Saturday Dinner at Restoran Makanan Laut Sun Kam Kee

Last Saturday, we had dinner at Restoran Makanan Laut Sun Kam Kee. Known for its tai-chow style cooking, the restaurant consistently delivers delicious dishes at reasonable prices, making it a favorite for our family outings.

Hubby is particularly fond of their steamed village chicken with ginger sauce, a dish we've enjoyed many times during our lunch visits. This time, however, it was my first dinner at Sun Kam Kee with the girls, although, unfortunately, Sherilyn couldn't join us. She's been incredibly busy with her college assignments, dance classes, rehearsals, and active participation in her college clubs.

Hubby, familiar with the menu, ordered a variety of dishes that pleased everyone's palates:

• Steamed Village Chicken with Ginger Sauce: Tender and flavorful, this dish is a family favorite.

• Deep Fried Squids with Salted Egg Yolk: Crispy and rich, this is another favorite dish of ours, especially the girls.

• Stir-fried four-angle beans with onions, lotus root, dried shrimp, and garlic: A healthy and very flavorful vegetable dish that was a hit.

• Stir-Fried Baby French Beans: Simple yet delicious, showcasing the fresh ingredients.

• Stir-Fried Signature Meehoon: A must-try dish that never disappoints.

• Signature Steamed Fish: Fresh and perfectly cooked with preserved radish, chilies and tofu in a lovely sauce.

After our hearty dinner, we headed out for some grocery shopping. As a special treat, hubby bought the girls two tubs of Haagen Dazs ice cream and their favorite cheeses. It was a lovely way to end the evening, bringing home some sweet and sinful indulgence to enjoy later.

Dinner for the four of us.

Steamed village chicken with ginger sauce.

Deep-fried salted egg yolk squids, stir-fried four-angle beans with lotus root, stir-fried mee hoon and stir-fried baby French beans.

Steamed fish 

Wesak Day 2024: Reflecting on the Past and Embracing the Present

22 May 2024

Every May, memories of my three-week stay at Gleneagles Medical Centre in Penang fifteen years ago come flooding back. It was May 2009, and my baby Cass had just undergone major surgery. Despite the procedure, she remained unwell, continuously vomiting green bile. None of the battery of invasive scans could pinpoint the problem, and I was engulfed in worry and despair. The surgery was performed on 5 May 2009 and Wesak Day was on 9 May 2009. 

I vividly remember Wesak Day that year. Our room at GMC Penang faced the main road, and from our window, I could see the grand and colorful Wesak Day procession. There was a temple next to the hospital, and the celebration was magnificent, filled with lights, music, and vibrant decorations. However, I wasn't in the mood to appreciate it. My heart was heavy with concern for my daughter, who lay in bed, her condition still a mystery. Her tummy was so bloated that it looked like a balloon, on the verge of exploding. 

Fast Forward 15 Years: A Day of Gratitude

Fast forward to Wesak Day 2024, and my baby is now a healthy, vibrant 16-year-old. The contrast between then and now is stark, and I am filled with gratitude for the progress she has made. This Wesak Day, Cass chose to stay home to complete her school project. Alycia was at her part-time job, and Sherilyn was busy with a college assignment and two dance shoots at a shopping mall.

Hubby and I decided to have a quiet lunch together, taking advantage of the public holiday. After much deliberation, we ended up at Kenny Hills Bakers at Bukit Tunku. It was a delightful meal, just the two of us, savoring the rare opportunity to enjoy each other's company without the usual hustle and bustle of daily life.

Post-lunch, we indulged in coffee and a brownie at Wolf & Turtle Coffee. The atmosphere was cozy and perfect for a relaxing afternoon. We also picked up some takeaway cakes, peanut cookies, and a loaf of bread for the girls from Kenny Hills Bakers, ensuring they had a little treat to enjoy as well.

Having a public holiday mid-week is always refreshing. It gives a semblance of a short break, making the week feel shorter and more manageable. Despite the next day feeling like a Monday, the reality that only two more days remain until the weekend is always a pleasant surprise.

We ordered Nasi Kerabu and a Big Breakfast set at Kenny Hills Bakers.

Nasi Kerabu

Piccolo latte and brownie from Wolf & Turtle Coffee

Big Breakfast

The peanut cookies from Kenny Hills Bakers are really super yummy, with lots of crunchy peanut bits in every bite, and they're not overly sweet either.

