Braised Duck @ Sin Hai Cheng in Taman Sri Skudai, Johor Bahru

Today, I went to try out Sin Hai Cheng, another of the famous four big braised duck shops in JB’s “duck central” in Taman Sri Skudai.

Sin Hai Cheng has built up its own following of fans. Even at 3:00pm when I was there, the restaurant was still doing a brisk business with a steady stream of customers.

The taste of braised duck has a lot to do with the skill in cutting the meat. This gentleman may be young but he has already mastered the art of cutting the duck so that its best flavours are presented.

The nicely sliced duck meat was tender and tasted smoky and naturally sweet. Even after dipping in the light braising sauce it was not too salty.

The thin gizzard slices were slightly firm yet still tender. It tasted slightly salty and naturally sweet.

The kway teow doused with braising sauce was generously topped with fresh spring unions and fried shallots. When stirring the kway teow, waffs of shallot oil fragrance raised to the nose – hmm… nice.

My meal of duck and gizzard with a kway teow and soup came to RM7. Definitely an excellent meal at a reasonable price.

Restaurant name: Restoran Sin Hai Cheng

Address: 26 & 28, Jalan Emas Putih 2, Taman Sri Skudai, Johor Bahru

Map: http://g.co/maps/khsfm
GPS: 1.547124,103.656059

Hours: 11:00am to 9:00pm (closed on Weds)

Date visited: 27 Mar 2012

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Ais Kacang @ Awiet Corner in Larkin Bomba, Johor Bahru, Malaysia

 

Awiet Corner at the food centre near Larkin Bomba just beside the fire station is famous for its cold desserts, especially its ais kacang special.

This is Awiet Corner's RM4 Special. Isn’t this irresistible, especially on hot sizzling days in humid, tropical Johor?

On top of the little mount of shaved ice were two scoops of vanilla ice cream. Over the ice cream and ice mountain, they drizzled chocolate syrup and dropped a few roasted peanuts.

Ice Kacang can be found everywhere in Malaysia and Singapore but only in Johor will you find delicious melted chocolate topping over it.

The ice mountain itself was doused with rose syrup, evaporated milk and gula Melaka.

Buried underneath the mountain of ice were boiled red beans, creamy sweet corn, grass jelly and attap seeds.

The ice mountain crumbled rather quickly even under the cool shade of Larkin Bomba food centre – the heat attacking it from top and me stabbing its underside with my plastic spoon digging for treasures inside. Attacked from the top and bottom, the ice kacang was soon reduced to a sweet concoction of rose and chocolate syrup, soft sweet corn, gula Melaka, evaporated milk and melted vanilla ice cream. We were given a straw to drink up this multi-flavoured sweet mixture.

 

Restaurant name: Awiet Corner @ Medan Selera Larkin Bomba

Address: Next to Larkin Bomba fire station off Jalan Tun Abdul Razak

Map: http://g.co/maps/5mjb2

GPS: 1.485632,103.749389

Hours: 7:00am to 2:00am daily

Halal

Date visited: 20 Mar 2012

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Craft: Easter Bunny Masks

*From the archives, enjoy!*

Before I moved to New York, I held Easter Egg Hunts at my house in Pennsylvania.  I had a tight group of Mommy friends and our munchkins played together frequently.

Life is now much busier and my munchkins have grown in number and size.  These days egg hunts in my yard are reserved for Easter morning.  The number of friends I would need to include would surpass the amount of energy I have to dedicate to an egg hunt.

When I held my annual egg hunts I made masks for the kids to wear.  They sported them while they hunted for eggs.

It was an easy craft.  My munchkins made their own while I prepared masks for their friends.

The masks were simple and they transformed the eager egg hunting munchkins into tiny bunnies.

This week before Easter my munchkins are off from school, and we may just dig out the paper plates and revisit our Bunny Mask Craft.  Or maybe we'll set them up on Easter with their cousins and let them create one to wear for the family egg hunt.

We'll see where the wind takes us.

Bunny Mask Craft

Supplies:

• Two plain, white paper plates
• Pink construction paper, pink paint or pink marker
• Scissors
• Stapler
• Glue
• Crayons, markers, or paint
• Optional: small pink pompom
• Optional: elastic 

1.  Either paint the center of 1st paper plate pink or cut a circle from pink construction paper and glue in place (it should be the same size as the inside of a paper plate).

