Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Ana Ikan Bakar Petai & Swiss Garden Resort - Kuantan

Lepas berkelah di Teluk Kemang, Port Dickson cuti Deepavali yang lepas, anak-anak asyik minta main laut.. memandangkan Deepavali ni long weekend, kita layankan bawa mereka jalan-jalan kuantan pulak.. Bila tengok-tengok hotel, encik suami ter'google" hotels in Kuantan bukan hotels in Cherating haha.. jadinya..Swiss Garden Resort menjadi pilihan. Hotel-hotel di Kuantan ni, expectations tak boleh tinggi sangat melainkan u kaya giler dan duduk di Club Med haha! Jadi, sebelum pergi kita dah duk psycho diri sendiri dan budak2 "don't expect too much from the hotel, we are there to play at the beach only yeah?" 

holiday di kuantan
Cuti-cuti Kuantan @ Swiss Garden Resort

Jalan-jalan Kuantan @ Swiss Garden Beach Resort Kuantan



The good thing about Swiss Garden Resort ni, bilik baru dinaik taraf so.. oklah bilik very cozy, pool pun ok cukup bersih, cuma ramai orang dan tak cukup deck chairs. Budak-budak memang enjoy main di tepi laut, Mikail siap kumpul2 seashells and they were so excited nampak ketam hihi.. best tengok anak-anak happy kan? Teringat zaman I kecik2, abah suka bawak kita adik beradik jalan2 bila dia off day (abah kerja syif, so kalau dia off sometimes mak kerja) nenek dan datuk pun suka bawak anak2 dan cucu2 ke tepi pantai naik van di hujung minggu :) memori :) sekarang tengok anak2 main laut, teringat mak abah, datuk dan nenek :"(


kuantan holidays
Budak happy main pasir @ Swiss Garden Resort Kuantan

The bad thing about Swiss Garden resort ni, makanan dia tak best! Makan luar je lah ye.. soundproofing pun tak bagus, dalam bilik boleh dengar orang jalan2 di aisle dan malam2 dengar baby nangis kat bilik lain, saboor je lah.. its a resort aimed for families anyways, kita mestilah understanding kan? It's not a resort for a romantic getaway yeah :p

Biasalah kita kalau jalan-jalan mestilah nak google "makan best di..." or "ikan bakar best di..." so hasil googling "ikan bakar best di kuantan" nampak gaya yang sungguh famous "Ana Ikan Bakar, "Super Top Ikan Bakar" ada jugak terselit2 "Mail Ikan Bakar" dan satu lagi i terbaca kat blog orang Ketam Masak Telur Asin @ "Marina Seafood Restaurant"...Hmmm.. mana satu pilihan hati? 

ikan bakar best tanjung lumpur
Ana Ikan Bakar Petai @ Tanjung Lumpur; Kuantan


Encik suami kata Ana Ikan Bakar je lah, cari kat googlemaps ada Ana Ikan Bakar Petai @ Perkampungan Peramu, jadi kita ikut googlemaps je, ingatkan kecik tempat dia rupanya besar, luar tepi jalan ada, masuk dalam sikit tempat parking, ada lagi tempat besar siap dengan playground untuk kanak2.surau pun bersih (bilik air tak tahu ler, tak check)

Kita datang dalam maghrib gitu (maklumlah boleh jama') belum ramai sangat orang, waiter datang ambil order untuk air dan goreng2, yang seafood dan ikan bakar semua order dekat seafood counter.

Kita order :

Garoupa bakar @ Ana Ikan Bakar Petai; Tanjung Lumpur

Memandangkan yang famous kat Ana Ikan Bakar ni adalah ikan bakar, kita wajiblah cuba kan? Tapi sedihnya, saya dan suami tak berapa suka ikan bakar yang salut daun pisang, kita suka yang bakar terus tu.. yang garing, rasa grill, baru oomph..so, walaupun ikan fresh, isi putih dan manis, encik suami dan i macam ok2 je lah dengan ikan bakar ni..

ana ikan bakar teluk cempedak
Sotong goreng tepung @ Ana Ikan Bakar

Yang ni sotong goreng tepung, ingat nak order udang, tapi udang dah habis, ketam pulak kalau order leceh nak makan dengan budak2, lagi2 masa tu budak2 ngantuk sebab syiok main laut, so sotong je lah.. garing, sotong lembut dan fresh, sedap!


tanjung lumpur kuantan
Ana Ikan Bakar Petai @ Tanjung Lumpur; Kuantan

Untuk budak2 kita order telur dadar dan kailan (masak apa tak ingat) pun licin budak2 (dan mak bapak budak) kerjakan..

ikan bakar kuantan
Tomyam campur @Ana Ikan Bakar Petai; Tanjung Lumpur 


Tom Yam memang kita orang mintak tak pedas, jadi budak2 boleh makan, walaupun tak pedas, tapi tom yam tetap berasa, yummy!


