Life of a Lil Notti Monkey

Château Haut Brion.... from the inside by JS

2013-05-24T08:00:00.000+08:00

I like the logo of Chateau Haut Brion. Kind of symbolizes the grapevines

A very modest entrance to the domaine

When one thinks of Bordeaux wines, Chateau Lafite always appear first and it’s not definitely not in alphabetical order! This is not surprising as of the 4 first growth chateaus named during the inception of the 1855 Medoc classification, 3 of them are located in Medoc and 2 of these are situated in the AOC of Paulliac and 1 in AOC of Margaux. So what happened to the 4th chateau?? Well the 4th one is Chateau Haut Brion and its not in Medoc but in Graves in the AOC of Pessac Leognan just south west of Bordeaux city.

Some facts about this chateau and her wines. Medoc was once a vast marshland and it was not until the mid 17th century that the Dutch came to Medoc and drained the marshes. Record shows that in the 15th and 16th century, when the people of Bordeaux think of wines they will head south west of the city where the gravelly sandy soil terroir produce great wines and this was way before Paulliac even existed as a vine growing commune. However of all the chateaus in Grave then, one chateau stood out for its quality........that’s Le Chateau Haut Brion.

So grand......so magnificent!!

Apart from being blessed with the great terroir of Pessac Leognan, there are many other good reasons as to why chateau Haut Brion rose to prominence so much earlier on. One of the main attributes is the way the chateau owner was committed to good wine making and always striving and innovating to be the best. The two names worth a mention as part of the history of this chateau are Arnaud 2 de Pontac and Arnaud 3 de Pontac. So it is not surprising that when Napolean 3 commissioned the 1855 Medos classification system for the great Bordeaux wines, they really cannot ignore Chateau Haut Brion and hence it was named as a 1st growth Chateau. Infact in 1855 there was only 4 first growth chateau named....chateau Mouton Rothschild was named only later (hence today there are 5 first growth chateaus) for whatever good or no good reasons!

Monkey eager to step foot inside Chateau Haut Brion

Thats Arnaud 2 de pontac's picture on top of us

Everybody wants a picture with Arnaud

Reception area of the chateau

Production of a great grand cru wine is the convergence of what nature have to offer and human factors(ie, viticulture and viniculture). Nature provides the soil and the climate and micro climat which is the Terroir. At Haut Brion the soil and sub soil consist of large and small quartz gravel, hills, deep alluvial silt and a sub soil that is well drained. The quartz pebbles are of Pyrenean origins and washed and carried down by the rivers and glaciers during then last ice age from the Pyrenes mountain, south of Aquitaine some 1.8 to 3 million years ago at the end of the geological Tertiary era. The pebbles play a very important role in speeding up the ripening of the thick skin cabernet sauvignon grapes by absorbing heat in the day and radiating out heat during the night time which acts as a ripening catalyst.

The white quartz pebbles and gravelly silty soil of the domaine

We were lucky to witness the bud break which starts in April and the first flowers will appear about 8 weeks later

The grapevines have been pruned using the "Guyot double" method

The well drain soil ensure very little moisture retention hence making the roots of the grapevines dig deep down to look for water and nutrients. What the roots of the grapevine picked up from the deep rock strata (in most cases limestone) will be translated to the secondary and complex aromas that one will get when nosing the finished product which is the wine. The loose sub soil also contain a lot of air pockets which insulates and protect the roots of the grapevines during cold winters.

The southerly facing slopes also ensure that the grapevines received the most sunlight throughout the year especially when the fruits developed and need sunlight to photosynthesize and produce sugar(and reduce acids) which is an important ingredient in the fermentation process.

Chateau Haut Brion is the proud owner of 51Ha of precious vineyard in Pessac Leognan. It is the smallest of the 5 first growth vineyard in Bordeaux. Slightly over 48 Ha are planted with Cabernet Sauvignon(45%), Merlot(40%) and Cabernet Franc(15%). Cabernet sauvignon gives wine structure whilst Merlot gives it roundness and body and cabernet franc enhances the nose. One point to note here is that despite the high ratio of cabernet sauvignon grape varietal planted, the finished blend of grand cru reds from this chateau contain 55% of merlot varietal……very similar to the reds of Pomerol.

The remaining 3 Ha of vineyard are planted with sauvignon blanc and Semillon grape varietal for making the stunning and exiting and rare Haut Brion blanc.

This equates to roughly 700-800 cases per year! Believe you me…..this is very special.

The higher proportion of Merlot used at Haut Brion means that the red wine will not be as big and powerful as her counterpart chateaus in Medoc where cabernet sauvignon dominates. Infact the high proportion of merlot is similar to the great Pomerol reds except the gravelly sandy soil in Pessac produces a different wine compare with Pomerol’s clayey soil.

The first stainless steel Vats for primary fermentation in wine making was first used in Bordeaux in 1961 and Chateau Haut Brion was the pioneer with the rest following suit later on. At Chateau Haut Brion, all the parcel of grapes harvested are fermented in separate vats (one parcel one vat).

The ribs are actually the cooling system for these squeaky clean stainless steel vats

The temperature of the Vats are controlled by the cooling system using water running thru the ribs situated outside the tank. Fermentation is an exothermic reaction where heat is release. The heat also acts as a catalyst for the fermentation to speed up hence it is crucial that the temperature does not rise too high and fermentation get out of hand hence the need for a cooling system.

On completion of the fermentation and the “running off” completed, the wines are “blended” at this stage where lesser parcels and grape varietal juices are mixed with great parcel juices and or grape varietal. I believe not many chateaus practice this as most wines are blended after the aging process in the cask or oak barrels. Blending the wines at this stage requires vast knowledge in viniculture and also the local knowledge of the vineyards especially how it is affected by the current year's weather, micro climat, local soil variation, etc.

After blending, the wines goes thru the secondary fermentation where the malic acids are converted to lactic acids. This process is also call Malo-lactic fermentation where bacteria is added in a control environment to convert and reduce the harsher and tart acids to a softer acids. Very technical indeed.

It is after this that the wines are now put into new oak barrels. The oak releases its tannin into the wine contributing to the aromas. The oak also soak up some of the wines hence creating a small vacuum in the cask. The pressure differential then allow air(especially oxygen) to be slowly sucked into the cask through the pores in the oak. This process is the basis of aging the wine where the slow and slight oxidation contributes to the quality and complexity of the wine.

Neatly stacked new oak barrels containing the 2012 vintage

The cask are manufactured by Sequin Moreau, one of the oldest makers in Bordeaux

That was one hell of a shitload of educational stuff and information on the chateau that we picked up. Monkey made the notes whilst I snap away :)

Now it is time for us to roam the Chateau’s ground and monkey around a bit :)

stop monkeying around with the beast :)

Yes Monkey. Thats the same chateaux on the label of every bottle of Haut Brion wine

That perched beast roaring into the courtyard is actually guarding the chateau ground and a symbolic icon of Chateau Haut Brion

The bottles have a name given to it for its size. here goes.....from left to right.....Balthazar(named after one of the 3 wise men from the bible), imperial, double magnum, magnum and full(0,75lits standard wine bottle) and each size up means doubling the volume. Yes, Monkey we are going to taste these babies later :)

The chateau comes with a nice garden. The frenchies aristocrats really know how to live in style.....hence the french revolution i guess :)

And finally it was time for tasting.

The tasting room at Chateau Haut Brion is spacious and reminisce of pre French revolution aristocrat’s type of accommodation. Two reds were tasted.

The grand tasting room

The view from the tasting room which is the rear of the chateau

That's the water tank in the distance. The dilemma faced by growers are either too much water or not enuf water.....hence the standby water supply

The Chateau Haut Brion and another wine from her sister chateau across the road that’s Chateau le Mission Haut Brion. Both are 2007 vintage. Both the wines are made in the same way. The difference is the Terroir. Generally both wines are beautifully dense and deep red. Nose of black fruits such as black currents and blackberries dominates. There is good grip on the palate but seems a bit tight probably bcos of the youth. Tannins have begun to soften. As expected, the Haut Brion was more intense compare with the Le Mission or was it the mind playing tricks since the wines are not blinded J Both the finish was long and aromatic. It will be a beautiful wine a few more years down the road.

the two Haut Brion 2007 red wine

Monkey:- where is the Haut Brion Blanc??

JS:- Errrrr…….dream on notti monkey :)

Well….it’s been a good, informative and enlightening visit albeit a short one, to this prestigious chateau and we definitely took away with us a lot of new knowledge and experience. I believe our mind set(poor impression of Bordeaux wines) after this visit must have took a turn for the better in terms of how we see Bordeaux wines in a different light. This was really the first of our chateau hopping in Bordeaux and we have seen the best of the best……. Crème de la crème.

Thank you ST for the arrangement and the experience. The only disappointment that I would like to register was the fact that they did not open a Haut Brion Blanc for us in the tasting room :)

A few more pictures and some tourist stuff and we will be on our way……

One for the album and record to show that we had a good time. I'd

drink to Chateau Haut Brion.....anytime!

yammmmmmmmmmm seeeeennnnnnnnnnnnnggggggggggggg!!

Le Saint James 2 Michelin Stars, Bouliac

2013-05-22T09:23:00.003+08:00

JS booked us at this exceptional property for dinner....yes just for dinner...
if we are staying here that would be perfect HO HO HO HO HO

no I am not asking for the sky, this place is beautiful!!!! Situated about 20 minutes from the capital Bordeaux, it overlooked the Garonne River over to Bordeaux. Listed under one of the exceptional property by Relais & Chateau.

We have only stayed at a few Relais & Chateau properties before....each and every property was charming, very personalised, discrete and oh-la-la-la-la...makes u felt so so pampered.

That reminds me, I have yet to blog about another Relais & Chateau hotel we stayed in Champagne a few months ago....super nice...they even have turn down service for my lil hobbits. :)))))))

The view!!!!!
see wat I meant!!!! sparse green land of beautiful vineyard....the Garonne River...then u can spot the taller buildings such as the cathedral.

we spent the evening watching the Sun sets :)))))))

We got a really nice and beautiful table by the window, with no obstruction at all. Therefore u can have such spectacular view.....aaaaaAAAaaaaa...plus the sun sets at 9.08pm so we have the entire evening to watch the playful lights of dusk.

when such playful Amuse Bouche was presented, what do u have in mind?
usually it's the break it or make it impression thingy. Since amuse bouche is the first dish/tantalizer you gonna serve to ur diners, it has to make impressionssssssss...
so does dessert...the first and the last usually leave very deep memories in your palate and mind.

It was rather impressive but then again it's all about taste....
the goat cheese lollies was cute and no one on the table knows how to consume it.

Monkey: "U just lift it up and push it!!!! Don't tell me all of u never have that Lolly which u can blow whistle on?"
All of them gave me blank faces.

Monkey: "Ok confirmed u people are not 80s babies!!!!"
I had so much of those while growing up....:P

When it was first presented on the table, I thought the lil white tube was a fake prop stucked onto the plate....it looked like my Shu Uemura glue for my lashes :P

Later we were told to squeeze it into our food
really playful but in terms of taste it was full of Umami-ness....this is definitely confirmed Modern French :)))))))))))

A beautiful appetizer on a glass bowl
not only it looked beautiful...it was very yummy!!!!

Underneath all those yummy foam were fresh peas
I can't tell you how delicious fresh peas are...it's a revelation!!! Guess spring time is alwiz about fresh green produce huh? :)))) there was a tiny bits of thin bacon, wished there's more...I can alwiz substitute popcorns for movies with these crispy bits.

Scampi prepared 2 ways....lightly battered and lightly fried like a tempura
it was so delicate that when u sink ur teeth in, the jus and roe were bursting in ur mouth. With freshness from green apple jelly and caviar inside!!! What a lovely surprise.

That brown colored dollop was sauce was so intense and it tasted exactly like prawn head roe...oh it must be it!!!!

There were a huge selection of bread and this round one was so so so so so yummy
I Ching chose it first while I took the black olive bread. She let me tried some and it was like eating Twisties Curry flavour, with crunchy corn bits!!!! before I was done chewing the only bite stolen from I Ching, my hands were raised asking for the bread basket to be delivered again to our table...so I can have one piece on my own...hahahahah

I couldn't remember the name of the fish that we had...but it was so delicately done!!!!
EXCELLENT!!!!
all doused with seasonal mushrooms it was pretty earthy. Paired so well with the wines.

