Irvins Salted Egg Fish Skin Snack – Dangerously Addictive!

Alycia’s high school friend recently returned from New Zealand for the Chinese New Year break and gifted her a pack of Irvins Fish Skin snack. She had bought it during her holiday in Singapore, and it was our first time trying this well-known snack made in Singapore.

Just as the packaging claims, this snack is truly "dangerously addictive!" From the first bite to the next, it was impossible to stop. The fish skin chips are incredibly crispy and packed with flavor, making them an absolute treat for anyone who loves salted egg snacks. To top it off, they’re also keto-friendly—and I nearly finished the entire bag myself!

I can only imagine how much my cholesterol levels must have spiked after indulging in these chips, but hey, Chinese New Year is a time to relax and enjoy a little snacking. A rare indulgence is totally worth it!

For those interested in trying this irresistible snack, it’s available on Shopee at RM37.50 for a 105g bag. I might just buy a pack for myself one day when there's a discount and free shipping! 😉

So true!

It has MSG, no wonder it's so tasty.  Best to share this with friends and loved ones to minimize your 'sin' and guilt😁

A Delicious Surprise From Croisserie Artisan Bakery

There's something truly special about surprises, especially when they come in the form of delectable treats from your loved one or a friend. Today, I had the pleasure of experiencing one such delightful surprise from my hubby, and let me tell you, it was a moment of pure culinary bliss.

As I went about my day, my phone rang, and to my delight, it was my husband on the line, asking me to go to the lobby for a surprise. Now, I must admit, I'm a sucker for surprises, particularly when they involve food. True to form, my hubby never fails to deliver when it comes to satisfying our taste buds with delectable snacks and goodies.

This time, it was a box filled with an assortment of handmade European pastries, along with a tantalizing salmon quiche and freshly baked sourdough bread from Croisserie Artisan Bakery.  This is not the first time that he surprised us with pastries from Croisserie, one of his favorite bakeries.

A loaf of fresh-from-the-oven and still warm sourdough bread, on the right.

There's something undeniably alluring about handmade pastries, crafted with care and attention to detail. Each pastry looked like a work of art, perfectly golden and inviting. I sampled every piece (just a quarter from each piece), despite the looming threat of elevated cholesterol levels. In fact, I could already feel my cholesterol level shooting up just by smelling the pastries 😂

Smoked salmon and spinach quiche.

From flaky croissants to chocolate tart, macadamia tart, and quiche, each pastry was a symphony of flavors and textures made with quality ingredients. And let's not forget the pièce de résistance – the salmon quiche, with its creamy filling and buttery crust, was a savory delight that left me craving more.

But perhaps the true star of the show was the poppy seeds bun filled with thick pieces of quality butter and red bean paste, something that’s both unique, not too sweet, and delicious.  We liked the freshly sourdough bread too, with a crispy crust and soft, chewy, and slightly sour interior. The sourdough bread was still warm when we sliced it.

Poppy seeds bun sandwiched with thick wedges of quality butter and red bean paste.

A Slice of Italy in Malaysia: Savoring the Delight of iMarigliano Panettone

Every year, the arrival of panettone signals the beginning of the festive season in our household. A gift from my sister-in-law in England, this beloved Italian delicacy has become a hallmark of our Christmas celebrations. This year, the panettone's origin traveled even further, gracing our home directly from Italy.  The two loaves of panettone including shipping from Italy cost RM400.

The star of this festive package? Two luscious loaves of iMarigliano Panettone, one in the classic flavor and the other generously adorned with the richness of chocolate. 

As we unwrapped the carefully packaged panettone, the aroma of butter, eggs, dried fruits, and a hint of alcohol wafted through the air. What awaited us inside were two masterpieces from iMarigliano—one in the classic flavor and the other a decadent chocolate variant. The moment we sliced into these golden-brown beauties, we knew we were in for a treat.

The texture of iMarigliano Panettone is nothing short of extraordinary. Unbelievably soft and fluffy, each mouthful is a delicate dance of chewy softness and rich, robust flavors. Every bite is a testament to the craftsmanship behind this Italian creation, showcasing the perfect balance of ingredients that create an unrivaled taste experience.

