The food addiction of Cookie Monster

YAM YAM KFC (Korean Fried Chicken)

2011-12-10T12:04:00.001+08:00

Korean fried chicken is something new to many. This restaurant is a joint partnership between Bruneian and Korean. It’s opened for some time already and they did post some advertisements in the newspapers.

They are already featured in Brunei Times but how many of us know where this Yam Yam KFC is located? In the newspapers, they mention Kiarung as their address but finding the place can prove confusing for some. Have no fear – as I will guide you through how to find the place.

This is the crossroads along Jalan Pengiran Babu Raja – if you go straight – you will go to Beribi Shell Station – turn right and you will enter Kiarung – so you should turn right here.

You will be faced with red humps like these because it’s a school area. Keep driving straight ~~~ DO NOT turn into the Kiarung Area where Baiduri bank and Kaizen Sushi is located. Just keep going straight ….

Until you see this mini roundabout – turn left …

You will then see a Simpang 18 and a yellow CAR WASH sign (you can have your car washed while enjoying your meal LOL) – turn into this simpang and you will find ~~

This orange coloured building ~~~ YAY~~ we are here!

YAM YAM KFC ~~~~~~~~~~ THIS WAY ~~~~~~~~~ I am surprised they don’t use any Korean Mascots ~~~

To avoid embarrassment, which two of my friends did – use the DOOR on the left side .. the right door is locked de ~~ haha ~~

I am intrigued by this tyre table ~~

Pretty spacious and simple decoration with many signs about their food~~

Feels like a fast food chain ~~

I ordered the Half Yang-Neom Chicken and Half Gan- Jiang Chicken for $10

KFC is basically crispy fried chicken but tossed in special korean style sauce. It’s quite delicious! I especially liked the crispy skin and that saucy feel to my chicken (yet it doesn’t make the skin soggy) YUM YUM chicken indeed!

Being a Korean restaurant – it’s no surprise you will see many other Korean dishes such as this Char Chiang Mian

This Omurice set is good value – chicken chop on top of egg and rice and with sides ~~ complete meal (I felt my chicken chop was a bit tough though)

The Korean Stone Pot Rice ~`

Gim Bap (Korean style sushi) which goes well with the KimChi (no wasabi pls lol)

Spicy Korean Noodles (similar to Char Chiang Mien style but this one clearly uses hot bean paste)

Hot and Spicy Kimchi Stew (Soup)

Nutritious Korean Ginseng Chicken Soup ~~ hmmm…

Chap Chae (not sure if I spelled correctly) is a noodle dish – green bean noodles apparently stir fried with vegetables. It felt like thick Tang Hoon but texture wise very interesting.

Kimchi is usually given with the GIM BAP but if you want to tapao/takeaway Kimchi, they do sell at a good price ~~~

Personally I like their fried chicken and I think you will ~~ the Korean dishes are generally alright but the main thing I will order here will be the Fried Chicken, drenched in the sauces ~~ hmm… *finger licking good*

Amali’s Cafeteria

2011-12-01T19:23:00.001+08:00

Amali’s cafeteria is a cosy little place at the back of Centrepoint Gadong and right next to Kitaro Japanese restaurant. The owner is a free spirited woman whose not only a great cook but also a fashion designer and in the process of publishing her cookbook! The restaurant is named after her daughter, whose already starting to learn the joy of cooking at a young age.

The restaurant is pretty cosy and has enough seats for maybe 15 people – and up to four tables and some can probably sit at the bar table.

I must say I like the personal touches on the dining table setting. Gives a very classy relaxed feel to your dining experience. Amali’s menu features many home cooked style soul food such as ….

This rich delicious pumpkin soup – which is gorgeous! Loved it!

Cream of Spinach Soup – Hmmm ~~~

The cream of mushroom soup is also *lips smacking* yum!

Amali also has great appetizers from their menu – such as this prawns spring rolls with three different dipping sauces …

These are certainly my kind of lollipops ~~ the chicken lollipops! Hmm ….. and they put foil on the bones so we won’t get our hands dirty~~ how thoughtful!

Now is that green apple basket appetizer enough to make you salivate? *slurps*

and this delicious appetizer, which is a layer of pineapple,cucumber, apples, cherry tomatoes, tuna and topped with caviar – a good contrast and balanced appetizer! A must try dish!

One of the hard things to find in Brunei are salads which aren’t loaded with heavy supermarket dressings that contain so much fat and calories, you’re better off eating Nasi Katok instead. Amali’s uses only home made dressings that are whipped up right in their kitchen! None of that loaded with preservatives and artificial flavouring ‘goodness’ from store bought dressings!

Their Caesar Salad, which you can choose between Salmon or Chicken or Plain, is light and not loaded with mayonnaise and loaded with tons of cheese. Their croutons made from pita bread, are seriously crunchy and provided a great textural contrast to this salad.

This is their mango prawn cocktail salad, which is drizzled with mango dressing. Hmmm .. a must try for mango lovers!

If ya love nachos and dips, Amali’s has quite a few dips for you to try such as this pizza dip, which is loaded with finely chopped vegetables and a satisfying dip! Be sure to check out their chestnut dip, which the boss highly recommends!

They also have pasta dishes if you’re looking to load up your carbs !

The spaghetti bolognaise ~~~ hmmm….

From the main course I got to try this tangy dish – their Ginger Flower Prawns – which is served with rice.

This dish came from the roots of Filipino cuisine, a milkfish fried till crispy and you can actually eat the fine bones from the fish.

This is the most expensive dish on their menu, their black pepper lamb, which is well seasoned and properly honeyed (a new term I invented for that honey caramelized taste of BBQ honey goodness) – and served with good bodied mashed potatoes – not too mushy – which I like! Highly recommended! *smacks lips – finger licking good*

After all that food – it’s good to end the meal with a good dessert!

Tiramisu topped with chopped strawberries~~ hmmm

Smooth Panna Cotta (you can see the black bits … which are from actual vanilla beans!) and topped with black berries~~ yum!

I also got to try this gorgeous Durian Torte (seasonal), which makes you feel like you’re eating fresh durian! Hmm…… Ooo my Durian~~

Wobbling Mango Pudding ~~ Ooooh gotta love those mangoes!

We also got to try this off the menu dish, which was actually an accidental creation! It is seriously a chocolate overloaded dessert, you need to try this to believe it --- we actually asked the chef to call it OH MY CHOCOLATE~~ we shall see if that happens! So chocolaty goodness ~~ chocolate mousse on top of a kuih batik/brownies like cake base! Oh My ChoCo…..Late~~

*burp* now to wash down all the desserts with gorgeous cup of cappuccino …

or pour some of their special Sencha (green tea with puffed rice) infused with mint and tarragon. Oooo the fragrance ~~ you can smell it as soon as you pour it off the pot! *sips ~~ and reaches Zen mode or Happy Place*

Hmm … such a satisfying meal! Now you would expect such a place to be pretty expensive but I find the prices are pretty reasonable for good quality food and cosy ambience. I must admit I will be hanging around Amali’s often – if there’s available seats! I actually wished the restaurant could seat more people – so I would not have to think if I will get a seat or not!

Lao Di Fang–Nostalgia Restaurant

2011-11-24T18:56:00.001+08:00

Using my time travelling old school bicycle and putting on a farmer’s hat and colourful Japanese slippers, I rode on to the 1960s and the first thing I do is of course to hunt for food. I rode my bicycle down the entrance where one takes to go into Jin Chiew, and you will see a small roundabout – go straight in and you will see a new block of buildings – and here we had arrived at Lao Di Fang restaurant ~~

Oh yes – my food senses are tingling – this looks like a place for good food!

One of the things about this restaurant is the nostalgic feel and décor. Unlike the typical Old Town or White Kopi Town franchises, which is overly decorated with wallpaper or drawings on their walls, Lao Di Fang welcomes you with their classic Teresa Theng’s Chinese songs and their old school Kopi Tiam décor.

It’s fun to check out the antiques they have – check out those old fashioned coca cola pictures and this clock

The old school fan~~

In the modern world of Iphones, how many of our younger generation had actually seen a telephone like this – I remembered using these type of dials when I was young – ahhh the memories ~~

Interesting miniature shop house

Old school switches

They even got a bird cage with an Angry Bird in it – showing the boss’s humorous side.

On to the food – there are satay, tongkeng (chicken butt) and chicken wings from these young gentlemen. You can order from them and eat inside the restaurant.

Grilled chicken wings ~~ hmm …

Godzilla here is so excited to show us the restaurant’s signatures ~~

First off, we got to try their rich delicious curry noodles. You can choose between chicken or seafood.

We also tried their Penyet Kway Teow, which we initially thought was deep fried kway teow but it turns out it’s fried kway teow, with ayam penyet – which was quite a unique touch. Specially for those who want to eat both Ayam Penyet and Char Kway Teow – this would be your dish!

Their braised prawn noodles is served with crispy big prawns and soaked in a gravy with a strong prawn flavour – prawn mee lovers will enjoy this dish!

It was quite surprising to see them serving Western food such as this Lamb Shank as well, which is cooked to the right tender texture and served with fries and salad.

Click on the picture above to go to KTM’s Kolomee Review

For me, the highlight of the restaurant was their delicious kolomee. Before I came here, I originally did a post on the best halal kolomee in Brunei, which was from KTM’s Ban 4 kolomee. A lot of my readers actually wrote comments and some messaged me on facebook to tell me about Lao Di Fang’s kolomee. My verdict? It appears we have a new champion of halal Kolomee in Brunei!

On the history of this kolomee, apparently, this was the Sibu kolomee that was sold back in the late 1990s in Mata Mata – and recently they brought back the secret recipe and fused it with the Bruneian style. The Lao Di Fang’s Brunei/Sibu kolomee is born and crowned the title of best halal kolomee in Brunei.

