Salad-vating over salads

I came across two very useful sites on salad recipes. If you really love salads or are new to salads then check the sites out for fresh ideas and inspiration! Oh and excuse the poor pun in the title, haha.

#1 The New York Times online's "101 Simple Salads for the Season"

#2 Thesaladsite.com 

Breakfast: Antipodean, Bangsar

When Jon was visiting, we looked around for a good western breakfast place. We've often had Asian breakfasts and had yet to find that quaint, unpretentious cafe that served simple, no nonsense breakfast. Oh plenty of places do eggs and toast but I wanted a place with more variety to their breakfast menu and one that didn't skimp on quality ingredients. And that's when we found Antipodean.

The menu is written on the chalkboard wall in the background. 

The café is situated on Jalan Telawi 2 and that's just further down the street from Papparich. It's small but it wasn't that packed when we arrived- around 9am-ish. The interior is very nicely done, you can opt to sit on the banquettes facing the chalkboard menu or sit around the center between the banquettes and the menu.

There was a good variety of breakfast foods. Breakfast platters, omelettes with different fillings, open-faced sandwiches and yogurt/ fruit/muesli combos. Breakfast is until 11am if I'm not mistaken and 11am onwards you may order from the lunch/ dinner menu. The drinks were a little on the pricey side but servings were a good size and they serve a good variety of coffee. Their coffee beans are imported from Indonesia and the country is apparently the fourth-largest coffee producer in the world and coffee beans can have a distinct taste and aroma depending on the country it is produced in. I'm no coffee aficionado but if you are, you might want to check out this café.

Smoked salmon omelette w/ side salad dressed in balsamic vinegar. RM18.

 I had the smoked salmon omelette. The serving was very big. Knowing that you need at least 2-3 small/ medium-sized eggs to make a decent sized one-person serving of omelette, Antipodean's must have had at least 6 eggs. Now, is RM18 pricey for an omelette? Perhaps. But this wasn't your run-of-the-mill omelette. It was filled with smoked salmon (maybe too much, even) and I didn't need to salt the dish as the smoked salmon did that for me. The side salad was alright. The balsamic dressing may be an acquired taste for some. It was just pure balsamic vinegar. I think the greens complimented the omelette though. The acidity of the balsamic helped cut the saltiness of the smoked salmon. The radicchio was bitter (the red leaf) and it's naturally like that so if you don't like it, don't let it spoil your experience of this dish.

Fruit salad, yogurt, honey and fresh mint. RM12.

The fruit salad was also mine. It's a huge bowl so it can probably be shared among 2-3 people as a side. Cut honeydew melon, strawberries, apples, plums and the occasional blackberry or blueberry. The yogurt was creamy and tart while the honey and mint provided the needed sweetness and taste. Fruits were fresh and chilled. I was thrilled to find this on the menu because I was craving fruit and yogurt that morning.

Cafe Latte. RM8.

The latte was smooth and nice. Coffee was aromatic and strong. You can't go wrong with a latte. Well, maybe you can at some places but not here. 

Big Breakfast platter. RM18. Extra order of eggs (not on menu). RM5. 

Jon had the breakfast platter. Now, I've come across reviews complaining that RM18 was overpriced for such a small portion. Well some may agree but I'm afraid I'm not them. In the platter you get: Scrambled eggs, a toast, a hash brown, panfried mushrooms, and a choice of chicken/beef/pork sausage or some bacon (the real kind that's made of pork and not the beef/ turkey versions). So yes, this place is non-halal. 

I find the size of this platter just right if you're an average eater. The serving size is just right for one person and Jon was stuffed by the time he was done (he had two extra sunny side ups but the platter alone was 90% filling). The mushrooms were probably brown button mushrooms and were panfried with enough garlic, oil, balsamic and heat to make them sweat just right. 

