It was the eve of hubby’s birthday, and he decided to treat us to a lovely brunch at Bröom @ Bukit Bintang. Six of us were present, including his aunt Susan from Ipoh, who was visiting. Only Cass wasn’t able to join us, as she was busy at the skating rink.
Cass has become very dedicated to her figure skating routine, spending her Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays on the ice. She’s also built a close-knit group of friends from her skating community. They sometimes have lunch together after practice and go on outings. During the recent school holidays, they visited a cat cafe and the Farm Fresh farm in Seri Kembangan, creating wonderful memories outside the rink.
Back to our brunch at Broom—hubby, as usual, went all out with his orders. We had a delightful spread of main meals, desserts, and aromatic coffee. The food was fantastic, and we thoroughly enjoyed the time spent together, chatting and savoring every bite.
After brunch, hubby made a stop at Petaling Street to pick up some dried food stuff for his kitchen. While browsing the shop, I stumbled upon my favorite Choy Heong Yuen almond cookies from Macau. They were priced at only RM51 a tin, a fantastic deal compared to RM60 on Shopee and RM69 on Lazada. Without hesitation, I grabbed two tins—one for us and another for my parents in Ipoh. I was so happy to replenish my favorite treat at such a good price!
Sherilyn who was on a short year-end break was finally able to join us for brunch, after a long hiatus as she’s been perpetually swamped with back-to-back assignments.All of hubby’s favorite pastries and tarts. I’m not a big fan of these sweet desserts though.The fish & chips were served in a cute little basket.Hubby’s all-time favorite breakfast – something as simple as toasted sourdough with butter and two sunny side up eggs.Sarawak curry laksa.Seafood pasta.Some Malay rice served with chicken rendang and acar.Housed in a pre-war building and aesthetically renovated. If you look carefully, there’s a digital water curtain waterfall hanging on the wall on the left.Something that every architecture student does – taking photos of aesthetically designed buildings for reference.My favorite almond cookies from Choy Heong Yuen, Macau.
This year’s Christmas Eve was spent indulging in good food and family time. My MIL, Sherilyn, Cass, and I headed to Wagyu More at The Gardens Mall for a delightful hotpot lunch. It was our second visit to this restaurant in December, and it seems to have become a favorite for my MIL. We were there on 5th December to celebrate Alycia’s 21st birthday.
Although the buffet hotpot meal is priced at over RM60 per person, I must admit that it feels like a splurge for small eaters like my MIL and me. With our petite appetites, we can barely make the cost worthwhile. Thankfully, Sherilyn and Cass balance the scales! Both of them, especially Cass, have an impressive capacity for food. Out of the staggering 36 plates of meat we ordered, Cass devoured the lion’s share. Her petite frame makes her appetite all the more astonishing! It’s a good thing she’s so active—her intensive daily exercise regime ensures she burns off all those extra calories.
After our indulgent lunch, we went grocery shopping. Sherilyn and I headed home early as she needed to complete yet another assignment. Cass and her grandmother stayed on, enjoying some shopping time together. Cass was thrilled to get a new swimsuit, a generous gift from her aunt from Hong Kong.
This brought up a lingering worry of mine—Cass’s desire to go swimming. In the past, her swimming sessions often resulted in UTIs (urinary tract infections) due to her abnormal urinary tract. It has made me reluctant to let her swim again, despite her enthusiasm. However, I know I can’t shelter her forever. I’ve laid down some strict rules: if she wants to swim, she can only do so for a maximum of 20 minutes, must get out of the pool immediately afterward, and take a thorough shower.
As a parent, it’s hard to let go of these fears, but I trust that she’ll be mindful of her health. All I can do is pray for her well-being and hope she enjoys her newfound freedom in the pool without any complications.
Our Christmas Eve was a day of good food, love, and a little compromise—an apt reminder of what the holiday season is all about.
🎄 Wishing all my readers a Merry Christmas filled with love, joy, and cherished moments with your loved ones! 🎅✨
MIL and I took lots of veggies, which made Cass comment that we shouldn’t be eating so much veggies as we’re paying so much – we should be eating more meat instead. I told her that I’ll take whatever I like to eat and am not that ‘kiasu’. Are you with me or Cass? 😐Cass and Sherilyn ordered many rounds of pork, beef, and fish.Cass had 2 cups of soft serve ice cream with lots of toppings of crushed peanuts, crushed chocolate biscuits, and color sprinklers (this ingredient is forbidden in our house).Complimentary chocolate chip cookies made by special needs kids for every receipt of 4 pax and above.
