malaysiakini

On-Demand Delivery, a new trend to be watched

by Stephen Ng | Dec 19, 2017 | Food

With both parents working these days, online food deliveries are gaining traction fast especially when the food is delicious and appetising to both parents and their children.

The cost of delivery is also reasonable (RM4 per delivery anywhere in the Klang Valley) and the deliveries are made within 90 minutes after the online order is placed. The food come in disposable microwaveable boxes.

Considering that parking is a hassle in most places and petrol prices have gone up, RM4 is affordable for most families and office colleagues who jointly order their lunch boxes.

It is also a great idea for Christmas get-together or Pot Bless (some call it ‘Potluck’) dinners where each family is expected to bring a dish each to share and do carolling together.

Recently, I was offered to do a review of online food by Mammam Deliveries, which has a central kitchen in Petaling Jaya Commercial City (PJCC). I particularly like the idea of their online orders for “dish only” local cuisine which is halal, and the beautiful thing was that it also caters to small group gatherings. Food is delivered straight to the home where the gathering is held.

At a public speaking skills for a group of young children whom I am coaching, parents come together. The initial plan was to meet at 8pm after dinner, but when the offer came from Mammam Deliveries, I thought it was a great idea to have the food reviewed by the mothers and children themselves.

After all, being a working Blue Monday for most parents, Mammam’s signature meals came in real handy. If they had delivered to my home, I would have the hassle of inviting family and friends to come and help finish up all the food.

The response? Generally the feedback from parents and children was positive especially for certain dishes. I particularly like Mammam’s Butter Chicken with white rice (RM15.00), the Chicken Rendang Nasi Lemak (RM16.90) and the Tom Yum Fried Rice (Spicy) (RM13.11).

I would give Mamman Deliveries the thumbs-up for all three meals, especially their Chicken Rendang Nasi Lemak, being a fan of chicken rendang myself.

A pleasant surprise was when a mother, Elaine Xie who hails from Shanghai said that she likes the sambal.

“Although it is spicy, I really like it,” she said,

adding that she would prefer having acar (pickled vegetables) instead of normal vegetables.

Unfortunately, I did not get to taste the Chicken Chettinad (Varul) (RM15.90), the Indian Fish Curry with White Rice (RM17.90), Nasi Lemak Goreng (RM15.90) and Mee Hoon Goreng Tom Yam (RM15.90), but others tried them and their comments are on a simple video that I produced.

Besides over 30 dishes (Vegetarian, Indian, Thai, Malay, Chinese and all-time Malaysian favourite) to choose from, Mammam also has a wide variety of other cuisine and cookies.

Mammam Deliveries can be accessed online at https://www.mammam.com.my/.

Toll Free: 1800-88-6266

Ordering Time: 9.30am to 10.00pm (7 days a week)

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mammamdeliveries/

Mobile Phone Apps: Mammam

Energy Bowls to be featured prominently at Coffea Coffee come Dec 16

by Stephen Ng | Dec 15, 2017 | Food

Energy Bowls will be featured prominently at Coffea Coffee from December 16 onwards targeting at the health conscious and fitness fans.

People patronising the gymnasiums in Desa Sri Hartamas and Mont Kiara would be happy to know that the Energy Bowls will now be available within a few minutes at the café.

And when all four signature Energy Bowls make the debut at two of its outlets (in Desa Sri Hartamas and Subang SS15) come Saturday December 16, you will be able to enjoy its Chocolate Warrior (RM17 inclusive of GST) which tastes like ice-cream and truly my favourite.

What is comforting is that it is not fattening, since the Chocolate Warrior is nothing but a cold (refrigerated) smooth blend of banana, peanut butter and cocoa powder, with toppings of banana, chocolate granola, peanut butter, drizzle, coconut flakes and buckwheat groats.

On both Dec 16 and 17, if you present the discount card (see pic) you will get a discount of 10 percent and tell them that you read about it in Malaysiakini.

It is easy to understand that it is not always possible for cafes and restaurants like Coffea Coffee to go fully on health food, but this new range of health food is a good starter.