The hash brown was smaller than its average fried counterpart but it was delicious. It was seasoned perfectly and possibly has some cream mixed into the mash. Now, if you're gonna diss this hash brown (I've seen some reviews do that) and say the mass-produced fried excuse of a potato patty tastes better; I'm gonna flip a table. Some have said that the hash browns they get at McDonalds'are bigger and taste better. Uh, yeah, sure...if your palate is very, very unrefined. Two of these babies would've sealed the deal though or maybe a slightly bigger one. 

Moving on to the sausage, Jon had a pork sausage and it was delicious. The skin was firm and crunchy and the filling was tasty and perfectly seasoned. I'll admit, two sausages would've hit it up a notch. Nevertheless the platter was good: filling, had a decent variety of ingredients, hearty and delicious. 

Tolaga Bay Sunrise: I think this was apple, orange and ginger. RM12.

 The juice was refreshing albeit a little pricey for its size. I won't order this again as it is a pretty common mix of ingredients. You're better off getting a Boost juice. If you don't fancy juices, coffee or other drinks on their menu, just ask for water. The waitstaff should bring you a big glass bottle and small glasses, foc.

White chocolate and macadamia cookie. RM5.

 Jon had the cookie. They are displayed in cookie jars by the coffee bar and also on the menu. This cookie was big, about 90% the size of my hand. It was crumbly, a little soft. Didn't taste the white chocolate or see any for that matter. The overall taste was like your average baked cookie.

Antipodean is worth visiting if you enjoy an easy-going morning/ afternoon with kids, family or friends. They have a play room for kids and there's a TV playing cartoons as well. Toy Story was on when we were there. It's non-smoking indoors but you can choose to sit outside if you require a puff.

Price: Moderate-High. Breakfast food (RM12-RM20 on the menu/ not on menu: RM5 for 2 eggs done any style).

Food: Healthy ingredients, fresh, western breakfasts. Some dishes on their all day dining menu are asian influenced.

Ambience: Casual, relaxed, cosy.

Dinner at Sage, The Gardens Residences, Kuala Lumpur

The family and some friends got together for a dinner at Sage last night. It was my second time dining there and we were seated in a private room this time with a table for nine.

I'm fairly new to the whole concept of fine dining but a little research on French gastronomy will do wonders for a newcomer foodie like me when it comes to deciding on what to order. Watching shows on the Asian Food Channel play a part too :P

Sage has a fairly good repertoire when it comes to affordable French-Japanese Haute cuisine. I know, I know, "affordable" & "Haute cuisine" are not terms you'd think would go together, hehe.

All of us went for the Gourmet Dinner Set Menu priced at RM170 nett, consisting of four courses: A chef's special of the day; An appetizer; A main; and Dessert.

Complimentary bread and a lovely pesto-like dip

As soon as you're done with a serving of bread, the waitstaff will bring more bread to the table. My brother had close to fifteen slices of bread! The waitress serving us was observant enough to serve us a new plate of bread every time we emptied a plate on the table. Thumbs up for attentive service!

Amuse-bouche (lit. "mouth amuser", single bite-sized hors d'oeuvre):

Smoked salmon tartare w/ Salmon eggs, cream-based foam & chives

After placing the orders, we were served complimentary amuse-bouche. I wanted more than just one mouthful! Salmon tartare was fresh and went well with the Ikura/ salmon eggs. I hear Sage smokes its own salmon.

Chef's special for the day:

Hiramasa sashimi w/ vinaigrette & Akame herb

(the tiny deep red leaves, often paired with sashimi to kill bacteria)

The Hiramasa or Kingfish sashimi was FRESH. The flesh was firm without being chewy and the tartness of the vinaigrette and the aromatic herbs went well with the fish. For a sashimi lover like myself, I was very satisfied...and wanted more of course!