It's alwiz a treat to have these babies :))))))
We had the privilege to visit Chateau Haut-Brion, one of the 5 First Growth in Bordeaux. JS will blog about this visit soon :)))))

the Main course was PORK!!!!
we went ecstatic hahahahhaaha....when the special gastronimique menu was chosen - meaning you eat wat chef cooked...the Waitress asked if we were allergic to any kind of food...and our usual answer would be....fingers pointing at JS and said...he doesn't take Chicken/Duck/Birds/Pigeon/Patridge etc

-_-"

anyway back to the pork...look at the fats lining the meat....
the carrot was so straight and symmetry. we then analyzed that they must have cut it with a tubular cutter to make it this perfect.

the cheese cart looked so tempting....but our other dearie friends don't take cheese...so we'll skip it this time around. Bcoz they can't stand the smell.

anyhow we bought so much of cheese back to Malaysia.....both JS and Monkey have been enjoying them everyday after dinner. It's definitely better than eating Durian LOL!!!!!

the first installation of many desserts to come. This one was made from cheese...hahahahha

Meringue with exotic fruits gelee
really refreshing :))))))))))

You know it's so difficult to make desserts this detailed and fine
I didn't wanna eat them bcoz it's so pretty!!!!!

a deconstructed Mille Feuile
oh so light and yet complex. Lurve the crunch, texture and taste :))))
all of the desserts came in small bites.

sugar for coffee in Canele form!!!! so cute!!!!
Where can I get these?
I don't see them at the usual gourmet sugar supplier - Canasuc

and our petit four was served on this lil wheelie white dish
lemon bites, chocolate mousse and creme puffs
U have no idea how tiny and cute they were...how on earth do u make these so effortlessly?

after dinner, we had a sneak peek of their kitchen. But it's already almost midnite and everyone's cleaning their work station. It's not big but it's so complete and tidy with jars of condiments and spices.

Le Saint James have got a cooking school too if you are interested :)))))))))

its corridor was decked with art pieces from a french artist :))))))))
such novelty of staying here :))))))))

we had lil souvenirs to be brought home too
:))))))))))))))))

Anyway we were staying at a really nice hotel as well back in Bordeaux
it is the best and grandest but what we love most was its LOCATION!!!! bahahahaha. Right smack in the centre dot of the city. Everything was within walking distance - to the park, to the river, to the bazaar, to the main sights and attraction, to the other restaurants and main attractions.

Thank you to Flatmate Amy for booking us here. :))))))))) U are such a lucky gal to stay here for WORK!!!! Don't think my boss will enjoy looking at my bills if I stayed in fancy hotels like this for work :P bahahahahaha

Le Saint James Restaurant *2 Michelin Stars*
3 Place Camille Hostein,
33270 Bouliac,
Bordeaux, France.
Tel: +33 (0)5 5797 0600
www.saintjames-bouliac.com

Lovely Sunday Surprise :))))

2013-05-21T08:59:00.001+08:00

a lovely pot of Fuchsia orchid, my favourite color
I can't believe it, at this age I still got conned at times, or maybe I am just too naive at times. But that also depends on who. Especially from BCBG Amy

she called and informed that she's just around the corner and would like to return my cookie jar. And guess what I was baking at that time.....so I thought GREAT!!! I can pass more cookies to her. KEKEKEKEKEKEKE.....

when I got down to see her, she was gleaming with a wide smile. Me in a mess with flour on my hair and face *I think* and smelt like errrrr cookies? hahahahhahaaha

of coz I was surprised, she drove all the way to send me my birthday gift. Thank you my dear!!!! I really LOVE LOVE LOVE it!!!!! now I'll learn to care for this beautiful plant....

Our very first plant @ home :))))
we gonna give her a name soon :)))) hehehehehehehe

Birthday Celebration

2013-05-20T09:40:00.002+08:00

Munchy, Monkey and Brian C
this was a test shot to set the right ISO and white balance for the camera, but for the sake of fun, I've posted it here. Most of the test shots were of me doing monkey faces :P >.> T_T ~.~

JS gathered all these lovely ppl for Monkey's Birthday celebration. There's been many many celebrations, I will try to post as many as possible :)))))Thank you all my dearie friends for the wishes, calls, messages, presence, gifts but most of all your friendship which have enriched my life so much :)))

Peakie D bought a bouquet of beautiful stargazer lilies and a mixture of other flowers in my favourite pink + fuchsia colors. The smell was really intoxicating :)) They are now sitting pretty on my Armani dining table :)))

They were late for dinner and.....hey where are u?
Peakie D: "Damn the car wax boys took too long!!!!"
Monkey: "I just wanna see u not your car!!!!"

Soon everyone settled down before the first drink was served....
JS took all the efforts to prepare the wines lineup for the evening. Plus wine notes. Yeah I know, I will soon enroll him into a sommelier class.

When the actual Sommelier Guillaume presented the bottle, Peakie D let out a scream so sudden that the bottle almost dropped. Phewww...of coz it didn't drop, don't worry.

KRUG Clos d'Ambonnay 1996!!!!!
my first!!!!
JS's first!!!
in fact it was everyone's FIRST!!!!
WAHHHHH we are no longer d'ambonnay virgins!!! wuahahahahahha

wat a special treat to have this ultimate champagne
single vineyard single vintage from the house of KRUG
I am still rubbing my eyes, was it a dream that we had this bottle???
did we??????

d'Ambonnay 1996 is very very rare
its grapes were harvested from a single tiny plot of land, 0.685 hectares only!!!

oooohh la la la la J'ADORE beaucoup!!!!

the nose was slightly tight when it was fresh, over the evening the champagne evolved and was more opened up with such richness + umami-ness. The finish was seriously long, rich, deep and intense. Definitely not your everyday kind of champagne. Thank you to JS for being so generous :))))

Sakuramasu with radicchio tardivo
it's a slightly smoked cherry salmon served with the bitter radicchio and topped with bottarga pieces
So beautiful and delicious :))))))))

Angel prawn with Hanabo, was so so so sweet and fresh.
We were amazed with all the wine and food pairing. JS gave Chef Kimura the wine list earlier to create a menu accordingly.

Capellini with Hotate and Sakura Ebi
this was a new dish which all of us adored so much. The texture of the pasta was further enhanced with crispy seaweed and sakura shrimps. Could taste some mentaiko as well. This all of us agreed in unison that JS can replicate :P But he will definitely needs a lot of trial and errors. OK I don't mind to be your guinea pigs at home....as always.

Akkeshi oyster with summer truffles
this was so so so so yummy
and at this juncture we were moving on to the only single white wine - a Pugligny Montrachet

Munchy was still so stunned from the champagne
he rubbed his eyes in disbelief so much, that they were red by now.
HO HO HO HO HO HO

Landes white asparagus with petit pois
white asparagus are in season now...the best ones are usually from Germany. *I think*
anyway I have been having white asparagus since a month ago in Switzerland until today. HO ho ho ho ho ho ho, yes I'm a lucky bitch so I won't complain :P

the lil peas were really fresh, paired with thin sheets of parmesan crispy. Excellent spring dish :)))) I can eat this everyday.

My hiking Si Fu Brian C was deep in discussion
everyone will usually give him the mouth-wide-open-jaw-dropping look when his age is unveiled. Yes that's why he's my hiking si fu after I found out that was his secret.

So folks, come join us and hike up mountains if u wanna look good, youthful, with beautiful skin like him :))))))) also eat all u want and still able to maintain a slim body :)))))

Bamboo fish with artichoke Barigoule
this fish is really ugly looking but its meat is so rich, fat and delicate.

Tourte of Unagi and Foie Gras
hmmm JS snapped the not so nice looking plate. In fact my dish was perfectly cut with a huge chunk smooth lookin foie gras in the middle.

Chef cleverly sandwiched the foie gras and soft sea unagi. Yes it's sea unagi coz the meat was really white and fleshy. Amazing dish....applause!!!!!

I gave half of my dish to Munchy who will never refuse food. hahahahha coz I wanted to save space for many more dishes to come....and the wines :))))))

JS photo-bombed this pic....hahahahahaha
how can u appear in between a lovely couple?? tsk tsk tsk ish ish ish, this I must teach u.
hahahahahahaha

Chef Kimura came in to thank us for the wines, he had to come out from his kitchen in between bcoz he was so amazed by this glass - a Richebourg, one of his many favourites.

But when asked for a pic, he was so shy, he kept refusing. I guessed he didn't wanna appear in between us....kakakakakaka.

Finally our main came, a roasted Saga beef with Kyoto Shimeji
this dish was very very well executed.

Creme d'Anjou was really refreshing. With meringues and raspberry, plus some lime zest.

and the Birthday Cake part came.....Maitre D Puji was being very careful here with the candles...
I was glad there's only one candle :P

it actually wrote "Eppy Birthday Notti Monkey"
aiiikkkssssss shy....
now I know the entire team at Cilantro read this blog *shy* ~.~

THANK YOU CILANTRO!!!!!
:))))))))))))))))))

Too many wishes to make but I have too many cakes and too many candles for the last few days
so I guess with the number of candles I blew on each cake, it was sufficient to make different wishes at each go. Wuahahahahahahahaha.

"Chef!!! You are back again!!!!"

This time, chef cannot NOT take a pic with ME hahahahahahahaha

My Hiking Si Fu Brian C

Monkey and Peakie D
I lurve her customized clutch with all the Champagne CAPS!!!!
I WANT ONE!!! but if u have time, I don't mind 2. HO HO HO HO HO HO.

This was a delicious mango cake
so light and soft and yummy!!!

our wines lineup for the evening :))))))))
all were superb and I guessed the only bordeaux wrong!!! -_-" yes I know, especially after the trip home from Bordeaux, of all the wines, I guessed that one wrongly....hahahahaha It was a good Latour nevertheless.

a deconstructed sweet potato Mont Blanc with bitter chocolate ice cream
very very clever :))))))))))))

No dinner is completed without petit four
we wanted more caneles but they ran out of stocks!!!
but it was also my fault bcoz I forgot to buy some at Bordeaux. Canele originated from Bordeaux.

Thank you folks for the great time and friendship.
I had a smashing time last weekend.....
Love u all heaps :))))))))))))

Birthday wishes from Moo-Moo Land :))

2013-05-18T12:55:00.000+08:00

I had a lovely surprise in my inbox........all the way from Switzerland.

My marketing team colleagues whom are really sweet, lovely, crazy, fun and hyper ppl. Without them, I would be insane working in Switzerland, the land of Moo-Moo Cows!!!

Left to right: Lovely JU, Superman Gregoire, Hyper Katharina and Demure Lucie
thank you guys!!!!

but what's with all the bottles of wines and champagnes?
I'm not really that alcoholic u know???
heeeeee prollie I am :P

If there's one word to describe me, how would u put it?
I guess those bottles in their hands sums it all -_-"

La Tupina, Bordeaux France

2013-05-17T09:38:00.000+08:00

How do u like such setting for dinner?
felt like Snow White is cooking something rustic and yummy for the dwarfs huh?
Chicken roasting at the fire place, Marbled Beef slabs on top as well, with more fresh meat and fresh vegetables...

La Tupina was highly recommended by friends who've visited Bordeaux. Even celebrity chef Rick Stein highly recommended it. These days we have avoided certain food critics and reviewers after their much bias and marketing comments. I guess at the end of the day, just trust the palate of friends who are similar to yours :)))))))

So we arrived on time and hung our coats
Guess which one was Monkey's hehehehehehe....no prize for guessing it right though.
and hanging there was JS's Goyard bag. It isn't a new Goyard, he got it a few months ago in Paris. This trip there wasn't anything exciting at Goyard though Monkey offered to buy him the new color in Grey. Hehehehehe saved my pocket for a bit but I burnt more buying my own bags. Now I gotta eat AIR and rely on free meals for the next 2 months....*sad look*

on the wall next to each table, hung beautiful painting by artist/artists
I forgotten to ask the names. There's plenty of beautiful arts sold in Bordeaux and also Switzerland. Just that it's so difficult to carry them home. Plus my bank account isn't in good numbers to invest in Art yet. Too many things to buy.

We got a cozy corner with nice paintings too!!!!
Anyway this place requires reservation in advance.......I know right. For such a rustic restaurant, who would have thought??

This fire place actually faces the main entrance. The moment u step in, the smell of meat roasting over the wood fire just engulfed the entire place. Just like a virus, it spreads so quickly into your nostril right to your stomach....wuahahahahaha

There's a lil gadget used here, it's not a new gadget but more of an ancient one used. It's a mechanism with wheels, pulley system and weight. Something like a clockwork. Hey actually the very first clock works on the same system with weight at the bottom. So this pulley system automatically turns the rod that's holding the chicken.

All of our eyes just laid on this beautiful chicken roasting there.
Okie not all, maybe except JS who's not a fowl person.

3 of us in unison: "I am soooo gonna order that chicken!!!!"
JS was like oh no......I've booked a chicken place....I should have checked :((

Other mise-en-place were also on the wooden table with rustic tins
nice right???? so trattoria style

Wine menu
can't remember if this place has got an english menu or not but the head staff does speak English. But I guess it is essential to know the basic ingredients in local language wherever u go to.

We were discussing what to order coz the 3 of us can't be eating the same thing right?