2.  Cut in half, set aside.  These are bunny ears.

3.   Cut a triangular wedge out of other paper plate for child's nose. 

 

                                    image via Enchanted Learning Center

4.  Staple the ears to the face, and cut two holes for eyes.

5.  Draw whiskers, attach elastic on sides of mask to keep mask in place when worn. 

6.  Optional: glue a small pink pompom to the center of the face for nose.

Happy Crafting! 

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Fish Head Curry @ Chua Kee in Taman Perling, Johor Bahru

Reader Vien suggested that I try out her favourite curry fish head at Chua Kee in Taman Perling. So I made a trip to Chua Kee on Vien’s recommendation and had a fine curry fish head lunch. Thank you, Vien! Appreciate it J

Chua Kee is a typical, old established, family run corner coffee shop. It is located in a row of shop houses across the street from Perling Mall, off Jalan Persisiran Perling 1.

Actually, Chua Kee’s curry fish head reminds me of another of my favourites which is Kam Long’s curry fish head. To me, their fish head curries looked, smelled and tasted very similar J  Difference is, eating at Chua Kee felt a lot more rustic and calm while at Kam Long, it felt hectic and frantic due to the buzz from the busy, rumbling traffic along Jalan Wong Ah Fook outside.

In both restaurants, the good curry fish head all boils down to super fresh ingredients. Both Chua Kee and Kam Long use hand picked sea fish that is ocean fresh.

The curry gravy is flavoured with coconut milk but not overly reliant on coconut – with just the right amount of lemakness. The curry is fragrant from the ground spices in it and not too spicy hot – it doesn’t bite the tongue or throat. The curry gravy has a nice aroma, tasty and smooth. Fresh green vegetables like long beans are thrown into the curry and fish head together with tau pok and tau puey (fried tofu), adding interesting textures and tastes to the dish.

This curry fish head was well worth expending my calorie quota on and the RM23 I paid J

Chua Kee also serves bak kut teh which appears equally popular with the customers.

Restaurant name: Restaurant Chua Kee

Address: Across the street from Perling Mall off Jalan Persisiran Perling 1

Map: http://g.co/maps/ffzeb

GPS: 1.496952,103.682548

Hours: 11:30am to 2:00pm and 6:00pm to 9:00pm

Non Halal

Date visited: 2 Mar 2012

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Cool Mom

Today it hit me again.

I am not the "cool mom."

The Gymnastics Queen spent her morning describing, in detail, her best friend's lunch at school.  This lunch was "huge" and included such items as "cupcakes with a lot of sides."

"How many sides does a hexagon have mom?"

Silence.  Deep thought.  "Ummm...six?" Please be right...please be right...

"I think these cupcakes are hexagons!"

"I am not buying hexagon cupcakes..."

Growing up, I had the cool mom.  I had the best birthday parties, I gave the snazziest birthday gifts.  They were wrapped with ribbon and candies and flashy paper.  My school lunch was by far the most coveted and our pantry was filled to the hills with goodies galore.  If I asked for hexagon cupcakes, my mother would hunt them down and they would appear a few days later.

In my house, life is a different story.  Not worse, just different.  I favor gift bags for birthday presents, and school lunches consist of a sandwich, a healthy side and a small dessert.  Homemade cupcakes, yes.  Hexagon style?  No.

There are no Do Dongs or Wing Wongs or Wong Dings in my pantry.   

Oh, and unless you are ten your bedtime is 8:30.

I run a fairly tight ship, but with four munchkins I need some sort of order in the house.  We eat at the table because otherwise my house would be covered in crumbs.  They go to bed early because if they stay up they are cranky x 4.  I don't buy Hostess Cupcakes because I can make cupcakes for less money.  And one day my daughters will thank me because they won't be weening themselves off Hostess Cupcakes.

Trust me, I weened myself once.  It wasn't pretty.

There is a method to my madness.  My methods don't work for everyone, nor am I saying they are the best.  They simply keep me sane, and the ship sailing semi-smoothly.

Every mom has to do what works for them.

I'm not a cool mom, but I'm cool enough.  A little regimented with a side of kooky.

If my kids want "laid back cool", they go sleep at grandma's house.  In our house, "semi-cool" will have to do.