Of course, you have the option of choosing thin noodles (you mian) , thicker noodles (chu mian) or flat noodles (mian poh), If you wanna eat your kolomee in style, you can order it with deep fried big prawns like this bowl over here ~~ nyummy!!! *slurps* *NOM NOM NOM*

The Angry Bird watched as we dined, laughed and enjoyed our meal. It somehow looks sad and wished it could slingshot it’s way to our table to Nom Nom the good kolomee~~

The playful me could not resist playing around with the Old Fashioned Chinese BMX 3 Series ~~

Note: A good heads up to all my foodie readers – the area where Lao Di Fang is located – could be the next chilling and dining capital of Brunei! Stay tuned to new updates on upcoming restaurants (one of them’s Italian!) and cafes from this area! I was informed there would be a few cafes, a Japanese restaurant and a dim sum restaurant! Oooo I can’t wait!!

Pondok Sari Wangi: What’s the story?

2011-11-22T19:32:00.001+08:00

Pondok Sari Wangi has been serving authentic Indonesian cuisine in Brunei since 1990. For over 20 years, the restaurant has enjoyed an endearing reputation for serving up authentic Indonesian food from Java, Padang and Sulawesi. They had been famous for sparking the Ayam Penyet trend in Brunei, being the first restaurant to introduce the scrumptious ‘smashed’ fried chicken – crispy skin and tender flesh, served with a rich blend of sambal chili. This dish was such a big hit that numerous restaurants jumped on the bandwagon and started introducing their own versions of Ayam Penyet but none came close to the original. The restaurant is also the only restaurant in Brunei to be awarded the New Millennium award in the Year 2002 by the International Award for Tourist, Hotel and Catering Industry, Madrid, Spain.

Owner, Mijanti Della Rahardja, or Mrs Ho by the locals, has experience managing restaurants in Hong Kong, Singapore and Indonesia but finally moved to Brunei to be closer the her two sons, who were doing business in Brunei. She started Pondok Sari Wangi, a small Indonesian fast food restaurant in Brunei in 1990. Today, the restaurant has mushroomed into 7 outlets in Brunei! The main branch in Gadong itself seats up to a 100 and VIP rooms which seats up to 40. The main branch focuses on Javanese, Betawi and Sudanese food, combined with a mixture of other classic Asian cuisines.

Currently, the manager, Mijanti’s son Pak Ridwan, is overseeing the updating and modernizing Indonesian cuisine. He has vast experience in the food industry, ranging from Hong Kong, Indonesia and Brunei, has great passion for food and conjures up creative delicious dishes from his home as well. The recent additions to the menu had attracted a cult following in Brunei and I myself am a fan of these dishes especially the Iga Penyet, thinly sliced beef ribs which are marinated with a special blend of spices, grilled and served with kremes (a crispy topping made from mixing the marinade with eggs and flour, then deep fried to give a fragrant crunch to the dish).

Pondok Sari Wangi’s Gado Gado Lontong, which is an Indonesian salad, consisting of vegetables, rice cakes, eggs, tempeh goreng and served with a hot spicy peanut sauce is only available during lunch time. Unlike others’ Gado Gado, they insist of making Gado Gado Uleg and not Gado Gado Siram, which will make the gado gado more evenly tasteful. They also have a range of lunch sets, which are quick and affordable yet delicious! I especially like their Nasi Timbul, which is a set consisting of rice wrapped in banana leaf, served with beef or chicken, with sambal, tempeh goreng and soup sayur asam as sides.

Other than that I absolutely love their beef satays, which makes use of high quality beef, marinated with fragrant spices and grilled to produce one of the most tender and juicy satays you can imagine. Their Beef Rendang deserves a mention as well as they use a lot of ingredients to make! Pak Ridwan is proud to say that for every 1kg of beef, they can use up to 1.5kg in the ingredients to cook their Beef Rendang! Their Tauhu Telor is also a masterpiece; tofu that is dipped in eggs and deep fried till crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, is served with peanut and soy sauce! If seafood is your thing, they also have live mud crabs at the restaurant! I especially like their Claypot Crab Rice Vermicelli and their Fried Crabs in Padang Sauce is a must try!

Pondok Sari Wangi has several signature drinks to offer. Their durian juice is more like a durian smoothie for me and packs a real durian punch! I also recommend their Avocado juice which has a slight hint of coffee! They also make very good in house Cendol, which is served with Gula Melaka and coconut milk!

I personally list Pondok Sari Wangi as the restaurant one must dine in when visiting Brunei. I had brought several friends from overseas and they all had an enjoyable gastronomic experience! Be sure to include this restaurant in your itinerary when you’re stopping by Brunei.

Note: This article has also appeared in the November Edition of Breeze Magazine Sabah!

The perfect French fries

2011-11-22T17:25:00.001+08:00

How many of you actually tried to make your own French fries and failed? You probably thought it’s just slicing the potatoes into sticks and then just throwing them into hot oil and they will magically come out as delicious crispy fries with a fluffy interior. But there’s a science to the perfect homemade French fries. I will show you important steps required.

Choose Russett or Older potatoes

Russett, Idaho or older potatoes are better because they are starchier and has a lower water content. They are sometimes labeled as baking potatoes. You should also cut them into uniform sizes – I usually cut them to about 0.5 cm thick.

Pre-cook the fries in water.

A lot of questions were asked whether one should precook the fries before deep frying them. The answer is yes. This achieves two things – first it tries to remove the excess starch on the surface of the fries which helps to reduce browning, so your fries will have a light gold colour, which looks more appealing and it also helps to activate pectin, which holds the French fries in their shape. According to food science – the best temperature of your cooking would be 170 Fahrenheit or 76.6 Celsius, as after that temperature, pectin would be deactivated. The perfect fries would need to be cooked at that temperature for 15 minutes.

For ones like me who had an immersion circulator to control the water temperature – that would be easy – but it’s not regular household kitchen equipment. However, there’s another way to counter this problem.

A way to strengthen the pectic is acidity – so you can counter this problem by adding 1 tablespoon of vinegar per litre of water to your cooking water. That way – you do not need to worry about your water temperature. Just cook your potatoes over the acidic boiling water for 10 minutes. The potatoes should be tender but not easily broken apart – firm texture. Leave them to dry for 5 minutes on towels. And nope – we’re not done yet.

Fry the fries twice!

Most chefs and online recipes argued that the best fries are fried twice, at different temperatures. This is to ensure a crispier texture – but if you were to cook your fries just like that – you’re still missing something. The concept of double frying your French fries is correct – but there’s one more step you should do.

Freeze the fries!

Fries that were deep fried once and then allowed to freeze in the freezer – then refried – taste better! Another advantage is that you can make a big batch and keep them in your freezer – and you can have perfect fries anytime! Just take them out of the freezer and deep fry them!

Let’s review the steps

First off, choose starchy potatoes with lower water content such as Russett and cut them into 0.5cm thickness, uniform sizes. Boil them in vinegar water for 10 minutes. Deep fry them in batches and then freeze them overnight. Take them out of the freezer and deep fry straight away! There you go! Your perfect fries!

Ingredients

1kg russet potatoes (about 4 large), peeled and cut into 1/4-inch by 1/4-inch fries shape – wash first and then soak the potatoes in a bowl of water
2 tablespoons white vinegar
Salt
Canola or grapeseed oil for frying (Duck fat or pork fat for that extra oomph if you like)

Directions

1. Place potatoes and vinegar in saucepan and add around 2 litres of water and 2 tablespoons of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Boil for 10 minutes.

2. Potatoes should be fully tender, but not falling apart. Drain and spread on paper towel-lined rimmed baking sheet. Allow to dry for five minutes.

3. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large wok over high heat to 400°F or 205°C.

4. Add 1/3 of fries to oil (oil temperature should drop to around 360°F or 182°C). Cook for 50 seconds, stirring occasionally with a wire mesh spider, then remove to second paper-towel lined rimmed baking sheet.

5. Repeat with remaining potatoes (working in two more batches), allowing oil to return to 400°F after each addition. Allow potatoes to cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.

6. Arrange the fries on trays in the freezer and store in bags after they are frozen.

7. Let the heat of the oil reach 400°F or 205°C. Fry the frozen fries in batches until crisp and light golden brown, about 3 1/2 minutes, adjusting heat to maintain at around 360°F or 182°C .

8. Drain in a bowl lined with paper towels and season immediately with salt. At this stage, you can add various spices and toppings to your fries such as garlic powder, cayenne pepper or even parmesan cheese!

9. Cooked fries can be kept hot and crisp on a wire rack set on a sheet tray in a 200°F oven while second batch is cooked. Serve hot and crispy! Yum!

Hai Wai Tien Restaurant

2011-11-13T09:47:00.001+08:00

Hai Wai Tien is located on the same block as Thien Thien and Pizza Hut Gadong – next to Booker International Bookstore or directly opposite Pondok Sari Wangi. It’s one of the best place to have Sau Rou (roasted crispy pork belly) and Char Siew. Their Sau Pai Kut (roasted spare ribs) are delicious as well! This restaurant gives Golden Leaf Restaurant (another favourite place of mine for roasted pork) a big challenge!

It’s a pretty spacious kopitiam style restaurant but comfortably air conditioned.

For quick lunches, be sure to try out their Sau Rou, Char Siew and Sau Pai Kut

Always remember to ask for “Chong Yiu” which is a blend of green onions, ginger and oil. This goes very well with the roasted meats!

We tried out the curry deer meat which was pretty good

Crispy Kailan (you order Kailan chow kailan) – Deep fried kailan leaves till crispy and sprinkled with sugar. A way to get kids to eat some veggies!

