bowl of this. It's not something you'd find in the menu because I've specially requested them to combine my two favourite ingredients together: dace fishballs and sliced century eggs! You can go wrong with a bowl of congee with good ingredients :)

Stir-fried noodles

Slighly salty but plain and flavourful. But with all the amazing food I've had today, it wasn't memorable!

Alright, that's all folks! That's the end of my Hong Kong trip which was filled with mouth-watering food and valuable shopping time! No question that I would return again in the near future!!

ps. Sorry for the slow updates because I've been busy shifting into my new house! Yay! :)

Do you have a favourite country/state?
Best airport food that you've ever eaten? 

As always, head over to Peas & Crayons to check out other eats!

Honeymoon Dessert, Hong Kong

Throughout my trip in Hong Kong, I did not go a day without a bowl of tong sui (sweet soup)! Tea time was dessert time. Strangely and unfortunately, my favourite Fa Sang Wu (Peanut Sweet Soup) wasn't part of the menu. But this taught me that a good bowl of tong sui does not always revolve around Fa Sang Wu.

When in Hong Kong, you won't have any trouble finding a branch of Honeymoon Dessert. By positioning themselves in shopping malls, they're the perfect pit stop after a long day of shopping. And fortunately for me, my hotel was directly opposite one.

Black Sesame Sweet Soup

Due to the high cost of black sesame seeds, the tong suis are usually starchy from the excessive rice flour. But this was thick, rich, creamy & fragrant. The black sesame flavour was really intense- just the way I like them!

Sweet Potato in Ginger Soup

On Sundays when I was younger, my mum used to boil them for the family as our tea time 'snack'. Some like the soup less gingery but some, like me, like the soup as gingery & 'spicy' as possible. And this fell into the latter category. The flavour even found its way into the sweet potatoes and made it perfect for the chilly winter day. 

Almond Sweet Soup

I occasionally use almond milk as my milk substitute and I absolutely adore it! Without questioning, I immediately thought that I'd enjoy this as well but a sip proved me wrong. The strong almond essence was an acquired taste. My brother loved it but I stopped at a spoonful. No more almond tong suis for me!

Papaya & Snow Fungus Soup

The papaya component of this tong sui intrigued me. Would it taste like papaya? Would it be mushy? Boiling papayas.. seriously? But all my doubts were clarified when I took a sip. It was sweet & refreshing yet warm & comforting. The papaya wasn't mushy! It retained its natural sweetness while adding a hint of papaya into the soup.

Mango & Pomelo Sweet Soup (Cold)

The only cold tong sui we ordered throughout the trip! And if we had to order another one, I'd go for this again! It was chilled to the right temperature with tiny, crystal clear sago balls and pomelo pulp floating in the mango-based soup. Because the tong sui wasn't chilled with ice, it retained its thick and creamy texture. If it was summer and you're looking for something refreshing, this would be it!

Dried Beancurd with Egg White Soup

An interesting twist from the typical dried beancurd, gingko and barley soup you'd get in Malaysia. The egg whites did not add any flavour but it contributed texturally. Different but I'd rather stick with my usual!

Egg Custard

And finally, a non-soup dessert. If you ordered a dessert that had egg whites, you are entitled to order this for a mere 5HKD. What a deal!
It was sweet, custard-y and like most desserts, creamy. I would describe it as an Asian creme brulee without the caramelized top or an egg tart without the tart! A sweet finish to all the tong suis!

Level 6, iSQUARE Mall,

63 Nathan Road, 

Tsim Sha Tsui

http://www.honeymoon-dessert.com/en_us/

Battle of the Char Chan Tengs (HK: Day 2)

Char chan tengs in Hong Kong are like mamak stalls in Malaysia or pizzerias in Italy. It's iconic and easily recognizable. Hence, my second day began with a meal in a char chan teng, proceeded to another and ended in another.


Breakfast: Australia Diary Company 
47 Parkes Street, Jordan
Kowloon

To avoid the long rush hour queue, we headed off early (on a weekday too!). Thankfully, we were given a table upon arrival. Since there was 3 of us, we had to share our table with someone else in the jam-packed cafe! No complains as the gentleman was very helpful with his recommendations and menu translation. (No English menus available!)

