Johor Lei Cha 擂茶 at Volcano Coffee House 火山 in Kelapa Sawit, Kulaijaya

Lei Cha Rice Set RM4

The night before going to Kulai for food hunt, I asked Johor Kaki Facebook readers for suggestions. I was especially interested in traditional Hakka dishes as Kulai has a large Hakka population. Some readers from Kulai suggested that I try the lei cha 擂茶 at Volcano Coffee House in Kelapa Sawit.

Restaurant name: Volcano 火山 Coffee House
Address: Jalan Sri Paya, Kampung Sri Paya, Kelapa Sawit, Kulaijaya, Johor
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/Xw66q
GPS: 1.673064,103.529438
Hours: 05:00am to 2:00pm (Closed on Sunday)
Non Halal

By the time we got to Volcano at nearly 2:00pm, they were already getting ready to close for the day. We were their last customers for that day.

Volcano opens at 5:00am to serve the workers who do the daily commute from Kulai and Kelapa Sawit to Singapore for work. Leaving for a long commute and a hard day's work with a warm home cooked meal at Volcano is a small comfort for these hardworking workers.



Volcano is a family run business by Mdm Lew, her husband and their two daughters. Mdm Lew showing me just two of the many green vegetables and herbs that went into making the lei cha tea 茶. These are ground into a paste to make the green gruel or lei cha.

Mdm Lew said that she used to make lei cha at home for the family. So now the whole family chips in to make lei cha for anyone who comes to the shop. So it is still very much home cooked food here at Volcano.



The steamed white rice is topped with a colourful blanket of diced pickled radish, long beans, sayur manis, cabbages, and fried scrambled eggs. There was also a small bowl of chopped peanuts.



Lei cha is eaten by pouring the tea into the rice and diced vegetables. While the lei cha tea is full bodied and slightly creamy, the flavours are all subtle and gentle on the taste buds. It has hints of mint and comforting sweet fragrant greens.

I love this complex blend of texture and flavours, and enjoy it even more when I appreciate the hard work that went into preparing it.



We could only have this basic set as Volcano was sold out for the day. If we were early, we could have a full range of Hakka yong tau fu sides.



Seeing how we loved the lei cha tea, Ms Lew brought us a second bowl of hot lei cha tea for us to enjoy.



While the rest of the family members were clearing up and closing the shop for the day, Mr Lew had already started getting ready for the next day's business. Everything is still done the traditional way i.e. by hand.



At the end of the meal and as we got ready to pay and leave, Mdm Lew refused to accept our payment.

Such is kampung hospitality, not uncommon but always treasured and deeply felt. We were total strangers appearing out of the blue but all left with warm happy memories. I hope we left good memories for them too.

We will definitely be back - to visit friends and to enjoy a home cooked lei cha.

Date visited: 30 Jul 2013

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Whiskey Peach Pie

My Mother-In_Law loves Peach Pie.

It's her favorite!

So, typically when I ask her what kind of pie to bring, she says peach...even for Thanksgiving!

FYI... It's nearly impossible to find fresh peaches in Nebraska in November.

But not in August when it's her Birthday!!

My friend, Betsy, has three fabulous peach trees in her yard, and is so sweet to let me pick as many as I want!!

So this past August I made my Mother-in-Law this Whiskey Peach Pie, I also made her this 

Peaches & Cream Spice Cake!!

Whiskey Peach Pie

Double Pie Crust

Filling:

7 cups sliced fresh peaches

1/2 c - 1 c sugar

 (I used 1/2 c because the peaches were so sweet on their own!)

1/3 c flour

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon cinnamon

3 Tablespoons whiskey

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line a deep dish pie pan with the bottom crust.

Toss peaches with whiskey, sugar, flour and spices.

*I added a little more flour to mine, because the peaches I used were SO RIPE.  I didn't want my pie to be watery.  Start off with 1/3 cup and if they seem really wet sprinkle a little more on them

Pour into pie crust.

Add top crust.  you can just make a regular top crust, or a lattice topped one like I did here.

Ready for the oven!

Dust crust lightly with cinnamon/sugar. Bake for 45-60 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

Serve with ice cream!

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Halloween Favorites

Happy Halloween!  In honor of this fabulously fun holiday, I'm sharing my favorite Halloween anythings.  Crafts, foods, costumes and traditions.  All of these favorites are tried and Mommyhood approved. 