Air @ Ana Ikan Bakar Petai, Tanjung Lumpur

Yang tak best, air.. cair kot.. yang makanan semua ok..

Famous habis tempat ni, bila keluar tepi jalan, lalu Mail Ikan Bakar, nampak lagi satu Ana Ikan Bakar Petai depan dia.. waaah.. sampai tiga tempat semua penuh! Kedai2 lain tak de orang pulak, kesian.. verdict makan kat sini? Servis cepat (except for ikan bakar tu lambat sikit sampai lauk lain semua dah habis) makanan boleh tahan tapi takdelah sampai buat kita termimpi2.. nak makan lagi sini tak? Hmm.. encik suami tak nak, dia kata next time cuba tempat lain.. tempat ni ok2 jer..


Map of Ana Ikan Bakar:




Sunday, October 26, 2014

Day trip from KL with kids: PD Ostrich Farm and Teluk Kemang

port dickson ostrich farm
PD Ostrich Farm : You can ride this ostrich if you are brave enough!


It was Diwali holiday and I wanted to do something with the kids, so I asked hubby if he would kindly drive us to Port Dickson to visit the PD Ostrich Farm and later let the kids play by the beach at Teluk Kemang and he obliged :) The kids were pretty excited but I told hubby we should not have high expectations since reviews on tripadvisor were pretty bad. Still, for families staying in KL with small kids and nothing better to do on a public holiday, I would say that it's worth a trip to spend some family time together.

cuti cuti port dickson
Daytrip from KL with kids : PD Ostrich Farm

tempat wisata menarik port dickson
PD Ostrich Farm


We arrived at PD Ostrich Farm at about 12.30pm I guess, luckily the weather was slightly cloudy, if not I'm pretty sure it would have been scorching. The entrance fee was RM42 for 2 adults and 2 kids and we bought some food to feed the goats and ostriches. 


burung PD ostrich farm
Burung Puyuh @ PD Ostrich Farm

cuti cuti port dickson
Jalan-jalan Port Dickson @ PD Ostrich Farm

Truthfully, we came with no expectations so the condition of the place was not an issue for us, I actually found the place to be quite nicely maintained and the animals were not crowded in small dirty enclosure as I thought they would cos a review in tripadvisor by an animal activist from Hong Kong "was appalled by the conditions in PD Ostrich Farm". Most of the animals in PD Ostrich Farm are domesticated animals fowls, goats and donkeys. I only saw a very sad looking camel that was donated to the PD Ostrich Farm after it was sold to a meat slaughter house when the mini zoo it was in was closed down. So, yeah in conclusion, the visit to PD Ostrich Farm was not so bad after all, the kids by the way enjoyed themselves tremendously. They avoided the ostrich (the irony of it) cos they are scared but they enjoyed feeding the goats and the fowls like they were in a kampung. 


day trip from kl with kids ideas
Feeding the goats at PD Ostrich Farm

My adventurous 4 year old sat on a donkey and rode a horse while my timid 6 year old was very much contented with feeding the chickens. The rabbits weren't particularly hungry. 


port dickson attractions
PD Ostrich Farm : A child can seat on this donkey for free

PD Ostrich Farm : You have to pay for a horse right though (RM5)
We saw the eggplant tree and also starfruit and we started feeding the geese with the fallen starfruits much to their delight (cos they were in an enclosure and no one wants to feed them while only a few starfruits fell inside their enclosure and most of it fell outside their enclosure)

My 6 year old also was mesmerized with the mimosa plant and spent a good 10 minutes just poking its leaves to see it fold inwards and we had to drag him away cos it was getting too hot!

We didn't try the ostrich satay nor stand on the ostrich egg though. 

weekend kids kuala lumpur day trips
PD Ostrich Farm : My kid tried to feed the chicks but the feed is to big for them.


places of attractions in KL with kids
PD Ostrich Farm: I think these are ducklings? 

