Bali High!

My decision to have lunch at Ole Ole Bali at Empire Shopping Gallery was one of the best foodie calls I have ever made. I liked the décor looking in from outside, what with the open show kitchen and the carved Balinese furniture and candles in bowls of water.

When the food came, I was even gladder. The spicing was terrific, the portions proportionate to the prices, and the service as real as the Bali I remembered before the Caucasians went in and ruined the prices for Malaysians!

Ole Ole Bali
Empire Shopping Gallery
Jalan SS 16/1
SS 16, 47500 Subang Jaya, Selangor

The Gado Gado is a meal by itself, with its tender cubes of pressed rice, and rice peanut sauce.

The Balinese take on rotisserie chicken was a tad too peppery!

The nasi campur is beautifully presented and patrons can choose from chicken, beef, or seafood.

Kit enjoying the Balinese version of ice kacang.

Thank God It’s Jade Paying

Nothing delights me more than when Jade Woon comes to spend some time with my little family. She eats pretty lightly, but she knows my penchant for largesse and she indulges me just as she indulges Erin with all manner of pretty dresses from Juicy Couture, H&M, Polo and Burberry.

After a day where she unpacked treasure after thoughtful treasure from her suitcase, we ended up at TGIF where I pigged out, Erin sampled and Kit shook his head!

If Baby Bop ate Mac & Cheese like this, it would not be talked about as being so good for her! 

Sloppy but yummy nachos.

The chicken outstripped the veggies in the Cajun Salad.

Erin's chicken fingers came free since there were adults dining.

Jade went for the chicken and shrimp.

Kit's steak.

Thanks From The Heart

I’ve put this off for so long that I am downright embarrassed to post it, but I simply had to publically make due thanks to the people who cared enough to send me some lovely Chinese New Year gifts.

I won this hamper in a lucky draw at one of my client's annual dinners.

This hamper came from The Legend Hotel Kuala Lumpur. No, I did not load the same image twice!

This is proof of it!

A lot of the contents were shared among family and friends, but the warmth they contained and the regard of the giver for the recipient still glows warm and strong in my heart!
So thank you everyone, especially Lee Meng Hong of The Legend Kuala Lumpur for always remembering my love of beauty and whimsy, and keeping something special for me each year!

For two years in a row The Legend has won my prize for most innovative CNY gift!

This lovely wooden box has the rabbit on the lid, and a lovely gold clasp.

Inside the box are porcelain jars with tea. Under the tea was a collection of cookies in small square boxes.

Zen And The Art Of Japanese Cuisine

Gen at The Legend Hotel Kuala Lumpur is one of the better Japanese restaurants located in a hotel. I’ve been a guest there a number of times and each time the standards were consistently high, the food quality very good and the experience wholly satisfying.

Special salad.

Sashimi platter. The blue lump is prawn roe dyed blue.

Sushi selection.

Special cod in cheese sauce.

Garlic fried rice.

Goma (black sesame) ice cream.

Green tea cake.

The molten chocolate and gold leaf centre.

Food presentation does not come any more beautifully than Japanese cuisine and for one I am just going to let the pictures do the talking.

Gen Japanese Restaurant
The Legend Hotel & Apartments
Putra Place,
100 Jalan Putra,
50350, Kuala Lumpur

Cut & Dried

Some food items just cannot be reproduced. Principally among them is durian. I have seen frozen whole durians in the Asian supermarkets in Australia and New Zealand, alongside frozen rambutan, and I cannot help but be appalled at the lengths some people will go to for a taste of home.

Notice the spelling error?

I was given these durian longue-chats (these piped biscuits which are known as ‘cat’s tongues’ are the only comparison I could fairly come out with) by Jade. I have tried some vacuum dried and freeze dried durian before and I actually was amazed at how well the taste was replicated, if not the exact texture. As such, because of the description of ‘durian chips’ on the packet, I was quite excited to try them, expecting a freeze dried treat.

The few whole pieces I managed to salvage.

The ingredients list is woefully uninformative.

Alas, what I got was a lackluster biscuit, which was so fragile that most of the contents were already smashed up into bits. I saved just a few, but they were not notable in any way. Alas and alack!