Monkey:"I'll take the chicken, u take something else!!"
Prince C: "NO I want to eat the chicken!!!"
I Ching: "I also wanna eat chicken......."
JS -_-"
alamak.....

As we were having our parliamentary meeting on who deserves that dish of chicken, a plate of cured ham and sausages with pickled vegetables laid in front of us....No on touches it. Too busy debating...so only JS was chomping on it happily...

We alwiz leave the hard work to JS to do....
check the entire winelist and order what deserved to be drunk that evening.
JS has got vast knowledge in terms of wines, maker, terroir, produce, and pricing.
He knows the historical pricing as well. We just know how to drink and appreciate. So we are alwiz rest assured we get to drink outstanding wines under his "guidance". This way we can just concentrate on ordering our own food.

Soon our starters arrived.....carpaccio of beef
fresh, simple and really super yummy. Ate till we were almost fighting.

JS had really huge white asparagus
it's in season. I had it almost everyday in Switzerland, so by the time we were in France, I guess I had enuff of it.

I had egg cocotte
Not just any egg cocotte but with chunks of foie gras inside!!!!!!
OMG so sinful and so nice.

This place is really homely, that's why I said it's like a trattoria.
I lurve places like this, it reminded me of Italy :)))))))))

Our main course came.....this was JS's main of slow roasted on the wood fire BLACK PIG
it looks good eh? I didn't try it *u know why* but he said it's really really extremely good.
The last excellent black pig I had was at Dinner by Heston Blumenthal in London.

OUR CHICKEN!!!!!
OH YUMMMSSSSSSSSS
so simple and so so so good
served with its own juice that dripped down during the roasting process

The other dish was the slow roast Duck and basted with its own FAT
Look at its pretty crispy skin!!!! equally as good as the chicken

Hand cut chips fried in DUCK FAT!!!
it's not the type of crispy chips but full of flavour with specks of Aquitane sea salt.

Canele was originated from Bordeaux
JS wrote the history about it sometime ago, and also his painful process of making them

*Read about it here*

Creme Caramel was done perfectly
forgot to snap pic of its inside coz we were too bz indulging innit

More MINI CANELES!!!!!
can never get enough of it. It's so yummy and different from the ones we had in this part of the world.

We even bought back their Cooking Book as souvenir...
but it's in French so I have a duty to do, to decipher them for JS...
errr it's gonna take a very very long time my dear...pls have some patience.

Highly recommended restaurant. If you are into offal and spare parts and game meat. This is the place to be, just that we were so engrossed in their roast chicken, we didn't order any of it. Anyhow I am not a fan of spare parts.

La Tupina
6, Rue Porte de la Monnaie,
Bordeaux, France.
Tel: +33 (5) 5691 5637
www.latupina.com

Journey To The Dark Side (a.k.a Bordeaux) by JS

2013-05-16T08:00:00.000+08:00

Place De La Bourse, Bordeaux

Every wine enthusiast journey begins with the clarets of the new world(Australia, south America, etc). It must be the fruitiness that a primary palate can appreciate, hence the inclination towards new world wines. As time passes, the taste gets more discerning and sophisticated and there is also this yearning for better and better wines. Unfortunately the new world is “limited” when it comes to such a demand. This is the turning point where most people will turn to French Bordeaux wines. However even wines from this great region of France will not satisfy them in their quest for great wines. Rhone valley wines will be next in line and eventually they will arrive at the pinnacle of wine appreciation, that’s Burgundy wines. By this time there would be no turning back…….and they would have turn away from the dark side forever!

My wine journey also has it’s humble beginning down under in Australia and I used to think that’s the best wine in the world and nothing and nobody was gonna change my preference……..until one fine day a good friend introduced me to a Burgundy red wine. That blew me away and as I dwell further into the region, the history, the communes and its AOC(Appellation D’origine Controlee), the domains, the wine making, the passion( or was it the madness??), etc, I knew life will never be the same again! Hence we never really went through the typical growth curve but instead leapfrog from new world directly into Burgundy! With so much passion for Burgundy wines, we have made many trips and pilgrimage to the this very special region of the world but deep down inside, we felt there was something lacking…..something that needs to be fulfilled. This is especially true When we are amongst our wino friends and Bordeaux was being discussed, we kind of feel unable to participate and contribute! It was when we realize that have out grown Bordeaux very quickly without dwelling enough in it and need to take a step backwards to re-visit this very important wine region. Hence our journey to the dark side began :)

The best way to learn about a place is to read a lot about it and for sure you need to make a trip. We fast track(1 month) the learning process which the highlight was a 5 days trip to Bordeaux.

Bordeaux like anyway else(Paris included) in France is categorically divided into left bank and right bank of which the Garonne river joins up with the Dordogne river to form the Gironde River which drains into the Atlantic ocean.

map stolen from Google :)

In a nutshell, The wine sub-region of the left bank include Medoc and Graves of which can be subdivided further into communes or AOC like Paulliac, Margaux, St Julien, St Estephe, Pessac Leognan, Sauternes, etc and which can be subdivided into the respective chateaus and their plot of dirt.

For the right bank the main sub-region or AOC include Pomerol and St Emillon and her satellite communes. Such prestigious Chateaus like Petrus, Le Pin, Chateau Cheval Blanc, Ausone, etc belongs to this sub-region.

In contrast left and right bank wines do vary substantially albeit the fact that the whole Aquitaine region is actually quite small but yet there is such huge variation in the end product. This is a result of the terroir and climat and micro climat of the communes which affects the grape varietal grown there.

On the left bank where the soil generally consist of well drained alluvial silt and pebbles, left behind by the retreating glaciers are perfect for cultivating the thick skin Cabernet sauvignon grapes whilst on the right bank where the soil is mainly blue clay(in Pomerol) and terraced limestone in St Emillon, of which Merlot and Cabernet Franc grape varietal proliferate in this poor soil conditions. The poorer the soil condition, the harder the grapevines have to work to look for water, food and nutrients. In this case the roots of the grapevines will dig deep into the sub soil layer soaking up the chalk and other minerals and nutrients resulting in a more complex and sophisticated end product which is the wine.

Under each AOC or commune there is a classification system to rank the Chateaus. For instance on the left bank, Chateau Lafite, Chateau Latour, Chateau Margaux, Chateau Haut Brion and Chateau Mouton Rothschild are ranks as premier grand cru classe(ie, the best of the best) under the Medoc 1855 classification. The 1855 Medoc classification did not include Chateaus on the right bank…….i think it’s a bit prejudicial because the right bank also have wineries producing one of the finest wines in the world. This is none other than Chateau Petrus, Le Pin, Cheval Blanc, Chateau Ausone, Chateau Angelus and so on.

It is interesting to note that under the AOC of Pomerol, there is no ranking or classification system but yet when one think of Bordeaux, Chateau Petrus always appear on top!! Basically the wine producers don’t believe in a classification. Perhaps it’s works on a reputation system viz a viz a classification system…….but whatever it is, it works and wines from Cheteau Petrus and Le Pin are amongst the most sort after and expensive wines in the world!

As for the AOC of St Emillon, the typical cepage here in wine making are cabernet franc, merlot and some cabernet sauvignon. This is the only commune that utilises the majority of cabernet franc in the wine making. This varietal of grape gives the wine structure and fruitiness. I like the wines from this historical commune especially the wines from Chateau Figeac which is located next to Chateau Cheval blanc.

St Emillon town-a very historical town named after the monk St Emillon who made this place his hermitage. It is now a UNESCO world heritage site.”

During our visit to Bordeaux, we travelled along the Route des Chateau on the left bank which is equivalent to Route des Grand Cru in Burgundy.

We passed by and visited some of the following chateaus of which many are world renowned and visits are “by appointment only”!

Chateau Lafite, the most famous chateau in the world

Chateau Margaux “elegant but majestic””

Chateau Haut Brion “looks exactly like the label on a bottle of Chateau Haut Brion wine”

Chateau Cos d’Estournel-one of the 15 Deuxiemes Crus(second growth) under the 1855 Medoc classification

On the right bank I noticed the wineries although called Chateaus but in reality are just large houses and are dwarfed by the left bank’s Chateaus.

Infact we noticed many of the Domaines are renovating their winery with a modern twist. It is definitely strange that the wineries turn their back on tradition in place of modernisation. I would have thought the French winemakers would have somehow maintained their proud traditional heritage.

Chateau Ausone-perched on the hill top, this is one of the premier grand cru wines of St Emission

Chateau Petrus-this Domaine needs no introduction but the "chateau" is not impressive at all

wanna guess which Chateau??

“this is so understated. It’s hardly even a big house and yet its call Chateau Le Pin and producing one of Bordeaux’s finest wines. The production is only 600-700 cases per year!!

Chateau Figeau-My favourite wine during this trip to Bordeaux…..this is next to Chateau Cheval Blanc and rumours have it that they are negotiating to buy over chateau Figeac”

Deep colored full body red from the very Terroir that we are sitting on during lunch at St Emillon

Bordeaux as everyone knows is world renowned for her red wines but the greatest discovery and surprise and revelation for us on this trip are the great white wines of Bordeaux. Made generally from the Sauvignon blanc and Semillon grapes, these whites are rare as hen’s teeth. For instance Chateau Haut Brion from the AOC of Pessac Leognan produces only 600-700 cases per year whilst her sister chateau across the road, Le Mission Haut Brion produce approximately similar quantities. Other chateaus that produces great white wines are Domaine du Chevalier and Chateau Smith Haut Lafite. The Bordeaux whites are characterized by the signature exotic tropical fruity nose and the rich palate and a long finish. It is best drank young for one to enjoy the freshness and the fruitiness. However it’s also a white wine made to age and comes along with aging, one will get complexity and secondary aromas. It is by no means cheap and buying a bottle of Haut Brion blanc can set you back on a whole month’s salary :) Contrary to most people's impression, the Blancs from a similar Chateau are more expensive than their red counterparts!

After spending 5 days in Bordeaux and running all over the left and right bank, we now begin to see the light beyond the dark side. I must say it was indeed an eye opener and slightly regretted that we did not do this trip in the early years. Albeit the short 5 days(we wished it could be longer)We visited several Chateaux and vineyards which will be subject of a separate post. Had numerous lunches and dinners ranging from friendly street side stalls to michelin star restaurant. Had picnic in the park and sitting amongst and behaving like the Bordelais. Drank a hell of a lot of Bordeaux wines both red and white and the pleasant surprises and discoveries we encountered each time with these wines. Through all that however the one thing that really stood out for us was the friendly and peaceful people of Bordeaux who are proud to show and teach us about their incredible wine heritage and that will definitely bring us back to this beautiful Acquitaine region of France in the very near future.

Agape Substance, Paris

2013-05-15T09:20:00.001+08:00

I-Ching and Monkey
as usual we were early for dinner, say 20 minutes early and restaurant won't seat you until your booking time...anyway the restaurant's opening time was 8pm. It's already Spring time in Europe and the Sun wouldn't set until it's 9.15pm. So we have longer days and plenty of lights up till late :))))

Tucked near the Odeon area, it wasn't difficult to find. Anyway if you know Paris well, most of the places isn't hard to find bcoz this metropolitan is divided into 20 arrondissements. I can live here but definitely not work here....hahaha.

But if given a choice to live in Europe I would choose Austria for its quality of life but not so much of food....Food it has got to be Spain, and to be precise Barcelona for its endless seafood and aged jamon iberico...but for wines, it has to be France. For shopping it must be Italy. and finally for Romance, it's Seville :)))). And if u love sailing and the sea, it must be Greece.

and so we deviated *again* from the main topic of this post....Agape Substance
both JS and Monkey were meant to make a visit here a few months ago but the reservations was horrendously full throughout our trip here last November. So this time around we managed to book it months in advance but sadly the previous chef left in December 2012, with almost his entire kitchen staffs.

Oh well, since we didn't try the creations from previous chef, we can't really do a comparison. But this is good, coz we went with an open mind.

Agape Substance has this format which I've alwiz alwiz wanted if we *EVER* gonna open a restaurant.....U EAT WAT I COOK
muahahahahaha

yup, there's nothing else u can order, there's no menu. U just go there, lay ur lazy bums on its tall stools and wait for yummy food to be presented. And that's exactly wat happened.

There's a some-sort of menu here but only the main ingredients are listed. You won't see a chronology of which to be served first and how it's being prepared.

JS ordering wines from the iPad wine list.
guess wines are the only thing u can "order" at this restaurant :))))
and water of coz....still water or with gas

One of the series of Amuse Bouche of crispy sheets made from pulp and juice of squash.

Agape Substance is the brainchild of Laurent Lapaire whom under his belt worked for so many top establishments. One of the most important one was with Alain Passard at L'Arpege. Remember the restaurant that served the WORLD'S BEST CHICKEN???
*read about it here*

without doubt, we soon realised the same format embarked here with display of squash and root vegetables on its table, just like at L'Arpege and also the creations of cuisines were concentrated highly on vegetables, herbs and beautiful fresh seasonal products.

another Amuse Bouche of fresh crunchy spring vegetables with goat cheese, some kombu were sprinkled on top. Give it some umami-ness.
Beautiful dish isn't it?
:)))))))))))) it's like whistling SPRING IS HERE!!!
I can almost hear the birds chirping.

