Sunday, 17 August 2025

This past Sunday was a day of early morning, athletic feats, and delicious food.  Cass was up bright and early, but instead of her usual figure skating practice, she was off to the Universiti Malaya sports arena for her school’s sports day (Semi-Finals). She competed in two events: the 800-meter and the 4x400-meter runs. Finishing 4th out of 20 runners in the 800m and 3rd in the 4x400m is a fantastic achievement, and her hard work has earned her a spot in the Finals at the Bukit Jalil stadium this coming Saturday.

After picking her up from UM, we headed to Bangsar for lunch. This time, we ate at Hong Kong Garden Restaurant, formerly known as Man Kee Hong Kong Beef Noodle. We feasted on our favorite dim sum items, a comforting bowl of Hong Kong beef noodles, and their signature white chicken, which came with the most delicious ginger and homemade chili dips. The braised radish and a cup of classic Hong Kong milk tea perfectly rounded out the meal.

After a satisfying lunch, we took a short walk to Bangsar Village 2 for a treat. Nothing says "Sunday" quite like a scoop of Häagen-Dazs ice cream. I was torn between my two favorite flavors, coffee and matcha, but in the end, the rich matcha on a crispy cone won me over. All four of us enjoyed a scoop, and my husband even bought a tub of his favorite macadamia brittle nut flavor to take home. It was a special treat to have Cass with us for Sunday lunch, as she's usually at the skating rink.

While our family was a little smaller—Alycia was away in Ipoh with her university friends, and Sherilyn was in Singapore for a dance competition—we were all connected by a wave of good news. The day ended with a text from Sherilyn with some amazing news: her team had emerged as Champions in the Contemporary Dance category at the 27th Asia Pacific Dance Competition, held at Gateway Theatre in Singapore.

I couldn’t be prouder of Sherilyn. This is a testament to her dedication and talent. Her team flew to Singapore for the competition and, to save on costs, will be taking a bus back home. Her hard work paid off in the biggest way. It was a Sunday filled with wins, big and small, proving that dedication, whether on the track or the dance floor, always pays off.

Hor fun with delicious handmade sotong balls.

Love the fried radish cake.

Simply delicious!

A pink minibus inside Bangsar Village, and it was no. 10, the very bus that I used to take from Jalan Ipoh where I rented a room, to college in Jalan Ampang, and later to my workplace in Jalan Hang Lekiu over 3 decades ago!  The minibus is now an antique, and seeing it again after more than 30 years filled me with many fond memories of the past.

Saturday, 9 August 2025

Last night was a bit out of the ordinary for us. A typical Saturday evening usually finds us at our favourite tai chow restaurant, but yesterday, we found ourselves at The Gardens Mall for dinner. The reason? A mission-critical trip to the money changer.

Sherilyn is heading to Singapore this week for the 27th Asia Pacific Dance Competition. Her team made it to the finals, and they'll be there for five days. This is an incredible achievement, but it comes with a hefty price tag. The current exchange rate for the Malaysian Ringgit against the Singapore Dollar is… well, let’s just say it requires a significant sum of Ringgit to get a "pathetic" amount in SGD. And unfortunately, this entire trip is self-funded.

After the money was changed, we were all ready for a good meal. We decided on Canton-i, and my husband, ever the enthusiast, ordered our usual favorites. His all-time favorite, the roast duck, was a must-have. We also enjoyed stir-fried beef noodles and wantan noodles, along with some delicious sui kow (dumplings) and perfectly roasted cha siu.

The highlight of the meal, though, was an incredibly unique dish. It was a variation of the traditional confinement dish, where Yong Tau Foo pieces (stuffed brinjal, red chili, and bitter gourd) were cooked in a rich rice wine broth with fried egg and black fungus. While this dish typically uses chicken, the substitution with Yong Tau Foo was a revelation—unique and absolutely delicious.

We left the mall feeling satisfied. The whole experience made me think that maybe swapping our usual Saturday night tai chow for a dinner at the mall isn’t such a bad idea after all. It was a nice change of pace, and the food at Canton-i was fantastic.