Their other Energy Bowls are Sunrise Bowl (what a name!), Pink Flamingo and their Christmas special — the ‘Berry Xmas’ Energy Bowl.

The Sunrise Bowl has all three tropical fruits in the blend – banana, mango and pineapples with toppings of mango, apple crumble granola and coconut flakes and chia seeds.

For those who love dragon fruits, the Pink Flamingo is also a good choice because my children and I have tasted it and found it yummy. It is a blend of pitaya (red dragon fruit), pineapple and banana, with banana, apple crumble granola, coconut flakes and buckwheat groats as its toppings.

For those who love raspberries for health reasons, their Berry Xmas is a good choice. Banana gives it a good sweet base. Toppings include white dragon fruit, granola, coconut flakes and buckwheat groats.

For their usual meals, their Pasta penne with creamy chicken mushroom (RM15) is a favourite with the children, as it is both cheesy and creamy. I tried a bit of all their pasta and found this to be particularly good, and decided to let all four children with me to finish up everything, while being watchful of my cholesterol level, I took the Caeser Salad with Poached Egg and Grilled Chicken (RM12) and tasted a bit of everything.

The Aglio Olio (RM 15) looks good but slightly spicy for me, but surprisingly, the children love it, along with their waffles, which come with either a scoop of ice cream and choc sauce, or with egg benedict, ham and cheese (RM12.90).

For all-day dining (the café is closed at 12 midnight on weeknights and 1am for weekends), their pastry puff with chicken curry (RM11.90) and pastry puff with creamy chicken mushroom (RM11.90) are good to order along with their Latte with Peanut Butter (try this unique cold drink at least once and you will love it).

Since Mont Kiara has a few international schools, Coffea Coffee with its English Breakfast (RM18.90) is ideal for teenagers who want to have a good breakfast before they start school. It is easy to pick up the breakfast pack if you pre-order the food.

They also serve Pasta chicken pesto (RM15), Panini with smoked chicken & cheese (RM17.90) and Lasagne (RM12).

The children love their pasta here and prices for a place like Mont Kiara and Desa Sri Hartamas are still surprisingly below RM20; therefore, this is a good place to stop over either before or after a visit to the National Science Centre

Coffea Coffee Sri Hartamas is located at 1, Jalan 26/70a, Desa Sri Hartamas, 50480 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur

Subang Jaya outlet: A-10, Jalan SS 15/4d,, Ss 15, 47500 Subang Jaya, Selangor

Tel: 03-6206 5510

Business hours: Mon, Tue, Wed, Sun 8 am – 12 am / Fri and Sat 9 am – 1 am

Waze location: https://www.waze.com/livemap?zoom=17&lat=3.1625&lon=101.64855

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CoffeaCoffeeMY/

Google Map: https://goo.gl/maps/WV9ArdGvd1N2

Reversing the clock: Riding right into our country’s history

by Stephen Ng | Dec 15, 2017 | travel

Riding the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) into the National Museum is like reversing the clock several hundreds of years into the history of this country.

Despite this being the latest addition in our public transport system, I am sure that not many people have taken a ride on the MRT.

Tickets both ways between Bandar Utama station and Muzium Negara cost only RM6.60 for adults, while the parking cost RM7 at the BU Multistorey carpark for four hours. Punctuality and high frequency of the train deserves the thumbs-up. Unlike the KTM Komuter, with the long waiting and often delays, there is a train every few minutes.

The moment we reached the Muzium Negara station, we took an escalator from B1 level to Ground Level. Wondering how much further away we would have to walk to reach the National Museum, we were pleasantly surprised to know that the museum was just above the MRT station!

In fact, the Muzium Negara station was one of seven underground stations over an underground stretch of 9.5km that traverses the city centre between the Semantan Portal at Jalan Duta (opposite Parliament House) and the Maluri Portal in Cheras. The other underground stations include Pasar Seni, Merdeka, Bukit Bintang, Tun Razak Exchange (TRX), Cochrane and Maluri. To read more, read this

Heartbeat of our Nation

There are four galleries in the national museum. I like to relate this to the four (both atrial and ventricular) chambers of our heart.