Two Sundays ago, it was just my hubby, Sherilyn, and I out for lunch. Alycia was off enjoying her holiday in Taiwan with friends, and Cass was at her figure skating class. Unsure of where to eat, hubby decided to drive to Section 17 in PJ, and we stumbled upon Nice Bistronome, a new French-Italian fusion restaurant. We were intrigued, especially after learning that the restaurant is named after Nice, the second-largest city in France, with dishes inspired by the flavors of this beautiful French town. What a fitting name, and as it turned out, the food was just as “nice” as its namesake!
To kick off our meal, hubby ordered focaccia as the starter (RM20). It was light, airy, and served warm, perfect for dipping. It came with a dipping of extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and the other was a standout tapenade spread. The tapenade was a flavor-packed mix of capers, olives, and anchovies, and it was absolutely fantastic. I enjoyed it so much that I ended up polishing off almost the entire basket of focaccia dipped with the three condiments!
Next, hubby ordered half a dozen escargots with pesto (RM36), which were delicious and the meat was just right and not rubbery. We also had fried halibut tenders (RM60), roast spring chicken with rosemary and herbs (RM72), and tiger prawns pasta (RM62). Every dish was well-executed and full of flavor. The roast spring chicken was succulent and fragrant with rosemary, while the fried halibut tenders were perfectly crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. The star of the meal had to be the tiger prawn pasta. The sauce was infused with rich prawn broth, making it incredibly flavorful. Each bite was divine, and we were thoroughly impressed by the dish.
For dessert, we decided to take our dining experience upstairs to a charming little café called Doux Doux (same owner as NICE). Hubby ordered a piccolo latte, while Sherilyn chose a matcha latte. To satisfy our sweet tooth, we ordered a soufflé and an entremet cake. Both desserts were indulgent and beautifully presented, rounding off our meal perfectly. Our stomachs were full, and so were our hearts.
It was one of those lunches where everything came together—the food, the ambiance, and the company. The only thing missing was Alycia and Cass, who would have undoubtedly enjoyed the experience with us. We’ll definitely be returning to Nice Bistronome, and hopefully next time, the whole family can join in on the feast!
NICE Bistronome 939, Jalan 17/38, Seksyen 17, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia *Below Doux Doux by Chateau Dionne @nice_bistronome +60125799309
Warm and lightly toasted focaccia along with dipping.Escargot pesto served on a bed of pebbles.Tiger prawn pasta and deep fried halibut tenders.Roast spring chicken. The serving was huge and we couldn’t finish it, so had it doggy-bagged home for Cass.The open-kitchen concept makes it a spectacle for us to observe how the chefs skillfully dish out the food.Sweet indulgence at Doux Doux.
The past week has been an intense period of dedication and sacrifice in our household. For nearly two weeks, the lights and fans in our home have been working overtime, as they haven’t been turned off at all. This might sound unusual, but there’s a perfectly good reason behind it.
Cass has been burning the midnight oil in preparation for her mid-year exams. She has been studying way past midnight and then rising again at 5 AM to make herself breakfast and continue her revision. Her commitment and drive to excel in her studies are truly commendable. The lights and fans stayed on throughout her study sessions to ensure she had the perfect environment to focus and work efficiently.
Alongside Cass was Sherilyn, who had also been pulling all-nighters, but for a different reason. She has been working tirelessly on back-to-back assignments for her Foundation in Natural and Built Environments course. The sheer volume of work and tight deadlines have been relentless, leading to many sleepless nights for her. Sherilyn’s determination to complete her assignments on time, despite the lack of sleep, her dance classes and part-time job, speaks volumes about her dedication to her studies. However, I’m worried about her health as she’s been losing sleep very regularly ever since she started her Foundation course in September last year. It’s only going to get tougher as she proceeds to the degree in architecture soon.
While the lights and fans have been on 24/7, creating a constant hum of activity, my beloved radio had to be turned off. Cass is the type who cannot focus when there’s background noise, be it music or chatter, which meant that my usual companion—the radio—had to take a break. As someone who thrives on the constant company of the radio, this was a significant sacrifice, but one I was more than willing to make to support my daughter in her academic endeavors.
Amidst all this, I’ve been dealing with persistent pain from my tennis elbow, which has little progress in healing, making it challenging to perform household chores and lift heavy items. Consequently, our cooking routines have been simplified. I’ve primarily relied on the air fryer and toaster oven for meal preparations. Thankfully, we’ve had a steady supply of food from hubby’s central kitchen, which has been a lifesaver, reducing the need for extensive cooking.