Appetizer #1:

Wagyu carpaccio w/ Plum infused Konbu (seaweed) sauce

Appetizer #2 (mine):

Penne rigate w/ Eggs mollet & Parmigiano Reggiano

(an exclusive parmesan made only in certain areas in Italy)

The penne was cooked al dente, being firm but neither too hard nor soft in texture. Penne rigate is one of two main kinds of penne pasta with the rigate variant having ridges on each penna so as to hold more sauce to it. The coddled egg was slightly overdone for a Mollet, with the yolk not as runny as it should be and ideally, the white should've been cooked to firmly conceal the yolk. This allows the eater to "break" through the white into the yolk, allowing a burst of golden richness to ooze onto the rest of the dish. The beef bits were a pleasant surprise with the crispiness adding a layer of texture to the dish. As for the parmigiano, I savoured every last sliver...mmm. All in all, this was an "ok" dish though I found it a tad too rich with the egg yolk, crispy beef pieces, creamy sauce and the cheese- nevertheless, satisfying albeit the very grave mistake with the eggs mollet.

Appetizer #3: Tagliolini pasta w/ Fresh water prawn & Spinach

Appetizer #4: Confit of duck leg w/ Puy lentils & Olives

Palette cleanser: Lemon-lime Granite (shaved ice)

The granite was refreshing and served its purpose.

Main #1: Smoked duck breast w/ Foie Gras & Red Wine sauce

Main #2 (mine): Seafood panache w/ Bouillabaisse & Saffron

Tiny, red strands of saffron goodness

The seafood was fresh and cooked nicely. The scallops were not overdone and had a firm exterior but melt-in-the-mouth texture inside, all with a hint of sweetness. The prawns were decent with a moderate crunchy texture. Though not cut along the back, there was no sight of any veins in the prawns so they must have been deveined somehow. The squid was not chewy and had a good, firm texture. The fish was a fillet of seabass (did not specify the kind of bass) and it had one of the best textures I have ever tasted on a fish. The meat was firm but flaky with a distinctive richness like that of fresh cod. The broth was rich and aromatic with the saffron lending a sweetness and an orange-red colour to the bouillabaisse. This dish is a definite crowd-pleaser...and a palate teaser leaving you wanting heaps more!

Main #3: Angus beef w/ Mash & Natural jus (Quite a popular dish at Sage)

I tasted some of the mash and jus and found a strong taste of white truffle oil in either the two. I found the truffle oil to be overpowering to the palate. Most truffle oils are synthetic and do not contain any real truffles.

Dessert #1: Vanilla ice-cream on something that looks to be a fruit crumble

(...but look at all those vanilla beans!!)

Dessert #2 (mine): Fresh mango melba w/ Mascarpone ice-cream

There were generous amounts of fresh mango slices over passionfruit seeds and some sort of mild-tasting jelly. The mascarpone ice-cream is vanilla based and tasted neither too strong or too subtle of the cream-cheese. Just right. This dessert was one of the more refreshing and lighter ones and I highly recommend this. The mango slices were sweet and matched well with the creamy, mild cheese flavour of the ice-cream and the tartness of the passionfruit. (If you want to try mascarpone ice-cream just like the one at Sage, pop on over to Shojikiya and buy a cup of MOW Mascarpone for RM5.90. Tastes just the same!) On my first visit, I had a similar dessert of musk melon slices over white wine jelly and even that was heavenly. So if you fancy your desserts light and not-so-sweet, be sure to order the "fresh fruit, ice-cream & jelly" combo if available on the menu.

Choice of Tea or Coffee at end of meal

Crumbly butter cookies

The pictures above are only of the dishes I or some of those sitting around me had. There were some other dishes I didn't take pictures of because I was trying my best not to get carried away with snapping at other people's food and letting mine go cold :P

Bruno Paillard Bubbly

Dad ordered four bottles of Bruno Paillard champagne for the table. Each bottle was priced at RM350. Everyone had a glass but me because I got tipsy on Rosé champagne the first time we dined at Sage so no alcohol this time around :P

Sparkling water

Lovely company that night

I loved the orchids!

I'll be seeing you again sometime soon, bread :P

Dinner at Sage was an enjoyable one. The ambiance was refined and relaxed and set the perfect mood for the night. Service was excellent as the waitstaff knew the dishes well and didn't hesitate to help us with the menu when asked. I may be looking forward to having lunch here in the near future. :)

Top 10 Malaysian Eats

I'm having a special someone visit from faraway at-the-other-end-of-the-world...Canada this month. So I decided to compile a list of 10 Malaysian foods that I absolutely HAVE TO let him eat.