After all, where we are today, owes to our long history as a nation. It is these four chambers that produce the heartbeat to this nation.

There is one gallery that covers the Early History; a second gallery covers the era of the Malay Kingdoms; the third about the Colonial Era; and a fourth gallery is known as Malaysia Today.

It is always good to go with other children as well as among peers, they will be discussing and learning things together. Curiosity is what drives these children to talk about what they could see with their own eyes, making history comes alive for them.

They were particularly interested in the archaeological discoveries of the early centuries which included the Lembah Bujang in Kedah, the Gua Niah in Sarawak and the Perak man in Lenggong Valley.

They need to understand the history of this nation in order to push ahead as a nation. However, a few things that appeared to be missing is the Malaysia Agreement which was signed in 1963, which saw the inclusion of Sabah and Sarawak into the newly-formed nation.

The children were particularly fascinated with the coins used during the different eras. Posing with Hang Tuah, I took the opportunity to tell them about the five young men who became bodyguards of the Sultan.

I also told them the other version which allows them to keep in mind that the five Hang brothers were indeed from Chinese descent. This was based on some of the latest research work which has not gained traction.

It makes sense when I mentioned to them their family name was ‘Han’ and Tuah was the eldest (in Hokkien, it is ‘tuah’ (as in ‘tuah soh’ (eldest sister-in-law), ‘tuah chee’ (eldest daughter), ‘tuah ko’ (eldest aunty) and ‘tuah pek’ (eldest uncle)).

Since the children had been exposed to Nyonya food at Restaurant Aunty Lee, there was also the opportunity to explain to them more about the Peranakan (or Straits Chinese) and their traditional costume.

It is interesting that in the early part of our history, when the Chinese married the local Malays, they were not converted to Islam or became Malays; instead, the mixed marriage led to a new and unique culture of its own. This is something which the Baba and Nyonya of this nation can be proud of.

Within just two hours, the entire history of this nation could be told to the children. It was not too elaborate but just enough to help them understand their roots.

This is a good experience for them to experience the past and the present.

Aunty Lee’s mesmerising authentic Peranakan Melaka cuisine

by Stephen Ng | Dec 14, 2017 | Food

Aunty Lee’s Restaurant at Plaza Arkadia in Desa ParkCity is frequented by doctors from a nearby medical centre for very good reasons.

These medical professionals have taste buds that drive them to an undisputed signature dish from the entire range of authentic Peranakan Melaka cuisine that the late Aunty Lee has left behind as her legacy.

Expatriates living in Mont Kiara, Petaling Jaya and Desa ParkCity may want to know that the legendary Aunty Lee, who passed on a few years ago, started her restaurant in a simple restaurant setting in Taman Sinn, Melaka in 1997, serving authentic home-cooked Peranakan Melaka cuisine. It has since become one of the most popular places for authentic Nyonya delicacies.

When a group of us were invited to do the food tasting at Aunty Lee’s first licensed restaurant outside Melaka, now located at the posh up-and-coming shopping arcade, everyone voted the Udang Masak Lemak Nanas the No 1 Nyonya dish.

John Ong is a northern Peranakan foodie fan, while his friend, Cherise Boey is a seasoned foodie fan and food critique from Penang. Former Sun managing editor, Lee Boon Siew is born and raised in Melaka, while his wife Ann Lee is also a food enthusiast with Penang taste buds.

They were the ones who picked this signature dish as their No 1 favorite dish, while it took me a long time to decide. After the food had “settled down”, I asked myself, “Now, if I have room for more food, what would I crave?” Always watchful over my cholesterol level, I found myself pointing to this one dish!

The prawns taste fresh, but what is appealing to my taste buds was Aunty Lee’s unique pineapple curry sauce. It was so yummy that I decided to salvage (table manners aside) whatever that was left over after the prawns were gone by asking the restaurant owner, Jackson Tan if I could pack the leftover curry home to enjoy with some bread. Perhaps, because of our suggestion, you will get to enjoy it with mantao soon.