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Nasi Ambeng @ Mat Corner in Selera Mahsuri, Bandar Baru Uda, Johor Bahru

 

Mat Corner is the most popular stall in Selera Mahsuri. They do a brisk business from opening time at 11:30am till about 3:00pm or sold out. Their hot seller is their nasi ambeng, so you have to come early for that.

 

Nasi ambeng originates from Java, Indonesia and it is a lot like nasi campur except that it is served as a standard set. The side dishes are pre-selected rather than selected by the customer.

The composition of the nasi ambeng set varies from stall to stall, and Mat Corner fans swear that this is the best in Johor Bahru.

At Mat Corner, the generous RM4.50 nasi ambeng set consists of fluffy white rice with a piece of freshly fried chicken, a fried salted fish, stir fried fresh green vegetables, tofu, fried coconut shreds, and a piece of fried tempeh. These are served on a banana leaf topped with Mat Corner’s own special spicy sauce and a dash of sambal chili.

 

The good thing about Mat Corner is that all their dishes are freshly prepared. I was there before opening time and witnessed the frenzy in preparing all these varied dishes.
 

Nasi ambeng connoisseurs told me that in Java it is served with a clump of mee goreng on the plate as well. So this was missing in Mat Corner’s version.

To me, the most striking thing about Mat Corner’s nasi ambeng is their sambal gravy. It has that distinctive lemon grass aroma. The gravy is spicy and sweet with that peanutty texture and flavour.
 

Their special gravy enhances the taste of everything on the plate, which would otherwise taste rather ordinary.

For a balanced, tasty meal at an affordable price, Mat Corner's nasi ambeng is hard to beat.

 

 

 

Restaurant name: Mat Corner (stall in Selera Masuri)

Address: Off Jalan Padi Mahsuri (opposite SMK Bandar Baru Uda), Bandar Baru Uda

Map: http://g.co/maps/evjbm

GPS: 1.494920,103.718823

Hours: 11:30am to 3:00pm

Halal

 

Date visited: 27 Mar 2012

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Easter Basket Ideas

When I was a kid, my Easter baskets were cellophaned to the sky and stuffed with goodies galore.  I have pictures of me as a toddler, holding my basket in my little nightgown, and the basket was taller than I was.

Along with the gifts, my basket always had those hollow sugar eggs with the ornate "scene" inside.  Do you remember those?  They had exquisite sugar decorations on the outside and an intriguing little diorama inside.  They were the most coveted Easter treat in our house.  They amazed us; only the bunny could make something so magical.

My parents always did holidays big.  Birthdays too.  With six kids the daily grind was often hectic, and there was little time (and money) for eating out or special "just because" gifts.  But we knew on Easter, the bunny was bringin' the goods.  And the night before, we went to bed with butterflies in our tummies excited for Easter morn.

These memories are some of my most cherished, hunting for eggs in my pajamas and searching the house for my basket.  

One year my brother's was in the oven.

With money tight these days, and the economy still struggling, huge holidays are a challenge.  I am a big fan of after Christmas sales to stock up on toys for Easter and birthdays.  I also watch for clearance year round, and scour the $1 spot at Target for smaller goodies.  

Below I am sharing my favorite basket stuffers, large and small.

40 Easter Basket Stuffers

1.  Chocolate bunny (every basket needs a chocolate bunny.  Melt these down after Easter and dip strawberries for an after dinner dessert)
2. Stuffed animals
3.  Bubbles
4.  Chalk
5.  Coloring books
6.  Small figures
7.  Books
8.  Lip gloss/chapstick
9.  Flip flops
10.  bathing suit
11.  beach towels
12.  Tee shirt (think favorite baseball team, or something glittery for the girls)
13.  Hair accessories
14.  Water guns
15.  Plush football/baseball
16.  Water bottles for sports
17.  itunes gift card
18.  Magazines (American Girl, NFL Magazine, Highlights)
19.  Pajamas
20.  Markers
21.  Small dry erase board
22.  Wiffleball and bat
23.  Small Lego set
24.  Puzzle
25.  Seeds for a garden
26.  Gardening gloves for kids
27.  Sand toys
28.  Movie ticket vouchers/giftcard
29   Play make up/think dress up masks for boys
30.  Nail polish/decals
31.  Puppets
32.  baseball/football cards
33.  Bracelets/play jewelry
34.  Sticker books/stickers
35.  Slippers
36.  Jump rope
37.  Craft sets
38.  Sunglasses
39.  Wind up toys
40.  LOTS of candy.  They are only kids once!

