Tasty Kuih Nyonya, Klang and a Limerick for Fatboybakes

Posted on April 29, 2010 by Lyrical Lemongrass

I feel a pimple erupting like Krakatoa (Eyjafjallajokull is so last week already) on my face, and it bothers me. Why I’m so affected, I have no idea, because ten pimples could embed themselves on my face and they would still blend in with my leathery middle-aged skin. It’s like going to the gym, isn’t it? When you’re 300lbs overweight, there is less motivation to go to the gym because a 10lb weight loss would make you 390lbs and you’d still be waddling with layers of fat. If only I could slice off a few layers and stir fry some kailan in the lustrous fat. Ah, one can only dream.

And talking about being 300lbs overweight, I last wrote a birthday limerick for my dear friend, Fatboybakes in 2008. When Ciki wrote a cute limerick on Sek Yuen today, Fatboybakes immediately glared at me (or at least, it was the MSN version of glaring) and asked me why I didn’t write him one in 2009. It’s 2010, and it’s a brand new year with brand new feelings and emotions, and I’ve decided to write this, off the cuff, for my dear friend Fatboybakes (aka Tangechi) who is a constant inspiration to me:

There was a fat boy called Tangechi
Who wanted to throw a pool party
He plotted and schemed
And even daydreamed
For his parents to go on a journey

“One week of freedom and bliss!
Thamby, I could give you a kiss!
Call in the troops
And bring in the booze
It’ll be a party you don’t wanna miss!

“I’ll bake you some scones and some cake
And splash in some rum that’s not fake
I won’t break a fart
While I make a tart
It’ll be a party that’s fit for a sheikh!

“Macarons will be aplenty
As long as you show me your belly
Wear a cute li’l bikini
Just don’t be bushy
I swear I’ll faint quite unchastely.

“No water, just single malt whiskey
No bikinis, unless you look like Twiggy
It’ll be hot like a suttee
All the better that you’re sweaty
I can’t wait for this party, my Thamby!”

A pool party is never without tea time treats, and what comes to mind is Tasty Kuih Nyonya (if Fatboybakes decides to break a fart while baking the tart). Located in Southern Park, Klang where I spent my childhood days, the shoplot has a simple front that belies the variety of kuih that is industriously and laboriously made by the little old ladies within. From little balls of pleasure (ondeh-ondeh) bursting with sweet, fragrant gula melaka filling to toothless pleasures (kuih koci – toothless because I remember some childhood pantun about some nenek kebayan eating kuih koci), sticky pieces of dough made with glutinous rice flour and filled with sweet coconut, savoury pulut panggang barbequed in banana leaves and little pink fluffy steamed huat kueh with the fragrant smell of coconut milk, they’re all sugar and spice and everything nice, that’s what little tangechis are made of…..

Tasty Kuih Nyonya
No. 80, Jalan Rengas
Southern Park
41200 Klang, Selangor.

Tel/Fax: 03-3371 2845, Mobilephone: 012-629 8858

Closed Sundays. Open after 1pm.

Ondeh-Ondeh

Kuih Koci

Pulut Panggang

Huat Kueh

The Foodie and the Garmin-Asus nüvifone M10

Posted on March 24, 2010 by Lyrical Lemongrass

I have a fear for hell and Petaling Jaya (PJ).

I’ve got the hell issue well addressed, and that leaves me with PJ. I have only just figured out certain roads in SS2 (where New Formosa and Hoi Peng and the lok lok man are), but that leaves me with a terrifying area of speckled non-sequential numbers, waiting to swallow me into the depths of an apocalyptic chasm. In New York, one knows that 5th Avenue follows 4th Avenue. In PJ, if you walk in one direction of SS2, you’ll find yourself in SS22, a misleading leap of 20 numbers which is a pretty good tool for conning the folk when you want to show off how far you’ve jogged. “I ran from SS2 to SS22, bow down and worship me now, heathen.”

Psychic Kim dropped me an email one day asking me if I would to test out the latest toy in the market, the Garmin-Asus nüvifone M10, to be launched in KL on March 25, 2010. If I could overcome my fear for PJ, I would be able to move down my list of fears and address the next one – bungee jumping. So off I went a-testing, because bungee jumping waits for no man.

Quick facts. The Garmin-Asus M10 works on GSM 900 / 1800 / 1900 HSDPA 900 / 2100 network technology, weighs 138 grams, has a screen size of 3.5 inches and a touchscreen menu. Because it’s a Garmin and a phone, the Garmin software is already preloaded into the phone, and in addition to the City Navigator Singapore/Malaysia, it comes with the popular Malsingmaps Malaysia/Singapore/Brunei. It also has a 5.0 Megapixel camera.

If you’re getting this phone, chances are, it’s because of Garmin. Wait time for satellite connection is short, and then you’re ready to go. There’s a stylus to help you key in the names of locations. The screen is clear both in daytime and at night. It also has voice navigation (American or British English, Malay or Chinese). I tested it out from Bangsar KL to Bukit Tinggi Klang, and around PJ, and in both instances, it worked pretty well.