Camera Crumbs - Round Up Of The Week

My Tennis Elbow right arm has little progress in healing, making it challenging to perform household chores, cook, and lift heavy items.  Consequently, my cooking routines have been simplified. I’ve primarily relied on the air fryer and toaster oven for meal preparations. Thankfully, we’ve had a steady supply of food from hubby’s central kitchen, which has been a lifesaver, reducing the need for extensive cooking.

I suspect that the pain could be a side effect of Atorvastatin. Last month, my cardiologist prescribed me this statin at 20mg per day to bring down my cholesterol levels. I have familial hypercholesterolemia (FH). My two younger daughters have FH too, which was discovered during blood tests when they were hospitalized for other conditions.

FH is an inherited disorder that makes it harder for your body to remove low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol from your blood.

No matter how hard I control my diet, exercise, and stay away from foods with high cholesterol, my blood cholesterol reading is still very high.

Familial hypercholesterolemia can affect anyone whose family carries the genetic mutation. The biggest problem with FH is that more than 90% of people who have it haven’t been diagnosed, which means you should pay careful attention to your family history.

About a month into taking Atorvastatin, I started to have pain in my right elbow bone. I later found out that I have a condition called Tennis Elbow.  Later, I started to have aches in my right hip and buttock. My doctor has advised me to take a 4-week layoff from Atorvastatin to see if the pains and aches in my right hand and hip will go away. 

My lunch usually consists of salad, with food from hubby's kitchen:

Chicken and beef satay with satay sauce, Mackerel fish cooked Indonesian style, Sayur Lodeh (Indonesian vegetable stew in coconut milk) in a bed of salad.
Dessert - yummy kuih.

Sambal Sotong, Sayur Lodeh with tempeh and cabbage, and Ayam Masak Merah in a bed of Mizuna salad.

Meehoon Siam, Sambal Sotong and Ayam Masak Merah.

One-tray-grill - green curry chicken thigh with green and yellow bell pepper, Shimeji mushrooms, sweet potato, chopped garlic, and onions, drizzled with olive oil, and seasoned with black pepper, cajun spice, smoked paprika, and garlic powder.
To reduce washing and hurting my tennis elbow arm, I bought disposable aluminum trays for my grills.

Haru, Our Feline Foodie

Much like her human counterparts, Haru possesses a discerning palate and a love for certain foods. While some may expect a cat to be content with traditional cat food, Haru surprises us with her eclectic tastes. She shares our love for roast chicken breast, grilled salmon, and saba fish, eagerly devouring these savory delights whenever they are offered. And mind you, the roast chicken that she loves must be from a specific stall (which is our favorite stall) and not any other stalls or she will turn her nose up at the chicken meat. This is because some chicken rice stall owners marinate their chickens with five-spice powder and other seasonings, which Haru doesn't like. She likes plain chicken roasted, with an aromatic charred chicken taste.

Sniffing her favorite sourdough bread.

However, Haru's culinary preferences extend beyond typical cat fare. Unlike many cats, she turns her nose up at steamed fish, opting instead for breads, paus, and anything made from dough and yeast. Her fondness for sourdough bread and sourdough products, with its tangy flavor profile, is particularly surprising. Last week, I was astonished to discover that she even enjoys my healthy flour-free sprouted wheat bread, a healthier alternative to traditional bread.

Haru is obsessed with my flour-free sprouted wheat bread. The moment she hears the 'ting' sound from the air fryer and the aroma of toasted sprouted wheat bread wafting in the air, she will excitedly run to the kitchen in anticipation of a small treat. Even deep in her sleep, the smell of toasted bread can wake her up in an instant.

One common thread in Haru's food preferences seems to be her affinity for foods containing yeast. Whether it's the texture of bread or the tangy taste of sourdough, Haru's fondness for yeast-laden foods is undeniable. However, I must be mindful of her sensitive digestive system, as excessive consumption of gluten-rich foods can lead to digestive issues such as diarrhea and even vomiting.

While I delight in indulging Haru's culinary curiosities, I must also prioritize her health and well-being. Finding a balance between her favorite treats and foods that agree with her digestive system is essential. It took me more than two years to discover what her guts agreed to and how her meals should be tailored to every day.  By offering her a variety of options and monitoring her intake, I ensure that Haru can continue to enjoy her favorite foods without compromising her health.