Despite the challenges and the seemingly endless nights, there is a sense of achievement in the air. The hard work put in by Cass and Sherilyn is bound to pay off, and I am proud of their dedication. As we wrap up this hectic period, we are all looking forward to a much-needed and well-deserved restful weekend. Here’s to a great and restful weekend for everyone! May it be filled with relaxation, good food, and the joy of knowing that hard work always paves the way for success. Cheers!
Sherilyn’s model is finally ready, after pulling off an all-nighter for several nights.
Below was our lunch at Li Restaurant at Damansara Jaya two Sundays ago, just the three of us – hubby, Cass and I. Alycia was at her weekend part-time work and Sherilyn stayed home to complete her assignment.
Pork shoulder rice bowl, with perfectly cooked melt-in-the-mouth and flavorful pork shoulder.Ginger scallion pesto pasta.Chicken chop, which tasted excellent with crispy seared skin. Smoked fish rice bowl.
The celebration kicked off on the eve of Mother’s Day with a delightful family dinner. Following our meal, we made our way to Encore, a charming café known for its exquisite tarts and cakes. We savored decadent desserts and tea and captured precious memories with photographs.
Tarts, Éclair, and Black Forest cake at Encore on the eve of Mother’s Day.
In a heartfelt gesture, Alycia whipped up flour-free pancakes for my breakfast. Made with just bananas and eggs, seasoned with vanilla and cinnamon, these pancakes were a delicious and thoughtful treat reminiscent of my favorite Penang apom. It’s a tradition that my thoughtful eldest does every year for me on Mother’s Day – pancakes or French toast along with a handmade card or origami. It’s better than a material gift, coming from someone who doesn’t like cooking but makes an effort to prepare something special for me.
Delicious flour-free banana pancakes pan-fried using reduced-fat Lurpak butter, dished out by Alycia.
Sunday, 12 May 2024: Mother’s Day
On Mother’s Day itself, we went to Man Kee Hong Kong Beef Noodle in Bangsar for brunch. Renowned for its Wagyu beef brisket noodles, we indulged in a gastronomic delight unlike any other. The rich flavors of the beef with melt-in-the-mouth fats, paired with perfectly cooked noodles in a bowl of umami beef broth, left us craving for more. Additionally, we relished half a steamed village chicken, accompanied by tantalizing dipping sauces and bouncy squid balls made with real squid meat.
After our sumptuous lunch, we strolled over to Jaslyn Cakes to satisfy our sweet cravings. Indulging in butter cake, pistachio cake, and chocolate chip cookies, we enjoyed a cozy moment over cups of coffee and lattes. While hubby and Cass sipped on Piccolo latte and matcha latte respectively, I opted to skip caffeine to ensure a restful night’s sleep.
Sherilyn was unable to join us for the celebrations as she had to complete back-to-back assignments and on Sunday, she had an event to attend at her dance studio.
Wagyu beef brisket hor fun.RM60 for half a steamed village chicken. The dipping sauces were da bomb.Very yummy squid balls at RM4 a ball. Pretty expensive but worth spending on as every bite has real squid meat in it.Hong Kong milk tea.Man Kee HK Beef Noodle at Telawi Square, Bangsar. The setting of the eatery is evocative of a typical Hong Kong char chaan teng.RM160.05 for just two bowls of beef noodles and half a steamed chicken is pretty steep. But you’ll be assured of high quality ingredients. The restaurant is air-conditioned.Take this escalator to the first floor where Man Kee HK Beef Noodle is.Butter cake, matcha latte for Cass and Piccolo latte for hubby at Jaslyn Cakes.Pistachio cake at Jaslyn Cakes.Yummeh chocolate chip cookie for our cookie lover.Our busy bee’s latest assignment. She’s been having back-to-back assignments with short deadlines the past week and has been sleep-deprived. She’s currently in the final semester of the Foundation In Natural & Built Environments. She’ll be commencing her first year of BA of Science in Architecture in Sept this year.
A dump of my camera crumbs to document the joyful moments here.
There’s Pang Cha everywhere in Bangkok but mind you, their signature shaved ice dessert is pretty steep (around RM30+ after conversion). I don’t mind paying just to try the delicious-looking cold dessert from this MICHELIN-recommended tea boutique but it looks really sweet too, which made me reluctant to buy. I told myself that I must try their milk tea or dessert but alas, I had to give it a miss as we didn’t have enough time. Another reason is there’s no one to share it with me. Alycia is lactose-intolerant and I couldn’t finish the entire bowl of dessert or entire cup of tea myself. The serving is huge. This photo was taken at the airport on the day of our departure.Pang Cha with condensed milk.Throughout our 3 nights in Bangkok, Alycia had late night supper of junk food in the hotel room while playing with her phone while I was in lalaland. This is what holidays and happy memories are made of – fun and junk food, all rolled up into one happy ball!
