Spasso Milano, Kuala Lumpur

As we were feeling peckish while nosing around Pavillion in Kuala Lumpur, we hopped into Spasso Milano for their antipasti buffet lunch. Ooooh.....the roast pork is goody goody. So is their roast chicken. The garlic bread is not bad either. Same goes for the saltcake and vegetable frittata. Mum said the pumpkin soup is yum yum while sis gave the thums up for the asparagus soup. Actually all the antipasti offered are good but it is the desserts which are to die for. The cakes are creamy, fluffy and best of all................not too sweet. The different flavoured ice creams too are worth a few helpings. Makes me salivate just thinking about the desserts and I don't have a sweet tooth......not a single one, no siree.
Spasso Milano is located at Level 6 of Pavillion, Kuala Lumpur.

A Message

To Datuk Lee Chong Wei :

Whether you won the gold medal or not is not important. What you managed to do was even more priceless than the gold medal. You managed to bring all Malaysians together irrespective of race and religion to cheer for you as a representative of Malaysia. Two thumbs up to you. Well done.

(FYI: I am not a fan. Just a casual observer who is not even interested in badminton.)

A Suggestion

Punishment for the Somali and friends who threw the little dog down the manhole and this includes the one who recorded the whole episode (whether the little dog is still alive as claimed.........or not is irrelevant) :
As the saying goes : Do unto others what you want others to do unto you. So, do unto them what they did unto the little dog. Throw them down the manhole too and leave them there for a week. After that kick them back to where they come from and blacklist them so that they can never ever step foot onto Malaysian soil again.
I absolutely detest animal and child abusers. Makes me want to go after them and deal with them............. my way.

Observations Of A Food Blob (7)

Have you ever wondered (if you haven't already) why ordinary folks are always forced to wait for their turn for whatever while those privileged folks can just swan over to the front of the queue? Does this mean ordinary folks are not important? And why are these privileged folks allowed to jump queue in the first place? Would I do the same thing - allow queue jumping, I mean? No, I won't. I once told off a Puan Sri for trying to use her title to jump queue and showed her my badge so that she can make a complaint to my manager if she wanted to. I also pointed her to the direction of the management office in case she got lost or something. So, no, I don't allow queue jumping from anyone. Btw, that Puan Sri didn't lodge any complaints, in case you are wondering.

Kafe Teen, Ipoh

As it's been quite a while since we patronise Kafe Teen, we decided to go there for breakfast one Saturday morning. According to Dad, his order of prawn noodles was quite disappointing. No 'prawny' taste. Looks can be deceiving, heh? Sis'order of Siamese fried bee hoon with chicken rendang from the Malay lady was not bad but a bit on the expensive side lor. My order of chee cheong fun was not to my liking at all. Aiyah, gluey, lah. Why must some people put so much starch into the sauce, hah? Something which I hate.
Kafe Teen is located behind Domino's Pizza in Medan Ipoh Bistari.

Prawn Noodles

Siamese Fried Bee Hoon with Chicken Rendang

Chee Cheong Fun

In Memory Of Sabrina Yeap

Restoran Nasi Kandar Nasmir, Ipoh

The aunt got a sudden craving for mutton curry and so.......off we go to the nearest nasi kandar shop. Restoran Nasi Kandar Nasmir at Jalan Medan Ipoh 2, Bandar Baru Medan Ipoh opposite Tesco.My order of squid curry, fried chicken and stir fry long beans with the rice flooded with all sorts curry gravy was 'hou sik'. The squid was not chewy at all and the fried chicken was good too. As for the stir fry long beans, it was done just the way I like it; the long beans being nice and crunchy. The aunt's and dad's order of mutton curry with cabbages got the thumbs up from both of them. The mutton was tender while the cabbages were sweet and crunchy. Ho chiak.

Squid curry, fried chicken & stir fry long beans

Rose syrup (my favourite drink)

Special Dedication

To the late Sabrina Yeap, founder of Furry Friends Farm :


The world has lost a true champion and a hero. Your successor(s) has a very big pair of shoes to fill. You did extremely well in your short time here on Earth. Please continue to look out for your furry friends from your place in Heaven. God Bless.

Animal Welfare News & Blogs | PetFinder.my

Animal Welfare News & Blogs | PetFinder.my: Get the latest news and updates from Malaysia's leading animal welfare groups at PetFinder.my's one-stop news portal.