Here’s the reason we decided to lunch here – friend raved about the crispy pork intestines here so here I am. What did I think of it? Delicious! Something a food lover should taste. Crispy, great chewy texture inside and tastes good!

Dong Puo Rou (braised pork belly) – Needs no introduction – succulent and melt in your mouth goodness!! RAWR!!

Served with Steamed Buns! Hmm…..

Lim Ah Siaw Restaurant

2011-11-09T13:20:00.001+08:00

When I described Lim Ah Siaw restaurant to my oversea friends – I usually called it the most haram restaurant in Brunei. It’s because it’s located at the Pork Market which is located behind Terrace Hotel. It has the kopi tiam feel to it and don’t worry about the smell of the pork – you won’t really smell it while dining at the restaurant.

Quite long operating hours: Ranging from breakfast to early supper.

The restaurant is pretty spacious

The restaurant is not new to many of the local Chinese community but many come here usually for Kolomee or economy rice. I feel they have many other good dishes that people should try when they dine here.

The menus are written on the walls – it’s interesting to actually read what they have to offer. We usually ask the lady at the counter to introduce us their signature dishes but our eyes did catch something from the wall menu and ordered.

I personally raved about their Kueh Chap. The soup is very good indeed! I can say it’s even better than the Hing Nam Hong version. Simply must try!

Fresh pork spare parts ~~hmmm

This is their Bai Chie Wu Hua Rou (Sliced White Pork Belly) served with a savoury spicy sauce. An appetizing dish which will get you hooked!

My eyes caught the sight of Curried Deer Brisket and immediately ordered it – quite tender and goes well with the curry – I should had ordered Curried Lamb though but that’s for the next review.

Stir fried sambal Pakis – who can resist them? Hmmmm….

Hung Nam Pai Kut – A delicious braised pork ribs dish. Nyum!

This is their Tie Gong Jie (Real Steel Chicken) – don’t ask how they got this name but its seriously crispy and goes very very well with the sauce! You simply must try it to believe it.

Nyum Nyum Tie Gong Chicken! *Nom Nom*

There’s definitely many other good dishes in this restaurant – so be adventurous and ask for recommendations! Who knows? You might spot something I didn’t!

Hing Nam Hong Restaurant

2011-11-01T21:44:00.000+08:00

Many people had emailed me or asked me whether I had tried this or that kolomee in other places eversince I posted my review on Brunei's number 1 kolomee at Ocean Quarry.

Ocean Quarry's Kolomee: Defending Champion Kolomee

One interesting place that was mentioned was a restaurant in Menglait, Hing Nam Hong Restaurant, that has kolomee that can rival or better than Ocean quarry's kolomee. I decided to investigate.

Finding the place was quite hard as we were not very familiar with Menglait's road. But to get in, simply look out for where DHL and Mexx Car Wash is. Turn in around that area at a simpang behind them, the restaurant is opposite a row of mechanic shops. Good luck finding that place!

Finally found the place and this is a picture of their signboard. The old school kopitiam feel. Take note- it's not a halal store.

One close up look at their kolomee and you can tell that it's going to have the QQ chewy texture.

Taste review: The texture of the kolomee is great and fresh. Texture wise, I prefer this more than Ocean quarry's noodle. Flavourwise, it is very different from Ocean Quarry's kolomee. It is very good, but I can't say I prefer this, Ocean quarry wins in terms of flavour, but it is a matter of my personal taste. The accompaniments like charsiew and mince pork, I think the char siew definitely tastes better than Ocean Quarry's one. I made the big boo boo of not ordering their wonton, so I can't compare this yet, maybe for the next review.

Overall: I still prefer Ocean Quarry Kolomee but this kolomee comes close as a good rival. Some might actually prefer this to Ocean Quarry's so give this place a try. Since I am here, I might as well try their other signature dishes.

Ngau Lam (Beef Brisket) Soup

The soup is filled with lots of fresh taugeh(beansprouts) and topped with slices of beef brisket on top of the beef stock. Looks so good!

Taste wise, I liked the texture of the beef, quite tender and goes well with the crunchiness of the taugeh, and the beef flavour of the soup. A great dish to try as well. One of the reasons why food bloggers like me can't seem to lose weight is that we always try to order as many dish as possible to review. I decided to try their Penang Fried Kway Teow.

In my opinion, it is far from Penang Char Kway Teow. It does has the spicy flavour, but it is not near the caramelisation and "chau tarness" (hangus) of what I liked in Penang Kway Teows. This dish is not what I would order next time.

Their Kway Chap is also one of their trademarks. Flat Rice Noodles served with pork spare parts and in a dark coloured broth.

If you like spare parts, you can even order them separately and have them sliced and eat with your kolomee.

Sliced pork large intestines ~~ hmmm .....

Their chili is pretty good and goes well with their kolomee.

Stir fried ginger and shallots deer meat

This place is open up to quite late - usually open till 1 or 2 am. A good place to have supper!

Bunker Bistro’s New Menu

2011-10-07T20:53:00.001+08:00

Quite a number of people did not know that Bunker Bistro, which is located at the Empire’s Country Club (Gym and Golf Area) is actually open to the public for dining in! It’s quite easy to find – just turn left on the first junction after you drive pass the security guard house of Empire.

The Bunker Bistro operates from 10am to 10pm on Monday to Thursday meanwhile starts with breakfast at 6.30am on Friday to Sunday, closing at 10pm. For further information or reservations, please contact Bunker Bistro at 241 8888.

Bunker Bistro boasts an upscale grand ambience and a great selection from their newly revamped menu – also to showcase their new French Pastry Chef’s desserts! I had the pleasure of trying them out during lunch~ There are so many good reasons to check out this new place~

A good place to sit down for a business meeting ~~

Or just to hang out with friends ~~ and have a good chat

You can also laze around the comfy sofas and have coffee and dessert! Or we just simply want to check out and enjoy the food! Let’s move to the appetizers!

The nachos which were served with chili con carne and melted cheese is a yummy appetizer or just a snack while you chat and hang out with your friends!

A platter of assorted appetizers: seafood roll, wonton, vegetarian samosa and bbq chicken spring rolls.

Delicious honey glazed chicken wings~~

I was also told the Bunker Bistro has a very delicious Caesar Salad, which comes highly recommended but I did not get to try it for lunch this time (too many dishes already!)

They have a lot of different types of sandwiches, wraps and burgers in their menu, served with your choice of french fries or salad greens . This one is a foccacia bread sandwich, with roasted bell peppers, marinated mushrooms with melted camembert cheese! Vegetarian’s sandwich!

Aged cheddar cheese burger with beef bacon and ratatouille slaw!

The pita lamb wrap, served with caramelized onions and tzaziki dip

Chicken quesadilla, served with guacamole and tomato salsa

This is my favorite sandwich! Roast beef slices with a black peppery kick , fused well with the tangy sweet red onion jam and sandwiched by a healthy muesli bread! Delicious!

For their mains, I was told by some friends who dined there before that their stir fried tenderloin kway teow which is served with a sunny side up egg and their chicken rice are must tries! Unfortunately, I did not get to try these but I get to try other dishes!

Wild mushrooms and cream sauce penne pasta with lots of shaved cheese! YUM!

Beef tenderloin steaks cooked to my favorite medium rare stage and served with potato leek ragout and shallot reduction, I particularly like how juicy the steaks were and that crispy shredded onions on top!

Some restaurants disappoint with overcooked salmon, which tends to be too dry and flaky but the salmon dish we had was perfectly cooked and served with delicious mango salsa – a great combination!

On to the desserts! It never fails to get people excited – I must say I am quite impressed by the presentation of the desserts – prepared by the new French Pastry Chef!

This is the cinnamon caramel cake, which has a coconut sauce ~~

Chocolate marble cake with passion fruit sauce and ‘after eight’ ice cream~

Most people would like this apple pannacotta with white chocolate chantilly, shredded apple and chunks of crispy sweet meringue! Playing with different textures, sweetness and flavours of the apple!

Last but not least is my favorite dessert! I am bias because I simply love mascarpone cheese cakes! This is a heavenly strawberry mascarpone cheesecake, served with a green tea sauce and mango jelly!

It was quite a filling lunch for me and I must say I will definitely come here again to try some of their other dishes! As highlighted – it does offer great posh ambience and good food – whether you’re having a meeting, having high tea with friends or just want to relax and unwind on your own ~ check out Bunker Bistro at Empire’s Country Club.

The new king of burgers has been crowned!

2011-08-30T20:10:00.001+08:00

A new champion is here! After a lot of burgers - eating - eating - eating - then grading - it's time to unveil the champion. Where can you get the best home made burgers in Brunei? What is the burger that impressed #bruneifoodies the most? Have a read at some of the insights and views of the Brunei Foodies on their burger experiences!

The Brunei Foodies having a social media gathering at Savys

Double Kapow Burger (photo from Ranoaddidas)

Taty's Lamb Burgers - I luvin their crisp shredded lettuce and fresh tomatoes!

Hommed Baga Shrooms burger - for mushroom lovers ~ photo from Hommed Baga

Love Food Hate Waste devours lots of burgers!

Love Food Hate Waste's super burger binge!!

Watch a video of Tiger Lim's adventures with the Kapow 5.0!

Tiger Lim's special 5 decker burger! Funny stuff!

A very good write up! Very pleasant read about burgers from the local scene by Emma Good Egg

My favourite Buns by Emma Good Egg

The stats and results from the Burger Shootout!

Click here for the details and scores

After all the burgers and ratings - it was decided that the Grubs Burger has the highest score - based on the score system which Anak Brunei introduced and we all agreed on. I have to say it deserved the title as best home burger for this year!