Haru also loves Beacon seaweed pure chicken essence. I share a little with her each time I drink it.  This is too expensive to give her the entire packet. It costs almost RM20 for an 80ml packet (less than half a  soup bowl).

Slice of Life ~ Throwback Food Photos

Photo dump of some food pics that I forgot to post:

This is what Cass and I usually have for our meals lately:

A protein (usually fish or chicken breast) on a bed of yummy refreshing salad and raw turnip with no rice or low carb.

Sherilyn's salad with air-fried salmon, mozzarella cheese, cherry toms, avocado, and homemade salad dressing. She still eats rice at times.

Air-fried salmon with sauteed cabbage.

Sherilyn cooked these during her semester break - Japanese curry with fresh udon and chicken Karaage. 

A big pot of Japanese curry, enough for everyone for several meals.

Curry noodles shared with hubby at a curry noodle stall at Kuchai Business Park, after he sent his car for repair.

Hubby ordered siew yoke and cha siu from another stall to add to this bowl of curry noodles. This is what a true foodie will do!  The chicken breast was for me.

Kali meen kar liu (curry noodles with added ingredients)

Harbour ED's Steamboat

Harbour ED's Steamboat in Sri Petaling is one of the best steamboat and pork noodle restaurants that we've been to. In fact, I prefer their handmade pork balls and fish balls over H*idil*o's.  Of course, at H*idil*o, the ambiance and service are impeccable and you'll feel really pampered by their staff. 

We tried Harbour's pork noodles and it was superb - one of the best that we've tried in the Klang Valley. The minced pork patties were very nicely marinated and had no porky odor.  The soup was very flavorful and the bowl of noodles had a generous amount of choy sum and pork lard. Though pricier than regular pork noodles from hawker stalls, we don't mind spending a little more to enjoy a bowl of really tasty pork noodles with fresh ingredients.

Pork noodles

Handmade squid balls, pork balls, wanton, sui kow, and stuffed puffed tofu with fish paste.  Every bite of the squid ball had real squid meat in it.

Blanched squids seasoned with aromatic fried garlic oil, soy sauce, and spring onions. The texture of the squids was perfect - it was cooked to a tee and not rubbery at all. Very delish.

Spam meat fried rice with lettuce. Very flavorful too.

This is one restaurant that we will definitely be going again on a Sunday, after Cass' figure skating class. 

Address: 19, Jalan 13/149l, Bandar Baru Sri Petaling, 57000 Kuala Lumpur

Phone: 016-620 2672

Uncle Botak Flying Noodles at Yong Hua Restaurant, Jalan Sepadu (Taman United), KL

Early this week hubby and I were at Jalan Sepadu in the morning as hubby had to send his car for a car seat wash. We intended to eat porridge at Zhu Ji Spicy Soup, one of our favorite restaurants for congee, pig's stomach and intestines soup, rice wine chicken and fried fish. But this restaurant was still not opened yet. So we walked around the vicinity and found this unassuming coffee shop and went in to check out what they had.

We noticed that almost every table had a plate or two of fried prawn noodles (Sang Har Mein) and that was exactly what I wanted to eat. We ordered a plate to try and when the plate of noodles was brought to our table, I gasped.  

I didn't expect the Cantonese-style fried prawn noodles coming from this unassuming coffee shop to look so 'atas', and Instagrammable!

And it tasted just as good as how it looked, considering that it only cost RM35 for a huge plate with one medium-sized prawn sliced into half.

I quickly fished out my phone camera and started work 😁

I wondered how the heck the cook made the chopsticks hang in the air with the noodles. 

An elderly man who sat next to us was commenting to his friend that the noodles were priced very reasonably compared with similar noodles from other restaurants. 

Both hubby and I polished off the entire plate of noodles. The crispy noodles and the egg sauce were such a great combination. Besides the prawn, there were pork slices, fish cake slices, spring onions, and ginger slices. 

You can watch how Uncle Botak the botak cook fries the noodles here:

https://www.instagram.com/bestfoodmalaysia/reel/C0q-hL0oHIz/?hl=en

Yong Hua Restaurant

Address: 97A, Jalan Sepadu

Taman United 

Old Klang Road

58200 Kuala Lumpur

Phone: 016-910 1200