As for Sherilyn, the competition awaits. I wish Sherilyn and her team the very best of luck in Singapore this week, hoping all their hard work pays off on the big stage.

Alycia’s Foodie Adventures in Ho Chi Minh – Now I Want to Go Too!

Alycia’s recent trip to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam turned out to be such a wonderful and delicious getaway. She and her university mates had a fantastic time digging into authentic Vietnamese food — and from the daily photos she sent me, I could tell they were truly enjoying every bite!

What amazed me most was how affordable the food is in Vietnam, especially when compared to KL. From beef pho to banh mi and other street food, the dishes looked not only mouthwatering but also generously portioned and beautifully presented.

Honestly, with every photo Alycia sent — some showing hearty bowls of pho, others featuring crusty banh mi bursting with fillings, and the prettiest Vietnamese jelly desserts — I found myself saying the same thing over and over again:

“I need to go to Vietnam soon!”

Our family has always been big fans of Vietnamese cuisine. We often dine at Vietnamese restaurants and order our favourites through ShopeeFood online delivery.  Our usuals include banh mi, lemongrass grilled chicken noodle salad, and of course, a comforting bowl of beef pho from Pho Viet.

But there’s something about enjoying these dishes right at the source, where the flavours are bold, fresh, and authentic — and the prices are a steal!

Alycia and her friends each spent less than RM2k on this trip, which included flight tickets, hotel, food, and souvenirs. The Maison Marou (Vietnam's famous artisan chocolate) dried coconut coated in dark chocolate that Alycia got for us from Vietnam was very delicious.

So for now, I’ll let Alycia’s food photos do the talking in this post. I’m pretty sure they’ll make you salivate and perhaps even inspire you to book your own food-filled trip to Vietnam soon!

Vietnam, you’re officially on my foodie travel bucket list!

Supper of chilli crabs in the hotel.

This delicious crab salad came loaded with crab meat and cost around RM30+ a plate. The four girls ordered two plates.

Bánh Mì (Vietnamese Baguette) loaded with meat from a street vendor.

Wagyu pho at a Michelin restaurant on the first day.

Delicious Viet jelly ice dessert.

On the second last day, they visited Tan Dinh Church, an over-150-year-old pink church in Saigon.

A Slightly Different Chinese New Year 2025

This year's Chinese New Year (CNY) was slightly different from our usual tradition. Typically, we travel back to Ipoh on CNY Eve or the first day of CNY. However, with my hubby needing to work on the first day, we only made the trip on the second day of CNY. While it felt a little strange not kicking off the new year in Ipoh, the celebrations were still filled with family, food, and treasured moments.

A Vegetarian Tradition

On the first day of CNY, instead of my mother-in-law preparing her customary vegetarian dish at home, this year, my hubby's Aunt Wendy volunteered to host the gathering at her house. Ever since I married into this family, this vegetarian dish has been a cherished part of the first day of CNY. In my own family—the Yong family—we have a similar tradition but with vegetarian fried meehoon. My late paternal grandmother used to make the most delicious version of it (with a soy sauce dipping of fresh shallots, chillies and sand ginger), and ever since she passed away, my papa has carried on the tradition.

While it was lovely to have the gathering with hubby’s family in KL, I couldn’t help but feel nostalgic for the times we spent in Ipoh on the Eve and first day of CNY. Hopefully, next year we can revive this tradition, though it will depend on the SPM exam dates since Cass will be sitting for her exams. If the dates fall around CNY, we’ll have to stay put in KL.

Journey to Ipoh on the 2nd Day

We left KL at 8:30 am on the second day of CNY and were grateful for the smooth traffic on the highway. The drive took only 2 hours and 10 minutes, which was a relief. Alycia and Sherilyn opted to take the train instead—Sherilyn, still nursing her backache, preferred the comfort of a train ride over a car journey.