Just in case you need to know how the entrance look like before heading there: 

PD Ostrich Farm is at: Lot 1419, Jalan Kemang 13, 71050 Port Dickson


Afterwards, we headed to Teluk Kemang for some sand play. It was our first time in Teluk Kemang and we didn't know where to head to, we just parked at the first empty spot and then went passed the shops, the guy there then greeted us and asked us if we wanted a table, apparently you have to pay RM20 for a table near the beach and RM30 for a cabana. Since it was quite hot I didn't want to sit out in the open with no shade so we took the cabana, it came with a small table and 5 chairs , so we chilled out in the shade while the kids brave the heat for some sand fun.


kuala lumpur beach nearest
Daytrip from KL with kids: Beautiful beach @ Teluk Kemang; Port Dickson


port dickson berkelah
Daytrip from KL with Kids : Beach fun @ Teluk Kemang, Port Dickson


teluk kemang port dickson public beach
Daytrip from KL with kids : Sand play @ Teluk Kemang


Saturday, October 25, 2014

Resepi Ayam Goreng Berempah / Malay Style Fried Chicken Recipe


 
asian cooking chicken recipes
Malay Style Fried Chicken Recipe

(Untuk Bahasa Melayu, sila skrol ke bawah)



This recipe came from one of my mum’s cookbook, I tried it last week and I am keeping it for my future reference.

Malay style Fried Chicken:



1 whole chicken cut into small cuts (I used about 5 chicken wings instead)
2 tbsp meat curry powder
1 tbsp chilli powder
1 tbsp turmeric powder
1 sprig curry leaves ( I used two sprigs)
1 tbsp flour
Salt
Oil for frying

Blended Ingredients:


3cm galangal
3cm ginger
2 stalks lemongrass (slice thinly so it’s easier to blend)
1 onion
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp fennel powder

How to cook Malay Style Fried Chicken:


1.       Add in the curry powder, turmeric powder, chilli powder, salt and flour to the blended ingredients and marinate the chicken for at least 30 minutes.
2.       Heat up the frying pan and fry the chicken with the curry leaves till chicken is cooked and crispy.



(Malay Version)


Resepi Ayam Goreng Berempah:


1 ekor ayam dipotong kecil (I guna 5 kepak ayam)
2 sdm serbuk kari ayam
1 sdm serbuk cili
1 sdm serbuk kunyit
1 tangkai daun kari (I guna 2 tangkai)
1 sdm tepung gandum
Garam
Minyak untuk menggoreng


Bahan-bahan kisar:


3sm lengkuas
3 sm halia
2 batang serai (potong nipis-nipis supaya senang dikisar)
1 biji bawang besar
1 sdt jintan putih
1 sdt jintan manis


Cara-cara:


1.       Campurkan serbuk kari, cili, kunyit, garam dan tepung dengan bahan kisar dan perapkan ayam selama 30 minit atau lebih.

2.       Panaskan minyak dan goreng ayam dengan daun kari hingga masak dan garing.

Resepi Udang Goreng Simple / Simple Fried Prawns Recipe

udang goreng best
My MIL's simple udang goreng recipe 



(Untuk Bahasa Melayu, sila skrol ke bawah)


This is my mother-in-law’s simplest recipe for frying prawns. When I don’t have the time to cook, this simple fried prawns is my go-to dish. It’s not that simple if you really follow my MIL’s style though cos she would absolutely not use the blender, she would do it the old school way, sitting on the floor just grinding the dried chillies and turmeric to a smooth paste with the pestle and mortar. Of course, that’s what give the dish more oomph, but erm, if you are super lazy like me, blending is the way to go haha..


The simple Malay-style Fried Prawns Recipe is as such:


8-10 extra large prawns
7 dried chillies (or you can also use fresh chillies)
About 4cm turmeric (not powder yeah)
A dash of salt
1 tbsp sugar (I added this, my MIL does not put sugar in this dish)
½ medium sized onion – sliced
2 stalks lemongrass – bruised
Oil to fry


Instructions:


   1. Grind / blend the dried chillies and turmeric to a fine paste, add in the salt and sugar and coat the prawns with the paste.
    2. Heat up the oil (it’s ok to use a bit more) in a wok and add in the onions and lemongrass,
    3. Add in the prawns and cover the wok till the prawns are cooked and the shells are a bit crispy.

     And that’s it!



Malay Version:


Ini adalah resepi ibu mertuaku yang paling ringkas untuk menggoreng udang. Bila dah kesuntukan masa untuk memasak, udang goreng simple ini lah yang menjadi penyelamatku.. simple pun tak simple sangat sebab kalau ikut betul-betul style ibu mertuaku, sama sekali tidak dibenarkan menggunakan blender sigh.. duduklah bersimpuh lumatkan lada kering dan kunyit dengan mennggunakan batu lesung. Of course, natijahnya lebih oomph, tapi kalau I kes malas blend je lah semua huhu..