A choice of warm or cold milk

Macaroni soup with ham

A classic char chan teng dish! The warm broth sure warmed up my tummy from walking in the chilly winter morning. However, I'm not a big fan of pasta with soup but almost every table had a bowl and no complains were heard from my mum & brother!

Scrambled eggs with toast

These scrambled eggs are the reason for the queue. They're definitely worth the early wake-up call because they're by far the best scrambled eggs I've ever had! Creamy, fluffy, smooth, silky. Top it on the crispy toasted bread and let the magic explode in your mouth.

Scrambled eggs on buttered bread

This was a magical as the one above but it was texturally different. The bread was soft, chewy & generously buttered. With mouth-watering scrambled eggs like these, it doesn't really matter how you eat it. It'll still taste amazing.

Besides the scrambled eggs, the steamed egg & milk custard's often raved about. So, before we left Hong Kong, paid this place another visit. And I'm glad we did! The steamed custard was milky with a hint of 'egginess', smooth, warm and creamy. If you're rushing for time, avoid the wait for a table by ordering a take-away! But don't let the wait intimidate you because the food's worth the wait.

Lunch: Tsui Wah
77-78 Parkes Street, Jordan

Tsui Wah is a more commercial char chan teng with several branches in Hong Kong. The menu offered a wide variety of food and most importantly, they had an English menu! Phew, I've really got to brush up on my Chinese reading!

Assorted fish paste & balls in soup

Simple, warm & comforting. When compared to the fishballs you'd get in Malaysia, they're chewier without much springiness. But again, ideal for a chilly day!

Toasted buns with butter & sweetened condensed milk

When I was first introduced to this combination, I was slightly skeptical. Condensed milk on bread?! But boy, I'm glad I tried it anyway! The bread with toasted till the crusts were crisp and the butter beautifully melted into the thick bun. The drizzle of condensed milk gave each bite just the right amount of sweetness and it wasn't sickeningly sweet like I expected. Now, I'm a fan.

Scrambled eggs & luncheon meat sandwich

A scrambled egg dish for comparison and I learnt my lesson- never order a scrambled eggs from another place after have the best. If you want scrambled eggs, head over to Australia Diary Company. They aren't bad but the ones from my breakfast were so good that these tasted very mediocre.

If you're looking for a place that offers most of the char chan teng classics in a single menu, this is the place to go. And with several branches around the country, just head off to the nearest one! Or grab something before your flight from their airport branch!

Dinner: Mido Cafe
63, Temple Street
Yau Ma Tei

 Being one of the oldest cafe around Hong Kong, I knew that I had to get to this place. The ambience and the setting was everything I hoped for! Similar to the setting in most TVB dramas, it was cozy, warm, slightly ancient & we could sit there for ages as the busy Temple street beneath us bustled along.

Milk Tea

You can't go on a char chan teng spree without drinking a cup of milk tea. Most of the breakfast/tea/lunch sets usually include a drink with a choice of milk tea or milk coffee. The black tea definitely needed a teaspoon or two of sugar unless bitter teas are your thing!

Hong Kong-style French Toast

The corners were crispy & crunchy while the insides were moist, eggy & soft. Generously drizzled with honey with a spread of butter, it rekindled my love for french toast. Breakfast, lunch, tea, dinner or supper, it wouldn't matter because I'd gladly have this for every meal!

Fried noodles with Char Siew (barbequed pork), Kailan & gravy

The noodles (yee mee) are fried till crispy and then, drenched with a thick gravy. Kinda like the cousin to the Sang Har Mee you'd get in Malaysia! Because the gravy's thicker, the noodles stay crunchy till the very last bite. Plus, we didn't give it a good mixing- the crunchy bits are the best!

Sweet & Sour Pork Spareribs

Tender, succulent & bursting with the right balance of sweetness and sourness. My only complain was the lack of gravy!

Pork Chop Baked Rice

Being one of their signature dishes, the was a 'must order'. The rice was doused with a creamy sauce and slices of tender pork chop before being baked. The rice was slightly crisp from the baking and the hot, creamy sauce couldn't be a better partner.

A fantastic way to end the second day. We headed back to the hotel with a well-fed tummy and rested our aching feet!
Do stay tune for more of my Hong Kong eats (including a dessert edition) coming up soon!

And YAY to Jenn! for hosting her 50th WIAW party!