Welcome back, Darling!

McDonald's Chocolate flavoured sundae cone had been missing for years. Since then, I stopped eating sundaes because of the bland vanilla flavour. However, my favourite flavour has finally come back to me! It came back so quietly and unnoticeable. By chance, I discovered a strange phenomenon when everyone in the mall was having something in common. They were all eating McDonald's ice-cream! CHOCOLATE flavour some more!!! I quickly made a beeline to the ice-cream counter, with the intention of buying at least 2 sundaes and 'sapu' them up all by myself. When it finally came to my turn, only ONE sundae cone was left. To make the matter worse, it was not even pure chocolate flavour. I could only be given a mixed twist flavour which is made up of a combination of chocolate and vanilla. Well, I seemed to have no choice but to buy the mixed twist just to satisfy the hunger pangs.  I was counting my blessings while I swallowed the ice-cream hastily in large bites, for I was able to enjoy the chocolate ice-cream again after such a long wait. Now, I am pleading to everyone to support the return of chocolate flavoured sundae cone so that it will stay forever. Hope McDonald's will not consider removing it from the list again.

Mixed Twist @ RM1.35

Red Sagu Dessert with Bee Tai Bark???

I like to eat Yong Tau Foo (or better known as 'Chow Liew' in Ipoh). I usually go to Tai She Keok for a bowl of piping hot laksa, perfected with an extra scoop of  shrimp paste (har kou) and a couple of Chow Liew. I like the liew and I think this stall sells the best liew among its rivals in Pasir Pinji. On the contrary, my uncle always says that the corner shop along Jalan Pasir Pinji sells even chunkier and tastier liew. He would be very delighted if someone invited him over for some 'chow liew' at the coffee shop. Very few seem to see eye to eye with him so the pitiful old man always eats alone. Being a wonderful niece, I went all the way to Waller Court to take him to the coffee shop for lunch. When I drove past the coffee shop, I discovered something new (for my age). There was a pushcart at the corner of Jalan Pasir Pinji selling some kind of cold concoction.

This stall sells Red Sagu (Sek Lau Ji), rice flour strips (Bee Tai Bark) 

and jelly made of seaweed extract (wan tau long).

Red Sagu & Bee Tai Bark

The vendor scooping the red sagu onto the bowl of shaved ice

Red Sagu Dessert (front) and Bee Tai Bark (back)

A beautiful and refreshing dessert

I added the smooth and cooling jelly, wan tau long, into my bowl of red sagu dessert.

Melting moments......

Red Sagu Dessert

Jalan Pasir Pinji

Ipoh

San Francisco Steakhouse, Coliseum Square

I love eating escargots. My first experience of eating escargots was during my visit to Malacca. Being an adventurous foodie, I was willing to try anything that is edible. My first trip to Malacca was guided by a Malacca unimate who shared my interest on food. She introduced to me a variety of exotic Malacca food and I had had one of my most memorable eating experience when she led me into a back alley near the historical sites in Malacca. We stopped in front of a few stalls selling blanched shell fish and we settled for 3 plates of unhygienic shell fish - garden snails, cockles and clams. I therefore tasted my very first local escargots beside two rows of  filthy drains in a back alley. 

I then had my second plate of escargots at San Franscisco Steakhouse at Mid Valley Megamall about six years ago. The mollusks were cooked with garlic and parsley butter in the shells and some special cutleries were used to extract the flesh from the shells. 

Years later, I had my third escargot meal in Brussels. As I was walking around The Grand Place looking for the Mannicken Pis, I spotted a roadside stall selling escargots cooked in broth. The small serving of escargots was an eye-opener to me as it was the freshest I'd ever tasted. I was later told by a friend from France that Burgundy serves the best escargots in the world. Since then, I have fallen in love with escargots.

Last week, I took Mum to San Francisco Steakhouse at Coliseum Square. I ordered escargots again! When the dish arrived, I couldn't help but frown when I saw the whole presentation of the food. Instead of serving it in the shells, they discarded the shells and baked the flesh in a special dish with six tiny compartments. It was quite disappointing because making an effort to hold the shell firmly and extract the flesh from the shell are part of the enjoyment in eating escargots. 

Brew of the day @ RM6.50

Complimentary thin bread slice served with fresh herb butter 

Baked escargots in garlic cream sauce @ RM15.90

Chicken Maryland @ RM20.90

The escargots were not as good as the one I had in the outlet at Mid Valley Megamall. Mum was complaining    the battered chicken being tasteless. She doesn't have the habit of dipping food in sauces but had to resort to requesting for extra ketchup for the chicken. Consequently, we left without ordering any desserts to avoid further disappointment. 

San Francisco Steakhouse

Coliseum Square

Jalan Gopeng

Ipoh

Good morning, Sunday!