Jackson with his son

It was then that I realised that Peranakan Melaka cuisine had very much more time to evolve, as the Peranakan community in Melaka have been in this part of the world much longer (since the era of Hang Li Po in the fifteenth century) than the Peranakan in the northern region.

And being closer to Johor, which was once a world producer of pineapples, it is easy to understand why southern Peranakan cuisine love to include the sweet tropical member of the bromeliad family.

The pineapple is also used in Aunty Lee’s Kerabu Timun, which is served as an appetizer. It is a mixture of cucumber, shallots, pineapple, galangal flower served with sambal belacan, sugar and lime juice.

The fruit has an “exceptional juiciness and a vibrant tropical flavour” and according to the George Mateljan Foundation, the pineapple is one of the healthiest foods in the world.

The pineapple contributes to the great taste in the Nyonya style of cooking. If I may borrow the famous line from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, “That which we call a ‘ripened pineapple’ (instead of rose) by any other name would be just as sweet”. It brings to mind the caricature of Aunty Lee and her sweet signature smile.

Another of their signature dish is the Cili Garam deep-fried fish topped with Aunty Lee’s special salted chili paste. According to Jackson, his son, Jeremy goes to Kuala Selangor to buy the fish and prawns fresh from the fishermen directly.

The Ayam Pong Teh, which is basically chicken and potato stew Nyonya-style, is suitable for children, because it does not use the chilli. The chicken is a home-cooked Malaccan Nyonya dish using onion, garlic, potato, black mushroom, taucheow (or fermented soy-beans) and braised slowly with gula Melaka.

My Number 2 favourite dish is Aunty Lee’s Otak-Otak. This steamed fish cake is well-spiced and topped with sliced onions and chilies to give it a perfect taste to my taste buds.

For those who love anything spicy and hot, Aunty Lee’s sambal belacan complements some of the cuisine. Before I forget, their Pie Tee is also a good appetizer to begin the meal with, and it is to be eaten with hot braised julienned turnips, condiments, and homemade chili sauce.

The Acar Ikan Asin Kurau is another great appetizer to try out. For the deserts, if it is in season, a scoop of Durian D24 paste can make the difference to the cendul, served with shaven ice, gula Melaka and red beans.

Cincalok, being well-known in Melaka, one may want to try Aunty Lee’s Cincalok omelette as this is not widely offered in other restaurants.

And, as I go through the menu again, I realise that Aunty Lee has a number of other signature dishes beyond just the few that we tried recently. Being located in a posh area, it is understandable that rental has to be factored in. A dinner for six adults and two children with the number of dishes that we had costs about RM500. We felt that it would have been ideal to have another two adults on this food tasting adventure.

Their portions are reasonably large; hence, for a smaller group, instead of the regular size for their Udang Masak Lemak Nanas (RM99), you can order a Small Portion (RM59).

Rightfully, the same dishes could comfortably feed a table of 10 adults, which would average out to approximately RM50 per head. The fresh seafood is about a third of the total cost; this does not take into account the drinks/dessert/taxes/service charges.

Therefore, if a group of colleagues, alumni or friends come together to try out Aunty Lee’s delicacies here and share the cost, it is not too much especially when you can have all the signature dishes here, besides enjoying the camaraderie of good company in the comfort of modern facilities instead of taking a drive down to Melaka.

Come prepared with a camera, as you may wish to take photographs of the cosy ambience of a modern Peranakan home. Read my 9-year-old son’s blog here.

Restoran Aunty Lee is located at E-G-10 Plaza Arkadia, Jalan Intisari, Desa ParkCity, Kuala Lumpur.