Next was shallots/onions done 3 ways....
the ball pulp was caramelized, then the rings were deep fried onions, the tiny crispy stuffs were flakes of crunchy onions.
All these are still amuse bouche.
Pretty impressive huh?

JS ordered a bottle of champagne from a biodynamic maker Jacques Selosse
his champagnes the Substance and the Contraste were made using the Selora system, the same system used in sherry making.

Mr. Selosse is not only a winemaker but a grower. In french it's called Vigneron. Meaning all the grapes used in his winemaking were grown from his very own vineyard instead of buying from outside. This way you fully utilize and enhance the terroir that you have.

these days, we have abandoned big champagne makers and concentrate on biodynamic vignerons like this, especially after our educational visits to the region of Champagne 3 times in a row. I guess in life knowledge is power instead of branding. Oh damn I m working in the branding industry I shouldn't say this. *piak my mouth*

Next was a cream of celeriac with a lil surprise on the inside. I think it was seafood. The mash was really creamy with a layer of protein and olive oil underneath it.

Wow....the presentation was so immaculate and pretty.
Zucchini, fresh spring peas, asparagus, baby zucchini flowers with a tiny baby zucchini still attached to it, leeks....with some herbs on it. The dish was to be eaten with a light cheese mousse

Light cheese mousse
it's so light, u didn't know it's cheese hahahaha.
Chef is really good in pairing texture and taste. Kudos!!!!

Oh no...yummy warm bread...this is devil!!!!
with a contrasting butter served on its side...one with seaweed and the other semi salted butter.
Breads were so yummy. Once u pop, u can never stop. Hence it's DEVIL!!!!

Fish with artichoke. I can't remember this dish well

a beautifully poached egg...this was definitely sous-vide.
Forgot to snap pic when I broke the yolk :)))))) but it's definitely a happy sight...hehehehehe

Japanese Sanma fish served with a warm hearty broth over fresh vegetables.
I lurve that lil green crunchy vegetables. It's sweet crunchy and fresh. Guess it's some shoots.

Morel mushrooms was prepared so well
Some simple pleasure :)))))))))))))

so u can see the influence of Alain Passard here? :))))
if u are not into fresh vege then this place isn't really you. If u are a type that must have MEAT in ur mouth then I will recommend another restaurant in another post. Definitely can eat MEAT till it comes out fr ur ear....heehehehehe

Scampi!!!!! I lurve scampis in anyway
all the vege were so pretty!!! and very very yummy too. What a sight on the palate :)))))

What I like most about this place is...everyone sits ala Chef's table format
u can watch the skillful team at work here :))))

By now we moved on to a red burgundy
JS really has eyes for all these rare gems in the wine list...this one was their last bottle
:)))))))))))

The pigeon was done pink!!!
perfect!!! moist and smooth and not too gamey

JS who's a no-poultry-no fowl- man had pork...or was it lamb??
I can't remember though coz he never share his food with me :(
Well when food is this good, no sharing please....hahahaha

Then came dessert our happiest moment
u can see there's lots of black specks aka Vanilla beans on the gelee sheets. A very refreshing dessert of grapefruits.

Another installment of dessert....it's never ending huh?

these were so good....caramel pieces :))))))))))
melt in your mouth and your heart

Dinner is never complete without a lil cuppa of espresso

and a ciggie :))))))))

From this street u can see Pantheon Paris
the time when we arrived and when we departed....
cool eh?

This place is highly recommended for its finesse and execution. However reservation in advance is highly recommended. Lurve the creation and really really friendly and casual environment.

Agape Substance
66 Rue Mazarine,
75006 Paris, France.
Tel: +33 (0) 1432 9338
www.agapesubstance.com

Sexay Back and Shy Chatwin Wedding

2013-05-14T09:18:00.001+08:00

the BIG day!!!!
Monkey flew back for this really really BIG BIG day
if I don't....Sexay Back Maggie will chop me into pieces kekekekekekekeke.

the dashing groom was smiley face the entire day
it's like his biggest day of his life too hahahahahaha

Both of them met at the dance floor and Shy Chatwin...despite being shy wooed her with his dance move. This guy can damn dance. The first time Monkey was introduced to this Shy boy, she was also amazed at his dance moves....hmmm...so this is how u picked up chicks huh? :D

the bridesmaids - Million Dollar Smile Encee, Monkey, Sweet Devil Rachel, Sharoness
all woke up like super early for an entire day full of activities from preparing concoctions for all the Heng Tais, the picking up the bride session, church and mass and finally the wedding reception in the evening.

Lil Kayla was playing hide and peek
she's growing up too fast

YS preparing milk for Baby Kayla under the watchful eyes of Macho Mani
Way to go daddy!!! Macho Mani must be learning the steps by heart hahahaha

awwww so nice!!!! even the bottle is of the same theme color!!!
Fuchsia is my favourite color

Photog Bonnie was super tired
she's been working throughout the week and this week as well. I don't think I can handle managing 3 super heavy cameras on my shoulder for hours!!!!

"Mommy, can I wear this now?"

Baby Kayla and Baby Rheanna
both of them were so so so cute!!!!! Gonna break many boys' hearts hohohohohohohoho

Hot Mama Thevi and Beautiful CS were bz trying to attract the gal's attention for Photog Bonnie

The ring bearer Aiden. He's no longer a baby now.

Macho Mani and Sweet Devil Rachel...so now we are waiting for your turn to pop out cute lil babies :)))))

Baby Wei also came for this important day :))))))))))))

Shy Chatwin and his bestman Brandon who's his elder brother
He's eyes were definitely on someone :))))))))))))....someone special

His someone......who's so special and dearest to him and his heart - Sexay Back Maggie

Look at that EPPY FACE!!!!
words can't describe how happy she was....
we were too but don't worry, no tears were shed hehehehehehe

and then she was given to Shy Chatwin by her daddy dearest :))))))))

This was the part everyone waiting for......and now u may kiss the bride

Sexay Back is now officially Mrs. Hoe :))))))
all of us were so happy and delightful to see her in such joy beyond words :))))))

and Shy Chatwin proudly showed off his wife
"Hey that's my WIFE u know!!! my wife!!!"
hahahahha yes we know :))))))

Too many pics....sorry all no captions
hehehehhe well a picture speaks a thousand words ma

u can see that our energy level is really extremely low
hohohohohohoho

Shy Chatwin got molested for the last time.....oh well I hope
there will be many more times to come I know....hehehehe

Bridesmaids and Photog Bonnie

Many many Congratulations to both of you Sexay Back Maggie and Shy Chatwin
this is the beginning of a beautiful journey to come
see both of u really soon :))))))
MUAKSSSSS

We are back home :)))))

2013-05-13T08:21:00.002+08:00

After weeks of adventure, we are now back home
Yes I know, a lot of dusting needs to be done at this blog. Never before it has been abandoned for so many weeks :P Sorry my bad :(((((

so this time around JS and Monkey the globe trotters traveled down to the Aquitane region, about south west of France to the wine capital of the world Bordeaux. Frankly speaking we are not Bordeaux wines drinkers, more of Burgundy. Yes I know our palates are terribly spoilt. But nothing is complete without a visit here.

I guess after this educational trip, we will appreciate Bordeaux wines even more. Monkey used to only drink bordeaux wines that are OLDER than her....well now that we have sourced more exciting wines, we know wat to get without burning our pockets :))) oh damn we should be in this industry. I know :P No wine companies in KL wanna hire me...I've tried. >.<

The above pic wasn't taken from the web....JS stood there waiting for the right moment, the right lights/sun, the right number of vehicles and human beings before clicking on his shutters. He was there when the sun rises, at noon time and also when the sun sets. HAHAHAHA, he's really a fanatic so I'm not surprised when I wake up to empty sheets next to me. At least I know he's out there photographing something exciting for this blog.

Then from Bordeaux we traveled up to the City of Lights - Paris.
so the pics should be taken at nite with all the luminations. The above was taken at dusk facing the Louvre.

Now that we are back, you will be rest assured with something to read every weekdays with your cuppa early in the morning...hehehehehehe

I m glad to be home too. Missed my cars, my home, my food and my work :)))) though my desk is now full of paperworks, documents, parcels, books and unopened stuffs.

Have a lovely week ahead peeps!!! I'll sure be enjoying mine :)))))

Sexay Back Maggie's last Fling before the Ring

2013-04-22T08:49:00.003+08:00

Preparations were underway weeks in advance. We even had to lock the dates like a few months in advance, yes just for the Hen's Nite. The Bride To Be was chauffeured for the "costume" fitting. All the other accessories were put in together...

Sexay Back Maggie was really unhappy that she's gonna be a Sexay Nurse on her Hens' nite
BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Sexay Back: "OKAYYYY, those that are soon to be married especially next year.....U ALL WAIT OK!!!! YOUR TURN WILL COME!!!!"

oh yes I do believe in Karma.....:P

Hot Mama Thevi prepared Vodka shots jelly
those fruits were sitting in Vodka for hours and the jelly has got very high alcohol contents as well. U planning to get us drunk or the Bride to be drunks???

Anyway no alcohol for Monkey that nite coz she was still coughing her lungs out. I was seriously in URGENT NEEDS of a SEXAY NURSE attention that nite...
"PLEASE CURE ME!!!!"

The so called "Doraemon" box for the Bride to Be....
condoms for sale, her prescriptions, her syringes, weird looking straws with male sex anatomy on it. Think we should call it her First Aid Kit Box instead :P

After the dinner and first few rounds of drinks, we got her to change..
Sexay Back Maggie was so NERVOUS with no appetite to eat and drink. But she downed a few shots for courage to do this....

The other ladies who met her at the toilet were wishing her Good Luck with the Hen's Nite.
Ladies: "OMG izzit ur Hen's Nite?"
Sexay Back Maggie: "Don't worry!!! Your turn will come too!!!"

U like her Costume??? WE LURVE IT!!!
coz it's all prepared in-house by her girlfriends!!!...hahahahahaha

After all our prepping-her-up works....our dearie Nurse is ready for her "roundings"
Presenting Nurse Bobo..or Nurse Vichelle......whichever......

Nurse Bobo attending to Beautiful CS
Which part of u needing attention????
Here??? Here??? or over there???

U see, Nurse Bobo is very very hard at work
Hot Mama Thevi said she's not feeling so well after all her jelly shots!!!
woman!!! u made some really wicked and evil Vodka Jelly shots OK!!!! it's pure 100% alcohols.

Devigaga who flew in just for the occasion said she needed her monthly breast check-up
No worries, that's provided by Nurse Bobo as well!!!

Nurse Bobo then proceeded with her prescription of a HUGE SYRINGE of Vodka!!!
She's damn good with her syringe...precise and accurate!!! and she operates it with only one hand.

Poor Devigaga, think she was misdiagnosed, now she's being hospitalised for real!!! Get well soon Babe and good luck with the surgery!!!!

Sweet Devil Rachel needed some implant on her boobs...
No problem!!! Nurse Bobo to the rescue!!!

From Sweet Devil Rachel's expression, that must be a painful shot!!!!
Devigaga was peeking at Nurse Bobo sexay legs and bum bum!!!

Vic is very very terrified of needles but she wanted boobs implant as well!!!!!
wah Nurse Bobo has got this really EVIL looks on her face...SCARY!!!

Soon her boobs implant is so popular with the group....here Sal receiving her treatment with Nurse Bobo on her lap...kekekekekeke

"Hey Nurse Bobo!!! It's NOW my turn.....come here!!!!! I am in serious need of URGENT medical attention.......u see........my coughs."
Nurse Bobo: "Oh let me give u a snog so it will go away!!!"

In the end Sharoness gave Nurse Bobo a few spanks for misbehaving...
"U are one Notti Nurse!!!"
Piak!!!

sorry there were tonnes of pics of Nurse Bobo curing so many many men hahahaha
but all censored...nothing to be uploaded here...kekekekeke
I didn't know it's so easy to earn money this way :P just prescribing vodka shots and condoms with some minor checkups.

so ladies, if u are planning a Hen's Nite for your friend...the costume as a Sexay Nurse sure works...kekekekeke. Now I really look forward to the day Sexay Back Maggie walks down the aisle with Shy Chatwin :))))

The Dark Side

2013-04-19T08:01:00.004+08:00

I look forward to see you......but before that I must suffer a bit...
just for a bit....
:)))))))))))))))
and I do hope you are worth it

packing my bags now!!!!! but with the erratic weather in Europe I don't know how to pack.

