A thoughtful gift for the sinful Pam

While we are in the midst of 'celebrating' the Hungry Ghost Festival, the various mooncake brands have started to make their early appearance at major department stores. The battle has just begun... Do not attempt to walk near the cluster of mooncake stalls or you will be 'served' till you feel bad for not buying a piece or two from them. I have been avoiding these stalls for years. I even turned down mooncake gifts from friends gracefully. This is because none of my family members fancies mooncake. I used to feel sorry for the mooncake coated with a spongy layer of molds as a result of being left unattended for too long. When I think of people starving to death, suffering under the catastrophes and miseries, I heaved a sigh of regret at my sorrowful sins.

One thoughtful friend who just knows me too well sent a lovely gift this morning - 2 pieces of jelly mooncakes. This time, I swear that none of these will go into the dustbin. 

Chilled jelly mooncakes

Sweet potato flavoured mooncake

Kiwi flavoured mooncake

Chicken Supreme Personal Cheesy Lava Stuffed Crust Pizza

Don't ask for more when you are paying less than RM7.00 for a huge (to me, that's huge) pizza loaded with everything (capsicum, onions, chicken, lots and lots of cheese) you need in a pizza. It's Tuesday, a day when you can enjoy 50 % discount for a Chicken Supreme Personal Cheesy Lava Stuffed Crust Pizza. Don't be misled by the term personal cause that's more than enough to last you for hours. Trust me. This pizza is uncriticizable. It's delicious and worth every single cent!

Chicken Supreme Personal Cheesy Lava Stuffed Crust Pizza @ RM6.75

I was hypnotised. I heard someone whisper in my ear:

Cheese is not fattening. Cheese contains no calories. Cheese is the healthiest food on earth...

Black coffee @ RM3.00

Pizza Hut Taiping
No. 99 (Ground Floor) & No. 101 (Ground & First Floors)
Jalan Kota, 34000 Taiping, Perak.

Malaysia.

A teacher's breakfast tantrum

TAIPING, Fri. - A secondary school teacher thought likely to be having an extravagant Friday breakfast was found munching an egg sandwich and sipping some high calorie chocolate liquid, according to an eyewitness. While the rest of the family was waiting for her to get dressed up for breakfast, she quietly brought back a packet of egg sandwich, prepared a chocolate drink and gobbled everything with all her might. The teacher is believed to be suffering from emotional outburst, as she was found to be in emotional distress over the days as a result of being tormented by unceasing efforts on marking exam papers.  

Segafredo Hot Ciok Fondente and egg sandwich

Singapore Discovery Vacation

Pam and her mum are leaving for Singapore tonight. They are going to visit several hot tourist spots in Singapore such as Marina Bay, Sentosa Island, Universal Studio, Singapore Flyer, Song of the Sea (Musical Fountain) etc.

Be back on Thursday...

Himekami - Earthflame 

向世界出發

Are We Coming Apart Or Together?

Are We Coming Apart Or Together?

Somewhere and sometime in this small town

Two drifters are together

Struggling to find words which they can share

Their hearts are not apart

Their feelings remain strong

But...

Gaps are seen and felt

Peculiar feelings arising

Uneasiness overwhelming

Love is falling apart, somehow

My girl,

Is she my daughter whom I've known for years?

With endless patience and passion I showered

Suppressing the unforgiven nagging and scolding

Is she the one whom I love

Fading into darkness

Falling into bits

Are we still together?

Black coffee for Pam @ RM2.00

Milk tea for Yin @ RM2.60

A bowl of fruit salad we shared @ RM4.20

Kapitan Kopitiam

2 Regat Tupai,

34000 Taiping, Perak.

Malaysia.

Tel: 605-8051320

Cheap N Nice Western food @ Thomas's

The phrase 'Cheap N Nice', may be grammatically incorrect, but the combination of the above adjectives is highly complemented by the connector 'and'. The whole idea of food is simply not delivered if a more proper conjunction is used in this context, for instance, 'but'.  This is because the diners whole-heartedly agree that there ain't any contrasting ideas between food and its price. Instead, they are better expressed when they are taken as two similar objects sharing a common trait, being good and reasonable. 