Resepi Udang Goreng Simple:


8-10 ekor Udang saiz besar
7 batang lada kering (guna lada hidup pun boleh juga)
Sedikit kunyit hidup (dalam 4cm gitu bolehlah..agak2)
Sedikit Garam
1 sdm Gula (ni I tambah sendiri- ikut resepi asal tak de gula)
½  biji bawang besar - dihiris
2 batang serai – diketuk
Minyak untuk menggoreng


Cara-cara:


1    Tumbuk / kisar lada kering dan kunyit hingga lumat, tambah garam dan gula dan salutkan pada udang.
2   Panaskan minyak (lebih sikit pun takpe) atas kuali kemudian masukkan bawang besar dan serai.
3   Akhir sekali masukkan udang dan tutup kuali dengan penutup sampai udang masak / garing.


Siap! 

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Resepi Makaroni Bakar Dengan Sos Beschamel

resepi makaroni bakar best
My Simple Makaroni Bakar Dengan Sos Beschamel Resepi


Haritu teringin nak makan makaroni bakar dengan sos beschamel, rindu Mesir lah konon.. jadi google2 resepi sos beschamel dan gorenglah makaroni ikut suka pastu letak makaroni atas loyang tabur sos tabur keju dan bakar dalam oven.. Best jugak menjadi sos dia :) So, I'm keeping this recipe for my reference.

Makaroni goreng ikut suka, kalau I, I buat macam di bawah ni:


1. Makaroni dalam 1 1/2 cawan - rebus dengan air + garam + minyak sayuran sikit, bila dah empuk, tos dan ketepikan.

2. 200gm daging cincang 
    1/2 sudu teh jintan manis
    1/2 sudu teh jintan putih
    1/2 sudu teh ketumbar
    garam
    sedikit lada hitam
    sedikit "italian herbs"

   Gaul daging cincang dengan rempah-rempah di atas dan ketepikan.

3. sedikit mentega untuk menumis
    2 ulas bawang putih - kisar
    1/2 biji bawang besar - kisar
    1 biji tomato - didadu 
    sedikit lobak merah - didadu halus
    2 sudu makan sos tomato
    1 sudu makan sos cili 
    sedikit gula dan garam


Cara-cara menggoreng makaroni:


1. Panaskan kuali dan masukkan sedikit mentega untuk menumis, masukkan bawang putih, bawang besar.

2. Tambahkan lobak merah, tomato, daging cincang, sos tomato dan sos cili.

3. Masukkan gula dan garam dan gaulkan makaroni.


Bahan-bahan sos beschamel:


4 sudu makan mentega,
2 sudu makan tepung gandum
500 ml susu segar
1 biji telur
garam


Di atas adalah resepi yang saya buat sebab saya tak masak banyak, cukup untuk makan 2-3 orang je.. Kalau resepi asal :

6 sudu makan mentega
6 sudu makan tepung gandum
8 cawan susu segar
2 telur
garam
serbuk lada hitam

Cara-cara buat sos beschamel:


1. Cairkan mentega di atas api yang sederhana, masukkan tepung gandum dan pukul (whisk in) campuran tepung dan mentega, teruskan pukul selama 2 minit.

2. Masukkan susu sedikit demi sedikit, teruskan memukul / mengacau (whisking / stirring)  supaya ia tidak berketul hingga mendidih dan pekat (jangan didih lama-lama, susu didih terus matikan api)

3. Alihkan pan dari atas dapur (sebab dapur masih panas walau api dah dimatikan) dan masukkan telur yang telah dipukul sedikit demi sedikit sambil memukul sos dengan pantas (whisk fast while adding in the beaten eggs)

4. Tambahkan lada hitam dan garam ikut rasa. I tak guna lada hitam sebab nanti anak-anak tak tahan.

Cara-cara membakar makaroni:


1. Panaskan ketuhar dalam 175C, masukkan makaroni goreng dalam loyang yang telah disapu sedikit minyak, tuangkan sos beschamel di atas makaroni dan taburkan keju parut diatas sos beschamel (saya guna edam cheese) 

2. Bakar hingga cheese bertukar warna keemasan.


Saturday, October 18, 2014

Resepi Sayur Asem

sayur asam resepi
My Simple Sayur Asem Recipe


(Untuk Bahasa Malaysia, sila skrol ke bawah)

Sayur Asem is an indonesian vegetable soup dish that my dad and I love even though we are not indonesians :p hence please do not expect the traditional ingredients like melinjo fruit / leaves in my sayur asem recipe. I just wing it with whatever ingredients that I have in hand. Usually people will add melinjo leaves, cabbages, squash and string beans in the soup but I don't like string beans in soups and I didn't have with me melinjo leaves, cabbages and squash in the kitchen so I used whatever leafy greens I had (that being pucuk keledek i.e. sweet potato leaves) It was also by chance I had extra peanuts on hand (disaster in the kitchen the day before while attempting to cook Mee Rebus Singapore style) and also corn (cos I wanted to try bakwan jagung i.e. indonesian corn fritter but the corn has been sitting in the fridge for a week and I thought let's just make sayur asem) OK.. is it really obvious that I am missing some of my mum's ex-helpers cooking :p