"Hello my dearie colleague at the Swiss Alps, how's the weather there?"
"It's still snowing mon cherie.....brrrRRRrrr....."

What??? in April?
>.<

and when I inquired from South western frenchie
"Oh we have lots of soleil here!!! about 25*C!!!"

>.<
how to pack???
and then there's working clothes, dresses for cocktails and parties, my casual laid back cowboy wear and even more laid back apparels to visit vignerons....
sigh.....

so we are really visiting the dark side this time around :))))
looking forward to it, and again I must suffer for a bit.....
*trying to be positive*

Steamed Orange for Coughs

2013-04-18T08:24:00.002+08:00

Monkey has been coughing her lungs out for the past 10 days....and still coughing. I've been downing the strongest cough syrup that knocks off an elephant plus I dunno wat kinda pills and lotsa other medications and yet the cough wouldn't go away. Every inch of my muscles are in pain from the involuntary coughs.

So Si Fu Lawrence recommended this remedy and I did it wrong -_-
yeah yeah according to him I can never follow instructions and according to ME he can never give proper instructions. It must be precise. If it's gear 2 it's a 2...there's no such thing as in between. If it's 500 metres away it must be exactly that....not off by a street away, or diagonally off bla bla yada yada.

So the instructions was to loosen an orange, add a tablespoon of unbleached rock sugar and double boil it for 75 minutes....I don't have organic unbleached rock sugar, so normal one will do. When I am this sick, I can't be asking for the sky.

Double boil it...
Yellow is my favourite color this season :)))) Name of this color is Dijon, if you are looking to get it fr your nearest Le Creuset retailer.

The smaller Le Creuset pot is a cute lil 16 inches cast iron pot for my instant noodle, or for my baking. Especially when the process of "melt-the-butter" is needed. While the larger one is another heavy cast iron Soup pot that can take up to 3 1/4 qt of liquid.

Si Fu Lawrence then asked me to use a cover that's non-condensation type to cover it and boil for 75 minutes.

Wat the hell is a non-condensation cover????
then I found out I can use a bamboo cover, well that's all I got at home....can't ask for the sky again. Hello Si Fu, this is only a steamed orange, why so complicated? unbleached rock sugar and now non-condensation cover...
>.<

so after 75 minutes I removed it from the heat and AIYAK!!!!
my orange laid flat PIAK
-_-"

"So wat's next?"
"Eat the whole thing and drink the juice."
"HAH? including the skin?"

Si Fu -_-"
"ONLY.THE.FRUIT.....no skin...."he must be grinding his sets of teeth speaking to me

sorry, u gotta have patience with me.
it tasted OK, sweet, errr like a cooked orange?
weird...

then another friend said I did it all wrong. I should just splice only the top, put a tsp of salt, cover it back and steam for 2 hours....I tried that too.

My cough is still around.....any remedy??? I need to fly off in a few days time and this is not looking good.
:"(((

2013 Resolutions: Pandan Chiffon Cake encore

2013-04-17T09:00:00.002+08:00

yea this is an Encore posting :P
hahahahha since so many of you have been asking, I will share it here again :)))) Yes recipe by yours truly after much editing and experimenting with proportions of ingredients.

the first 2 times when my cake just fell from the cake tin, Monkey wanted to cry. Imagine pouty sad face with teary eyes...

JS then took my recipe and calculated the proportion of dry vs wet ingredients
yes u READ that right...he went and did some calculation plus analysis and concluded that the % of wet vs dry ingredients isn't right so the cake can't hold up to its protein. Bla Bla bla bla...yada yada yada yada....bla bla bla bla bla
"eh JS ah....this one is cake u know.....with eggs and flour...not like your engineering mathematics formula of mixing water and cement to produce concrete ok??"
"But it's the same!!!"

wat do u mean it's the same??? that I am baking "concrete" for u to eat????
sigh......men.....

I love the sights of dark colored eggs....so beautiful
so sunny and makes me smiled like a lil gal :)))))))

hahahah oh yes from sunshine color to green green grass
Monkey used only natural flavouring and natural colors
all from the juices of screwpine leaves.

Getting the cake outta its tin is a ritual
for there would be prayers that the cake baked evenly and turned out beautifully
I am alwiz proud for its height.

Nvm that it's crinkly on the top, you gonna turn it over after all and get the even symmetrical "top" which was originally the bottom.....hehehehehe

Next u'll need to cut it slowly with a SERRATED knife...so u won't kill the cake.
my first few adventure of baking this cake, with certain parts and bits of the cake dense. Not fluffy...

Now it's alwiz fluffy and soft like a sponge :)))))))))))
happy happy happy

See all the air bubbles and air pockets in there?
I think it can be better. I alwiz strive for better results each and every time I bake. Since this cake consist of coconut milk aka santan

okie so u must be waiting for the recipe again? :))))))
Here you go....lots of luck to you....and if Monkey can bake it...you can too!!!

Simple fresh ingredients and idiot proof instructions:
7 egg yolks
3/4 cup of coconut milk/santan *use only fresh ones*
1/2 cup of vegetable oil
2/3 cup of fresh pandan juice *blend about 20 leaves with some water and squeeze the juice out*

- Mix all of the above

1/2 cup of castor sugar
1 TBSP of baking powder
1.5 cups of flour

- sieve the above and add into your gooey green mixture
- sieve the entire mixture again so u'll have really fine green alien mixture

Meanwhile,
9 egg whites *room temperature alwiz*
a pinch of salt

- whisk the above with kitchen aid at normal speed until it starts to foam
1/2 cup of castor sugar
- slowly add in the sugar as it mix.
- whisk till soft peaks

Important instruction:
- the mixing process.......between the green mixture and your egg white. Mix them in batches of 3 or 4....slowly and evenly....try to use a huge glass bowl that's not too deep. That way u can see wat's at the bottom. Slowly, evenly and gently. So gentle that you dun kill all the air bubbles created in the whisking process.

It must be fully incorporated. If you didn't mix this well, you will have dense cake like kuih!!!! Well we are making a chiffon cake not nyonya kuih ok?

Next slowly pour them into a specialised chiffon cake tin and ease it into the oven gently. Rule no. 1 of baking alwiz pre-heat your oven before you start anything. In my case I pre-heated it at 180*C but once the cake is in, I've reduced it to 160*C. Bake for 50 minutes.

Alwiz happy to see it rise :)))))))))

Once out, invert the tin. To make them stand properly, I actually inverted it into 4 tiny ramekins over a baking rack. Leave it to cool.

Can't remember how long I left it there but it must be entirely cooled when u touch it before using a knife to separate it off its side, and Ta-DA!!!!!!

Good luck and lemme know your results :))))

Wine Dinner Series: April Fool's Italian Dinner

2013-04-16T09:15:00.003+08:00

When the email got in.....all the Wine Kakis skipped the menu listing and went down straight to the wine lists....Wat would be served on that evening....it's all Italian!!!

It's an Italian nite baby!!!!
we have a wide range of 50's, 60's and 70's from private collection. Alcoholic Anonymous ST sure knows where to source for all these....

So where can you do an Italian Wine Dinner if not at an Italian restaurant...so u see KL is pretty limited. There isn't many Italian restaurant around. Anyhow I find that most Italian restaurants in this region served localised italian cuisine. Not really the authentic Italiano cucina that we enjoyed in Italy.

Say for example Spaghetti Bolognese.......oh please.......this is definitely not Italian.
There's a place called Bologna in Italy and their specialty is Bolognese sauce which is a meat ragu sauce cooked over a period of time with such complexity and taste. Then this sauce cooked with such passion is usually served with flat based pasta....usually tagliatelle.

So where the hell did Spaghetti Bolognese came from?
I have no idea...but definitely invented outside of Italy....and please do not order this dish in Italy......Rest assured u'll be smacked on the face with a pan. U asked for it!!!

I lurve toasty bread....haven't been making bread for a few years now. Prollie time to re-ignite this passion of mine....But first I need to find space in my chiller to keep and continue to feed my bread starter. It's like keeping pets u know? U just gotta feed it every few days.

Famous Boulangerie around the world have bread starter passed down from generation to generation that gives the bakery distinctive taste and texture. Oh Gross~~~~

our April Fool's dinner menu
Where's the pasta??????

Soon all the guests arrived at the destination.
This room is good, it has got its own private balcony for us to smoke
hehehehehehehehe

We had this starter of Tuscanian Crostini, with a secret topping.....we were made to guess wat was it....everyone listed down the ingredients and was only finally revealed wat was inside.

At the end of the dinner when all food was served and all wines were tasted, Dr. Epicurean the person WHO CHOSE the MENU!!!!! unveiled its topping.

I almost ran to his chair and haul him down. I felt like punching him.....
He made me ate Cow's TESTICLES and BRAINS!!!!!!
but I didn't do it....instead I bitched about it the whole nite on the table. He was just laughing at me politely.
YOU.MADE.ME.EAT.COWS.TESTICLES
I'll remember it for the rest of my life. -_-

Mulberry Shan and Dr. Epicurean
Pls remember that face....if u see him, u know how he tortured me by secretly making all of us eat weird things like this.

Chilled Calf tongue
This was OK...texture would be much enjoyable if it's not cut this thin

Prince C and I-Ching
Prince C:"Aiyayayaya cow's tongue ah~~~~~"

Left to Right: Dr. JS...oh yes another JS but this one is a Dr.....MW Maho and Papa Bear Seiichi
I guess most doctors are epicurean huh?

Papa Bear Seiichi has got the best seat with the best view
:))))))))))
he left a bit of wines fr each bottle to do re-sampling after leaving them to breathe again...

these are such old wines....sometimes they need a lil bit of time....sometimes u just need to down them quickly before they die off.

Calf sweetbread done croquette style with deep fried artichokes
I am not a fan of sweetbread....it's considered as a delicacy worldwide. And mind u this is definitely not a bread. I had my first sweetbread back in Milan and didn't like it so I don't think I'll have much thought for this one.....

So Wat's Sweetbread??? it's thymus of animals, u know the on the neck...The other part that's used as sweetbread is pancreas....so I don't know if we had the pancreas or the thymus that nite...

ohhhh at this juncture I am sensed this dinner is not my thing with organs served at every course. Why didn't I check the menu first before RSVP for this dinner T_T

To redeem itself, the wines were interesting. More aged Barolo from the 50's
it's more than 50 years ago and still so drinkable. So Italian wines can really age over time. Hence most of our italian wines in the region of 80's are not ready to be drunk. Not to mention Spanish...the 70's are not ready yet. Ohhhh.....that's why I prefer French wines....hahahahaha

a beautiful saffron infused risotto which was cooked accordingly to the Milanese style. A good risotto must be al dente with that soft crunch in the middle of the grain. A dollop of a rich Bone Marrow, just a small dollop but enough to go around bcoz bone marrows are so so so darn rich.

oh so sinful.
this was the only dish I really ATE.

moving on to late 60's and 70's we had Brunello do Montalcino by Biondi Santi
Biondi Santi passed away peacefully on 8th April 2013, a week after this dinner. On the same date, this very same gang gathered again for another Italian wine dinner series which Monkey skipped. After Monkey had this one, she just said thanks but no thanks.....no more Italian for me. I just didn't wanna waste money attending wine dinners that I don't enjoy....until.....until I found out the 2nd Italian wine dinner was held at Cilantro.

Monkey raised her palm faced the ceiling....WHY?!?!?!??!?!!?
organiser Alcoholic Anonymous ST...WHY???? next time u must tell me!!! I would have switched....I WAS FREE on 8th April!!!!

and it was even more meaningful to toast to the winemaker on the very same day. So here at this moment as I am bloggin...I raised my glass and toast to Mr. Santi for all the great wines u've made.

Veal Tripe cooked Roman style.....

Dear Chef, if you were wondering the plate which was returned to your kitchen untouched, it was MINE. Yes it was mine because the smell was awful. Life is too short for bad food, if I am gonna put calories into my body, it better be worth it. Sorry, I just couldn't take it.

I was pretty frustrated at this juncture because this dinner is definitely not for me. It made me enjoyed my wines lesser :((((( Enuff said....

MW Maho agrees with Monkey
Life is too short.
YA!!!! too short!!!!

Selection of cheeses from Italy with simple condiments

I've forgotten wat was this called...
pls blame it on the offal served that nite.....it has the effects of wiping out my memories.

a delicate dessert of some sort of cakes.....

Menu was approved by Dr. Epicurean -_-"
guess he had enuff of me drilling about this dinner over and over again.

Wines line up

Alcoholic Anonymous ST was enquiring when am I gonna blog about this dinner...Monkey was -_-"
"Need to meh??? I don't blog about food that I don't like....u should have notice by now?"
Alcoholic Anonymous ST: "Well u can just skip the food and post pics of the wines!!!!"

so this post is for YOU by your request
:P

overall we had:
Brunello di Montalcino by Biondi Santi - 1969, 1970, 1980
Barollo by Cappelano - 1950, 1954, 1957, 1962
Barolo by F.Rinaldi - 1968
and a Barolo Selezione by Rinaldi as well - 1970

the food served that nite was off its usual menu, I guess iL Lido has got decent food from its usual standard menu.
il Lido Restaurant
Lot 183, Jalan Mayang,
(off Jalan Yap Kwan Seng)
50450 Kuala Lumpur.