Let's get some Halloween fun going...

New this year, which I loved?  The milk jug ghost.  So much cleaner than carving a pumpkin, and lined in the yard with string lights poked through the bottoms, a nifty decoration.

 

Feeling gorged and in need of an outlet for ALL that candy?  Bake up some Candy Cookie Bars.  Share at work.  Bring to a party.  Eat them at home.  Whatever works. 

 

Need a great party game for all ages?  Try Witches Brew.  We played this at my son's Halloween Birthday Party and I've never been so pleased with a game in my life.

So much fun.

 

One of my all time favorite costumes?  When my mother made my son Max from Where the Wild Things Are.  He roared his terrible roar...

All you need is a one piece white pajama (this can be tricky, try Walmart), buttons, a crown, a wand, black pipe cleaners, a fuzzy tail, and some thick foam claws.  You'll also need someone who can sew. 

Looking for a fun thrill?  "BOO" somebody.  It's a hoot, I promise.

 

Wishing you a safe and healthy Halloween!  

What are some of your favorite Halloween things?

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Johor Tomahawk Steak at Lazio Italian Restaurant and Bar

When Stanley, Lazio's Executive Chef invited me to try his Tomahawk steak, I took a double take. What's that lethal weapon? Well, when I saw Stanley with that huge cut of rib-eye, Tomahawk is a very apt description indeed :) Tomahawk is that fearsome Apache Indian battle axe. That Tomahawk steak should send chills down the spine of cholesterol and calorie fearing mortals :P

Restaurant name: Lazio Italian Restaurant and Bar
Address: Danga Bay, Jalan Skudai, Johor Bahru
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/y4WL8
GPS: 1.475931, 103.723533
Hours: 12:00noon to 1:00am daily. Closing time 2:00am on Friday, Saturday and eve of public holidays
No pork, no lard, no Halal cert

Stanley let us ogle at this well marbled Aussie Wagyu rib-eye with bone-in before he started working on it. This over sized baby weighs in at 2.11kg which is five times the size of the average steak :P



Makan kaki Jennifer looking demure with the whopping (raw) Tomahawk, ready to do battle with the steak later. She was more amused than intimidated by the size :)



The thick slab of sizzling Aussie Wagyu Rib-eye seared and flame grilled before Stanley takes it to bake in the oven.



The Tomahawk is ready! The lusciously succulent flesh encased in a charred caramelised crust.



See how thick that Tomahawk is? It's nearly 3 inches.



Overawed by it's size, we all gladly let the staff help us cut up the humongous steak while we salivated and waited gleefully.



Our Tomahawk steak done medium rare is enough to satisfy four adults, with some to spare.



Four of us shared the Tomahawk, so this was my first slice of steak for the evening. Juicy, tender, with lovely marbling and a smoky, light charred caramelised layer outside.

The steak was served with three kinds of sauces. I liked the garlic sauce and couldn't remember the other two :P Actually, I like my steak best without spreading on additional sauces. I like to taste the beefiness and natural juices on my tongue without the interference of sauces.

What sent me over the edge was the fat, glorious fat. It was oh, oh, oh so good! It was a heavenly fusion of sweet, smoky, savoury softness with the flavourful light warm juices flooding the mouth when we bite into and burst the fat. 



Jennifer who was previously in the F & B industry knows her beef, and so she had the last word in finishing off the Tomahawk. Easy peasy for Jennifer :D

Stanley made some pasta for us to go with our Tomahawk. Lovely as they were, these were overshadowed by the obsession inducing Tomahawk steak :P



Pesto di funghi (pasta spinach basil linguine) Rm22.80++.



Aragosta (pasta fettuccine) Rm49.90++.



Capesante (pasta squid ink fettuccine) 42.80++.



I asked Stanley which wine would pair well with the Tomahawk. After a moment's thought, Stanley recommended this. hmmm... why am I thinking that this might not be a totally unbiased suggestion :P

When you feel your special occasion deserves more than the usual steak, what about the flamboyant indulgence of a Tomahawk Wagyu Rib-eye Steak? At the moment in Johor, only Lazio serves it. 