Next to go on a holiday with me will be Sherilyn!
I love the buffet breakfast at Novotel Platinum hotel. They have a good spread of quality healthy foods for health freaks like me. Every morning, I went to the coffee house to have breakfast at 8am while Alycia was still asleep. I started my day with some fresh fruits, cold pressed fruit juice, and a bowl of plain Greek yogurt topped with fresh acai berries, cut fruits, seeds, and nuts. This would be followed by the mains of eggs, greens, meat and some desserts. And not forgetting my must-have cuppa coffee. I tried their pulled Thai milk tea but it was too sweet for my liking.Coconut balls (onde-onde) are one of my favorite desserts at Novotel. Mushroom pasta with caviar, by chef Sherilyn during her semester break.Carrot cupcakes made by Sherilyn for Cass’ 16th birthday on 9 April 2024. The orange color on the carrots was made from real carrot juice while the green color was from matcha powder.Happy Sweet 16, Cassandra! May all your birthday wishes come true.
Sundays are a cherished time for our family, marked by moments of togetherness and indulgence in good food. Last Sunday was no exception, as hubby treated us to a surprise family lunch that took us on a journey down memory lane and tantalized our taste buds in equal measure.
This time, we embarked on our usual Sunday lunch with no clue as to our destination. It wasn’t until we arrived at Concorde Hotel that the mystery unfolded, evoking fond memories of our wedding day almost 24 years ago, when we celebrated our union at this very hotel in May 2000. I thought that hubby was pulling my leg when he told me that he was bringing us to Concorde Hotel for Dim Sum. We have not gone to a hotel for lunch for eons and in recent years, we hardly dine in hotels.
Stepping into Xin Cuisine, the Chinese restaurant nestled in the lobby of Concorde Hotel, we were greeted by the familiar sights and smells of dim sum – a nod to our wedding dinner held in the same venue.
True to form, the dim sum at Xin Cuisine proved to be a feast for the senses, with each bite bursting with flavor and tradition. From delicate dumplings to crispy spring rolls, the quality of the food remained as impeccable as ever. This is the reason why we chose to have our wedding at Xin Cuisine because of the quality of the food served.
These look like any other dim sum but they taste superb, one of the best dim sums that we’ve eaten.Dim sum still served on push carts. Yummy desserts. The tau fu far is silky smooth.Fried prawn fitters with big chunky prawns inside. Full house.
After savoring our dim sum goodness, hubby surprised us once again by whisking us off to Three Years Old for coffee and cake. As we lounged in the cozy ambiance of the café, the girls indulged in a trio of sliced cakes, accompanied by steaming cups of gourmet coffee.
Sherilyn & her dad
Our joyous afternoon took an unexpected turn when Sherilyn experienced an allergic reaction, reminiscent of a previous bout of hives that landed her in the hospital in June last year. She was at her dance studio for class when this happened, so she walked to a nearby pharmacy to get medicine to tame the allergy. We realized that the culprit may have been the prawns consumed during our dim sum earlier.
Reflecting on Sherilyn’s allergy history, we came to the sobering realization that while she may not have a direct allergy to prawns, certain chemicals used in their processing could trigger adverse reactions. Most of the time, eating prawns would cause no allergy but sometimes, she would get an itch in her mouth and lips and the worst case was a full-blown hives attack requiring hospitalization in June last year. Thankfully, with swift intervention, the medication managed to stave off a full-blown hives attack, sparing Sherilyn from further discomfort.
We planned to eat at our friend’s tai chow restaurant but there was a cloudburst and the only place that we could conveniently go to without getting wet and braving traffic congestion is the Japanese restaurant at our condo lobby. We love eating at this restaurant but we seldom go to this restaurant now as we have tried almost every item on their menu after living in this condo for almost 16 years. This Japanese restaurant has been around for more than two decades. The owners’ two daughters are the same age as Alycia and Sherilyn. Our girls and their girls grew up together and took swim lessons together when they were younger.
This is what we indulged in, just the three of us – hubby, Cass and me. Alycia was in Singapore to attend Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour concert, Sherilyn was at a dance rehearsal, and the mil was at another dinner.
Sushi platter. Hubby (currently on a low-carb diet) ordered a sashimi platter but the sushi chef inadvertently prepped sushi, so hubs accepted it, out of goodwill. Hubby and the sushi chef are good friends. Had this been at another restaurant, hubby would reject the wrong order outright.Cass’s raw salmon salad.Fried noodles. Our all-time favorite.Chawan MushiAnother family favorite – grilled Japanese flying squid. This restaurant dishes out one of the best grilled flying squids around town with meat that does not feel like chewy rubber.Unagi Don.