I don't really have all the ingredients required but I felt that the soup came out quite decent. The original recipe from my mum's cookbook (the writer is this famous Indonesian chinese lady who married a Eurasian I think, but I can't recall her name) was:

Ingredients: 
1 squash - diced
1 aubergine - sliced and soak in water
1 packet melinjo fruit
1 bouquet of melinjo leaves
50 gm peanuts - soak in water
5 string beans (cut 1cm in length)
1 ear of sweet corn (cut into 3 or 4)

2cm galangal - bruised
3 bay leaves
1 piece tamarind slice
1 teaspoon sugar
1 liter water

Blended ingredients:
5 small shallots 
1 teaspoon shrimp paste
2 red chillies
1/2 teaspoon salt.

What I used instead was:
2 small shallots
1 tablespoon shrimp paste
1 red chilli
1 piece tamarind slice
1 tablespoon sugar
water as needed
sweet potato leaves 
1 ear of sweet corn
a handful of peanuts 
some slices of sweet potatoes
1 tomato - slices
some slices of carrots

How to cook sayur asem:

1. Blend the shallots, shrimp paste and chilli, heat up the pan, add in water, the blended ingredients and tamarind slice. 

2. Add in the sweet potatoes slices, peanuts,corn and carrots, cover till all are cooked. (it doesn't matter if the water does not fully cover the corn cos if you cover the pan, the steam will still cook the corn).

3. Add in your greens, tomatoes, sugar and salt to taste. 

If you are following the original recipe, just bear in mind to add in the vegetables in the sequence of how long it takes to cook them, so you might put in the peanuts and corn first then the aubergine then the string beans and so on and so forth. (I've never cooked melinjo leaves before so I don't know how long it takes to cook it).

I love this dish! the nuttiness of the peanuts, the sweetness of the corn and the sour taste of the soup just make it a perfect vegetable dish for me.. too bad hubby don't like green soupy vegetables :(  


Bahasa Melayu:



Sayur Asem adalah sup sayur indonesia yang digemari aku dan bapaku walaupun kami bukan warga Indonesia :p oleh itu tolong jangan jangkakan bahan-bahan tradisional seperti daun / buah melinjo dalam resepi sayur asam ku. I main bedal je apa yang ada  di dapur. Selalunya sayur asem menggunakan daun melinjo, kobis, labu cina dan kacang panjang tapi I tak suka kacang panjang dalam sup dan saya tak ada daun melinjo, kobis dan juga labu cina so.. I guna je lah apa yang ada (which is pucuk keledek). Ada juga sikit kacang tanah (hari sebelumnya tu cuba buat Mee Rebus Singapore tak menjadi.. ) dan ada juga jagung (Sebab ingat nak buat bakwan jagung tapi dah seminggu beli jagung pun tak buat2) So.. buat je lah sayur asem ye dari membazir jagung :p


I tak cukup bahan tapi  I rasa sayur asem dia menjadi lah jugak. Resepi asal dari buku resepi mak saya (penulisnya wanita Indonesia berbangsa cina yang famous, dia berkahwin dengan Mat Salleh tak silap tapi I tak ingat nama dia...) 

Resepi Sayur Asem asal adalah:


Bahan-bahan:

1 labu cina - didadu
1 terung - dihiris dan direndam dalam air
1 peket buah melinjo
1 ikat daun melinjo 
50gm kacang tanah - direndam dalam air
5 tangkai kacang panjang (potong panjang 1cm)
1 tongkol jagung (potong 3 atau 4)

2cm lengkuas - diketuk
3 helai daun salam
1 keping asam gelugor
1 sudu teh gula
1 liter air

Bahan kisar:
5 biji bawang merah
1 sudu teh belacan
2 lada merah
1/2 sudu teh garam

Resepi sayur asem I pulak:

2 biji bawang merah
1 sudu makan belacan
1 lada merah
1 keping asam gelugor
1 sudu makan gula
air sebanyak perlu
pucuk keledek
1 biji tomato - dipotong 6
sedikit hiris lobak merah
1 tongkol jagung manis
1 genggam kacang tanah
sedikit hirisan keledek


Cara-cara masak sayur asem:

1. Kisar bawang merah, belacan dan cili, panaskan periuk, masukkan air, bahan kisar dan asam gelugor.

2. Masukkan keledek, kacang tanah,jagung dan lobak merah, tutup periuk sampai semua empuk (tak apa kalau jagung tak ditutup air  sebab wap panas akan menjadikan jagung masak.