Thomas Western Corner, a food stall occupying a temporary shed by the roadside, serves the most delicious western food in Taiping. If you are an out-of-towner whose sole aim is to hunt for good food in Taiping, leaving Taiping without trying Thomas's cooking would be the greatest sin in your life. 

. 

Mexican Grilled Chicken Fillet @ RM7.00

Well-marinated chicken fillet lightly grilled till golden brown, served with a spicy Mexican gravy.

The chicken chop comprises of  one large piece of chicken meat, 2 slices of French toast and a choice of either rice or French fries. As I don't fancy rice or French fries, I opted for the third choice of my own - 4 slices of French toast instead of 2. Fair enough, isn't it?

A cup of fresh orange juice to round off the meal. (coffee is not served here)

Thomas Western Corner

(Cheap N Nice food stall)

Cross street No.8

34000 Taiping, Perak, 

Malaysia.

Pam's truthful companion

Some days ago, when a bomb shell was dropped on Pam, she was too agitated to accept the unwelcome surprise after being chilling out too long in the comfort zone. She did not know what to do. She was confused, disturbed and bewildered. She left a post on the 5th day of the month and thought that it would be the last which marked the end of her years of blogging. The 'last' post, however, stayed for quite a number of days till one thoughtful pal of her scribbled a short note in the comment column. She asked: 

"More coffee please?" :)

A simple phrase, attached with a huge concern and meaningful thought, awakened me from my 6-day self-imprisonment which nearly led to me sentencing myself to a lifelong incarceration. 

I then asked myself: "What about your coffee story? Are you going to let them die off like how you sent away the child whom you'd raised for 6 years?" (That's a different story which I might reveal someday...)

No! The story must go on! The coffee enthusiasm must go on till my life finally fades away... Thus, I'm back, and still the same old self. Thanks to my truthful companion, I'm back... I'm back... safe and sound.

For better or worse...

Till death do us part.

Davidoff Espresso and Cutie Cherry Pie

I am not a fan of instant ground coffee. While everyone is delighted by the invention of instant coffee which saves their trouble of brewing coffee, many have forgotten that instant coffee is not real coffee as the taste is artificially modified using various chemical reactions. Just imagine, when ground coffee is made into water-soluble substances under unknown processes, much (or perhaps all) taste must have evaporated in the atmosphere. This is undeniably true as all freshly ground coffee can only be kept for a maximum of 5 days upon grinding from the whole coffee bean. After 5 days, the taste and smell (even colour) will be different no matter how well you seal the ground coffee. A layman may not be able to tell the difference but seasoned coffee drinkers do. Stale coffee is easily detected from sniffing, cupping and slurping of coffee. As for ground coffee sold by renowned brands, they are always sealed in vacuum pack to ensure zero oxidation of coffee until the pack is unsealed. With that, the freshness of the coffee is somehow retained. Certainly, the one and only way of getting the freshest coffee is by roasting, grinding and brewing your own beans at one go. 

Back to the main idea of today's post. Why did I buy Davidoff instant coffee which is hardly compatible to the type of beans I used to drink? The reason is simple: I like the cup and saucer. Please don't ask me how the coffee tastes as I do not want to get into unwanted trouble. For instance, being criticised by fans of Davidoff or sued by the company... Haha!  

Davidoff Cafe gift pack @ RM24.99

Davidoff Espresso 57 Dark Roast

A set of free cup and saucer comes with every purchase of Davidoff gift pack.

In my previous post on Victoria Crest Chicken and Mushroom Pie, I introduced a new product of locally made frozen pies. Today, I am going to show you another frozen fruit pie made in the States. If you are interested in all these frozen products, visit any Cold Storage supermarkets and you will be able to see an abundant supply of imported pies and tarts at the frozen department. So, how does this American pie taste? As expected, the pie is exceptionally sweet. For those who do not have a sweet tooth, I would strongly advise against buying this product. In fact, I am having a hard time in getting rid of the remaining pies stored in the freezer. Anyone wants to adopt the pies?