So where's Grubs Burger? Basically if you're driving along Jalan Muara - (enter from the roundabout) - you lookout for SPG 420 - Grubs is just RIGHT AFTER the spg 420 - DO NOT turn into Spg 420 - turn after the spg - and you will see a white house.

Behold! Where the current burger champion resides!

There's a green sign that confirms the location.

The crew of Grubs Burger - to order - you MUST first CALL or SMS +673-719-0050 - they only take orders like that for now. For more info add Grubs Burger on FB ;)

I like that they use paper bags as the tapao bag - thumbs up for a more environment friendly idea!

Nicely wrapped - can't wait to open and taste!

Would you look at that! Beautiful! The works burger!

Photo taken from Ranoaddidas - look at the beautiful burgers! Nyum!!!

You gotta love that burger - the lettuce = crisp and fresh tasting - tomatoes are juicy - roasted capsicum - melted cheese - and served with their special sauce, chili sauce or mustard sauce and tomato sauce (you can choose whichever sauce you like) Simply gorgeous burger!

Food Memories in Taiwan

2011-07-31T16:48:00.000+08:00

These are some of the reasons I missed Taiwan. I am lucky to have my best friend back from Australia to bring me around her native country. It’s been one of the most enjoyable trips I had from all the food hunting and feasting. Here are just some of the memories that I can’t forget – despite it being a year already since I visited Taiwan!

That expensive $260bnd dish from Ming Foo restaurant. Very delicious -- it's basically chicken stuffed with herbs and other ingredients and glutinous rice mainly - with a broth cooked with abalone slices. The soup is very thick and satisfying -- drawing the natural sweetness of the Chinese herbs and abalone. One of the best soups I've tasted.

Another dish from Ming Foo Restaurant. At first glance – you would think that it’s a pork kidney soup – but this is actually a pork testicle soup! When I first ate it – I assumed it’s actually kidney – as it melts in my mouth to reveal a soft and buttery taste – I was like – wow this is nice …. and my Taiwanese friends chuckled and told me it’s Pork Testicles. Another expensive dish as well – $130 per dish!

See more about Ming Foo restaurant here: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.439270006416.213388.581271416&type=1

This is the Oyster Omelet from Xi Ling Night Market – the oysters are really fresh and the eggs are mixed with starch to give a crispy texture on the outside and gooey texture on the inside. The only weakness in this dish is the sauce – which – if served with Penang’s sambal for the oyster omelet—would be a heavenly pairing!

From the same store that sells the Oyster omelet is this squid thick soup or so called Hua Chi Qen. It’s a starchy flavoursome soup – with a slight tang but the texture of the squid is one of the best I’ve tasted – springy and bouncy as we Chinese like to say omg SO QQ de …. delicious!

Taiwanese called this Da Chang Bao Xiao Chang – basically big sausage wrap small sausage. Taiwanese typically make glutinous rice sausages – which is a sausage shaped glutinous rice. They use this to wrap the smaller Taiwanese Pork Sausages. It’s like a glutinous rice Hot Dog. I really liked this! Yum! Snack Food!

The Sui Jien Bao – which is buns that are pan fried and then covered and left to steam. Be careful when you’re eating these buns as the tasty juices from the meat filling inside will splurt out! Take small bites and you’re in bao heaven!

and How I can miss this Ah Zhung Mee Sua!?

For more Xi Ling night market pics: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.439409066416.214462.581271416&type=1

The steamed sui jiaos at Foo Da restaurants aroung Zhongsan – always packed and you will have to sit and squeeze with others. Hmm…

The ‘Crispy’ Latte at Long Men Ke Zhan Restaurant at MaoKong – it’s quite unique and adopts the crème brulee method. The top of the coffee is torched and burnt to give a crispy fragrant top for your coffee. Something new and I miss this coffee.

The tea leaves fried rice – which is quite a distinct tea like fragrance to it – also at Long Men Ke Zhan at MaoKong.

Having Sukiyaki at Momo Paradise – thinly sliced quality beef, pork and lamb – dipped on a special sukiyaka hot pot (soy sauce and mirin steam boat) and then dipped on pasteurized eggs. Yummy! Buffet style some more! You simply must try this!

After cooking your slices of meat on the Sukiyaki hot pot – straight away mix with raw egg and eat! DELICIOUS! HEAVEN MAN!

Look at the quality of the meat! zOMG! Keep them coming!

This is at the Szechuan restaurant around ZhongSan – it’s quite spicy and it’s called red army ants climbing up a tree – as you pull up the noodles – the chili flakes look like red ants while the beehoon looks like a tree bark – hence this dish – a very memorable bee hoon!

This is a style of bread they make in china – really unique – I’ve never seen such a texture and look at the crust on this bread – amazing pattern. A delicious type of bread – I’ve since forgotten the name of this bread unfortunately!

White slices of pork served with a hot szechuan style chili sauce. Yummy! also from the Szechuan Restaurant.

For more pics of the above restaurants: Click here http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.443764521416.228977.581271416&type=1

Green Tea noodles in a Oolong Tea Beef Broth!

Deep fried crispy tea leaves – yummy!

Cod fish in tea broth

Contemporary Tea Fashion is a restaurant that sells tea – and through this they branched out and started doing cuisines that incorporate tea into the food. At today’s society where health is a big concern – this restaurant won over many health conscious diners! I had a great experience with tea cuisine and you should try this restaurant out too!

For more pictures of Tea Restaurant: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.442230731416.227900.581271416&type=1

Taiwan Starbucks boasts this Green Tea and Black Sesame Frappucino – I love this one! I wonder why Malaysia ones don’t have this cos it’s Frappulicious!

Those tall giant ice cream cones is a must to try – I love their mango and yam ice cream cone – at least 30 cm tall! no kidding ya!

Omg! Ice Cream Tower! Attack!!

Drinking snake blood and snake soup at Hua Xi Street is quite an unforgettable experience indeed! Guaranteed to boost your stamina for the night – the owner says!

Takoyaki!!!!

Crisp fried fishcakes shaped like boats and dipped in a sweet and sour sauce!

Did not really get a good picture of this – but it’s delicious crispy fried pork ribs !

Hua Xi Streeet – you really can see so much pork leg stalls! There’s one section of the street where all you see are pork legs!

Pork Leg rice ~~ yummy!

The iconic dish of Taiwan : Ru Rou Fan – braised pork stew with rice.

I can’t believe my eyes when they have Bahn Mi at Hua Xi street

A popular street food in Vietnam where they use a baguette to make a sandwich consisting of sliced beef, daikon and carrot pickles, served with Vietnamese herbs and fish sauce. Delicious!

For more pics of Hua Xi Night Market : http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.442197001416.227887.581271416&type=1

In GuoLing Night market (Tao Yuan), there’s this special dish called Hau Dan Bao.

It’s seafood such as oysters or prawns being wrapped and fried into a ball

Ta daa! Bite for oysters and yummy egg inside!

Near zhongsan station – there’s a place that sells good xiao long bao

A good breakfast – Dou Jiang You Tiau – crispy fried dough served with soy milk!

And I must say I like their pork and egg sandwich – thin slice of grilled pork wrapped with egg. What a good breakfast.

At another restaurant – I savoured the iconic beef noodles in Taiwan – delicious – and this was before I decided to go to Yan Ming San hotsprings with my friends.

Janice and Lucy – who was my tour guide for the whole Taiwan trip. We went to Yan Ming San hotsprings – where there are many restaurants who offer – hotspring plus food!

This seafood and pork intestines soup was DA BOMB! So chocked full of flavour and bound to warm your heart! Confirm stamina boost for the night one!

Crispy Battered Oysters! Taiwan has oysters in abundance I tell ya!

Orange Pork Ribs – I tell you – I really liked the crisp up turnips on the side – so crunchy and goes very well with the sauce! They must be fried and then tossed with the sauce – thumbs up!

We had this fruity tea to wash down all the good food before going for a hot spring bath!

For more pics of the Yan Ming San : http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.442186451416.227876.581271416&type=1

At another night market – I came across this cream puff but instead of cream – you sandwich and ice cream in between- that is simply a heavenly combo!

You will also come across this snack food called Tian Bu La (sounds like tempura) which is deep fried slices of fish cakes and other items – dipped in a sweet sour with a slightly hot sauce.

You cannot miss this pig’s blood rice cake – another Taiwanese snack

You must also try their home made Winter Melon Tea!

This is actually wintermelon being cooked till a caramelized paste and ready to be used to make tea~

This is VERY good – a lot better than those store bought ones – freshly made! Wintermelon tea at its best!

For Kong Kuan and Sze Ta Night Market : http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.442174376416.227870.581271416&type=1

In Tao Yuan – this is the first restaurant I tried when I was in Taiwan – I can say this is my top 3 restaurants to visit if you come to Taiwan – it has a very Japanese influence to it’s dishes.

Quite a japanese influence, shredded onions with snow fish and bonito flakes with special sauce

Dong Buo Rou – A Taiwanese Pork Belly dish

This has got to be one of my all time favourite dish – fresh oysters braised in a ginger and shallot sauce and served on top of chopped crispy you tiau (cha kueh or crispy dough). I wish I can taste this again! Ahhhh!!

For Han Xiang Rou Restaurant album: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.438008331416.211510.581271416&type=1

Western Style Food

Their desserts are well presented

My soup of the day – well presented

Such a delicious looking fruit salad – with a prawn swimming amongst them!

Wang Pin Steak House is a fine dining restaurant that offers superb service, great food at good affordable prices. They’re really thoughtful of what customers want. I went there for lunch and had a very good experience.