3. Masukkan sayur, tomato dan perasakan dengan gula dan garam.

Jika anda mengikuti resepi asal, masukkan sayur mengikut urutan masa memasak, jadi masukkan kacang tanah dan jagung dahulu, kemudian terung kemudian kacang panjang dsbnya. I tak pernah masak daun melinjo, jadi I tak tahu daun melinjo cepat masak atau tidak.

I love this dish! rasa kacang tanah , jagung yang manis dan sup yang masam adalah kombinasi yang sangat enak bagi saya.. so sad.. suami I tak suka sup sayur :(





Thursday, October 16, 2014

Idea menu kanak-kanak : mini chicken patties

Semenjak anak mula sekolah dan bawa bekal ni, pening kepala nak masak apa.. dah lah anak I ni cerewet makan, nak bekal kan yang simple2 macam scrambled eggs ke, chicken mayo sandwich ke semua dia tak nak.. asyik nak roti sapu jam, spaghetti, nuggets and hot dog.


Buat masa ni jadual bekal dia macam ni:

Isnin : Roti sapu jam (snek) Spaghetti meatballs (lunch)
Selasa: Roti sapu jam (Snek) nuggets + cheese (lunch)
Rabu: Roti + bacon + cheese lepas tu goreng salut telur (snek) hot dogs (lunch)
Khamis: Home made pepperoni mini pizzas (snek) aglio olio with chicken patties (lunch)
Jumaat: Spaghetti meatballs (snek) Jumaat tiada lunch.

I need more ideas!!! sungguh macam tak sihat menu tu tapi tu je lah yang dia nak makan, yang lain2 I bagaikan mac and cheese or angel hair carbonara with bacon dia tak makan, mungkin sebab mac and cheese and carbonara bila time lunch dah tak panas jadi rasa macam muak. Also I cuba kasi scrambled eggs sandwiches, itupun dia reject!! Nasi goreng cina and even macaroni soup yang kita kena bangun pagi2 masak pun buat penat jer,. balik tengok dalam tupperware dia makan 3-4 suap jer.. sigh.. 

Hari ni first time I try mini chicken patty, selalunya bila kes malas memang I buatkan anak I meatball yang simple (daging cincang + bawang kecil + lada hitam + cheese (jgn banyak sangat nanti lembik) +  garam + sedikit tepung, kepal-kepal goreng dengan butter sikit atas pan) lepas tu  I buat sos spaghetti dan masukkan meatball tu sekali, so far selalu habis kalau bekalkan dia spaghetti and meatball, even though sos tu I buat sendiri tak pakai prego (Sebab baru tahu prego gula dia banyak, sungguh tak sihat) sos spaghetti I simple je, kalau mak dia makan tak tertelan tekak melayu, tapi anak I ok jer.. (bawang, tomato 1 biji, 2 sdm tomato puree, chicken stock buat sendiri sikit untuk perisa, italian herbs sikit, garam, gula)

Hari ni  tak ada idea nak masak apa since carbonara dan mac and cheese kena reject last week, so I thought takpelah kita try aglio olio, tengok macam mana.. then ada ayam filet sikit, I thought kita cuba buat macam yang meatball tu, tapi lebih simple macam patty style je tak nak letak cheese.. Belum tahu lagi menu ni diterima atau direject haha tapi mak dia makan macam ok, rasa macam a very simple chicken patty / kebab, tak banyak rempah sebab untuk budak2 makan. Kalau resepi ni accepted, I rasa hari jumaat boleh tukar menu jadi mini chicken burger untuk snack dia hahahaha.. 

OK ni dia gambar mini chicken patties ni: 


mini chicken patties recipe
Menu lunch kanak-kanak : mini chicken patties




Resepi (agak2 lah ye, I buat sikit je jadi lah dalam 6 ketul kecik):

1. 2 keping filet ayam (tak tahulah berapa gram, filet yang selalu jual kat pasar raya tu.. amik 2 keping cincang halus-halus, mesti halus tau, kalau tak halus tak jadi patty nanti)
2. sedikit lada putih
3. sedikit jintan putih
4. sedikit garam
5. 1 sdm tepung jagung (yg meatball tu I selalu pakai tepung gandum je, yang ni pakai tepung jagung sebab tepung gandum dah habis, tak tahulah ada beza ke tak)

Kepal-kepalkan jadi macam bentuk mini burger gitu pastu panaskan sedikit butter atas pan (jangan banyak nanti patty berminyak) kemudian masak sampai agak2 garing sikit tepi2 patty tu.. 