These days we don’t cook as frequently as we used to when the girls were younger. During the girls’ growing up years, we used to cook five to six times a week. Twice to thrice a day. Those were the days when we had the luxury of live-in helpers. I would plan the meals weekly, hubby would do the marketing and our helpers would execute the menu. When the mil was around, she would do the marketing and cook. When the girls were younger, the mil stayed in Hong Kong and Auckland most of the time as my nephews and niece were still toddlers and the mil was always overseas to take care of her daughters’ babies.
I really enjoyed those days when I needn’t have to do much house chores. Bless our helpers for giving us so much relief.
Fast forward years later and now our girls are in university and high school respectively. The two older girls do not have dinner at home regularly. Cass only eats one meal a day and my dinner is usually by 4pm, together with Cass when she comes home from school. On most days, there’s food from hubby’s kitchen. Thus, we don’t cook much these days. When the momentum to cook is lost, we tend to get lazy to cook. But who cares, right? As long as we enjoy our food and are happy, that’s good enough. 😋
Our brunch today ~ Kai Si Hor Fun from Jalan San Peng‘Watt kai’ (smooth steamed chicken)Fruit rojak that’s next to the Kai Si Hor Fun stall.Our favorite Vietnamese noodle salad with grilled lemongrass chicken and Bánh mì from Pho Viet, ordered via Shopee Food. A medley of Taiwanese sandwich, bun and pancake ordered via Shopee FoodHealthy eats from Sixteen Cafe (previously LDG) – poached eggs and scrambled eggs with avo and salad.Buddha Bowl from Sixteen CafeCrab meat omelette with crispy tempeh from Sixteen Cafe.Almond croissant and chocolate tart from Sixteen Cafe.
Hubby had an hour to squeeze out from his hectic schedule today to have breakfast with me this morning. We went to Sixteen, a cafe located behind his shop for a quick bite before he headed off to a church to attend the funeral of his old pal, and then to his client’s place.
We shared this Eggstacy plate, composed of a slice of crispy sourdough, two Eggs Benedict, avocado, cashews and rocket salad. We also shared a croissant – this cafe (previously known as LDG) bakes one of the best croissants in town.
Lunch was food from hubby’s shop ~ Bakwan Sayur (Indonesian fried veggie fritters. It’s my favorite and his Indon cook whips up very yummy Bakwan), chicken rendang and fried mackeral with onion sauce (Ikan Masak Hitam).
Sherilyn having her lunch before heading off to college.
Cass ate these dishes for dinner and I rustled up a chicken soup with Chinese cabbage, Shimeji mushrooms and ‘foo pei’. Sherilyn and I only drank soup for dinner. Alycia usually has dinner with her course mates at their dorm. One of her course mates who loves cooking does the cooking and they share the cost of the ingredients.
Delish and comforting chicken soup with Chinese cabbage, Shimeji mushrooms and ‘foo pei’. I can drink this every day and not get sick of it.Love this Beacon chicken soup (RM6 per pack) from Beacon Mart. This frozen chicken soup tastes 100% like homecooked pure chicken soup. Beacon’s seaweed chickens are free from antibiotics and hormones. The mart sells a wide range of antibiotic & hormone-free chickens and organic products. They cater specially to cancer patients from Beacon Hospital, a top cancer specialist hospital in Malaysia.
This week was a pleasant departure from the usual kitchen duties as I savored a variety of delightful dishes without having to slog in the kitchen. With food from hubby’s kitchen gracing our table almost every day, the burden of cooking was significantly lightened. In addition, Sherilyn, was home for a few days as her lecturers opted for online classes, giving us the delightful opportunity to enjoy her cooking.
Food from Catermate – French beans sauteed with turmeric, fried mackeral with fermented soy beans and shallots, and chicken Kuzi.From Catermate – Garoupa fish head curry with lots of veggies.Lunch for Cass – chicken braised with potatoes, sweet and sour fish, sauteed broccoli with carrots (all from Catermate); airfried Shimeji mushrooms with garlic prepped by Sherilyn.
Sherilyn’s cooking took the spotlight this week, and we were more than happy to be her enthusiastic taste testers once again. She has not cooked for a long time due to her busyness, first in her part-time job and now, in college. On one occasion, she cooked our favorite dish of air-fried shimeji mushrooms, proving that you don’t need complex recipes for a delicious meal. The mushrooms were seasoned with olive oil, black pepper, celery salt, and chopped garlic.
Two days ago, she transformed a humble box of Campbell’s beef broth and a mountain of yellow onions into a pot of delightful French Onion soup, topped with cheese and toasted baguette.