Wang pin steak house album: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.443722256416.228964.581271416&type=1

A famous Italian restaurant in Taiwan – La Betolla

The red wine beef stew served with rice is very delicious – melts in your mouth goodness!

and of course – their pasta is very good!

Spot Café is a good hanging out spot – which is around Taipei

They serve pretty good coffee here – this one is my rose petal coffee – as you can see some dried rose flakes on the foam to give it more flavour.

I saw this on the menu – and simply cannot resist – A tiramisu where it’s taken apart and separated.

You see the mascarpone cream topped with cocoa powder, sponge fingers and two glasses of strong espresso – to eat – dip the sponge fingers on the espresso and then on the mascarpone cream! Yummy!

Torched bananas and served with caramel sauce. Yumness!

Melange Café is famous for it’s waffles and scones – and pretty waitresses (haha)

Green Tea Latte~

Very good blueberry scones – served with cream and jam.

I decided to be different and go for savoury waffles – served with tuna and salad – really good waffles I gotta admit – and the friendly waitresses make my dining experiences very good ^ ^

For More pics of above restaurants: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.442177366416.227874.581271416&type=1

A good Italian restaurant is NiNi Garden – great décor and good Italian Food – you might have to queue and wait to dine in this restaurant – I waited for half an hour before I got my seat!

This is the Pink Cream Sauce Seafood Pasta – creamy and with a hint of tang.

Pesto Sauce Baked Rice

A delicious seafood and cranberry risotto! One of my fav dishes during my Taiwan trip!

Squid ink Seafood Pasta – which was very spicy! Delicious!

Click to see décor and other foods of NiNi : http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.439005021416.212218.581271416&type=1

New York Bagels Café serves and satisfies your BAGEL cravings!

Bagel roast beef sandwich – served with fries

This one is the sesame seed bagel sandwich

I love their Crab cake Eggs Benedict – poached eggs, on crab cake and scones – topped with a good hollandaise sauce – very good breakfast!

For more pics of N.Y. Bagels http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.442194251416.227882.581271416&type=1

Windmill restaurant is a restaurant sooooo beautiful – people came here to take wedding pictures. Not only that – it’s ambience is out of this world – and coupled with good service and good food – this is one of the places one will truly remember for life.

I have to admit – I wished I got a DSLR camera because my point n shoot camera did this place and food no justice.

The complimentary buns! Delicious with butter!

My seafood appetizers! Scallops, lobsters, squid~ tasty tasty

Seafood and Prawn in a clear broth – words can’t explain how good this soup is!

Beef Steak – so thick – yet so delicious!

Rack of lamb with mint sauce

Pork slices served with a flambe sauce – they actually made my Ceaser Salad and the sauce for this dish in front of me live!

Palette Cleanser – sliced fruits!

The OMG baked Alaska! Meringue wrapped ice cream and butter cake inside!

Such a romantic presentation – their cheesecake!

The décor’s really beautiful inside and outside – for more pictures which I highly recommend you see it: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.442191381416.227880.581271416&type=1

Taiwan’s 7 Elevens are a place one must try – so much choice of food at affordable prices – makes me wish Brunei has these!

This sushi rice cake and black sesame ten grain milk is only $1.50 bnd.

Instant beef noodles at 7-11 ^_^

Another unforgettable experience I had in Taiwan was when Lucy brought me to her friends wedding at a seafood restaurant. I was blown over by their ten course seafood meal! You cannot believe how good the experience was!

Instead of the typical peanuts at weddings, they serve dried sakura prawns! So good!

Their cold platter is assorted sashimi – very fresh – even has snails, lobster and scallops!

Deep fried Glutinous Rice Balls sprinkled with sugary crushed nuts! So good! I wonder why they don’t serve this in Brunei restaurants!

Shark fins soup with a twist!

Unagi Eel with baked rice~ yummy!

Baked prawns with parmesan cheese and squid!

Seafood and Tofu Soup~

Slipper lobster and stuffed seafood fried yams.

Steamed Whole Fish! Very tender and very good!

More lobster soup! OMG! Is there no end to this seafood banquet!?

We finally end with tomatoes and guava – phew~~ seafood coma!

For more pics of the wedding: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.442236221416.227903.581271416&type=1

Creative Modern Cuisine at Spaghettini, Empire Hotel

2011-07-22T03:06:00.001+08:00

Spaghettini Restaurant introduces their new menu just recently and I must say it’s going to be an eye opening experience for the Brunei dining scene. Chef Ajoy introduced quite a number of modern style cuisines that combine culinary cultures across continents and also reconstructed classic dishes with his creativity. You can be guaranteed you won’t find anything similar in Brunei as Chef Ajoy dares to be different!

The smell of fresh bread is always welcome at the start of the meal. Some restaurants offer garlic bread or dinner rolls with butter. Spaghettini offers us freshly baked bread served with three types of butter; pesto butter, roasted capsicum butter and regular butter.

Spreading the butter on the freshly baked bread - yum~

Besides that they also serve creative champagne like drinks to start your meal.

Our Amuse Bouche for the night – salmon and flavoured foam. An Amuse Bouche is usually eaten in one bite – so I took my salmon and sab it on the sauces and foam – then finish it with one bite. Delicious in a bite! Now let’s roll on the appetizers!

The menu is quite descriptive – briefly introducing you to the dishes they offer. What they did not describe is how much effort and time is used to prepare these dishes.

The first appetizer is the Black Angus Beef Carpaccio (which is thinly sliced raw beef) served with balsamic jelly (balsamic vinegar made into a jelly) and the white thing that looks like a fish ball is actually white truffle sorbet – an ice cream made from white truffles!

This is chocolate infused prawns, served with a spicy mango glaze and salsa. I personally like the spicy mango salsa on this dish as it goes very well with the prawns.

This is their scallop appetizer dish – which is a scallop served in 3 different ways – one is a scallop mousse, the center is grilled scallop and the last one is a wasabi breaded scallop.

This is a creative reconstruction of the classic tomato and mozarella – in which the tomato is made into a terrine and then served with bocconcini (cheese) ice cream. The lines on the side of the plate are actually pesto and crushed pine nuts.

At first glance – you would think this is a dessert based – but it’s actually crab wrapped by pasta sheets – the black coloured one is made from squid ink. The liquid this dish is swimming on is the watercress emulsion and is also served with star anise tomato jam.

Now this appetizer is indeed special. It’s smoked duck and mushroom quesadilla (crispy tortilla), served with roasted corn and pepper relish. To me – this was my favourite appetizer of the night hands down. In fact – what’s special was that one of the tasters never liked duck – but actually enjoyed this dish. One of those foodgasm moments you would say.

They have three soups to choose from their menu.

This is their tomato tortilla soup with avocados and parmigiano reggiano cheese – a vegetarian soup.

Lobster bisque with goat’s cheese spring roll and keta caviar. The spring roll was quite delicious.

Their mushroom cappuccino requires a lot of time and work to execute and I must say this is my favourite soup out of the three. It’s a very rich soup and I really like the dijon custard in the soup.

It’s finally time for the main course! The appetizers and soups got us quite excited!

Angus Rib Eye Steak – served with a mustard ice cream (replacing the usual melted herb butters and mustard) with confit potatoes.

Their lamb dish – which is lamb loin wrapped with pasta dough and served on a yellow pepper juice. From first glance, I actually thought it looked like tuna sushi.

Another dish that looks like sushi! This is monk fish cheek quenelles with risotto ‘cake’ and asparagus with vanilla apple chutney on the side.

Pan fried blue cod fish served with a mussel saffron sauce, avocado relish, and on the side is the sweet potato gnocchis on a white truffle sauce. I like how my cod is perfectly cooked and goes very well with the relish.

This is their boneless roasted spring chicken, served with a pumpkin slaw, black sesame raviolli and verjuice glaze.

This grilled sea bass fillet dish has gotten quite a lot of attention from the female tasters, The sea bass was served with seaweed linguini which had a very good texture, and delicious orange tree flavoured butter.

Crispy Salmon with a pineapple salsa, sauteed shitake mushrooms and sea urchin essence.

Hurray now it’s time for dessert! This is their delicious chocolate brownie with ice cream and M n M chocolates …… oh wait ….. it’s actually another creative play by the chefs. This is actually their slow cooked Oxtail dish that’s made to look like a dessert. Very tender and delicious oxtail dish which got people excited with the playful presentation.

The final moment – the moment every woman is looking forward to – being proposed by the man of her dreams? ….. Nope…. not exactly – it’s the moment for DESSERT!!!!!!!

The towering chocolate tube filled with passion fruit mousse.

Chocolate fondant with a delicious pistachio ganache and caramel ice cream.

Vanilla and rasberry glacee with a white chocolate chantilly.

Green apple tart tartin and served with apple raisin ice cream

This was my favourite dessert of the night – the mango and cardamom crème brulee with mascarpone parfait and mango chips. Some of the tasters did not care for the cardamom taste but I love the richness of the custard which goes well with the parfait. More for me I guess

Overall – it was a very eye opening experience and it’s good to see that there’s a true fine dining experience in Brunei instead of flying overseas to experience these contemporary fusion cuisines. If you want to impress or wish to treat someone special to a unique and fun dining experience – you should come and try out these new menus! Bon Appetit foodies!

Best murtabak in Brunei.

2011-07-19T15:47:00.000+08:00

Roti Canai , Roti Prata or Murtabak; it is one of the staples in Brunei foods you must try. Every time I have friends coming from overseas, I will surely bring them to my favourite Murtabak store.

The most basic Roti Kosong is probably my favourite. Crispy Croissant like textures and pleasant buttery smell. You won't find this in any other place in Brunei. I especially love this with their CONDIMENTS - their sardine goes super well with this dish!