Siap! 

Ya Allah.. mintak2  chicken patty ni dia accept.. senang sikit hidup I!!! Susahnya ada anak cerewet makan!!


Tambahan: Mikail dah balik sekolah aaaanddddd... aglio olio dia terima, chicken patties dia complain keras (kes malas nak kunyah kalau boleh semua benda dia nak telan je) so..nampak gaya tetap kena tambah sedikit keju parut, tepung guna tepung gandum maybe jadikan 2 sudu makan....hmmm...

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Halal Food @ Takashimaya - Breeks Cafe

It's no secret that my family and I love to go to Takashimaya whenever we are back in Singapore, the hubby gets to do a spot of shopping (though I totally hate this part cos there are no seats for waiting at the Men's department and hubby takes ages whenever he shops while I have to deal with two complaining boys "I'm tired.. I'm tired.. i'm tired" in repeat mode or even worse two screaming boys running up and down the aisle and jumping and kicking at each other) the kids get to go crazy at the mind boggling toys department, where else in Singapore can you still find Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Mutagen Ooze? and to think I ordered online from UK!  and me? I like to look around their shoes department for comfy flats :) 

The downside of Takashimaya for muslims like us is the lack of delicious halal food options. Like really..you will be asking what options? You either go for the fast food at the basement 1 (KFC, McDonald's) or maybe Delifrance or Beanstro (ok so I didn't know there was Beanstro @ B1 if not I would definitely eat there). That leaves us with Pepes (I heard its now closed) Seoul Garden (definitely NOT RECOMMENDED) and Breeks Cafe all at Level 5.

We chose Breeks cos well erm there was no other choice? Plus I remembered eating at Breeks at the airport eons ago (like errr before getting married) and I liked the sandwiches. Turns out they don't serve sandwiches anymore, menu has been scaled down from what I vaguely remembered. But, at least there's pasta for the kids to eat. So, we ordered :


halal food changi airport breeks
Halal food @ Takashimaya : Breeks Cafe (Octopus cheese croquettes)

I wasn't really hungry so I went for appetiser which is tako cheese croquettes, it was oozy with some bits of octopus and all I can remember is I liked the salad.


halal food ngee ann city
Halal food @ Takashimaya - Breeks Cafe (Seafood Marinara)

Seafood marinara for the kids, this was surprisingly easy on the tastebuds, I was expecting something out of a jar but the sauce tasted like it has been cooked and simmered with some care, so while it's not the most amazing marinara sauce ever, it was still better than expected.


singapore halal food blog
Halal food @ Takashimaya : Breeks Cafe (Ribeye steak)


I kept telling hubby to spare himself the disappointment and stop ordering steak from places that does not specialize in steaks. I mean really you can't expect much from a steak that cost less than SGD25. All I can say is, for the price, it is acceptable.


singapore makan
Breeks Cafe @ Takashimaya (Chocolate Ripple)

 Chocolate Ripple for the kids, the serving was huge for SGD7.20, we couldn't really finish it.


makan makan halal singapore
Breeks Cafe and Nutella Milkshake

Drinks were Iced Lemon Tea and Nutella Milkshake. The milkshake was creamy and sinful and my 6 year old loved it (this is partly the reason we can't finish the sundae cos too much sugar!)

Breeks Cafe is at:

Ngee Ann City 
#05-10/11

Pretend Play with the kids @ The City Indoor Playground- Liang Court

kidzania singapore
The City : Pretend Play Singapore..



Okaaaay.. so it's been a while since we brought the kids to an indoor playground cos I think they are big enough to use their imagination and play with the toys at home and entertaining themselves jumping, and pretending to punch and kick each other. Plus I thought that my 6 year old will now find indoor playgrounds boring u know? But last two weekends, while back in Singapore, we found ourselves with a few hours to spare with the kids and hubby said "Let's bring them out somewhere." and I said "Where to? The Bird Park?" and hubby said "It's very hot leh.. how about just an indoor playground?" So I said okaaaay.. "let's try The City @ Liang Court though I'm pretty sure they will be bored after 1 hour.." And hubby said (You guessed It!) "Where the heck is Liang Court???" ok ok not his exact words but you get it :p


singapore with kids
Singapore with Kids : Dressing up as police and handcuffing the mommy @ The City - Liang Court


singapore playgrounds kids
Singapore With Kids: My little doc mcstuffins!