Of course, the reason you’re here is not because you trust my tech knowledge, but because I can tell you why I like it from an end-user’s point of view. Here are 10 reasons why I think the Garmin-Asus M10 is a keeper:

It’s an all-in-one device. No more large handbags to evening functions. Just pop the Garmin-Asus M10 and your wallet into your evening bag, and you’re good to go.
It gets you to places like Puchong Lim (caution: eat responsibly) without fear.
While you’re waiting at Puchong Lim for your monkey stew to arrive, you can check Facebook and Twitter on your device.
You can plot your next route (or escape from Puchong Lim) while waiting.
While you’re plotting your next route, you can look up food finds on the Navigational Panel (really cool) or you can SMS Finder 401 if you’re on Maxis.
It’s an entertainment unit. You can download songs and games onto the device, but if you’re cheap and looking for a quick thrill when no comedian is in the vicinity, you can learn how Americans pronounce the names of our local roads. No prizes for guessing what Jalan Panty in KL is.
Once the food arrives, you can quickly whip out your phone with the 5.0 Megapixel camera and snap away. I tested it alongside my iPhone 3G, and to be honest, the iPhone 3G failed miserably. The Garmin-Asus M10 worked better under low light conditions, and pictures were also sharper.
If you’re a food blogger, you can upload the pictures onto the blog immediately and geotag your location for the benefit of your readers.
For the workaholics, the phone comes with Office Mobile which includes Word, Excel and Powerpoint Mobile.
It comes in black or white, and either colour matches your nails. No need for major wardrobe change. Phew.

Picture captured with the Garmin-Asus M10 under normal light conditions. Thanks, Marcky, for the delicious floss-filled-love-letters from Penang!

I don’t love everything, of course. I own an iPhone, so the finger swiping thing across the screen is my forte. With the Garmin-Asus M10, I find it easier to swipe across with the stylus. Also, picture quality, although better than my iPhone, still isn’t perfect yet. A slight blue tinge is cast on my pictures, and on occasion, it isn’t as sharp as I’d like it to be. The Garmin function also drinks up the battery, so it’s good to keep it charged in the car or you may miss Jalan Panty altogether.

Since the phone will only be launched on March 25, 2010 (tomorrow, people!), prices have yet to be released although sources say that it will be priced between RM1,700 and RM2,000.

Thanks, Kim and Garmin-Asus for kindly sponsoring the phone for this helpless foodie. And if you’d like a chance to win a free Garmin-Asus M10 phone, hop over to FriedBeef’s Tech.

Please don’t remind me about bungee jumping if you bump into me.

Aliyaa, Damansara Heights

Posted on March 16, 2010 by Lyrical Lemongrass

Aliyaa holds many memories for me – memories of sharing a birthday celebration a couple of years ago with two special people in my life (with an FBB-created pavlova, no less), memories of being surprised with a gorgeous set of sushi cakes, and memories of meeting certain people for the first time there and enjoying friendships that have lasted thus far. There are other memories, but some are best kept within the confines of the four walls and staircase. Ah, it is a hard task to be secret-keeper and friend, especially when the white page of my blog beckons. My loyalty, however, is as steadfast as the cakes that FBB bakes for me, and for as long as he continues to feed me, I will not speak. Nay, my lips are sealed with chocolate and cream.

My first encounter with Sri Lankan food was, surprisingly enough, in a wintry kitchen in London. Bald Eagle’s uncle’s wife, a Sri Lankan lady whose training as a lawyer did not go amiss as she entertained us with witty and hilarious anecdotes of family life in perfectly punctuated English, cooked the most marvelous Sri Lankan dishes. Coming home after a long day of shopping and sightseeing to a plate of steaming rice and hot curry was the perfect antidote to combat the cold. It was in that very kitchen that I learnt how to make coconut sambol (masi) made with Maldive fish, grated coconut and lime juice, and subsequently smuggled some Maldive fish back to KL because at that young(er) age, I had no idea where to find such a versatile ingredient.

Our friend, Logan, loves spicy food, and since it was his birthday last week, Toygirl organised a surprise party at Aliyaa. Sri Lankan cuisine is known for being spicy, and in fact, it is even spicier than the South Indian food which is more commonly available in KL. Despite that knowledge, nothing prepared us for the onslaught of spice and heat as we drank copious amounts of water to sooth our burning tongues. It was a welcome problem, though, as the food was delicious, and so we carried on our masochistic behaviour of assaulting and battering our sensitive stomachs all in the name of pleasure. We were lazy to use our fingers, and skipped the house recommendation, the Sri Lankan crab curry. However, the Mutton Paal Poriyal was a worthy substitute, tender and tasty, cooked in a dry gravy with lots of cumin, chilli and curry leaves. The String Hoppers (made with rice flour) went wonderfully with the Mixed Vegetable Sothi, a fragrant coconut milk curry coloured yellow with turmeric. The Fish Curry was especially spicy, but I kept pouring it on my rice, virtually drinking it up and giving Logan a run for his money.

Aliyaa is located in a two-storey bungalow with a more formal setting downstairs, and a bar with an outdoor area upstairs. The furniture is heavy and sturdy, much like what Aliyaa means – “elephant” in Singhalese. The place seems to have survived the test of time (in restaurant years), so here’s hoping that my memories in this place will continue to live.

Aliyaa
8 Lorong Dungun
Bukit Damansara
50490 Kuala Lumpur.

Tel: 03-2092 5378

Operating Hours: 12pm to 1am (Mon to Thurs), 12pm to 3am (Fri), 6pm till late (Sat), Sun closed.

Lamb cutlets