R0ti BOM is filled with Susu Manis (Sweetened Condensed Milk). Most of my friends preferred this type. Crispy on the outside and sweet on the inside. It's Da BOMB! They'll say ;)

Roti Pisang is roti filled with bananas. Ask for the sweetened condensed milk to dip this with. It's simply delish! My friends who tried loved the creamy texture on the ripe bananas. Simply Yum!

Roti Tissue is a thin crepe like roti that is sweet and crispy. You simply 'peel' this mountain and eat the thin crispy sweet roti.

I usually order Lamb Kurma to go with my Roti Kosong - especially when there's a big group but when it's a small group - the condiments are sufficient.

It is House of Curry which is in the same row as WYWY Lambak, and right next to the KFC. My vote for best murtabak in Brunei.

Sri Maju Herbal Fish Soup

2011-06-08T12:33:00.001+08:00

Delicious and healthy herbal fish soup is one of the specialties of this Sri Maju Restaurant in Kota Kinabalu. It’s located around Asia City – just behind Api Api – around town area (Centrepoint and Warisan Square)

I snapped into the kitchen to catch a glimpse of the boss preparing my Herbal Fish Soup.

Quite a number of celebrities had eaten in this restaurant before – showing how good the food is!

Does anyone recognise the man in the middle?

The herbal soup goes very well with their Yam and Mushroom rice – taste healthy and yummy at the same time!

Their home made herby soy sauce – one look and you know it’s going to be fab!

Now comes the hero of the night – the Herbal Fish Soup – take a look at those delicious looking tender fish! *ATTACK*

The view from the top – notice the dates and goji berries – all good for your health.

The fish part near the skin is especially delicious – gelatinous collagen goodness! Very good for your skin!

So if you’re after a delicious healthy treat! Be sure to visit this restaurant when you come to Kota Kinabalu – you will need to wait half an hour for them to cook this dish so make sure to call in advance.

Szechuan Guacamole

2011-06-05T13:26:00.000+08:00

Here's a recipe I recently found that has a blend of Chinese influence in the guacamole. This would work very well with chips or our Asian prawn crackers/shrimp chips!

Szechuan Guacamole

Ingredients:

1 large ripe avocado, pitted and peeled
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
1/2 teaspoon minced ginger
1/4 teaspoon five-spice powder
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon Sichuan hot bean sauce or Oriental chili paste
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon sesame seeds, toasted
Salt, to taste
2 tablespoons diced tomato or red bell pepper
2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion

Preparation:

Place peeled avocado on a rimmed plate with garlic, ginger, five-spice powder, hot bean sauce, sesame oil, soy sauce, lemon juice, and coriander.

Coarsely mash avocado with a fork or potato masher, incorporating seasonings.

Add salt to taste. Stir in the tomato and chopped red onion.

Serve with keropok or shrimp chips.

Coconut Avocado Ice Cream!

2011-06-04T08:09:00.001+08:00

Sometime ago I created a coconut avocado ice cream recipe and posted it into Allrecipes.com. I didn't take any photos of the ice cream but after a year, they posted a picture of the recipe. Here's the direct link to the recipe. Coconut Avocado Ice Cream at Allrecipes.com

For your convenience, I'll just post it here in the blog.

Here's the picture allrecipes posted. I am glad my recipe has gained enough recognition.

"My mum loves avocados and coconut milk. Since we have an avocado tree and coconut cream on hand, I tried making this fusion ice cream and it's heavenly. The avocado lends a lovely, appetizing color, and it has the nice aroma of coconut. Simply irresistible. Definitely something different to impress your guests."

Original recipe yield: 1 quart.

Prep Time:: 10 Minutes
Ready In:: 13 Hours 10 Minutes
Servings:: 8

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup coconut cream
1/2 cup white sugar
2 (1/2 pound) avocados, peeled and pitted
3/4 teaspoon lemon juice

DIRECTIONS:

Puree milk, coconut cream, sugar, avocados, and lemon juice in a blender until smooth. Pour into a bowl, cover, and refrigerate for several hours until cold. Freeze in an ice cream machine according to manufacturer's directions, then freeze overnight.
Allow ice cream to soften in refrigerator for 10 minutes before serving.

Note:

If you don't have an ice cream machine, you can make this in the freezer. Just pour the puree into a dish and place it into the freezer. Freeze for about 2 to 3 hours, then mash it into a slush; repeat the freezing and mashing about 3 to 4 times so that the ice cream will be smooth. Finally, freeze overnight and serve as directed.

Gingko nuts, Barley, Beancurd Sheets and Quail Eggs Sweet Soup

2011-06-03T16:45:00.000+08:00

Traditionally, this sweet soup (tong sui) is usually made for pregnant ladies and is thought to give the babies a fairer skin. I decided to do more research on the health benefits of the ingredients.

Barley has recently been researched to help lower cholesterol and blood pressure. Barley is also good for your bladder.

Gingko nuts, are considered lung soothing and is prescribed in TCM for bronchitis, asthma, cough, and numerous other conditions. It is also said to be good for the brain and memory boosting. The recorded use of ginkgo seed in China for food and medicine dates back 2,000 years. Although one should not eat more than 8 gingko nuts per day, as too much can be toxic.

Chinese medical practitioners have used quail eggs for thousands of years to successfully combat allergies such as rhinitis (sensitive sinus or nose) , asthma, hay fever, spasmodic cough and skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis. More recently they have been used in Russia and Poland, and they are widely available from pharmacies in France, Switzerland and Germany.

It's no wonder this recipe has been passed down for generations as a nutritious soup. Now let's get cooking~~

Ingredients:
1 cup Of China Barley(中国薏米)
2 packets Of Ginkgo Nuts (白果) - can buy from fridge section of Hua Ho near their fresh mushrooms.
1 Packet Of Bean Curd Sheet(腐竹) - buy from dried foods section
1 can of quail eggs - can find in most canned food sections
200g Rock Sugar To Taste (add more if you want it to be sweeter)
2 Litres Of Water
Few Pieces Of Pandan Leaves, wash and tied into knot
1 Egg, lightly beaten

Directions:

1. Rinse barley in several changes of water until water runs clear.
2. Place barley in a stock pot with water and pandan leaves, bring to boil and low the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, marinate the ginkgo nuts with 1-2 tablespoons of castor sugar and set aside. At the same time, drain and wash the quail eggs from the can, then soak them in water with 1-2 tablespoons of sugar.
4. Soak the beancurd sheets in water until really soft. If not soft enough, add 1 teaspoon of bicarbonate soda to the water. (This step is crucial for silky soft bean sheet skin)
5. When the barley water is done, removed the pandan leaves and add in the bean curd sheet and simmer on medium heat for about 20 minutes.
6. Next add in the rock sugar and ginkgo nuts then continue to simmer for about 10 – 15 minutes depending on how scattered you want the bean curd sheet to be.
7. Lastly, add in the beaten egg and stir until well combined .
8. Add the quail eggs, stir well, then kill the heat. Serve it warm.

Made this recently and I added fresh lotus seeds for more health benefits ;)

Ocean Quarry Kolomee Latest News!

2011-06-02T17:14:00.003+08:00

Brunei's Best Kolomee opens in a new spot!

The last time I mentioned that the best place to eat kolomee is Ocean Quarry's Kolomee at Bunut. It's been moving around from place to place but now it has finally settled down in the same row as Pizza Hut Gadong -- taking over the New Sentosa Restaurant. One of the additions is that it now includes Yong Chap and Pai Kut amongst it's choices and there's rumours of serving BAH KUT TEH as well! Watch this space for more info!

Remembering the old place~

Then after finishing it, I still can't get enough of it. So I ordered Kolo MeePoh.

Now why is this shop good? Let me see.

First of all - it's the great tasting kolomee and meepoh that uses their own special recipe which other shops don't have.

Their fantastic soup - which is chocked full of flavour but I dunno how much MSG did they put in there - it's just very nice.

I ordered wonton kolomee, thats why my soup got wontons in it.

Their chili vinegar is also a very good add on to the amazing flavours of the kolomee. I usually put two spoonfuls of vinegar with my kolomee.

Make Ahead Chocolate Souffles

2011-05-18T22:22:00.002+08:00

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Soufflés are one of the classics that strike terror to the hearts of many cooks. When done correctly, it will puff up or ‘rise’, giving it an elegant look and fluffy cloud like texture taste. However, it’s also quite an easy dish to mess up and you’ll end up with a deflated mush. Another thing about soufflés is that they must be served fresh out of the oven, so you must plan your soufflés before hand and time it correctly.

What if I tell you I have a way of making soufflés in advance, and then freezing them in my freezer, and only bake them whenever I want to? Imagine if you have some last minute guests coming over, or you decide to invite a hot date over to your place. You open your freezer, take out some of those prepared frozen soufflés from the freezer, pop them into a hot oven and bake for 20 mins. What a way to impress your friends or your date when you serve them a delicious chocolate soufflé! For me, I just like that I can just make a big batch, freeze them, and take one or two out for dessert whenever I feel like it!

Ingredients:

Ramekins preparation:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

2 tablespoons caster sugar

Soufflés:

225 grams bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate, chopped coarsely

4 tablespoons (around 60grams) unsalted butter

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon vanilla extract ( I sometimes just use Galliano Vanilla)

1 tablespoon Grand Marnier (substitute 1 tablespoon orange juice for the non alcoholic version but I wouldn’t recommend it – there’s no good substitute for real good quality alcohol). You can use Kahlua, Frangelico, Amaretto too if you like.