Delightful French onion soup. This is labour intensive as it involves a lot of work from peeling and chopping the onions to caramelizing the onions (she did this step in the Thermomix), boiling the caramelized onions with the beef broth and finally broiling the soup with cheese and toasted baguette in the oven.Onion soup with toasted wholemeal bread fingers. I love this pink Le Creuset plate in heart shape.Airfried crispy bread fingers
On my part, I decided to step into the kitchen on Monday and cook up a heartwarming dish of pumpkin and roast pork bones porridge. There’s something deeply satisfying about preparing a simple yet nourishing porridge. Even the finicky hubby liked it and ate a big bowl of porridge.
Comforting pork ribs and pumpkin porridge.
For me, a break from the kitchen can be a welcome relief, especially in the sweltering heat. It’s a chance to enjoy not only the food itself but also the freedom from the relentless demands of meal preparation and the aftermath of cooking from moping the floor to wiping down the stove, washing, drying, and keeping the dishes.
Our usual Sunday routine involves Cass going to Pavillion Bukit Jalil early in the morning for figure skating practice. Her classes are on Friday but she goes to the skating rink on Sunday to practise. We then fetch her back at noon. Next, hubs will go on a food hunt to explore new cafes and restaurants. This past Sunday, we discovered a hidden gem that left our taste buds dancing with delight – Ah Ma Jia Café.
Nestled next to Pavillion Bukit Jalil, Ah Ma Jia, which translates to “grandma’s house” in Mandarin, promises to serve up traditional dishes reminiscent of the comforting meals your grandma would lovingly prepare.
Ah Ma Jia is a new cafe with double-decked seats, similar to Lhong Tou Café in Yaowarat, Bangkok that’s famed for their double-decker seating.
Photo credit – Ah Ma Jia FacebookPhoto credit – Ah Ma Jia Facebook
One of the things that immediately won us over was the extensive menu. From the moment we perused the choices, we knew we were in for a treat. The dishes spanned a wide array of flavors, each with a hint of nostalgia and a dash of authenticity. And the best part was the prices were all very reasonable.
For our Sunday lunch, we decided to indulge in a feast of our favorite dishes:
Bubur Cha Cha: This delightful dessert, made with thick coconut milk and a variety of sweet potatoes and tapioca, was an absolute hit. It was a bowl of creamy heaven that left me craving for more; I ordered two bowls! This is my favorite ‘tong sui’ as I am a sucker for anything with coconut milk.
Curry Laksa: Ah Ma Jia’s curry laksa was a flavor explosion. The curry broth was rich and intense, and each bite was a symphony of spices and flavors.
Chinese Sausage and Pork Lard Rice: Topped with a perfectly fried egg, this dish offered a tantalizing combination of yumminess from the fried Chinese sausage and crispy pork lard. A must-have dish for pork lovers.
Siam Laksa: The Siam laksa was a fragrant and spicy delight with lip-smacking thick broth.
Yam Cake: The yam cake was a savory indulgence, with a generous amount of aromatic ingredients within.
The adults shared a pot of refreshing flower tea, which comprised of chrysanthemum flowers, lemon and stalks of lemongrass.
Stir-fried Rolled Up Chee Cheong Fun: This dish is a unique twist to the traditional CCF, where the chef stir-fried the rolled noodles with cabbage, eggs, carrots, etc. It was very flavorful and surprisingly, we finished the entire plate.
Cantonese Fried Mee Sua: Cass chose this noodle dish. It’s a comforting noodle dish with smooth egg sauce and a variety of ingredients such as prawns, fish cake, ham slices, cabbage and carrot strips.
Coconut Milk Shake: Cassandra’s choice, this refreshing drink was a delightful blend of creamy coconut goodness, topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Snow Fungus Tong Sui: Hubby’s choice. A sweet and soothing dessert that provided a sweet ending to his meal.
While Alycia and Sherilyn couldn’t join us for lunch, we got them takeaway spaghetti with grilled chicken and braised pork belly rice, ensuring that they too could savor the delicious food of Ah Ma Jia. The braised pork belly dish was superb, just the way I like it with tender pork in a flavorful sauce. The spaghetti noodles were a tad dry though, according to Alycia but the grilled chicken was delicious.
Ah Ma Jia Café truly captures the essence of home-cooked nostalgia. The affordable prices and prompt service were the icing on the cake. This café is a culinary gem that we will cherish and definitely revisit to explore the rest of the menu. I’ll order Bubur Cha Cha again, for sure 😋
Ah Ma Jia
Address: * within walking distance from Pavilion Bukit Jalil N-13-1 , Jalan Persiaran Jalil 3 , Bukit Jalil City, Bukit Jalil, 57000 Kuala Lumpur. Opening hours: 11AM – 7PM (closed on Mondays)
Earlier this week, the hubs and I went on an impromptu brunch together at LDG Patisserie, our favorite neighborhood café. I was heading to his central kitchen to pick up some food when he suggested we enjoy a meal together at the café.