Upon arriving in Ipoh, we dropped off Haru at my parents' house. After setting up her litter box and making sure she was comfortable, we headed straight to the Stadium food court to hunt for brunch. While many stalls were closed for the holidays, we still managed to enjoy a variety of local delights: porridge with pig innards, meehoon in tomato soup with pork chop, fried fish and pork paste, Pai Ti with braised turnip, Tosei, Indian rice with dishes, and refreshing Ice Kacang.

Family Favorites and Reunion Dinner

After brunch, we collected Sherilyn's birthday cake from JJ Swissroll in town. Then we made quick stops at the famous Woong Kee bean curd stall to get takeaway tau fu far and Yoke Fook Moon restaurant for dim sum for those at home. 

Our reunion dinner that evening was at Exquisite Restaurant again (we had it in this restaurant too last year), where we indulged in an 8-course feast, including the traditional Yee Sang toss. Sharing this meal with my parents and brothers was one of my favorite moments of the day. These family meals remind me how precious our time together is, and I cherish the laughter and love shared around the table.

Reflecting on Family and Traditions

CNY 2025 may have been slightly different, but it was still filled with heartwarming traditions, delicious food, and the company of loved ones. I hope for many more such celebrations in the coming years, where I can continue to share meals and memories with my parents, brothers, and my own growing family. Here's to keeping traditions alive while embracing new changes as life evolves. Wishing everyone a prosperous and joyous Year of the Ssssnake! 

Lunch of 'Jai' (vegetarian dish) on Chor 1 at aunt Wendy's house (two units below ours).

From the Stadium food court - Indian Nasi Padang, chicken chop, tosei and Pai Ti. 

From the Stadium Food Court - Ice Kacang, porridge with pig innards, fried fish & pork paste, tomato soup mee hoon with pork chop.

Stadium food court - many stalls, including all of our favorites, were closed.

At the Woong Kee bean curd stall to get takeaway silky smooth tau fu far with tong yuen.
Address: 32-38A, Jalan Ali Pitchay, Taman Jubilee, 30250 Ipoh, Perak

Chor 2 reunion dinner at Exquisite Restaurant - pan-fried big prawns, suckling pig, shark's fins soup and braised chicken in truffle sauce.

Braised abalone with broccoli, fish maw and mushrooms, clay pot lap mei rice and dessert of snow fungus + red dates + dried longan and lotus seeds.

Sunday Feasts: A Meaty Lunch and a Family Reunion

Last Sunday was a day filled with delicious food and family gatherings. For lunch, we decided to try out a new spot called Meat Attic. The menu was packed with hearty, meaty options, so we went all out and ordered their house-made sausages, a ciabatta beef sandwich, premium pork ribs that melt in the mouth (which came with a hefty RM168 price tag), and roast pork fried rice. It was a truly indulgent, porky feast—definitely not the cheapest lunch, but worth every bite.

Later that evening, we gathered with hubby's relatives for dinner at Buddies Restaurant in Cheras. His uncle's family, who were visiting from England, were the guests of honor, and it was wonderful to see everyone come together. The entire Sunday was filled with great food and even better company, making it a day to remember.

Meat Attic - Roast premium pork ribs that melt in the mouth alongside sauerkraut and fries (RM168). It looks like a small portion in the photo but the ribs were pretty chunky. We couldn't finish it and doggy-bagged the leftovers.

Meat Attic - roast pork fried rice.

Meat Attic - Ciabatta sandwich with full-bodied and flaky thick-cut salt beef.

Meat Attic - housemade garlic sausage with sauerkraut. 

Meat Attic - scallop pasta.

Meat Attic - mashed potato

Meat Attic housemade sausages. Their sausages are nitrate-free and filler-free, from plumply juicy pork bratwursts to aromatic lamb merguez.

Buddies Restaurant - pan-fried prawns, sauteed assorted vegetables, braised eggplant with minced pork, clay pot braised pork belly with salted fish.

Steamed fish, fried rice, sauteed kangkung with belacan, and pork ribs.

Claypot lamb, cha siu, and another portion of claypot pork belly with salted fish for the boys.

Hubby with his cousins from England and another cousin who just returned from the USA.

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