Tel: 603 2161 2291
www.il-lido.com.my

JS's Birthday Pressie

2013-04-15T09:01:00.001+08:00

No no no....I can't afford a plane. Maybe those lil cute remote controlled plane/copter or worse paper planes :))))). JS is one of those few men that I known who has got everything that money can buy. So as years passed it's getting more difficult to get him pressies. >.<

so Monkey got him a flying adventure :)))))))
he received his pressie through a special delivery with 3 helium balloons tied to it on his birthday morning at his office. I dunno why he was so shy that he quickly signed for the delivery and ran back to his desk with those 3 helium balloons trailing around his head.....he actually hid them and held the balloons down

*try to imagine Man Down Man Down Man Down*

that's how he held his balloons down
I guess at his age to receive flowers and balloons is something of a joke??? Oh well I have yet to arrive to the extend of sending flowers to a man. Gay men don't count ok cos I've done that to my dearie Gay friends
HAHAHAHAHAHA.

oooo helicopters!!! I've never ride in one but heard that it's scary. JS's job did required him to ride on one before to visit oil rigs out in the sea. WAH your job is so fun huh? U get to ride on all these mean machines and do defensive driving on track with a BMW.

but then again the grass is alwiz greener on the other side. According to him, helicopter ride is very scary....really really scary....

As we were walking on the tarmac to our plane....JS asked if we are flying this plane..
oh please dream on...this is a private jet....
soon a group of mak datins with birkins bigger than my ass boarded this private jets.

Darlin...this is our lil plane :))
we woke up so early for this that our eyes were just -_- one line...
typical chinese eyes....hahahaha

Soon we were shown parts of the planes by Captain M. Ho
and also to sign the indemnity forms...who to contact should anything happen and who's our next in kin...

*gulped*

sounds like we are signing for something more serious huh?
since I can put JS's name and he can't put mine...we had to think of other ppl to add.
yeah our circle of family members is really that small.

"Are u ready???"
Monkey >.<
I.M.SCARED.OF.HEIGHTS and small planes!!!!!

Wow that's too much to read and see on the dashboard....so many dials and what's wat??????
so confusing!!!!!

but Captain Ho is so farnie!!! his descriptions are precise and clear
"whatever that you do, don't touch the RED button here OK????"
well sometimes we have itchy fingers and hands, the more you said no, the more we want to try it. Oh well it's a reverse psychological thingy.

however when it comes to life and death...oh no thanks...I'll just follow wat u asked me to do.

JS has got such a cute ear piece with Zebra fluffy muffler
I WANT!!!!!!!
that reminds me of Madagascar
I like move it move it
he likes to move it move it
she likes to move it move it
you like to move it....MOVE IT!!!!

I have one too!!! and it's a weird feeling because we can't hear anything on the outside but lots of communication with control tower.

"Air Adventure 5, requesting permission to take off."
Control Tower: "Air adventure 5, cleared for take off at runway 1."

AHHH we are taking off so soon??? no waiting at all???? this is so much faster than commercial flights!!!

Poor JS was made to taxi a plane on his own..
it ain't easy because you use your feet and toes and press the pedals to maneuver the plane.

To the Captain, it was easy bcoz it's just like following the yellow line on the tarmac but for beginners like us....it's quite tough u know. Imagine driving your car with only your accelerator.

U can't go too much right or too much left.
so I guess it's all by feelings huh?

"Ok now pick up speed........we need to reach xxxx speed."
OMG we are already on the runway....this is so fast...

"Ok now pull the yoke."
JS pull the steering wheel which is called a yoke
I wouldn't have known....wat yoke??? where?????
and in nano seconds we were off the ground

I was in horror because I thought this flying adventure was only for him to play-play and he only gets to maneuver the plane after we are air bound...but no!!! Captain Ho let him take off!!!! all on his own...so u can totally imagine how fast my heart was skipping...almost outta my chest!!!!

and we were air bound!!!! phew~~~~~
destination......port klang!!!!

Look!!! he's sooooo happy but quite tense. Look at his arms and all the veins!!!!

"Don't hold too tight..just like holding a bird...too tight and u will kill it."
Captain's description was so farnie...

very slowly we picked up altitude and passed Bukit Jelutong to Shah Alam to Port Klang.
We didn't fly too high, just between 1,000 to 1,500 feet

weather was really bad on the west side of Klang Valley....this was Setia Alam.
We saw the vast future development of this area with a Toyota manufacturing plan with thousands of cars parked on the outside. Sigh, I don't really like the idea of new cars parked under the hot sun before being delivered to owners.

the tail of our air craft. It's a small Cessna 4 seaters, weighing about 600 kg only.
so it's not meant for fat ppl ok. Captain told me I can even push it on ground.

Captain: ""Okie now where do u wanna go?"
Monkey: "I wanna see my house."
so typical of Monkey....-_-

So JS dipped the plane and did a sharp turn back to East
AHHHHHHHHHHHH

"Where's our home? Where's our home???"
Heelllooooo please focus and look in front!!!!!! Eyes on the wheels please!!!!!

There!!!!!!!! right in front of the golf course
even the Captain now knows where we lived....believe me, later he learnt more about us than he originally intended to...poor Captain...sorry the 3 of us are stuck in this small plane so u gotta bear with us for the course of a few hours.

"Now where do u wanna go?"
I wanna see Subang Airport!!!
JS -_-"
ini perempuan ah.....

WAHHHH we crossed the runway at 1,000 feet!!!!
I felt like a boss :P

nearby there was a military plane flew by
it's less than 500 feet away...
wow that's close.....

Monkey wasn't so scared anymore after 30 minutes....JS was too lazy to entertain me so he decided we will head towards the KL city centre.

"Permission for entering City air space"
"Permission cleared."

WOoohoooo~~~
this is even better than the iPad flying games :P

"Hey Monkey, we are in the city centre now."
Look at his face.....so LCLY -_-"
ehhh u are not the captain ok. Don't act like one.
WAHHHHH!!!!!!

Go nearer!!!!

Go lower go lower!!!!
JS -_-"

"Okie now I wanna go to my office!!!"
Both JS and Captain "HAH??????"

Ok Monkey, for u my love....your office. here we go.

the KL Tower...
oh well my office isn't there but it's walking distance away :)))

"WAHHH my office building!!!!"

"take lar pic of the KL tower!!!!"

Ok oK ok sorry I'm too in love with my office :P
it sure looks beautiful from the air.
heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Ok now where to next
this time the Captain voiced out first and decided, think he beh-tahan already...."Let's head to Chow Kit Road now!!!"
and off we went....to Chow Kit...then towards Batu Caves.

After the circling the city round and round and round
as though we are doing some land and buildings and city survey, it's time to head out. Due to security reason, no planes can circulate KL city air space like this....just in case some nuts decided to crash the twin towers.

so we were off to Damansara, Mont Kiara, Kelana Jaya, PJ old town..
oh well u name it...guess we've been everywhere yesterday :))

until....
until.....JS decided another location
"I wanna see my office now."
BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH
Captain and Monkey smacked forehead.

There your office tower!!!! Happy??????
You wanna open the window and say hi to your colleagues???
but then again it's Sunday :P nobody's at work :P

Still shaken and scared happy Monkey with a super duper happy JS.
I seldom see him smile like this -_-

"Okie folks...enuff??? time to head back to Subang Airport."
to my horror, Captain again let JS prepare for landing!!
WATTTT??????
wahhh how come u have so much faith in him?!?!?!?!?!!?

I was so so so SOOOOO surprised that JS maneuvered the plane onto the right course, at the right altitude with both wings so balanced into the runway correctly.

Have u been practicing on the iPad???
even the Captain was impressed......

Actually the landing was pretty scary as we were approaching the runway.
Couldn't snap a pic of the runway due to over-exposure of the camera.

OK now slowly....slowly....
even slower...

I shut my eyes and prayed.......how come the plane is still moving so fast????

only when I felt the wheels touched the ground softly I opened my eyes to snap a few more pics.
It was such a soft and delicate landing.....
WOW so smooth!!!!
Monkey clapped like a penguin
oing oing oing oing~~~~

OH it was an exhilarating adventure
:)))))))))

"Thank you Captain Ho for bringing us home safely!!!"
"Oh no it was all him!!!" and pointed to JS
errrrrr......definitely not. You won't let an amateur do it on his own but I was surprised that JS was given opportunity to take off and landing.

Dear JS, I hope you had a great time yesterday....as scary as it was I had an awesome time and put my life in your hands.....that required a hell lot of faith.

He answered me that it was really stressful and tense to fly a plane. Anyhow he's enrolling himself for his first flying course soon :)))))

If you would like to rent a plane, log on to:
www.airadventureflying.com

Wine dinner series @ Lai Poh Heen, Mandarin Oriental Hotel

2013-04-12T09:18:00.004+08:00

Our lil exclusive group of wine kakis
We have this Wine Dinner series hosted by the members themselves on a weekly basis. Errr only recently it became weekly.......but Monkey is not complaining.

Victor the host asked Monkey a few weeks ago about her thoughts on Lai Poh Heen, I gave him the horror look!!! My last visit was back in 2008. And so after some discussion, we are going to give this place another chance since there's a new Executive Chef and a New menu.
*you may read about my last visit in 2008 here*

A pretty appetizer, consisted of their signature highlights:
clockwise from the top
a cube of watermelon with scallions
oven-baked scallop with butter cheese sauce
superior bamboo pith dumpling broth with dried scallop
chicken roll served with spicy garlic sauce
stir fried sliced clam with XO sauce
friend crispy crab stick with sesame

in case you are wondering, this place is pork free.

This was presented to us before they prepare it.
it's not a chicken
it's a QUACK QUACK!!!!!

u can imagine JS's face turned into a ducky duck duck....pouting.....
:-||

Preparation was done on the side....under the watchful eyes of the captain

Also OUR watchful EYES
O.O
must be so stressed huh?

Look at MW Maho and Viola's EYES
as if they disapproved :P
KEKEKEKEKEKEKEKE

After much anticipation and Anxiety for some
2 pieces of carefully wrapped crepes were presented
Ta-DA!!!!
Traditional Beijing duck served with condiments

it was EXCELLENT
one of the key highlights for me that evening, apart from the wines
the meat was moist and juicy with crispy skin and bits
even the cucumber lent some crunch and texture to this dish. The sauce were not over-powering, just subtle enough.

and JS donated one of his crepe to Dr. Epicurean
hehehehehehehehe

Braised sea treasure soup with American ginseng and chinese cabbage
there was an abalone which was soo soooo soooo darn sweet and a delicate piece of fish maw in the middle...can I have 3 pieces please :)))))))))))

wines from private collection were displayed, carefully opened and served
served by the diners themselves....coz they were so So so So so SO adamant about it that it must be poured delicately for they are really old wines....to be handled like an old lady -_-"

a 1964 and a 1962
yeah...really old....definitely way before I was born

steamed cod fillet with whole abalone and wood mushroom
there were also slices of dates which made the dish so so so sweet
fish was steamed to perfection. Very Good I must say.

Dr. Epicurean and JS....
discussing about the food and wines....
yeah u don't come to just eat and enjoy yourselves...Must do your homework too....
lots of deliberation, discussion and controversies
hahahahahah but I would really love it if there's scandal added to the discussion :P

main course of braised sliced abalone with fish may, sea cucumber and broccoli..
this was quite similar to our braised sea treasure soup. Very similar profile.

a 1938 bordeaux....
WAHHH
this one everyone CONCURRED and CONFIRMED it's older than ALL of them
75 years old!!!!
surprisingly it was still fresh with some berries noes
Bordeaux wines can really age so well. So if I am buying some 2009, can definitely keep to be open during my jubilee :))))

Dinner then proceeded with crispy egg noodles with king prawn in cheese broth
don't like the cheese broth so much
it's almost like sang har meen but a fusion one.
I don't really like chinese fusion unless if it's Bo Innovation then I can really accept that.

the Men complained it's not enuff...so they needed another dish with carbs innit
most of them play golf so they needed this for next morning's workout.

Nom NOm NOm CHOMP CHOMP CHOMP

Alcoholic Anonymous ST was almost sleeping in this pic
He was longing for the comfy couch that was inside this private room..

He stared at it...the couch stared back lovingly with all its comfy red pillows
WUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Finally another fusion black sesame panna cotta with apricot sorbet
It would be nice if there's some black sesame dumplings in hot ginger soup instead :)))

The other bottles that we had...
but my favourite and wine of the nite has got to be the Chateau Rayas Blanc
it was so so so sweet and excellent nose. I need this to be inside our cellar now...