Hubs opted for a generous slice of toasted sourdough bread adorned with two perfectly fried wallet eggs. The combination of the crispy toast, creamy butter, and tangy raspberry jam made for a harmonious medley of flavors. The simplicity and nostalgia of this dish never fail to satisfy his breakfast cravings.
On the recommendation of the cafe owner, I tried the “Eat Your Greens” sourdough plate, a healthy creation for people on a lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet. This vibrant creation consisted of a toasted sourdough slice topped with a luscious spread of butter and an assortment of nutrient-rich ingredients. Mashed edamame beans, peppery arugula, vibrant purple cabbage, cheese and an array of colorful vegetables adorned the plate, offering a tantalizing array of flavors and textures. The dish resonated with my preference for wholesome, fiber-rich meals.
My healthy meat-free toasted sourdough bread with a medley of healthy greens and mashed edamame.
Having already eaten breakfast earlier, I opted to enjoy only a quarter slice of the scrumptious sourdough toast as the portion size was rather big. I requested for the remaining portion to be doggy-bagged for Cass to have for lunch later when she returned from school. This is Cass’ favorite kind of meal too.
If you’re looking for a place to enjoy a scrumptious weekend brunch, Strangers at 47 Café @ Section 17 PJ is definitely worth checking out. Located in PJ, this cozy cafe occupying three shop lots is one cafe that won’t be a stranger to success with its striking selection of fanciful & flamboyant crepes, some lip-smackingly savory, and others magically sweet. Even the ordinary-sounding components here are top-notch.
We started with the Lethal Shrooms Crepe and Uncle Salmon Crepe, both of which were perfectly cooked and complemented the filling ingredients perfectly. We wanted to try the crepes with sweet fillings but by the end of our meal, we were too stuffed to try them. We even had to doggy-bag some of the cakes and savory crepes home.
Next came the big breakfast set, which was a hearty combination of eggs, ham, sausage, sauteed spinach and mushrooms, hashbrowns, baked beans and a fluffy crepe that was sure to fill us up for the day. The food was brought to the tables by a robot.
Big Breakfast with crepe.Toasts with scrambled eggs.The Lethal Shrooms crepe has fillings of portobello, shimeji, baby king oyster mushrooms, soft and flavorful spinach, caramelized onions, tomato relish and poached egg.The Uncle Salmon crepe is delightfully filled with pan-seared salmon fillet, sweet potato fries, sautéed cream mushroom & spinach, and miso cream.
Next, we tried the Tomato Chicken Linguine and the Roast Chicken Cajun. The linguine was cooked al dente and had a rich and thick tomato sauce with a generous serving of minced chicken.
The roast chicken was cooked to a T and accompanied by fried potato rings and a cucumber and pineapple salad. It was succulent and packed with flavorful spices. Tomato Chicken Linguine
For desserts, we indulged in the Cendolier Cendol Cake, Pandan Mochi Swiss Roll, Chocolate Brownie, and Moist Chocolate Cake. Each dessert was a work of art in itself and tasted as good as it looked.
Chocolate brownie, Pandan Mochi Swiss Roll, Pandamic (pandan, lemongrass and ginger drink) and apple juice.
The Cendolier Cendol Cake was a cheesecake with a refreshing and unique twist on a classic Malaysian dessert. The cendol jelly added a fun, chewy element that was a delight to bite into.
The Pandan Mochi Swiss Roll was a delightful combination of chewy and fluffy textures. This unique swiss roll cake featured pandan-flavored sponge cake with a pandan mochi right smack in the middle. This cake had a very aromatic pandan flavor that was simply irresistible. The pandan sponge cake was light and fluffy, and the mochi filling added a wonderful chewiness that contrasted beautifully with the softness of the cake. Overall, this cake was a winner in our books.
The Moist Chocolate Cake, on the other hand, was very rich, moist, and decadent and was simply heavenly. The chocolate flavor was intense and we loved how the cake practically melted in our mouths.
Each cake had its own unique flavor and texture, but all of them were delicious in their own way.
This cafe is pet-friendly and if you’re planning on bringing your pet, you can dine outdoor (right outside the cafe). We waited for about 15 minutes for a table outside the cafe.
Overall, our experience at Strangers at 47 was fantastic. The food was superb, the staff were friendly and attentive, and the atmosphere was cozy and inviting. We’re already planning our next visit and can’t wait to try more of their dishes and cakes.