Lot 10 Hutong, Kuala Lumpur

After spending the whole morning shopping at the Bukit Bintang area, we decided to pop into Lot 10 Hutong for lunch. Yikes! Lots of people already. Ahhh......finally managed to find an empty table after walking round and round and round. Err......what to order ah? Okay, Penang Assam Laksa from Chua Brothers (Stall H3). Wow, almost as good as in Penang. A bit spicy for some but.....not for me, heh, heh. Ho chiak. How about Duck Egg Penang Char Koay Teow from Yummy M & M (didn't get the stall number. Sorry.)? Hou sik. One of the best char koay teow outside Penang. Spicy too. Just my cup of tea, hah.Why not try the Imbi Road Pork Noodles (Stall H8A)? Yum, yum. Prefer the dry version more than the soup version. Don't know why.

Duck Egg Penang Char Koay Teow

Penang Assam Laksa

Imbi Road Pork Noodles

Gua Tempurung and Char Koay Teow, Chinatown, Kuala Lumpur

On a recent trip to Kuala Lumpur, we stopped by at Gua Tempurung to check out the place. On first sight, the area was OK but when we reached the ticket counter, we were surprised to find it closed. It was already 9.30 a.m. and there, written very clearly on the signboard, was a notice telling all and sundry that the place is supposed to open at 9.00 a.m. After 10 minutes, another place opened and surprise, surprise..........they were selling tickets from there. Anyway, after purchasing our tickets, we were told to wait for the ranger to take us into the cave. After 10 minutes of waiting, we were finally told to follow another ranger who was taking a huge group of people who were taking the whole tour (yup, the one where you have to squeeze in and out and between small cracks and get thoroughly wet). As our group has aged members, we took the easy tour ie part way only. So, we were left to our own devices while the ranger was very much far ahead with his group. What impression this will give to tourists, I don't know. But, the place is beautiful. This, nobody can deny. Only the service is somewhat lacking............as usual.

Anyway, as it was almost time for lunch when we reached Kuala Lumpur, we decided to stop for lunch in Chinatown (yup, I know, Chinatown again) before proceeding to our hotel. Having decided on Tang City Food Court at Jalan Hang Lekir, we set about ordering our lunch. Koon Kee Wantan Noodles and Penang Char Koay Teow. The char koay teow arrived in a jiffy. They are willing to fry the noodles with chilli, so, they are in my good books already. That aside, the char koay teow was yum, yum. Very tasty and flavourful. Enough 'wok hei', you know, and not too dry. Could easily eat another plate if my tummy wasn't full already, heh, heh.

Observations Of a Food Blob (6)

Have you ever wondered (if you haven't already), how some people can bring themselves to abuse defenceless children and animals and bully those who are perceived to be weaker than them? What is wrong with these people? Don't tell me it is due to stress or some other nonsense. I know a lot of people who are very stressed out or are carrying a heavy burden on their shoulders and yet they don't go around abusing children and animals and bullying those who are weaker than them. In fact, these people even go out of their way to help those who are less fortunate than them. Why don't those abusers and bullies go and pick on someone their own size? Cowards. I think the most suitable punishment for those who do these kind of despicable things is to do to them what they did to their victims. Agree with me?

Restaurant Sun Mar Poh, Ipoh

The aunt announced that she is treating us to dinner at Restaurant Sun Mar Poh. Good, can get free meal, heh, heh. We ordered the restaurant's signature dish - fried cuttlefish salad (chiu phai tiu phin). It was good with a sweet and sour sauce, onions and, my favourite, bits of chilli padi (bird's eye chilli) to give it some oomph. We also ordered stir fry "kwai tau miu" (can't remember the English name, sorry) with garlic, pork trotters in vinegar (chee kiok chou), potato shoots fried with belacan, fish head curry and kam heong lala. The "kwai tau miu'' were good. Nice and crunchy while the potato shoots were quite ordinary lor. The "chee kiok chou" was yum, yum. Got the thumbs up from everyone. I could just down the whole bowl myself, hah. The fish head curry was not to my liking though - too much curry powder. The kam heong lala, although not bad, could be better.
Restaurant Sun Mar Poh is located at Jalan Dato Lau Pak Khuan, Ipoh Garden. Same row as Maybank and KFC.