 Good morning! It's breakfast time again. Thinking of how to brighten up my day, I put away my car keys and wallet. No more going out for breakfast. No more standing beside tables waiting for the others to force food into their mouths (If only they could ignore the stare of those who are waiting to take over their seats, they could take their own sweet time to eat at ease). I understand the sickening feeling of being 'signalled' to leave, since I myself hate it so much. Hence, I've decided to stay at home.  I know the way to cheer myself up and pamper myself with wonderful treats even without leaving the house. 

This is not any typical E.A.T. (English Afternoon Tea) but M.M.M. - Mingna's Morning Makan!

Maxwell House Cafe Vienna is a good choice of breakfast coffee.

 Simple but good enough to feed 4 mouths.

 Cranberry Scones

Chocolate Layered Soft Bread

Japanese Baked Cheesecake Slices

Assorted Danish - Cocktail Croissant, Chocolate Pleated Danish & Custard Danish

Black Pepper Chicken Pie

Just another simple breafast ensemble

Chicken Pie & Chocolate Filled Puff Pastry

M.M.M. is available at Ming Na's Residence in Taiping & Ipoh.

Homestyle Italian Fare at Ecco Cafe

Ecco Cafe is a surprising find. It has so much to offer, namely handmade bread, home-made fresh pasta and home-grown basil. Chef Law Soo Hock started his business in this pre-war house on Lebuh Chulia five years ago. Since then, many backpackers began to drop by and the eatery was later being included in some popular Travel Guide Books. Majority of the foreigners who tour Penang have learned about this place from the guide books. When I arrived at the cafe at 7.30p.m., half of the tables were occupied by foreigners. I got a rather awkward feeling because I was the only local diner in the cafe.  

Ecco Cafe offers a good meal in fairly quiet, relaxed surroundings.

The Menu

The pasta dishes

This is not a fine dining restaurant, so please forgivre them for not laying the table.

Ground Coffee brewed in a French Press @ RM5.00

Pesto Sauce Pasta, garnished with handmade toast @ RM16.00

Only house-made pasta is available in this cafe. 

The texture and taste of fresh pasta are so significantly different from the dried version. 

The texture of the fresh house made pasta is definitely better than the usual dried variety.

*drooling*

Handmade bread is toasted and slathered with tomato and pesto respectively.

Dessert of the Day: Creme Brulee @ RM10.00

Creme Brulee is a french dessert which resembles our local steamed egg custard

Castor sugar is sprinkled onto the custard, then caramelised with a butane torch. 

The disc of crunchy caramel gives a contrasting texture to the oh-so-creamy custard base

Trust me, this is something to die for. Skipping this creme brulee is a sin so make sure you order this dessert when you come to Ecco Cafe.

Ecco Cafe

402 Lebuh Chulia

Georgetown

Tel: 04-2623178

Kim Tavern @ Sunway Carnival Mall

Last Wednesday, Dr Jafre was on leave. I had no choice but to meet him outside so I waited for him at the Carrefour hypermarket in Seberang Jaya. After the consultation session, I left Carrefour for dinner. Drove past Victoria Station, I asked Mum if she wanted to eat steak since I had not been to Victoria Station for more than a year. Mum was quite undecided because she wanted to go for some real carbo treats. I seldom go to Seberang Jaya so I hardly know any restaurants around serving good Chinese food. Mum doesn't fancy hawker's food so I had to cross Chai Leng Park off the list. Since Sunway Carnival Mall is merely a stone's throw away from Victoria Station, we wasted no time by heading towards the lower ground floor of the mall for food. Mum spotted a restaurant painted in orange and showed me a 'Shall we?' look. 

Kim Tavern @ Sunway Carnival Mall

Fresh Orange (RM3.50) and Hot Mocha (RM3.50)

Taiwan-styled Minced Chicken and Braised Egg Noodles @ RM7.90

The minced meat was very flavourful and the fragrant gravy was infused into the soup when I gave it a nice stir.

Noticed any changes in the soup?

Creamy Satay Chicken Bento Set @RM8.50

The set includes a bowl of Miso soup, half a sambal egg and a small serving of salad.

Large pieces of chicken coated with creamy satay sauce

P.S. Wendy, Taiwan shi wu zhen de hen hao chi.

Kim Tavern

Food Street, Lower Ground

Sunway Carnival Mall

Seberang Jaya
Penang

04-3999879

Barbecue Party & Mid Autumn Festival

My twelve colleagues and I had a barbecue and potluck party in conjunction with the Mid Autumn Festival. One of them let us use her bungalow and we had the party in a big bungalow with an extra-large compound and a beautiful lawn.

Today's special: Chicken wings!

Grilling, grilling and grilling...

The chicken wings got burned by the flame

Not bad woh (burnt a little)! Ming Na is quite skillful, huh?

I made this fruit salad

Lian's curried squid

Wendy's favourite: Sweet Potatoes (Farn She!)

Lian's Fried Beehoon

WC's white fungus soup 

(to neutralise all the "heatiness" we might get from the grilled food)

Wishing all of you:

Happy Mid Autumn Festival

Choong Chow Jit Fai Lok

Chong Chiu Jie Kuai Le