6 large egg yolks

½ cup caster sugar

8 large egg whites

¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

2 tablespoons icing sugar

Directions

Step 1: First prepare the ramekins. Grease the inside of the ramekins with the softened butter up to the rims, and then coat the inside of each ramekin with the sugar. Arrange ramekins on a tray and chill in your fridge.

Step 2: Melt the chocolate and butter slowly using a heatproof bowl on top of a saucepan filled with just simmering water. Make sure the bowl does not touch the water in the sauce pan. Stir frequently until smooth.

Step 3: Remove from the heat, and stir in the salt, vanilla extract and Grand Marnier. Set aside.

Step 4: Using a mixer, whip the yolks and the sugar at medium speed until the mixture reaches a thick and pale yellow consistency. (For a stand mixer, it should be around 3 minutes, if you’re using a hand-held mixer, it should be around 6-8 minutes). Fold this mixture into the chocolate mixture. When I say fold – I mean using a spatula to just mix them slowly, as if you’re folding the mixture. Do not whip.

Step 5: Make sure you washed your bowls and beaters clean and wipe dry because if any fat remains, it will make it difficult for your egg whites to be properly whipped! Now whip the egg whites at medium low speed until frothy for like 30 seconds, and then add in the cream of tartar. Set the speed to medium high until soft peaks (around 1-2 minutes). Add the icing sugar and whip them on medium high speed for another 2 – 4 minutes. It’s important not to over whip. As soon as you see stiff peaks, you’re done. Whisk the last few strokes by hand, making sure to scrape any unwhipped whites from the bottom of the bowl.

Step 6: Now stir one quarter of the whipped egg whites into the chocolate mixture first. You can whip the mixture a bit. After that, gently fold the remaining egg whites until just mixed. Be gentle here.

Step 7: Carefully spoon the mixture into your ramekins until almost to the rim, about 1 inch from the top of the ramekins. Tip: Do not put too much into the first few ramekins first, fill up every ramekin, then slowly top up and even out. You do not want to put too much on the first few ramekins, and then realize there’s not enough for the rest. This recipe should be enough for 8 ramekins of 8 ounces size (225 grams). Now, you can straight away bake these babies if you cannot wait! Simply follow step 9, but just bake for 12 to 15 minutes!

Step 8: To store them, you MUST cover each ramekin tightly with clingwrap, and then with alumimuin foil on top. This is to minimize smells from your freezer getting into your soufflés. Do not thaw or remove from fridge to defrost before baking. You’re supposed to bake them straight out of the fridge into a hot oven.

Step 9: Baking: Adjust oven rack to the lower middle position and heat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit or 205 degrees Celsius. Make sure the oven reaches this temperature before baking your soufflés! Unwrap the ramekins, and put them on a baking sheet or pan. Bake the soufflés for around 25 minutes. (If your ramekins are smaller sized, it should be 23 minutes). This is the tricky part as different ovens have different settings and power. What I would always do is to bake a batch, and check the timings – then record them for future use. I’ve done this recipe in my friend’s house and realize it takes only 23 minutes, while it might take 27 minutes at another friend’s house. Experimenting is the key! To check for the perfect doneness, I usually take one out, and use two spoons to pull open the top of the soufflé and check inside. If the interior is loose and creamy, you got it! Dust with icing sugar to serve immediately with ice cream!

Here are some pictures for those who are unsure about different stages of whipped egg whites.

This is soft peaks stage

This is stiff peaks stage

Disclaimer: Images used are for illustration purposes and are not professional taken by me.

Pho Real at Times Square

2011-04-22T20:38:00.003+08:00

Back in the days when I was studying in Aus, Vietnamese food was available near where I lived and I would often eat at the Vietnamese restaurant just 5 minutes walk from UQ located at Hawken Drive – it was the more affordable meals a student could have – usually the range of $6-8 (considered pretty cheap other than McDonalds and KFC)

I still remember this dish – the really delicious Chicken Chop Rice .. served with that Vietnamese style sauce that’s quite sweet but matches the chicken really well.

I also remembered when I was in Adelaide – Lok Ing took me to the Vietnam Restaurant at Pennington – their grilled quails were to die for! What a good time I had!

When I was in Melbourne I had a chance to eat one of the best beef noodles I’ve tasted. It’s different from the Taiwanese Beef Noodles but for I prefer this dish definitely! They put thinly sliced raw beef onto the hot soup when you order it and it will arrive at your table with a medium rare texture which I love. They also put a plate of basil and mint leaves on top of a plate of taugeh to eat with the dish but most of all – that simply gorgeous bowl of beef broth! SIMPLY DELICIOUS!!!! I dream of the time I will get to try this dish again!

For a long time – I yearned for good Vietnamese food in Brunei. There was a Vietnamese restaurant that opened at Batu Bersurat before, serving good Vietnamese food – but I guess the market did not catch on and it was closed down.

Finally Pho Real opened up in Times Square and it’s a wish come true!! I quickly popped over to try their dishes! When I was there – they only had 3 different dishes – naturally I ordered all three – the natural tendencies of a food blogger who wants to try everything he can get his hands on! Note: pictures were taken using my HTC Desire phone, using mytubo and not a DSLR.

Their pho (Vietnamese Beef Noodles) is pretty good – you have the taugeh on the side so you can decide how much taugeh you can put – personally I did not put too much as the taugeh taste can be overpowering. I can say they are quite close to the taste of the best Pho in Melbourne but not there yet – they also don’t serve their beef slices raw (which might be a health concern) and I wished they had mint and basil leaves too! But one should appreciate that we can finally have a good bowl of delicious Pho in Brunei! Hurray!!

Their Vietnamese Stew is another rich gravy-ish dish that I can mop up with rice anytime any meal of the day! I loved their fork tender beef and the raw onions they serve with this. Delicious! Girls might share a bowl of this as my other female friends find this slightly oily for their taste – but not for me .. I can finish a whole bowl myself + a bowl of Pho… *burp*

They also have Vietnamese Spring rolls using thin translucent looking rice papers. I tried their Chicken Spring rolls and it’s pretty fresh tasting and good. Girls on diet can have this healthy guilt free snack! They have vegetarian version of this spring roll too!

Pho Real is located at Times Square Food Court and currently does not have many choices but this might be a good thing as they're focused on a few items and it usually means better quality and consistency. Still - I am looking forward to their new additions to their menu!

Disclaimer: This is not a paid post and I paid for my food. This reflects my own dining experience at this establishment. The contents therein shall not be construed as any admission of liability on my part and without prejudice to my rights, defences and remedies under any applicable laws.

Vietnamese Banana Cake

2011-04-17T09:08:00.002+08:00

This is a dessert that is so easy; you wouldn’t even need to make frosting! Another plus is that these ingredients are readily available all year round! Step forward Luke Nguyen's Vietnamese Banana Cake from his book ‘The Songs of Sapa ‘. Unlike the usual banana cake which has the texture of muffins, cupcakes or breads, here’s one banana cake that is richly dense and satisfying, people will be asking for seconds or thirds.

Ingredients

12 ripe finger bananas or pisang emas (Choose the ones that are ripe but not turning black)
60 g (1/4 cup) caster sugar
7 eggs
380 g (one small tin) of sweetened condensed milk (susu manis)
250 g unsalted butter, melted
200 g (around 1 and 1/3 cup) plain flour

Method

Slice the bananas thinly on the diagonal and coat with sugar. Cover and set aside at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees celcius. Grease your cake pan or bakeware with butter.
Beat the eggs and combine with the condensed milk and melted butter (make sure the melted butter is not too hot or it will cook the eggs).
Now add the flour and mix well, then gently fold the bananas through the batter. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for 1 hour, or until the cake is cooked through in the center and golden brown.
Transfer to a wire rack to cool, then cover and refrigerate for 1 hour before serving. You can actually serve this warm straight out of the oven as well.

You can serve this on its own or with vanilla ice cream. Enjoy this with a nice cup of Teh Tarik or Pandan Tea. Hmm…… delicious!

Health Benefits of Avocadoes

2011-04-06T20:50:00.000+08:00

Health Benefits of Avocado

Avocados contain oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat that may help to lower cholesterol. In one study of people with moderately high cholesterol levels, individuals who ate a diet high in avocados showed clear health improvements. After seven days on the diet that included avocados, they had significant decreases in total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol, along with an 11% increase in health promoting HDL cholesterol.

Avocados are a good source of potassium, a mineral that helps regulate blood pressure. Adequate intake of potassium can help to guard against circulatory diseases, like high blood pressure, heart disease or stroke.

Helps protect against Prostrate and Breast Cancer

Not only are avocados a rich source of monounsaturated fatty acids including oleic acid, which has recently been shown to offer significant protection against breast and prostrate cancer, but these fruits also contain the highest amount of the carotenoid lutein of all commonly eaten fruits, as well as measurable amounts of related carotenoids (zeazxanthin, alpha-carotene and beta-carotene) plus significant quantities of tocopherols (vitamin E).

Increases Your Absorption of Carotenoids from Vegetables

Enjoying a few slices of avocado in your tossed salad, or mixing some chopped avocado into your favorite salsa will not only add a rich, creamy flavor, but will greatly increase your body's ability to absorb the health-promoting carotenoids that vegetables provide.

A study published in the March 2005 issue of the Journal of Nutrition tested the hypothesis that since carotenoids are lipophilic (literally, fat-loving, which means they are soluble in fat, not water), consuming carotenoid-rich foods along with monounsaturated-fat-rich avocado might enhance their bioavailability.

A few quick serving ideas:

My favourite way is to mix avocados with milk and sugar - blend to make a rich tasty milkshake! YUMMY!

Use chopped avocados as a garnish for black bean soup.

Add avocado to your favorite creamy tofu dressing recipe to give it an extra richness and beautiful green color.