Chiu phai tiu phin

Stir fried kwai tau miu with garlic

Chee kiok chou

Fish head curry

Kam heong lala

Cafe Ray Of Hope, Ipoh

After reading about this cafe run by a charity organisation which provides training for people with learning disabilities, we decided to check it out one day. We were given a warm welcome the moment we stepped foot inside the cafe. Most of the front liners are special people and they are very polite and cheerful. The way they take their responsibilities seriously can easily put the rest of us to shame. Those in the service industry could learn a thing or two from them, I'd say. Now, for the most important part; the food. On that day, we ordered Thai Fried Rice, Cantonese Fried Koay Teow (which is actually Wat Tan Hor) and Hong Kong Fried Toong Fun (glass noodles). All were given the thumbs up by us. They don't scrimp on ingredients here obviously. A special mention is given to their apple juice and mix fruit drink (made up of carrot, apple and lemon juices) which are simply great. Deserving a special mention also are their pandan layered cake and cheese tart. The cake is light, fluffy, creamy and best of all, not sweet. Nice. The cheese tart is very creamy and cheesy. Ho chiak. I can easily eat half a dozen of this in one sitting, heh, heh. On my second visit with a colleague, I tried the Claypot Low Shi Fun. Tasty with lots of crunchy vegetables. I am thinking of trying either the fried wan tan noodles (a friend said it was good) or the fried mee sua on my next visit.
Cafe Ray Of Hope is a corner lot located at Persiaran Bercham Selatan 31, Taman Sri Kurau, Ipoh.

Hong Kong Fried Toong Fun

Cantonese Fried Koay Teow (Wat Tan Hor)

Thai Fried Rice

Simply delicious

I agree

Pamphlet taken from the cafe

Food For Thought (32)

A friend emailed these photos to me that made me cry and it got me thinking. Whenever any of you out there start complaining about all the wrongs in your life, remember that there are other people struggling to live with or overcome all the wrongs in their lives and these wrongs are hundreds of times worse than yours and mine put together. So, be happy with who you are and what you have and whenever possible, do something to help those that are not so fortunate aaand.........stop complaining. Stop complaining about your food as there are people who are dying for a scrap of food. Stop complaining about your family as there are people who don't have any. Stop complaining about your studies as there are children who would give or do anything for a chance to go to school. Stop complaining about your job as there are children who do work that is worse than yours. In short, stop complaining about anything and everything.
Have a look at these pictures and thank God you are not them.

Stop complaining about your food

Stop complaining about your family

Stop complaining about your studies

Stop complaining about your job

Stop complaining about anything and everything

Fried Oysters (Oh Chien), Penang

I have yet to come across fried oysters which can beat those served by my late grandpa. So far, I have only tried 3 fried oyster stalls in Penang and none of them made the mark. First up, the fried oyster stall located in  Kedai Kopi Seng Thor at Lebuh Carnavon. Very, very oily. Can practically see the oysters swimming in the layer of oil gathered at the bottom of the plate. Next, the fried oyster stall at the Gurney Drive hawker centre. Not oily; dry but quite stingy with the oyster (no extra oysters even if you requested for it). Service is quick even when the queue is long and I mean loooong. Finally, the fried oyster served at Northam Beach Cafe, Georgetown. This one would be quite good if it is drier. The oysters are quite big, though. Of the 3 stalls, I would say the one at Gurney Drive hawker centre is the best. But, you might think differently no?

Gurney Drive Hawker Centre

Kedai Kopi Seng Thor

Northam Beach Cafe

Koon Kee Wantan Mee, Chinatown, Kuala Lumpur

Since the hotel we were staying at over the weekend did not provide breakfast, we decided to eat in Chinatown. We settled for wantan mee and made a beeline for Koon Kee Wantan Mee. Wah....quite big portion, loh....the noodles, I mean. But, err....the wantan....only 2 leh. The wantan itself is nothing to shout about. But.....the noodles.....hah. The noodles are different from what is normally served up at other wantan noodles stalls. This noodle is fine and springy and fragrant. Yum, yum. The soup is flavourful. Good. The dry version is not to be sniffed at either. Equally good.
Koon Kee Wantan Mee is located at Jalan Hang Lekir, Chinatown, Kuala Lumpur. They also have another stall inside Tang City Food Court opposite the shop itself.