Lazio's Tomahawk Wagyu Ribeye Steak is available by special order only. Call Stanley at +6014-3399908 one week in advance and arrange for 50% deposit.

Date visited: 23 Apr 2013 

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We've Been "BOO-ed"

Last night, we were "BOO-ed" by a phantom ghost.  Our doorbell rang around 8:30pm, and there was no one there.  All that was left was a bag filled with Halloween goodies and a note saying we'd been BOO-ed.  This was troubling for Hubby because as fast as he opened the door, there was not a soul in sight.

Not a sound.

Not a car.

A friendly ghost had left us delicious treats, and it was now our job to "BOO" two neighbors.

This delighted the kids.  They were ecstatic.  Discussion began as to who BOO-ed us, and who we would "BOO."  We started planning our goodie bags.  One rule?  You have to "BOO" the next evening.

Another rule?  You can't "BOO" a family that has been BOO-ed before.  After a family has been BOO-ed they have to proudly display the ghost in their window.  And hopefully, these ghosts will be hanging in just about every window of every Halloween loving neighborhood around town by the time trick-or-treating commences.

I dare you to print out the ghost on beenbooed.com and boo two neighbors tonight.  Trust me, it makes for many laughs and questions as to who your "ghost" really is!

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Johor Dessert at Happy Land Café 欢乐园饮冰室 in Kulai (near Johor Premium Outlets)

 

Happy Land Café serving old school desserts and hasn't changed much since 1976 has a special place among Kulai people.

Restaurant name: Happy Land Café 欢乐园饮冰室
Address: 1-38 Jalan Pinang, Taman Kota Kulai, Kulai
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/pNvVO
GPS: 1.668227,103.578801
Hours: 11:00am to 4:30pm
No pork, no lard, no Halal cert

Happy Land is a familial, happy place. The place is filled with three generation families - grandparents, parents and the kids all enjoying food together. Happy Land is a come-as-you-are place. People just come without make up and in comfortable frumpy everyday clothes and flip flops, no need for dressing up.

Happy Land is the kind of place where people will bump into neighbours, relatives, old school mates and colleagues. We bumped into our friends from JB, Euginn and Rachel :D

As the place was jammed packed, we waited about 20 minutes for a table. But everybody was patient and good natured. People here are very considerate, they leave their tables for other customers, once they finished their meal. Table sharing is the norm.

As we were not hungry, we just ordered a sampling of desserts to taste - we will surely be back for more :D



The old style ice kacang 红豆冰. The finely shaved ice mound was topped with a generous lump of soft boiled red beans that looked like a head of curly permed red hair on a lady's head. We dug in fast because it looked so enticing and also because the red beans looked like it was going to topple over and tumble down anytime.

There was also a large scoop of creamy boiled sweet corn.

Below that mound of shaved ice bathed with coconut sugar were attap seeds, grass jelly (cincau) and pandan "worms".



This mango ice 芒果冰 was heaped with generous amounts of cubed fresh mango and a big slice of canned peach. Sweet, sour and icy, this mango ice is popular especially with ladies.



Happy Land's rojak is as good as any that I have tasted so far. The thick tacky savoury sauce is loaded with prawn paste, crushed peanuts and a little dab of chili. Made with the usual suspects of crispy you char kway, turnips, pineapple and cucumbers - all of which are fresh as crowd turnover at Happy Land is like a passing tornado.



On the walkway just outside Happy Land are two food stalls, one selling fried chicken and nasi lemak, and the other selling fried kway teow. Both were doing a brisk business.

Seeing many people having a plate of this fried chicken on their tables, Euginn got one plate for us to share. The chicken breast was surprisingly tender and juicy. The crispy batter also has a nice savoury flavour.

This is one fried chicken and nasi lemak stall that I would like to come back to, to write a full post about.

If you are at Johor Premium Outlets and want to explore the nearby Kulai for food, do stop by Happy Land. As for me, I expect myself to be here quite often in the future.

Date visited: 27 Oct 2013

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Why We Shouldn't Teach our Boys to be "Studs"

Yesterday, my eight year old son's football team played a tough game.  We knew it would be tough, the opposing team hadn't been scored on in two years.  They had more nine and ten year olds than we did.  Whether or not they "stack" teams in the town is still out for debate, but regardless, we knew they were good.