Thank you to Viola and Victor for hosting this Wine dinner series
looking forward to another non-tribes non-spare parts dinner in the near future

Lai Poh Heen Chinese Restaurant
Mandarin Oriental Hotel,
Kuala Lumpur City Centre,
50088 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 603 2179 8885
http://www.mandarinoriental.com/kualalumpur

Sushi Hinata @ St. Mary Residence

2013-04-11T08:56:00.001+08:00

MW Maho warned me.....don't visit until she has done her "works" of negotiating and refining this place....but I'm a pretty stubborn Monkey....What's more when this place is just around the corner of my office...so Monkey decided to drop by for lunch...

Amuse bouche of japanese radish with shoyu and seaweed

MW Maho, if you are reading this....please be a lil quick with your "works" bcoz I need this place to be refined before it's gonna be my regular lunch hangout. MW Maho hailed from Tokyo....so let the japanese negotiate with the other japanese in Japanese.

I guess when you speak their mother tongue, you'll get special preferential treatment and ingredients :)))

Sushi Hinata specialises only in sushi...
the original outlet is based in Japan and this is the first and only sushi outlet outside their home country.

When I asked the Japanese how good is this place...she said it's as good as KameSushi and can be better...but then again no one in Malaysia can be compared with Shinji Kanesaka in Singapore. Oh my...that's like a sushi heaven. If I'm based in Singapore with deep pocket, Shinji will be my canteen.

Taking Singapore out of the picture, currently the best sushi place in town are these two - Kamesushi and now this Sushi Hinata. Anyway palate is so subjective, I am sure there are other awesome sushi places in town which we have yet to explore but I would love to trust my japanese Tokyoite friend :))

soft silky smooth velvety steamed egg custard with a dollop of salmon roe
it was really smooth
and light :))))

Hana set

Told ya it's a sushi place....nothing else..
just pure Zen sushis :))))))))

We came here for lunch and there's a few menu to choose from:
Yuki - almost like a japanese Bentou
Tsuki - 8 pieces of sushis
Hana - 10 pieces of sushis
Mini Kaiseki
Omakase

as for dinner:
Kiku - 9 pieces of sushis
Sakura - 12 pieces of sushis
Hinata - Traditional Japanese full course menu

This was the Tsuki set
Hinata used whole piece of pickled ginger instead of the usual thinly sliced type.

warm bowl of miso soup after all the sushis :)))))))))

Another friend ordered this Yuki set
That's a lot of FOOD for those few of us :))))))

and finally a simple mango pudding dessert

I really look forward to the dinner menu in the coming near future.
Lunch was OK but not fantastic, since this place is new I will definitely give it another try :)))

Sushi Hinata
A-0-1, St.Mary Residence,
Jalan Tengah, Off Jalan Raja Chulan,
Kuala Lumpur.

Tel: 603 2022 1349
http://www.shin-hinata.com

Chateau Rauzan-Segla 350th Anniversary

2013-04-10T08:56:00.004+08:00

To commemorate Rauzan-Segla's 350th anniversary in 2011, a special edition of margaux was launched in 2009. Yes it takes about 2 years to bottle the wines.....good things need to wait...most wines needed to be aged in barrels before the bottling process anyway. So I calculated the vintage...350 years old so they started in 1661!!!!!!!

Karl Lagerfeld....the LEGEND....or at least my LEGEND...wuahahahaha sketched the label for this special edition. It's the sketch of Chateau Rauzan-Segla with his signature on it.

Karl Lagerfeld is the legend coz he's everything in fashion
with his notable black glasses and trademark white hair...he's really good looking. :))))
at 79, he never stops working....still the head of creative for Chanel and Fendi plus his own label. He shots all of his advertising campaign himself.

I highly admire him for his passion in whatever he does....though this man did come with tonnes of controversies on his back, he's still my idol. I had a chance to meet him in Paris a few months ago at his Little Black Jacket Exhibition but......sigh let's not dwell into missed opportunities. So folks never ever skip/miss opportunities because they only come once.

Sensing how much I am in love with Karl Lagerfeld, JS bought me this limited collection of wines......I was a happy a gal again :)))))))

Thing about JS is.....he usually buys things that he enjoys as well....like he bought me timepieces, wines and my KitchenAid.......wuahahahaahaha. JS when can u buy me some killer stilettos??? He share no joy and appreciation for killer shoes.....afterall according to him......it's not a good sign to buy shoes for your partners.....

Okie and to show me how much he appreciates wines and Karl Lagerfeld....He BOUGHT....

He bought MONKEY the huge damn crate!!!!!
WAHAHAHAHAAHHAAHHA

oh Thank you thank you thank you thank you
I can't express how much I love them :))))))))
it's such a young wine at 2009...let's age these babies for another 15 more years. :)))))

Now they are sitting quietly in the cellar at home
waiting for another well-deserving celebration :)))))

Creme Caramel

2013-04-09T08:41:00.001+08:00

ohhhh soft......wobbly.....delicate....creme caramel. It may not be the best looking one with crystallization of sugar at the bottom or do u call it top now that it's been inverted???
:))))))))))))
you'll be surprised this was served at a japanese yakitori place...somehow I alwiz forgot to blog about it. Since this dessert deserves a standing ovation, it deserved its own posting

I do not know the origin of creme caramel, it seems that the whole world is eating it :))) Monkey isn't really into sweet stuffs but sometimes she does crave for it every now and then. I'm tiny and spicy just like the bird eye chili, so savoury and spicy food is a must on a daily basis. Life without chili is meaningless.......

The other yummiest creme caramel that Monkey had was from Saint Veeny....oh that reminds me, her recipe is stashed somewhere in my computer. WOoohoooooo~~~~~ now I have another new recipe to attempt to for my 2013 Resolutions Project :))))))
The above creme caramel is really tiny and so so tasty with the burnt sugar. One cute creme caramel for RM 4, the price may be steep but it's yummy especially after indulging sticks after sticks of yakitori. Apparently japanese consume a lot of creme caramel but they call it Custard Pudding. So please order using the correct name here at this japanese restaurant - custard pudding and not creme caramel

My visits to Sumika....documented *click here*

Sumi-ka Yakitori
No. 19, 1st Floor, Jalan SS15/4,
47500 Subang Jaya,
Tel: 603 5632 9312/ 6016 224 9312

2013 Resolutions: Warm Chocolate Fondant

2013-04-08T08:56:00.000+08:00

Fancy some really nice dessert that's EASY PEASY to prepare?
Trust me, again and again if this Monkey can prepare it....so can you :))))

Last month, JS flew himself to Singapore for a Masterclass with Chef Nicolas Joanny. It was his BIRTHDAY pressie from J&J James and Jelina :)))) How sweet :))) I guess this is the kinda birthday pressie for JS.

Chef Joanny hailed from Southern France, trained in various Michelin Starred restaurant. His journey begun in Burgundy.....wow all these words just clicked!!! Burgundy and french food, michelin stars etc :)))))

So once back from his class, he couldn't wait to teach Monkey what he had learned. With all his detailed notes, as though he's building the next Pyramid -_-" with diagrams and charts and more notes.

yesterday Monkey was taught to make this wonderful easy dessert by my Masterchef JS....hahahaha.
You start by heating the oven at 180*C
weigh 100gm of Valhorna Caramelia Chocolates
JS got 3kg!!!!! we can make and sell wuahahahahahhaha

Same goes for this...
100gm of Valhorna Guanaja Chocolates

200gm of Praline paste....
apparently praline paste consist of hazelnut, almond and sugar.....
it smelled like peanut butter...I think I can use this as some spread for my bread...coz we definitely can't finish this ....errr 11kg of pralines??? ELEVEN KILOS???
Hello JS, this is home...not boulangerie!!!
It's as big as a bucket of paint
Okie now who fancy some chocolate and praline body spa at my home??

Mix all the chocolates, pralines with 250gm of unsalted butter and melt them in bain marie. Basically over a hot water bath.

The above pic was the final product after melting them over a water bath. Your container must not touch the water when doing this. You are merely using the steam of the water bath to melt these delicate chocolates, pralines and butter to give you a velvety texture. Over heating them can cause them to be grainy.

Remember, slow and easy....no strong heat....
If only JS can apply this to his temper.....slow and easy, no strong heat. KEKEKEKEKEE.

Next, prepare the Sabayon....very very easy peasy
7 whole eggs + 8 egg yolks
so technically that's like 15 eggs!!!! Wua wua wua

Add in 150gm castor sugar but we adjusted it to 165gm, up to your liking for the sweetness of your dessert. First test run wasn't that sweet so we just added 10% more sugar.

Whisk it for a few minutes until triple in volume and the mixture became pale yellow in color. It should be foamy and fluffy and soft. This is the best part....do nothing and let KitchenAid do all the hardwork....Kreng Kreng Kreng Kreng Kreng~~~~~~~

Sift 165gm of flour and slowly fold into the sabayon mixture in batches...
slow and steady

Look at my muscular arms and hands.....
all thanks to lifting heavy plates, washing dishes pots and pans and more Le Creuset pots and pans. Even the KitchenAid glass bowl is pretty heavy u know :P

Once the flour and sabayon have been incorporated....slowly fold in the melted chocolate praline mixture....again in batches

Slow and steady......lalalalalalalalalala
hmmm I lurve the tiles in my wet kitchen :)))))

You will also need to prepare your molds or ramekins earlier...
Slightly butter the sides and bottom of your ramekins, not too much...just enough to coat some flour in....and for some fun in the kitchen....after you have buttered them, put some flour into it, use another buttered ramekins to cover the top and Shake-a-bom-bom both the ramekins....

According to Chef Joanny, this way you will achieve evenly floured surface. Well it's true and I'm gonna use this technique from now onwards.

Here we used the smallest size ramekins.
Pour the mixture all the way until about 1/2 cm from its rim/top.

Bake at the same temperature of 180*C at a precise 9 minutes.
The baking time varies depending on the size of your molds

Once out, let it rest for about a minute inside its molds, and you will see that it shrink slightly off its sides. Use a clean sharp knife to separate it further from its side. Put your serving plate on top, and invert....

VOILA!!!
just a few tap or no efforts at all, it will land beautifully on your serving plate.
Serve with vanilla ice cream or any flavours of your choice.

The middle should be soft and runny like the above.......
oh yummmmssssss
lurve the portion and size

Easy isn't it????
:)))))))))))

Now I am waiting for Chef JS to impart more knowledge from his Masterclass to me :)))) hehehehehe. He said if only I behave....ohhh ok...then u cook I'll just eat.

Tonite Monkey is conducting a Masterclass of her soft fluffy Pandan Chiffon Cake @ home for a friend :))))
Again, after much trial and modifications I now have another new recipe for this cake...muahahahaha....will update soon and my old version of recipe will soon be obselete. Oh this is even faster than my computer antivirus updates :P
*Read about the Version 1.4 Pandan Chiffon Cake here*
Happy Monday folks!!!

H&M Conscious Partywear 2013 Collection

2013-04-05T07:43:00.000+08:00

Light green Tulle Dress with bustier in several layers lined with gold thread.....ohhhh~~~~~
Retailing at RM 799

4th March 2013 marked the date H&M launched its Conscious PartyWear collection WORLDWIDE. Doesn't matter if you are in Lebanon, South Korea, Croatia or Mexico. The exciting, much anticipated, really really super limited collection was finally on sale at selected H&M outlets around the world.

Big Grin on Monkey's face :))))))))))))
Months ago, I've already spotted those few key pieces. And what Monkey wants....she'll get it :)))

Long dress in the color of old rose, this is actually a BARE-BACK dress all the way down to your waist. With my height, this is impossible to pull but then it's retailing at only RM 199. Arghhhhh

Cocktail dress with beaded embroidery in powder pink, retailing at RM 399
Look at all the intricate embroidery!!!

I tried this on....it's either the top fits and the bottom doesn't....whichever way I was not lucky enuff to own this dress :((( unless I chop off some meat/fat off my body to compensate for parts I'm lacking -_-

Every year H&M launches its Conscious Collection
It's a long term project to make Fashion sustainable, greener and available to as many people as possible. Yes it's greener!!! coz all cotton were organic cottons. You must be wondering....what the heck??? Do u really need Organic Cotton???

Oh yes....believe me...Organic Cotton spells ZERO Pesticides!!!!
and it's of higher quality cotton....and when it's of better and higher quality, you use less water to clean them. You'll be alarmed to find out water usage can be reduced to as low as 20% for this process.

And to be sustainable, H&M uses a lot of renewable energy. From their solar panels to generate electricity, recycled papers, recycled water.....and guess what???? RECYCLED POLYESTER!!!