The soup version

The 'kon low' (dry) version

Observations Of A Food Blob (5)

Have you ever wondered (if you haven't already), in this world gone mad, what safety precautions we can take to make it safer for ourselves and our loved ones? Well, here are some which hopefully can help :
1) Walk facing the oncoming traffic to minimise the risk of being caught unawares by snatch thieves. If you have to carry a bag or something, carry it on the side away from the traffic.
2) Be unpredictable. Do alter your daily routine so that whoever is observing your daily activities would not be able to predict your next move. Do not always use the same route to and from your work place so that you would not get "ambushed" on your way to and from work.
3) Try not to show clear and obvious signs that there is no one at home. Maybe you can leave the radio or television on if you are going out for a few hours or unplug the phone to make it look like someone is home chatting over the phone. If you are going to be away for a few days, try to arrange with your neighbour to collect your mail or newpapers. Heck, give them permission to hang their washings over at your front porch if they want to when you are away.
4) Arrange a set of special codes with your children so that when you call them up on their mobile phones, you will know their actual situation. Eg. : if your child says "I am fine" it means "I am in danger" or if your child says "I am coming home now" it means "I am alright".
5) Never ever leave your car keys inside the car unattended with the engine running and with your child in it. You may think it is only for a minute or two while you nip inside the store but a minute or two is all it takes for somebody to drive away your car with your child and your other belongings.
6) Always have your eyes on your child when you go out shopping or something. As far as possible, keep a firm grip on your child so that child snatchers would think twice about abducting your child.
7) If you are involved in a fender bender, do not stop and get out from your car (especially if you are a female). Instead, drive straight to the nearest police station and sort things out there.

Restoran Dan Nasi Ayam Kam Kee, Chinatown, KL

After checking into our hotel in the Bukit Bintang area, we decided to lunch in Chinatown. And, as it's been some time since we last had chicken rice of any sort, we popped into Restoran Dan Nasi Ayam Kam Kee for some. Oooh....'hou sik' nya. The steamed chicken is moist and tasty. Cuz also gave her roast chicken the thumbs up. The rice, too, is very fragrant. As for the 'suen choy', everyone agreed it is one of the best we've ever tasted. Just the right combination of spicy and sour. Can easily down a whole bowl.....or two....myself, heh, heh.
Restoran Dan Nasi Ayam Kam Kee is located at Jalan Sultan in Chinatown, Kuala Lumpur.

Chung Hwa Curry Laksa Restaurant, Batu Caves

Since we happened to be in the Batu Caves area one fine day, we decided to stop at random at one of the coffee shops in Taman Sri Gombak for breakfast. Apparently, we made the right choice. We were hit by the most wonderful aroma the moment we stepped foot into the shop. Wow.....it's their very popular curry laksa. Not to be left out, we quickly placed our orders for the curry laksa, a noodle soup and a nasi lemak. Oooh.....the curry laksa tasted as good as it smelled. The curry was thick and creamy. Very fragrant. Big portion too. The noodle soup was equally good too. Flavourful. Ho chiak. The nasi lemak would be good too if the chicken rendang was fragrant enough. As it is, the chicken rendang was a bit of a let down. Looked good but doesn't taste as good lor.
Chung Hwa Curry Laksa Restaurant is a corner shop located at Jalan Sg 3/1, Taman Sri Gombak, Batu Caves.

The sedap curry laksa

The equally sedap noodle soup

The not so sedap nasi lemak

Food For Thought (31)

A child's debt to his/her parents can never be fully repaid in one lifetime. Agree with me?

Chinatown, Kuala Lumpur (2)

Huh???? Chinatown again? What can I say? I simply just love this place. Here are some snacks you can buy and eat while nosing around the place.

Dried candied fruits and vegetables

Tasty thirst quencher

Mua Chee

Try it

Roast Duck (Restoran Sun Yeong Wai, Ipoh)

Roast duck....ahhh.....one of my favourite food. The roast duck from Restoran Sun Yeong Wai, Ipoh is one of the best I've ever tasted. Very flavourful, yum, yum. The meat is not chewy (just nice for this old jaw of mine, heh, heh) while the skin is crispy. Can eat half a duck by myself. A bit on the expensive side when it comes to the price but.......still worth it.
One of the restaurant's branches is located at Jalan Medan Ipoh 6, Bandar Baru Medan Ipoh near Tesco.