Fried Wanton (Dumplings)   I find pleasure in having people over the house, relaxing and catching up. During moments like these, I prefer to serve something simple yet mouth-watering that my guests would absolutely love, and still allow me to entertain them and not spend my time slaving in the kitchen. Something easy to eat and equally easy to prepare would be ideal…I’m not thinking laksa or curries, more of something you can pop into your mouth, something like fried wantons. As they’re extremely Read More

Ma Poh Tofu   I have to admit, I have a soft spot for tofu. It all started when I was a young girl and my Grandma told me that eating tofu would give me skin as smooth and beautiful as Snow White’s. You could say I was hooked from that day on. As I got older (and wiser), I realised that this was quite an exaggeration, but that in no way diminished my love for tofu.   I guess Grandma did have a point though. Read More

Singapore Hokkien Noodles   I’ll call it a ritual, if I may. Every time I visit Singapore, I simply HAVE to visit one of the food stalls and have a plate of Singapore Hokkien Mee, fresh from the wok. Make that a large one, thank you very much. I’ve got this craze for Singapore Hokkien Mee…there’s just something about it that I can’t seem to resist. Though I’ve never really had to, if I were to choose between a spread of gourmet cuisine and Read More

Vietnamese Chopped Pork Baguette (Banh Mi)   It wasn’t really love at first sight…more of love at first bite. Hurrying down the crowded street of Chinatown in Perth, I was desperate to find something quick that would pacify the rumbles of my empty tummy. I spotted people emerging with sandwiches of some sort from a Vietnamese stall, and I proceeded to order “one of those”. One bite was all it took to stop me dead on my tracks. Banh Mi, as I found out later, is a mouth-watering Read More

Minced Meat wrapped in beancurd sheets (Ngoh Hiang)   This popular Nyonya food is simply a treat to your taste buds. They consist of marinated minced pork, rolled in thin soybean sheets and deep-fried to a crispy, crunchy perfection before being served with some dipping sauce. Its name, "Ngo Hiang"or "Loh Bak" as it is known among the West Malaysians, perfectly describes what this dish is made up of as ‘loh’ refers to the starchy dipping sauce and ‘bak’ refers to the meat. Pork is traditionally used to make Read More

Fresh Vietnamese Spring Rolls   This dish has quite a number of names-Vietnamese Spring Rolls, Vietnamese Salad Rolls, Vietnamese Summer Rolls. They’re all the same, and they conjure up quite a similar mental picture to me-fresh, cold rolls wrapped in delicate transparent paper rolls, allowing you to get a sneaky peek into the ingredients encased inside them. Quite the perfect appetizer for a warm weathered day, don’t you think? Well, that’s exactly what this is. Minced pieces of boiled pork, fresh green coriander or chives- Read More

Claypot Short Rice Noodles (Loh Shu Fan)   Claypot Loh Shu Fun is a famous dish in Petaling Street, and it’s my regular spot for supper after a big night out. Every trace of tiredness would magically disappear as I savour each mouthful, and I simply had to try my hand at making this awesome dish. Loh Shu Fun literally translates to “rats tail noodles”, and it really is a fitting name as these chewy rice noodles really do resemble a rat’s tail-thick in the middle and tapering off Read More

Fried Vietnamese Spring Rolls (Nem Cuon)   I think it’s the rice paper, I seriously do. There’s just something about Vietnamese fried spring rolls that sets them apart from the other fried rolls we have, and I really think the secret lies in the use of the rice paper. Unlike the other rolls which uses wheat wrappers and egg wrappers, this one, made from thin layers of rice papers, ends up having a browned, delicate covering that keeps the filling safely inside. Unlike the fresh Vietnamese spring Read More

Chinese Barbeque Pork (Char Siu)     One of my must-haves at Chinese restaurants is Char Siu, also known as Chinese Barbecued Pork. Appealingly red in colour with slightly charred edges and a promisingly sweet glaze over their entire exterior, Char Siu possesses a rich, meaty flavour that just begs to be savoured. The key to excellent Char Siu lies in the marinade used. A mixture of honey/sugar, shallot juice, dark soy sauce and five-spice powder, among other ingredients, the marinade is slathered generously onto the pork meat Read More

Easy Prawn Noodles   Queuing up at hawker stalls tend to alter my appetite. Sure, I’m ravenous and salivating upon arriving at the hawker stall, but the long queue always takes it toll on me, and by the time it’s finally my turn, I’m just so hungry I couldn’t be bothered about the taste of the food any longer. This is the main reason I consider indulging in a delicious meal at the comfort of my own home a luxury. I wouldn’t say I’m Read More

Lotus Soup with Red Dates (Lingau Soup)   It’s always a bonus when great-tasting food happens to be beneficial for our health as well. Who wouldn’t love to tuck into some delicious “medicine”? This soup is one such example- warm and tasty, with that added health boost. The lotus root, which is the main ingredient of this soup, has a pleasantly sweet flavour that when combined with the sweet red dates, makes this soup such a delight. They are ‘cool’ in nature, though cooked lotus root is slightly ‘warm’. Read More

Kolo Mee   Being a very patriotic Sarawakian, I was once asked to justify my love for this state. One of my reasons? The culinary awesomeness in Sarawak, of which the kolo mee reigns on the top of the list. This delightful combination of flash-boiled noodles, served with some crushed garlic and shallots, delightfully minced pork and shreds of sweet, succulent pork. Guaranteed to satisfy just about anyone’s noodle cravings. The secret to amazing kolo mee lies in the use of pork lard. I Read More

Salted Vegetable Soup   Salted vegetables are definitely an acquired taste. Popular among the Chinese, salted vegetables can liven up any bland meal. In China, the vegetables are always pickled if they are available in excess so that they will be able to grace dinner tables when needed. Usually, Chinese cabbage or Chinese mustard is used for the pickling. They are typically pickled with salt and brine, before being allowed to ferment with the help of Lactic acid bacteria. Sometimes, chillies are added to Read More

Gyoza   In Italy they call them Ravioli, in Asia they call them Wantons and in Japan its called Gyoza (pronounced gee-oh-za). Pan-fried gyoza that is slightly crispy on the outside and oh-so juicy on the inside is what we’re talking about. There are 2 major differences to distinguish Gyoza to the usually mistaken Chinese dumplings. Firstly, its in the wrapping as Gyoza wrappings are usually thicker and made with unraised dough. Secondly, Chinese dumpling comes in all sort of sizes and shapes, Read More

Stewed Nyonya Pork (Babi Chin)   Pork belly is one of my favourite cuts of meat. The flavours associated with them are tremendous, and they especially stand out in this Nyonya dish. A stewed dish of pork, preserved soy beans and fresh coriander roots, ‘Babi Chin’ is a pot of delight oozing with intense flavours. The key to this dish is- you guessed it, the cut of meat used! Pork belly is a must, and is what makes this dish live up to their sinful goodness. Stewing Read More

Page 1 of 2 (15): << First < Prev . 1 . 2 . Next > Last >>