Liang Court, small shopping centre at River Valley area, not a lot of people but  not much parking space either, we were lucky we got a spot. The City was at level 3 and what struck me first was "errm.. it's quite small leh" and there was a birthday party going on so I wasn't sure if my kids would get a chance to play with the toys cos The City is not an indoor playground with slides and such, rather its a pretend play area where kids can role play as a cashier at a mini market, a hairdresser at a salon, a doctor at a clinic, a policeman, a chef or some superheros. Turns out it was ok cos the birthday party had an organized activities that was separate from the other users. 



new indoor playground singapore
Singapore with Kids: Pretending to be chefs at a cafe @ The City ; Liang Court



My boys had fun especially at the mini market area, the cafe and the doctor's clinic. They didn't bother to try the salon, and after a while they decided to try on the various costumes on the rack, mummy was a bit apprehensive cos the costumes didn't look like they have been laundered recently and some were really torn but the kids don't seem to care, happily trying on one after another while mummy delegated the changing to daddy cos she kept sneezing whenever she was near the costumes!

kids play area singapore where to go
Singapore with Kids:  Look at that concentration! @ The City; Liang Court

@The City - Liang Court Singapore

After 1 hour, we said it's time to go back but they wanted to stay a while longer so we stayed for another 30 minutes, they spent the last 20 minutes at the classroom area and a last role play as cashiers before we headed home. 

I was quite surprised that they enjoyed the trip to The City, my 4 year old said he wants to go again.. We went there on the weekend so the entrance fee was $22 per child for 2 hours play, don't forget to bring your socks!

kidzania singapore
Singapore With Kids : The very happy batman and the very serious superman @ The City; Liang Court

The City is at #03-04A Liang Court
177 River Valley Road
Singapore 179030
Tel: 6250 6507
Opens: 10am -7pm Daily

Friday, October 3, 2014

Waroeng Iga @ The Strand, Kota Damansara

makan makan the strand
Halal indonesian restaurant @ Kota Damansara - Waroeng Iga @ The Strand Red Carpet Avenue


It was a weekend and we wanted to eat out but don't want to brave the crowd of The Curve nor 1 Utama.. Publika's a bit off the way for us now, so I am trying to find good halal restaurants in Kota Damansara, however after googling a few search terms such as "makan best Kota Damansara" "restoran sedap kota damansara" "halal restaurants kota damansara".. i gave u and told hubby lets just go to the strand area and see what's there..

After walking around The Strand quite a bit, checking out their cinema, the little gym and the supermarket.. we looked at the directory and narrowed down to two "Waroeng Iga" and Tranquerah (melaka nyonya cuisine)..we weren't sure whether Tranquerah is halal or not so we headed to Waroeng Iga first (Red Carpet Avenue, The Strand - the one where its near the open air / fountain area outside the main shopping building) Waroeng Iga was spacious and nicely decorated, not many patrons though, we had to ask the waiter whether they are halal and they said yes. So, waroeng iga it is then..

The kids straight away said that they are thirsty but they don't like teh sosro, however waroeng iga also carry fruit teas in tetra paks so we tried those instead and the kids love it -phew- 

makan sedap kota damansara
Fruit Tea @ Waroeng Iga - The Strand


Hubby ordered ribs (what else) since they said ribs are their specialty. So ribs in spicy sauce was what he chose, which leaves me to order something that the kids can eat, so I ordered sweet and sour chicken, oxtail soup and salad. Hubby also ordered a drink I think it was es teler while I chose jus jeruk (orange juice).

I didn't really like the es teler (picture above) cos its coconut with jackfruit and cincau. I like coconut but I don't think the combination of coconut + jackfruit works and I am not a fan of cincau. 


best halal restaurant kota damansara
Iga Balado @ Waroeng Iga, The Strand


The iga balado (ribs in spicy sauce) was really nice, sweet and juicy and tender, yummy! spicy yes but still irresistible!

makan best the strand
Sweet and sour chicken@ Waroeng Iga - The Strand


The sweet and sour chicken was a bit spicy but tolerable for my kids, chicken is huge and crispy on the outside but tender on the inside. Another winner.. portion is too big for us though..

good food near sri kdu international school
Lalapan, sup buntut and rice @ Waroeng Iga @ The Strand

The oxtail soup was refreshing but the carrot was a bit raw, and the salad comes with a very very spicy chilli paste, I left the chilli paste untouched except for the first taste and  I find that the portion of the salad is also very big since I had to eat it on my own without husband's help :p 

makan makan waroeng iga kota damansara
Fried noodles @ Waroeng Iga - The Strand


And.. as always.. mee goreng for the no 1 boy.. also big portion, he ate maybe 1/3 of it then said he was full.. this dish tasted quite average.

Overall, it was a nice lunch and quite filling too..  I wish that there will be more halal dining options at The Strand soon.


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