Tel: 03-64112812
Business hours: Tuesday-Sunday 11.30am – 3.00pm and 6.00pm-10.00pm
Closed on: Mondays

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/AuntyLee-KL-1945703358974529/ (Aunty Lee KL)
https://www.facebook.com/Aunty-Lees-Restaurant-1489963471218664 (Melaka)

Waze location: https://www.waze.com/livemap?zoom=17&lat=3.18682&lon=101.63538

Google Map: https://goo.gl/maps/JWTCkp9Vvus

The original Restaurant Aunty Lee is located at No 385 Jalan Ujong Pasir, Taman Sinn, 75050 Melaka

HP: 019-2788653 Tel: 06-2831009

Email: [email protected]

Website: http://auntylee.com.my/

Mikoshi is about family togetherness

by Stephen Ng | Dec 13, 2017 | Food

With the number of Japanese restaurants trying to adjust to the local tastes, Ayaka Fukuda of Mikoshi Restaurant in Damansara Utama believes that people still enjoy authentic Japanese shabu-shabu, especially when it is done well.

She is a strong believer of the traditional Asian values where families came together to talk to each other. The frequent reunion over a sumptuous meal will help family bonding and strengthen the family unit.

Ayaka, who has lived in Malaysia for four years, observes that the use of mobile gadgets especially by the younger children has become more rampant these days. They would be occupied with the mobile games while parents are busy on the social media, making it almost impossible for the family to bond together.

For that reason, Ayaka tries to introduce the children to some fun time playing traditional Japanese games such as yo-yo tsuri (water-balloon fishing) or having some Japanese and local snacks together after the meal is over.

“Yes, I realise the importance of family togetherness,”

she said during the launch of Mikoshi Restaurant on December 5.

“This is why shabu-shabu will allow the family to spend some time together for family bonding.”

They can pick two of the range of seven shabu-shabu broths – either Mikoshi’s signature Ginger soup (which is also my favourite), Sukiyaki Soup, Sesami Soy milk soup or Wafu soup (a lightly-seasoned seaweed broth); while those who prefer something spicy can choose the Green Curry Soup, Spicy Miso Sou or the Spicy Mongolian Soup.

Besides the thinly sliced beef, beef’s tongue, lamb and chicken, they have a wide range of mushrooms and vegetables to choose from to ensure that the whole family has a healthy meal together.

Their shabu-shabu buffet is priced at RM48++ per adult, and RM30 (for children below 12). For an additional RM30++, you would be entitled to unlimited sushi.

My foodie friend, Tan Swee Ho who joined the food tasting session says he enjoys especially the camaraderie with friends in a cosy ambience that is truly Japanese, and he plans to come back with his friends.

“The raw ingredients here are fresh,” he said. “This is what a good shabu-shabu is about. The restaurant is also clean and its ambience gives a Japanese feel that makes fits its description as a Japanese restaurant.”

I agree that the restaurant lives up to its tagline, ‘the true taste of home’. Except that in Japanese homes, where they sit on low tables, the general ambience gives it the authentic Japanese signature to Mikoshi.

My son loves the Yakiramen the best. Enthusiastic with what he had to enjoy during the meal, he decided to do a video clip himself with some help from me. You can read his blog here. He has learnt one new Japanese word, Oishī (おいしい) which means ‘simply delicious.’

At the children’s corner, the ceiling is adorned with traditional wagasa (oil paper and washi umbrellas) which creates an ambience that young children would love.

Mikoshi’s logo is personally calligraphed by the group director, Akira Tashiro.

For bigger families, Mikoshi has a private room that can fit some 20 guests at any one time. It is also a good place to have small groups coming together for a meal together.

Visit other Japanese restaurants on the Oishi Food Trail: Ni Ichi Sushi still maintains its tastes, and prices despite the inflation.
Background music to the video played by Colin Ng is a famous Japanese song, “First Love” (初恋) by Utada Hikaru (宇多田ヒカル).

Mikoshi Restaurant is located at 109 A, Jalan SS21/1A, Damansara Utama.

Tel: 03-77331184 Whatsapp: 017-3373148

Business hours:

Monday to Thursday
11.30am to 3pm (Last order 2.30pm)
6pm to 11pm (Last order 10.00pm)

Friday to Sunday
11.30am to 11.00pm (Last order 10.00pm)

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mikoshijapanesebuffet/?ref=br_rs

Instagram: mikoshirestaurant

Waze location: https://waze.com/ul/hw283b6qn7

Google Map: https://goo.gl/maps/SgdyGWja5H52

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