The more culture-shock there is from the food- even better! (ﾟ∀ﾟ)

Despite being Malaysian, I must admit I have not had authentic Malaysian food in a while...I'm the kind that's somewhat particular about what I eat (in the recent years I've embraced the healthier side to eating) and I have not laid a finger on most Malaysian hawker staples. My staples include home-made salads, low-GI sandwiches, tofu dishes, home-made Japanese dishes and I occasionally nom on fruits and I'd treat myself to some sinful items once in a while. So when he comes, I'd have to eat whatever he eats because I can't like...order a flour-free wholemeal low-GI pita with cottage cheese, romaine lettuce and smoked salmon at a Char Kuey Teow place, can I? （´∀｀）

So now, in no particular order...

#1. Won Ton Noodles or Wan Tan Noodles, however you spell it

When I used to be really chubby, I'd occasionally have Wan Tan noodles for breakfast before heading for afternoon classes in high school. If available, I'd ask for the thicker, flatter "Cho Mee" in place of the stringy Wan Tan noodles. And I'd opt for just Wan Tans with no Char Siew on the side as I'm not a fan of the fatty layers on the meat- super lean Char Siew is acceptable though :D

#2. Nasi Lemak

One of the most sinful but hellishly delicious foods ever! The rice infused with coconut milk is so good you can eat it on its own or just with the accompanying sambal. I used to eat 2-3 packets of Nasi Lemak on the spot- it's that good! My favourites were the RM 1 packets that used to sell on the streets.

#3. Char Kuey Teow

I believe they say the best comes from Penang but I reckon there are Char Kuey Teow places just as good, if not better, in KL! I think there's a stall that's really good located in Taman Desa, which is where I live. I have not had this in almost 3 years now (and I've been in KL all my life) so I guess I'm gonna reunite my taste buds with Mr. CKT soon!

#4. Satay

The best Satay I've had is still from Kajang. There's a restaurant in Kajang with "Malaysia" in its name and I love the Satay there because they only use very lean chicken meat, absolutely chicken-skin-free! Which makes it easier for me to eat because I wouldn't have to gag on that one piece of disgusting, oily chicken skin. ...ew (*´Д`)

#5. Chicken Rice/ Hainanese Chicken Rice/ Chicken Rice Balls

Blogspot messed up the pic making it two-toned...

I adore those cute round rice balls that they have in Malacca. When I was there I ate 'em like they were marshmallows, haha.

The secret to good Hainanese Chicken Rice is of course, the rice. I prefer having mine with Roasted Chicken or if it's steamed chicken, without the skin. I love the ginger and chili sauce and I'm still trying to make my own, teehee.

#6. Roti Canai (his fave!)

The Mamaks are just so creative with their Roti names! The last time he and I went to a Mamak, I tried Roti Tissue and Roti Bom. I kinda freaked out when I saw the amount of sweetened condensed milk and sugar the Mamak dude was adding to the Roti Bom! That fat little Roti Bom thing that ended up in front of me had a layer of sugar glistening on top and in between every layer was ghee, condensed milk and more sugar...so sinful I'm even getting goosebumps thinking of it! ...I'm sticking to just plain roti now :D

#7. Prawn Noodles

One of my staples back then, I loved having the combination of bee hoon and hor fun in my Prawn Mee. The soup never ceases to make me crave for more and the little bits of lean pork, prawn, hardboiled egg, kang kong vege and bean sprouts made it so much fun to eat! I like having variety in a dish so I can take my time and pick at different ingredients- just seems fun. I'm odd that way, haha.