Our team is good too.  We were undefeated.  I knew this game was going to be a doozy.

The difference between our team and their team is that this team of undefeated, un-scored upon boys was coached to be full of themselves.  The coach has the boys enter the field wearing fedoras.  Sometimes they even wear sunglasses.  They strut in, at the direction of this head coach, and let the other team know what "studs" (as he calls them on his Facebook page) they are.

Studs?  Aren't they eight, nine and ten years old?  How about we teach them to gentlemen?  With good sportsmanship and manners?

I can't say much about how the boys behave on the field or at school, but I do know the coaches son leaves little to be desired as far as sportsmanship.

I know this because my son was blocking him.  And after one particular block that maybe held this "stud" up, he asked my son if he wanted to fight.  His exact phrase?

"You wanna go?!?"

My son didn't respond, and if he did it would have been something along the lines of "go where?"

I guess you can't blame the boy, he's doing what he's been instructed to do.  As far as he knows, he's a "stud."  Unfortunately, he will learn one day that this means just about zero in life.

I'm wishing every parent who volunteers their time to coach could be a good, strong example.  Someone to teach kids how to hold their head high when they lose, and to reach out their hand when they win.  Because eventually, all of these kids will be on a winning team and a losing team if they stay in sports.

I've parented through undefeated seasons and through completely, utterly win-less seasons.  Both types of seasons can teach kids volumes about character and how to behave.

We all win and lose in life, and team sports can offer many lessons in how to handle it.

One lesson the boys on the opposing team will learn for sure is that being a "stud" is fleeting.  I hope our boys know that being a class act is forever.

Happy Monday y'all.

Oh, we lost the game, 18-0.  I'm sure our boys went into the game intimidated from all they'd heard over the past few weeks about this other team.  And the other team was good, strong and fast.  But our boys didn't wear fedoras, and not one kid on our team asked a kid on the other team to fight.

Winners all the way.

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Candy Corn Salted Nutrolls

My recipe for Salted Nutrolls is a favorite here on my blog!

I make them EVERY year at Christmas and they are one of the first things gone from the cookie plate!

Here is the link to the post I did for them one Valentine's Day:

LINK to Post Click HERE

We were invited over to the neighbors for a football party last weekend.

He was christening his new out building.

I decided to make a platter of Salted Nutrolls but add some candy corn to make it festive!! 

These are a fun fall treat.  If you love Salted Nutroll or Payday candy bars...you'll go nutty for these!!

Candy Corn Salted Nutrolls

Click HERE to view the recipe for Salted Nutrolls

I added the candy corn version to the bottom.

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Johor Ayam Penyet at Banafee Cafe

Every time I asked friends and Johor Kaki readers to recommend ayam penyet stalls in JB, Banafee café is always among the favourites mentioned. So, I made a trip there to check it out today.

Restaurant name: Banafee Café (not Banafee Village nearby which is run by the same owner)
Address: Jalan Datuk Abdullah Tahir (directly opposite New York Hotel)
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/1skzW
GPS: 1.478586,103.760929
Hours: 3:00pm to 3:00am
Halal

When you step into Banafee Café, which is like a small food court, the ayam penyet stall is the first one facing the main road. Banafee Café is a popular place among locals for inexpensive meals.



Just after opening for the day's business at 3:00pm, the orders pile in for the ayam penyet.




At the ayam penyet stall are piles of plump pre-cooked chicken leg which will be deep fried briefly before serving. Those legs' succulence are clear to the eye. 



Muzafir, one of the Indonesian staff, busy at the hot wok.



Banafee's ayam penyet set with rice and soup costs RM8.50. The little red tub at the right contains water for hand washing. The best way to enjoy ayam penyet is with our fingers.



Banafee's ayam penyet is moist and tender, and it's flesh and juices are sweet. I love the moist and soft golden brown skin. Complement this with the sharp spicy and tangy sambal chili with lime, and we have an ayam penyet that is among JB's best. 



The rice is just average as are the tempeh, fried toufu and vegetables.



The savoury, peppery soup is worth highlighting.

Banafee's ayam penyet really kick butts but this place won't be winning any prizes for cleanliness or ambiance. It is ok for me but don't say I never tell you :P

If your preference is for tender ayam penyet, I recommend Banafee café.

Date visited: 26 Oct 2013

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