Strangers at 47
47, Jalan 17/45, Section 17, Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Alycia is having a one month semester break and classes will only resume on 25th April. As she hardly goes out to exercise under the sun, I dragged her out to walk with me to the nearby kopitiam to have breakfast last Saturday morning.
And here we are at the open air kopitiam, sweating buckets with no fan and no air conditioner, and the both of us slurped down a bowl of hot noodles, which made us sweat even more profusely. This kind of sweating is even more intense than working out. I felt like I was being baked inside a sauna. We walked under the blistering 11-ish sun, and then chomped down noodles in piping hot soup, alfresco style with only trees above us as shade in temperatures ranging from 37-40C 🥵.
Darn the milk tea. After downing the glass of milk tea, I had insomnia the entire night. Again, albeit drinking it before 12 noon. As I age, my body can’t tolerate the caffeine in tea as much as I could previously.
After we were done eating, we walked to the supermarket to get some veggies and then walked home in the searing afternoon sun, ouch! But it feels good to soak in the glorious sunlight, get our dose of vitamin D and serotonin (aka the feel-good hormone).
And I always slather sun block lotion on every part of my exposed skin before going out in the sun.
Cass who doesn’t like to walk and sweat under the sun didn’t join us. She asked me to snap photos of the Western food stall menu and text her the menu for her to choose 🙄
After eating food at the Aeon supermarket for 2 weeks, Sherilyn started to get bored of the food. So she cooked food for her lunch box the night before and brought this with her to work. She cooked Chicken Breast Sous Vide (using the Thermomix), cooked black rice + 10-grain rice and sliced up half an avocado. She only works twice a week at Barcook Bakery @ The Gardens Mall.
With the current heatwave in our country, I find myself dreading the thought of stepping into a hot kitchen to cook. So I opt for simpler meals that require minimal preparation and don’t involve stir-frying or requiring me to stand next to the hot stove for a long time.
Even cooking this simple dish of steamed egg with minced pork made me sweat buckets, though I just took a shower before cooking. After cooking, I had to shower again, which was my 4th shower of the day.Lunner for Cass when she came home from school at 3.40pm ~ steamed egg with minced pork, blanched siew pak choy with olive oil, soy sauce + fried garlic, black rice with sweet potato and dim sum items from brunch with hubs this morning. The olive oil is only drizzled onto the veggies after they’re removed from the pot, so that we reap the full health benefits of it.
Brunch of dim sum and curry noodles with hubs in the morning
Dim Sum @ Jin Xuan Hong Kong Restaurant, Kuchai Lama.Curry noodles ordered from a coffee shop a few shops away from the dim sum restaurant.
Another week whizzed past us ever so quickly. The days seem to pass by even quicker when one is busy.
Maria our part-time maid has not come to work for more than a week. Initially I thought that she again gave her priority to other employers who are offering her higher wages. But today I realized that she may be really sick, as what she’s been telling me. Lately, Maria has not been very forthright with me and we are even doubting her integrity. I am even suspecting that Maria may be down with Covid. She told me that she’d done a swab test last Saturday but it was negative. But she’s still unwell. I told her to test herself again tomorrow. With assignments from my boss and without any helper at home, I have been swamped with work.
Fortunately we have been getting ample food from hubby’s kitchen everyday as he has several catering events this week. This means that we don’t have to cook, bliss!
We got these on Tuesday – chicken and beef satay with satay sauce, chicken rendang and broccoli with mushrooms. Mee Siam and chicken soup noodles (photo not taken) on Wednesday. Assorted tartlets and kuih on Wednesday.
As we are all small eaters, the food was enough to last us until Friday (today). We only needed to add a green vegetable dish every day.
On Sunday, we had lunch at Koyaku Japanese Dining & Grill. As usual, Cass was at the skating rink for her figure skating class and didn’t join us. Sherilyn finally joined us for lunch again as she’s finished her SPM exam and is now as free as a bird, well, at least for a couple of weeks before she works part-time again at Front Room Cafe.
Sherilyn has a paid engagement tomorrow for a dance flash mob at Pavillion Bukit Jalil. It’s an event to commemorate the passing of Leslie Cheung on 1 April 2003, the legendary Hong Kong singer who committed suicide (he leapt off the 24th floor of a hotel in HK) and shocked the entire world. The organizer from Hong Kong will be present at the event. According to Sherilyn, the dance video will be screened in Hong Kong (TVB), China, and other countries. So if you want to catch Sherilyn dancing, head over to Pavillion Bukit Jalil tomorrow afternoon (2 pm and 4.45 pm)!
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