Mix chopped avocados, onions, tomatoes, cilantro, lime juice and seasonings for a rich-tasting twist on traditional guacamole.

Spread ripe avocados on bread as a healthy replacement for mayonnaise when making a sandwich.

For an exceptional salad, combine sliced avocado with fennel, oranges and fresh mint.

For a beautiful accompaniment to your favorite Mexican dish, top quartered avocado slices with corn relish and serve with a wedge of lime.
Safety

Kota Kinabalu Restaurant Review: Welcome Seafood Restaurant

2011-03-31T18:53:00.000+08:00

Welcome Seafood Restaurant is a great place to satisfy your seafood cravings. This place is cheaper than those restaurants near KK town that will overcharge poor tourists for seafood. This restaurant is quite popular with the locals.

Seriously packed this place, I came here to eat 3 times within 5 days in KK and it's almost packed every time. The prices are quite cheap here that's why!

You get to pick and choose from the aquariums and baskets of fresh seafood here.

Different types of shellfish

Fresh Crabs! Slurp!

Two veggie dishes that are uniquely Kota Kinabalu dishes because you only see them in KK. I think they're "Su Jai Chai" or something. It's simply delicious. I like their great crunchy texture. You can order it stir fried with eggs or with sambal belacan. Hmm...

Another vegetable dish I like is the Fan Shu Yeh (Potato Leaves) stir fried with chinese fermented tofu (Fu Yi). Yummy!!

The salted fish and minced chicken fried rice - it's one of the must try dishes here to accompany your seafood meals.

Mongolian Style Pork... Their sauce is really unique and I like the sweet buttery taste of the sauce. Thumbs up!

Mongolian Style Chicken

Their seafood tofu is simply delicious... but too bad it has to take second place to the wonderful array of seafood dishes. Now on to the seafood! Bring it onz!

Butter Prawns!

Fresh Steamed Prawns

Steamed Fish with Ginger Soy Sauce

Steamed Fish with Sweet Spicy Sauce

*SLURPS* Simply sensational black pepper crab

Shellfish platter!!

This is Tong Fong Luo, I don't know the English name for this but you simply must try it!

Use toothpick to pull the meat out

Dip in sauce and then enjoy!

Drinks wise - In KK I will always order KITCAI ping. In here, they blend the whole lime, including the skin and seeds, then add samboi. Hmm... really good!! Nyum!!

Located in an area called Bundusan, Penampang, behind Super Tanker Restaurant. Everyone in KK knows where Super Tanker is, so if you grab a taxi, just tell him to go Super Tanker. Welcome Restaurant is 2 shop lots behind it.

UPDATE: Good news! Welcome Seafood has opened a new branch near Warisan Square and Centrepoint. It's located in ASIA CITY which is just behind API API(behind Marina Courts and Promenade). My Bruneian Friends! Say hello to CHEAP AND GOOD SEAFOOD within walking distance from your hotel in KK next time!!

Avocado Ice Cream

2011-03-06T20:53:00.001+08:00

Here's a recipe for Avocado Ice Cream - I am still researching making Green Tea ice cream using Avocadoes, replacing the eggs in the recipe - wondering if avocados would affect the flavour.

Usually Green Tea ice creams use artificial flavourings to get that green colour. Substituting the eggs wih avocados would give the green tea the natural green colour and also adds lots of health benefits. Just concerned only with the flavour of the green tea. Will only find out if I tried it. If anyone else has attempted it, please post your comments. For now, here's the easy recipe for Avocado Ice Cream

1 large avocado
2 tablespoons orange or lime juice
2 eggs, separated
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup heavy cream

Peel and roughly chop the avocados. In a blender, combine the avocado, orange juice, and egg yolks, and blend to a fine puree.

In a medium size bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff and whisk in the sugar, 1 teaspoon at a time.

In a separate bowl whip the heavy cream until it forms peaks. Gently fold in the egg white mixture and the avocado puree into the whipped cream. Pour the mixture into a freezer tray, cover, and freeze for several hours.

To serve, scoop out into a dish and garnish with whipped cream or fruit.

French Gnocchi (Parisienne Gnocchi )

2011-02-01T00:37:00.004+08:00

Gnocchi is a petite small dumpling (usually made with potato or ricotta cheese) that you will usually find in Italian restaurants, tossed and served with pasta sauces or sautéed with butter and herbs. Making traditional Italian gnocchi is not difficult but it is rather time consuming. It involves peeling and boiling the potatoes, baking the cooked potatoes just until dry, pushing the potatoes through a ricer, mixing in flour and eggs, rolling out the dough, cutting the dough into dumplings, scoring the dumplings with a gnocchi paddle or a fork, and boiling in water. Sounds like a lot of work isn’t it?

Click for step by step pictures on how to make Italian style Gnocchi ~~

The French made their style of gnocchi which is delicate and tender yet lacking the graininess of potato gnocchi. When one compares the French and Italian Gnocchi, the French ones were definitely lighter and they literally melt in your mouth. The French instead of using potatoes, made a pâte à choux dough, the same dough used to make éclairs and cream puffs! The good part is – French Gnocchi (Parisienne gnocchi ) is much easier to make! You simply You simply boil milk, butter and salt. Then mix in flour. Add eggs. Stuff the wet, sticky dough into a pastry bag. Pipe little dumplings into boiling water. To make it even easier, you can use a small ice cream scoop to drop little round gnocchi into the water.

When making this gnocchi, you can add any fresh herbs you like and adjust the gnocchi according to your taste. Since it’s not easy and affordable to buy cheeses such as Comté or Emmentaler cheese, I substituted those with a blend of cheddar cheese and white miso paste for the taste. The original recipe uses a tablespoon each of chopped chervil, chives, parsley and tarragon but since chives and flat leaf parsley are easily available in Malaysia, I’ll just use two tablespoons each of those.

This recipe will make about 240 gnocchi. Once they've been poached, gnocchi can be frozen for a month to six weeks.

Recipe

1 1/2 cups water
12 tablespoons (6 ounces) unsalted butter
1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoon chopped chives
2 tablespoon chopped parsley
¼ cup white miso paste
1 cup loosely packed shredded mozzarella or cheddar cheese
5 to 6 large eggs

Have all the ingredients ready before you begin cooking.

1) Combine the water, butter, and the 1 teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium, add the flour all at once, and stir rapidly with a stiff heatproof or wooden spoon until the dough pulls away from the sides of the pan and the bottom of the pan is clean, with no dough sticking to it. The dough should be glossy and smooth but still moist.

2) Enough moisture must evaporate from the dough to allow it to absorb more fat when the eggs are added: Continue to stir for about 5 minutes, adjusting the heat as necessary to prevent the dough from coloring. A thin coating will form on the bottom and sides of the pan. When enough moisture has evaporated, steam will rise from the dough and the aroma of cooked flour will be noticeable.

3) Set the heat to low and add the mustard, herbs, and the 1 tablespoon salt. Mix for a few seconds to incorporate the ingredients and release some of the heat, then add the cheese. After that, take the pot off the heat and lay it on top of a table. Add 3 eggs, one at a time, and beat quickly with the wooden paddle, until each egg is completely incorporated before adding the next one. Keep beating until when you lift some of the dough on a rubber spatula, then turn the spatula to let it run off: It should move down the spatula very slowly; if it doesn't move at all or is very dry andjust falls off in a clump, beat in the additional egg. I always check if the dough makes a V-shape like this. Keep adding eggs and beat until you reach the V shape.

Once your dough forms this V-shape, then it’s ready to be piped.

4) Place the dough in a large pastry bag fitted with a 5/8-inch plain tip and
let it rest for about 30 minutes at room temperature. (If you have only a
small pastry bag, fill it with half the dough two times.) Bring a large pot
of lightly salted water to a simmer. Get ready a pot of iced water (at least 50 % ice)

5) Because this recipe makes such a large quantity of gnocchi, your arm may get tired: An easy way to pipe the gnocchi is to place a large inverted pot, or other container that is slightly higher than the pot on the right side of the pot (left side if you are left-handed) and set the filled pastry bag on it so that the tip extends over the side and the container serves as a resting place for the bag.

6) Twist the end of the pastry bag to push the dough into the tip. (From time to time, as the bag empties, you will need to twist the end again.) As you squeeze the back of the bag with your right hand, hold a knife (make sure it’s sharp) with your left hand and cut off 1-inch lengths of dough, allowing the gnocchi to drop into the pot.

7) Pipe about 24 gnocchi per batch. First, the gnocchi will sink in the pot. Keep the water temperature hot, but do not boil. Once the gnocchi float to the top, poach them for another 1 to 2 minutes, then remove them with a slotted spoon or skimmer and toss into iced water to stop them from cooking. Taste one to test the timing; it may still seem slightly undercooked in the center, but we will cook it again later. Repeat with the remaining dough. You should wipe your knife after every batch, so the gnocchi wouldn’t stick onto the knife.

7) Drain all the gnocchi and place them in a single layer on the
parchment-lined baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for
at least 30 minutes, or up to a day. Or, for longer storage, place the
baking sheet in the freezer. Once the gnocchi have frozen solid, remove them from the baking sheet and place in a freezer bag in the freezer. Before using frozen gnocchi, spread them in a single layer on a baking sheet and defrost in the refrigerator for several hours.

Line them on baking sheet to freeze first, then store for future use.

8) To serve, boil for an extra 5 minutes and toss with great pasta sauce. You can also toss them with butter in a frying pan and then serve them as an accompaniment. My favourite way is still baking them with a cheese sauce or béchamel sauce in the oven for 25 minutes on a 180 degree Celcius oven. like macaroni and cheese. Hmm….

Gnocchi Mac N Cheese Anyone?