Happy Basket Stuffing!

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Oyster Rice and Melon Soup @ Ban Heong Seng near Danga Bay in Johor Bahru

Besides the beggar’s chicken and the country fish, the remaining two of the “Four Heavenly Kings” at Ban Heong Seng restaurant are their oyster rice and melon soup.

The oyster rice is in the smaller clay pod on the left. The beggar's chicken is in the larger pod.

The oyster rice is made the same way as the beggar's chicken. The glutinous rice with dried shrimps, dried oysters, black mushrooms, and chicken meat are wrapped with lotus leaves and then encased in clay. The clay pod with the rice inside is then baked in a bed of hot charcoal for many hours, just like the beggar's chicken.

Oyster rice for RM22

The resulting baked rice is loaded with fragrance from all the aromas of the different ingredients and the lotus leaf wrapping. The many ingredients also infused the grains of rice with varied flavours – every bite bringing with it delightful sensations and surprises for the taste buds.

This melon soup costs RM20

The melon soup is made by scooping the seeds and core out a fresh winter melon and stuffing it with a clutch of herbs. The winter melon with herbs inside is then steamed for hours until the whole melon is cooked.

When served, the melon is filled with herbs inside swimming in piping hot delicious, naturally sweet soup. The pulp of the melon is also eaten – it is delicious, smooth and sweet.

The oyster rice and melon soup complement the beggar’s chicken and country fish very well, making the “Four Heavenly Kings” a hearty, healthy and wholesome meal for a party of four.


Restaurant name: Ban Heong Seng Restaurant (call 016-757-1887 or 07-237-5194 to book 1 day in advance as the dishes need to be prepared hours ahead of serving)

Address: 34-B, Jalan Skudai, Batu 3¼, off Jalan Tahar, Johor Bahru

Map: http://g.co/maps/a42p4

GPS: 1.483683,103.721548

Hours: Call 016-757-1887 or 07-237-5194 to pre-arrange lunch or dinner

Non Halal

Date visited: 9 Mar 2012

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Easter Anyone?

While on Pinterest, I found some extremely fun and savvy Easter ideas.  In case you haven't discovered Pinterest yet, it is an online pinboard for all things wonderful.  Lovely people everywhere find and pin anything that tickles their fancy. 

Pinterest is a fabulous place to find recipes, craft ideas, house decor and inspiration for just about anything.  It's simply delightful.

Keep "pinning" people. 

Easter via Pinterest

Easter Eggs, by Martha Stewart Living

Glow in the Dark Egg Hunt (how cool is that?!) by Mommysavers.com

Easter Egg Tree Craft (supplies are just about $1 each!) by Sweet Floweret

Easy (and healthier!) King Cake by Healthy Cooking Blog

Easter Candy Bark (so easy!) by Gingerbread Bagels

 Push Pop Peeps (adorable!) by Love From the Oven

 That's all folks, for now anyway.  Barnes and Noble is calling.

Happy Tuesday!

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Country Fish @ Ban Heong Seng near Danga Bay in Johor Bahru

There are “Four Heavenly King” dishes on Ban Heong Seng restaurant’s menu. They are their beggar chicken/duck, oyster rice, country fish, and melon soup.

Country fish at RM20

At first glance, the country fish looked like any ordinary fried whole mackerel fish.

Once you pick up a piece of fish, you will realise that it is actually made of pieces of fish cake.

This country fish is made by scraping out the meat from a fresh mackerel fish, mashing the flesh into a paste, mixing it with additional ingredients, spices, and then carefully stuffing the paste back into the skin of the fish. The “remade” fish is then deep fried to produce this boneless country fish dish.

This fragrant fish cake is crispy outside and the flesh is firm and tastes salty and sweet - much like any other good fish cake.

However, Ban Heong Seng’s unique style of this country fish gives their fish cake added interest compared to the usual form of fish cakes we normally get elsewhere.

Nice and fun to eat!