WOOOHOOOOO
I never felt this good buying new clothes
HAHAHHAHAAHAH
yea why not?

and so......Monkey's chosen dress :))))))))))))
Maroon Dress with Roses, with crinkly organza detailing.......it's SO STUNNING!!!! Retailing at RM 399. Sold with a separate matching headband with the same roses!!!!

I was so lucky to have a Personal Shopper cum Consultant cum Lady Boss from H&M Malaysia :))))

Dawnie: "Oh I see u got that exclusive dress already :)) Did you get the matching hairband?"
Monkey dug it out from her H&M shopping bag carrier and raised it up with PRIDE

Dawnie: "OHHHHH lucky you!!! There's only 3 pieces in Malaysia!!!"
Monkey: "REALLY????WOOHOOOOOO~~~~" and twirled around.

Monkey: "My friend wanted this same Rose Dress, do you still have stock?"
Dawnie: "I'm sorry, there are only 9 pieces in Malaysia. And in your size, there are only 2."

Oh oh oh!!!!! o.O
but Monkey didn't give up....she harassed all the boys and gals working at the fitting room area.

Monkey: "If you see this dress in 34 *holding her dress up high*.......keep it and call me. This is an order!!!"
In the end, I camped INSIDE the fitting room lounge waiting for someone to release the other size 34. Well no such luck but this friend finally got her dress from another friend based in Zurich.

Yup, in life determination is very very very crucial and important.
Whenever there's a will there's alwiz a way or WAYSSSSS
hahahahahaha

Whatcha waiting for? There are so many other beautiful sustainable dresses at H&M. Hopefully they are still hanging nicely after the manic yesterday. Good luck with the shopping. Else you can still buy the other Conscious collection which was launched earlier in March.

For more information:
http://www.hm.com/my/

We survived Lesson 1 yaaayyy

2013-04-04T08:58:00.004+08:00

Last nite was our first lesson at Talent Hub dance studio
a few weeks ago, we planned this.....if we gonna lose some weight....we gonna do it the fun way :))))) right? agree?

Sexay Back Maggie found us a place to do this privately with a really good and patience dance teacher :)))))) yeah with us, any coach teacher motivator instructor will need to have patience, and lots of it.....

The 3 tai-tais had no problem getting to the studio....the name says it...tai-tais don't have to work. Notti Monkey dashed and rushed through the KL manic jam to this place which was only 10 km away but it took me 1.5 hours to get there.

I guess the town was in manic after the parliament was dissolved. Either they are happy or just running helter skelter....but I noticed too many traffic lights were not working yesterday and this morning with no police traffic at all on the road!!!!!!! O.O!!!!!
Is this some new tactics to create havoc in the city??? anyway.........

Talent Hub has got plenty of classes from the sexy Burlesque, contemporary, salsa, fly Yoga, latin american, jazz, pole dancing, social ballroom....oh the list is endless!!!!

and to lose weight we needed something energetic, fast, FUN..basically needs a lot of movements...and so here we are...Jazz Mania.

yeah...I know...we are so lame....we enrolled into this class without any knowledge of Jazz Mania, its origins, influence and genre....-_-"

Sharoness bidding goodbye the Queen's way, Sexay Back Maggie must be frying kuey teow with one hand, Beautiful CS posing for the Next Top Model show and Monkey showing that she has got 10 perfect fingers!!!!

Our instructor Sensual Viv was shaking her heads and commented "U ladies are super posers!!! If only u can score better in your dance."

We were soo sooooo sooo super lucky to have Sensual Viv as our instructor. The top ten finalist for So You Think You Can Dance Malaysia S2, represented Malaysia in Hollywood *yeahh Hollywood baybey!!* in the World Championship of Performing Arts. With so many accolades hanging on her wall...u'll be amazed at how down to earth she is....plus she's so so so very FUN!!! but the highest plus point was she's so patience!!!!!! esp with US!!!! Trust me....we are really a bunch of unbearable irritating group of students!!!!

Lesson 1 was already so tough!!!
We were taught so many different sets I can't even remember them now -_-
at the end we were taught to somersault-roll on the floor
O.O
WHAT!!!?!?!?!?!?!?

Monkey: "Are we at the wrong class???? this is Level 1 for beginners Lesson number one right?"
Sensual Viv: "It's easier than u think....look.....lift your legs and hips up....roll to your cheek and DONE!!!!"

All of us O.O
Sensual Viv: "Okie now 5 6 7 8 and go!!!"

We had trouble lifting our bums up, not to mention the entire buttocks and the energy to lift our body up to turn it the other way around
-_-
Sensual Viv came over and push my buttocks over
sigh..............
Sensual Viv: "Okie class now do this 5 times before u can go home!!!"

I cheated...I did half....as in 0.5 somersault-roll and declared it's done and went home
:P told ya I'm a notti monkeyBut I'm still looking forward to our next lesson :)) woohoooo

If you are interested to enroll into other genre of classes, do check out their website

Talent Hub, Multi Arts Centre,
19-2 Prisma Ville,
Jalan 19/70A, Desa Sri Hartamas,
50480 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 6016 285 8353
www.talenthub.com.my

Beautiful CS's Birthday @ Vila Manja

2013-04-03T09:03:00.001+08:00

everything was under wrapped for the Birthday gal
the preparation was so detailed including her birthday cake
Hot Mama Thevi attended a culinary class in Starhill a few weeks ago and attempted a sinful to die for chocolate cake topped with pretty macarons.

She was praying in front of her oven
"Please have feet, please have feet, please have feet...."
U'll know that it's a successful macarons when they have pretty feets like the above....
okie akka!!! now u can conduct Masterclass at ur home...I'm definitely signing up.
*read about my previous Masterclass with Chef Hot Mama Thevi at her beautiful kitchen here*

Ta-DA!!!!
I really salute this woman
:)))))))))))))))

Hot Mama Thevi kept the gals updated on the cake which she had to prepare 2 days in advance prior to Beautiful CS's birthday.....all of us were praying for her.

WAHHHHHHH so PRETTY!!!!!
the Birthday GAL gonna lurve it

oh she better be for all the hardwork and sweat and worries and stress and prayers
the cake was not only beautiful but so yummy
made with olive oil, flour, chocolates and free range eggs.....a healthier version of a chocolate cake...hahahahaha

The Macarons were sandwiched with dark or white chocolate ganache fillings
please please please conduct a Masterclass soon ok :))))))))

Beautiful CS and Sexay Back Maggie

Birthday gal got a lovely surprise bcoz she was driven to Vila Manja by Sexay Back's hensem driver, thinking it was a quiet afternoon between the two ladies, afternoon tea and a session of catching up.

anyhow.....when she arrived, my big ass car was a gave away...she knew it already....
sigh...-_-
I should have camouflage my car in the future....
It was also a gave away during Hot Mama Thevi's Birthday a few years ago at Carcosa Seri Negara
*read about it here*

Beautiful CS was so happy beyond words, she decided to karate-chop us for keeping this a hush hush secrets for a few weeks.

It almost caused a havoc bcoz everyone had to be Oscar winners actresses to pull on stunts and pretended to have forgotten her birthdays.

Soon our Spa session started.....
of 2.5 hours of bliss, relaxation and catching up of coz hahahaha
with an array of afternoon tea served at this place

Beautiful CS was so ecstatic!!!
a birthday surprise, beautiful gifts, yummy healthy homemade cake topped with macarons made with love....and a fireworks candles.

Million Dollar Smile Encee was dashing fr places to places to get candles...and this was the best.
Monkey: "hey this isn't candle????"
Macho Mani: "Wow these are for the clubs. U gonna burn the cake!!!!"

Her cake is on FIRE!!!!!
only Hawt Babe Shen dared to light the cake up with her ciggie lighter. Coz there isn't a candle wick nor any strings on it to ignite the candle. That's why I don't think it's a candle!!! it looked like a TNT bomb!!!!
When Hawt Babe Shen was lighting it up nonchalantly...everyone dashed 5 feets away!!! and soon sparkle and fireworks shoot up 5 feet high!!!! Then we realised we need to snap pic!!! hahahahahha.

Top left to right Birthday gal with:
Hot Mama Thevi, terima kasih so much for the beautiful cake & Macarons
Sweet Devil Rachel and Macho Mani who was not supposed to be at the spa but he came to pick his lovely wife home....
Sexay Back Maggie who planned this outing
Sharoness
Birthday Gal :)))))
Monkey
Million Dollar Smile Encee, terima kasih for ur fireworks in da club TNT candles
Hawt Babe Shen
and finally the beautiful cake hahahahhaha

HAPPY BIRTHDAY once again
may all your wishes come true
HUGS!!!!!

Vila Manja
Villa 41, Jalan Damai,
Off Jalan Tun Razak,
Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 603 2161 5418
www.vilamanja.com

Do check out all the cooking classes available in Starhill at its prestigious Culinary Studio:
www.facebook.com/starhillculinarystudio

JS's Freaking Awesome Fish Head Curry

2013-04-02T08:38:00.004+08:00

the most awesome and ultimate fish head curry can be found at.....
MY HOME :))))))))))))
hehehehehehehehehehe
I am the luckiest housemate ever *I know :)))) don't be jeles*

While I was wikipedia-ing the origin of this dish, I was not surprise at all that Singapore.....oh yes...SINGAPORE again laid claim that fish head curry was invented in Singapore.
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahaha
well apart from laksa, crab mee hoon, yee sang, *and soon nasi lemak and satays* I really don't know what else is from Singapore.

Doesn't matter where they are from.....as long as it's yummy and worth every single calories. :))))
oh well, my philosophy in life, if I am gonna put calories into my body, it better be damn worth it because as we age, it's getting too difficult to burn them -_-"

say this HUGE platter of a HUGE fish head curry hahahahaha
it was so awesome I whacked everything and mopped the gravy clean :)))) heeeeee

I can see the sharp teeth of this fish......hehehehehehe don't bite me ya...coz I'm gonna bite ur eyes off ur soft sweet cheek baby!!!!!

actually fish head curry is really healthy
no coconut cream no milk no fat no sugar etc
JS pounded his curry powder concoction from scratch with turmeric, mustard seed, cumin seed and god knows wat.....but the smell was so so so seductive. I was perpetually glued to the glass door at the dry kitchen trying to sniff watever that can seep through the glass door from the wet kitchen.

aaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh......
Monkey was in such hurry and decided to have dinner at 5.30pm
JS -_-" the answer is NO we'll eat at our usual time
Monkey continued to roll on the sofa whining she's hungry!!!!!
I think the smell was so good, my neighbours wished they were invited for dinner.....hahahahaha

and finally DINNER WAS SERVED!!!!!
I had half a fish head to meself :))))
with loads of pre-fried brinjals and okras

"May I eat with my hand? puhhhlleaaassseee???
JS -_- sigh........he was so restless with me.....

Oh yummmsss gobble gobble nom nom nom
finger licking good :))))

I don't normally do this...but good things must be shared. Here u go....JS's Fish Head Curry
500g fish or fish head
1 large onion, sliced
4 pips garlic, sliced
2 green chillies, whole
2 sprigs curry leaves
8 lady's fingers/okra
1 tomato, cut into 6
Tamarind juice half cup
Spices for frying; 1/4 tsp.cumin seeds, 1/4 tsp.fennel seeds, 1/4 tsp.
mustard seeds, 1/4tsp. urad dal [black pea dal and optional], 1/2 tsp.
fenugreek [halba]

In a grinder or mill----4 1/2 Tbsp fish curry powder, 2 to 3 Tbsp chilli powder, 1/2 tsp.kunyit powder, 3(or maybe more) stems coriander leaves n some water. The grinding is to make the curry mixture finer n smoother.

Method; In a pot, heat 4 Tbsp.oil. Put in the spices n curry leaves. When the mustard seeds start popping add the onion n garlic. Fry until the onion becomes slightly brown, add the grounded curry mixture. Stir over low heat, add water if the curry gets too dry. This is important, keep stirring until the oil appears. This should take about 7 mins. Add more water, allow to boil n add the okra n tomato. When the okras are slightly soft, add the fish n tamarind juice. Taste for salt. Finally
throw in the green chillies n coriander leaves. Cover n turn off the fire.

Note.
1.Grinding the coriander stem/leaves and making it part of the paste is special. The curry
has this herbaceous nose!
2. Green chillies at the end of the process is a must. It gives that green peppery nose
which is lovely for seafood curry.
3. Stirring the paste until oil emerges on the surface of the curry is a technique. Must
follow!

I just copied and pasted from his Nerdie Recipe Notes inside his iPad.
So if u have any questions, please leave a comment here and JS will attend to your questions. Monkey is too bz and she doesn't cook anyway *useless!!!*

after the yummy meal....I was clapping so happily with my dirty-curry-laced-finger-licking-good hands...hahahaha...Encore encore!!! can u we have it again tomorrow???
JS let out a BIG SIGH!!! AHHHH!!!! grrrrrrrRRRRRrrrrrrrrr~~~~~~
heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Happy Cooking folks!!!