Frozen Cherry Pie by Cutie Pie

Each box contains six individually wrapped pies.

Cherry pie coated with a layer of melted icing sugar

The other side of the pie

Sweet cherry filling

Happy Birthday, now you're one year older!

 Happy birthday to you, my Pietro!

 You're one year older, my boy!

and you've just turned 5!

A New York Cheesecake for my darling Pietro!

Illy Espresso and Victoria Crest Chicken & Mushroom Pie

Illy, a renowned coffee brand in Italy, is perhaps the most prestigious of all in its own region. Illy produces a single blend of 100% Arabica coffee beans from nine growing regions, meticulously selected from different origins and varieties to create the distinctive, perfect coffee taste. 

Illy Espresso - Dark Roast

 Illy dark roast espresso comes with a stronger, more robust flavour.

 So fine and exquisite.

The premium type of coffee fits for the premium coffee people.

Victoria Crest, a local company specialises in the production of British-style foods i.e. sausages and meat pies, uses only quality spices and ingredients in their food products. Made from original recipes based on traditional methods and flavours, the chicken and mushroom pie has a unique flavour, with a slight influence of the local taste and spices.

Victoria Crest Chicken Mushroom & Leek Pie

Before

and after

Succulent chicken in a creamy portobello mushroom and leek sauce, encased in buttery puff pastry.

Smoked Salmon Quiche @ Tammy's Kitchen

Tammy's kitchen is my latest discovery in Ipoh. When I came across the name of this newly-opened (about a year) cafe in Ipoh, there was hardly any anticipation as I mistakenly thought that it was nothing more than an ordinary cafe in the neighbourhood. I ended up slapping myself for being over-judgemental and silly in believing my preconceptions without looking at the truth. My arrival was greeted promptly by striking signboard of Tammy's and my eyebrow was raised most prominently in the direction of discovering some extremely addictive food at Tammy's Kitchen --- quiches and pies. My first visit to Tammy's was a memorable one as the best and well-kept secret of quiches is finally revealed in Ipoh.   

Tammy's Kitchen

Orange Yogurt Drink @ RM5.50

Black Coffee @ RM2.80

Smoked Salmon Quiche @ RM 15.90 per slice

Truly a creation of the maestro, this quiche is loaded with chunks of smoked salmon, fresh mushroom and beaten eggs. 

The fresh greens put a smile on everyone's face

It's simply too good to be missed...

TAMMY’S KITCHEN
No 7, Hala Bandar Baru Tambun 18,
Desa Tambun Indah,
31400 Ipoh, Perak, 

Malaysia.
Tel : 6017-487 3728
Business Hours : 11.30am – 8.00pm daily.

Disappointing Dim Sum experience @ Ming Court

Ipoh was once famous for its Cantonese fare namely dim sum and noodle dishes. Dim Sum restaurants mushroomed in Ipoh in the early decades. Today, this highly-acclaimed food has become the main crowd-puller and people from all over the country often make their pilgrimage to Ipoh to determine the cream of the crop among all the dim sum outlets in town. Previously, the battle of dim sum was fought between 2 pioneers, Foh San and Ming Court. Today, however, the well-established Foh San seems to have overshadowed its rival and has emerged as the most prominent dim sum place in Ipoh. As for me, I always prefer the dainty type of morsels served in Ming Court. 

Despite being told that the quality of their dim sum is going on downhill, I insisted on giving Ming Court a chance so I visited the place on a fine Saturday morning. Consequently, I was utterly surprised by the tasteless dim sums of Ming Court. Ming Court is certainly not fit to be called a dim sum restaurant anymore, unless improvement is seen in the near future. 

Prawn dumplings

Premium fish balls

Fried fish balls

Siew Mai

Scallop rolls

Lotus seed paste

Chee Cheong Fun 

Ma Lai Koh

Ming Court Hong Kong Tim Sum Sdn Bhd
32,34,36 Jalan Leong Sin Nam,
30300 Ipoh, Perak,
Malaysia.
Tel No : 605-255 7134