#8. Hokkien Noodles

...makes me proud to be a Hokkien. Not that I could speak Hokkien though- just a teeny bit maybe. NEVERTHELESS, Hokkien Mee is the bomb! There are so many stalls out there selling Hokkien Noodles, claiming to be the best in the area and stuff but I know for a fact that there is one guy in Taman Desa who makes Hokkien Mee so good, it'll make your taste buds cry. OK, taste buds can't cry but they might when you eat his Hokkien noodles! I'm not bullshitting you either because my grandpa who's had his share of Hokkien Mee all over KL for the past 60 years told me that this Taman Desa Hokkien Mee guy's noodles are one of the best he's had, ever! With the other good one being in Petaling Jaya but I don't like that one...meh.

#9. Assam Laksa

Best Assam Laksa I've eaten is near a temple in Air Hitam, Penang. I ate every noodle, every peppermint leaf, every onion slice, every piece of fish, drank every last drop of soup- everything. Why must Penang be so far from KL...damn it.

#10. Popiah

Had a bit of a hard time thinking of the 10th food to pick but I thought back to when I was little and I remembered the Popiah! My grandpa used to buy me this every time we went to a Pasar Malam (night market). Back then, the fillings of the Popiah were rich and flavourful compared to the ones now that are lacking in the most basic Popiah ingredients. A good Popiah should have thin slices of Lap Cheong (Chinese waxed/cured sausage), shredded egg omelette, French beans, tofu pieces and the other basic ingredients like steamed/braised grated turnip. The commercial ones now like the horrendous "Crispy Popiah" kind are a shame! They only have grated cucumber, the radish filling, a lot of crushed peanuts and all the crispiness that comes from deep fried batter pieces. Lacking in flavour-a shame. I've had really good Popiah with crab meat (real crab meat ok, lol) at Gurney Drive at the Gardens, MidValley but the place has ceased operating.

Well I've certainly made myself hungry at 3 a.m. and am looking forward even more than ever now to go all "foodie" with him. （´∀｀）

If you're reading this, what's your fave Malaysian food? ^__^

Note: The above pictures are not mine. They were sourced from Google. If any of these pictures are yours, I'm sorry for "stealing" them and would take 'em off if you want me to. OH the CHICKEN RICE BALL PIC IS MINE! :D

Risotto

Made Red Wine Risotto last night :D Been in the cooking mood lately *__*

Paella for Dinner!

I made dinner today and I tried cooking Paella for the first time. Looked at a couple of Paella recipes online and decided to improvise with the ingredients so it's a modified paella :P

For all you curious ones, Paella's a Spanish rice dish that originates from Valencia. It's famous for being cooked in a Paellera (big, round, shallow skillet/pan that varies in size- it can be hugeee) and for the rice being a bright yellow/orange in color. This is probably one of the more popular non-Asian rice dishes out there, alongside the Risotto from Italy.

Looks yummy doesn't it? Well...it's not mine xP

Instead of using calasparra or bomba rice, I used Japanese rice, lol. I bought a whole bag and used only 1 cup for sushi last time. Hence, the balance in rice that I have to start cooking! But Japanese rice is similar to bomba rice as they're both short-grain, so can lah.

This gloppy mix is a Sofrito, a Spanish onion & tomato base for dishes like Paella

I prepared the sauce base, fish stock and other ingredients first before adding the rice to the pan.

Added stock to the pan after removing the Sofrito. Allowed all the yummy caramelized bits on the pan to melt into the stock. Added tumeric powder for that bright yellow color as I don't have Saffron (which is hella expensive and also turns things yellow)

Sautéed red onions, garlic, diced tomatoes and 100% lean bacon in a teeny bit of olive oil

Alas, preparation- done!

Added rice to the Sofrito

Added the sautéed ingredients

Squeezed some lemon juice over

Voila! Still in the pan :) Didn't have parsley so I used shredded lettuce.

You know your paella has passed if you get just the right amount of charred rice (known as the highly-prized Soccorat) at the bottom!

Pan-fried some fish fillets (seasoned with salt, pepper, cajun seasoning, lemon, olive oil) to go with the Paella

I'm glad the dishes turned out. Not bad for a first-timer, eh? :D

Hope I made you hungry! ^^