Restaurant name: Ban Heong Seng Restaurant (call 016-757-1887 or 07-237-5194 to book 1 day in advance as the dishes need to be prepared hours ahead of serving)

Address: 34-B, Jalan Skudai, Batu 3¼, off Jalan Tahar, Johor Bahru

Map: http://g.co/maps/a42p4

GPS: 1.483683,103.721548

Hours: Call 016-757-1887 or 07-237-5194 to pre-arrange lunch or dinner

Non Halal

Date visited: 9 Mar 2012

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Assumptions

Over the weekend, I learned a few things.  Life has a way of setting us in our ways, and carving a hard edge around our kind interior.  We walk around in these protective suits we've created, un-trusting and afraid to give too much of ourselves.

After all, people take advantage.  People don't follow through.  There are perverts out there.

Before I continue I'll add a small disclaimer.  I am usually happy.  I enjoy people and life is too short to walk around with a scowl on my face.  I'm definitely not a "scowl-er."

Despite my positive demeanor, I'm not immune to assuming the worst.  I get caught up in the "who is doing what and why" just as much as anyone.  I have my days when I assume a coworker won't split a tip, or that the coach favors another child.  If a customer is tough to read, I assume they aren't friendly and brace myself before approaching the table.


But then the tip is split, the coach isn't favoring anyone and the customer is simply delightful after I beat them down with  friendliness.

This weekend I've learned to never assume.  Over and over again, it was like a message from God himself, reminding me to trust that people are good.

Every so often, I play the lottery.  You can't win if you don't play.  I usually forget to check my tickets, and I walk around assuming I won.  I imagine what I'd do with the money, and I figure out what I'd take home after taxes.  I add up the bills that would disappear, and the amount of money I can share while still keeping my family comfortable until the end of time.

I never win a dime, but it's pretty cool to dream about the money before reality sets in.  Imagine buying lottery tickets, and assuming you're going to lose?  What is the fun in that?

Life is much the same.  Better to walk around delighted, and hopeful rather than assuming the worst is around the bend.  Even in small doses, those assumptions are exhausting, and toxic to the soul. 

It's a new week, make it great. 

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Beggar's Chicken @ Ban Heong Seng 万香城 Restaurant near Danga Bay in Johor Bahru

Ban Heong Seng 万香城 restaurant is known for its four signature dishes. I shall call these Ban Heong Seng's “Four Heavenly Kings” dishes. Ban Heong Seng's beggar's chicken/ duck can be considered their “King of Kings”. Ban Heong Seng's signature dishes are country fish, oyster rice and melon soup.

Ban Heong Seng's beggar's chicken is made by wrapping a fresh chicken in paper and plastic, and then encasing it in clay. The encased chicken is then buried in a bed of white hot charcoal and left there to bake for 8 hours.

When ready to serve, the encased chicken is dug up with a shovel, and wheeled in a wheelbarrow to the dinning area.

The clay that had kept all the chicken’s juices and herbal flavours in during the long hours of cooking, is carefully cracked open with a hammer. The plastic and paper are then removed and the chicken is ready to be eaten.



This juicy plump chicken costs RM33.

When the plastic and paper wrapping is removed, a puff of aromatic steam bursts into the air. The pleasant herbal fragrance catches the attention of everyone around. The succulent, juicy chicken is then revealed.

After seeing the spectacle of breaking open the beggar chicken’s clay shell and seduced by the herbal fragrance, everyone will be eager to tear into the plump chicken. 

Pulling open the chicken exposes the many different types of herbs that went into preparing this beggar’s chicken.

The herbal flavoured chicken is naturally sweet. The tasty flesh falls off the bone with the lightest touch and the meat is very juicy, tender and smooth.

Ban Heong Seng's is definitely one of the best beggar’s chicken that I have tasted.

Delicious and fun to eat J


Restaurant name: Ban Heong Seng 万香城 Restaurant (call 016-757-1887 or 07-237-5194 to book 1 day in advance as the dishes need to be prepared hours ahead of serving)

Address: 34-B, Jalan Skudai, Batu 3¼, off Jalan Tahar, Johor Bahru

Map: http://g.co/maps/a42p4

GPS: 1.483683,103.721548

Hours: Call 016-757-1887 or 07-237-5194 to pre-arrange lunch or dinner

Non Halal

Date visited: 9 Mar 2012

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