Traditionally, the panettone sent by my sister-in-law lasted for a month or two, becoming a delightful post-Christmas treat. However, the iMarigliano Panettone proved too irresistible. In just two weeks, both loaves disappeared, without a chance to make their way into the fridge. 

As we bid farewell to this year's panettone, the anticipation for the next Christmas has already begun. The memory of iMarigliano Panettone's exquisite taste lingers, creating a yearning for the festive season to come around once more. 

NOi Mixed Vegetable Chips

Whenever I have to wait for Cass to finish her figure skating class, I will window shop at Food Merchant, the supermarket at Pavillion Bukit Jalil.  I always tell myself that I will only window shop as I don't really need to buy anything urgently.  I also do not want to add on weight to my shoulder, only to aggravate the Carpal Tunnel Syndrome symptoms.  But somehow, I always ended up with some unnecessary snacks.  

Two Fridays ago, I ended up with one huge bag of cherry tomatoes (almost 1kg) at only RM10, a bag of ready-to-eat washed coleslaw and a bag of NOi mixed vegetable chips.  The chips was totally unneeded but at the time of shopping, I was feeling a tad hungry. Dang it!  So I grabbed the bag of chips. 

But good thing I bought the chips to try as they were really yummy - crispy, fresh, not overly salty and they're made from real veggies. Besides palm oil and salt, nothing else is added.  

What is in the RM6.80 bag of 60gm chips - Pumpkin, Potato, Green Radish, Mushroom, Beetroot, Palm Oil and Salt. 

I like the green radish and shiitake mushroom the most. 

The chips are cheaper on Shopee Supermarket @ RM6.49 a bag.  I recently bought 3 bags of chips together with some other groceries from Shopee Supermarket and enjoyed discounted shipping, 800 coins (equivalent to RM8 cash voucher) and redeemed some of my coins to offset the total bill. What a good deal this el-cheapo aunty managed to grab on that day 😁

Spiral Ear Biscuits (Yee Chai Pang)

Whenever I come across Yee Chai Pang (spiral ear biscuit) at shops selling snacks, I will be overcome with a feeling of nostalgia.  My brothers and I grew up eating Yee Chai Pang.  

I remember mum would frequently bring me to the biscuit shop after school and I could choose any biscuit I wanted. As a kid, I loved biscuits with cream filling, but not anymore now. Yee Chai Pang and Chum Thau Pang (pillow biscuit or Tam-Tam Pillows) were and still are my favorites.

These spiral ear biscuits are probably one of the crunchiest treats ever with subtle flavors of spices imbued with a tinge of smokiness. Not too sweet nor salty, delightfully aromatic and crunchy, these biscuits can be very addictive.

This morning I saw these biscuits for sale at a kerbside stall. The vendor would display his dried groceries, biscuits and fruits at a kerb in our neighborhood every Wednesday. I saw many biscuits that I used to eat during my childhood.  I picked a packet of spiral ear biscuits. My girls are not fans of this biscuit though, so I'm going to share it with Maria when she comes in later 😁

Next week I'm going to grab a packet of Tam-Tam Pillows from the kerbside vendor.  The girls are big fans of this snack.  It's crunchy, salty and it's crab-seasoned. It's another addictive munch that we have to be very careful not to over-indulge in, lest we get a sore throat and cough... and then think that we may have been infected with Covid 😆

Only RM4.50 for a big packet.  What a steal for a great snack.

Family Mart's Venetian Tiramisu Ice-cream

Family Mart's new sofuto flavor, Venetian Tiramisu is surprisingly very delicious!  It tastes exactly like tiramisu cake - creamy, smooth and not overly sweet.

Today I bought one pint pack (only RM8.90) and by the time I remembered to snap a pic of it, the girls have bolted almost the entire pint 😬

The girls commented that we don't have to buy Häagen-Dazs ice-cream or Tiramisu cake anymore as we now have a cheaper alternative that's so delish  😁

I think I'm going to get another pint pack tomorrow before this flavor is shelved and another flavor takes over.

Klang's Famous Regent Pandan Layer Cake

I've always wanted to try the much raved about pandan layer cake from Regent Pandan Layer Cake in Klang.  There are so many resellers on Facebook selling this cake, which comes in pandan, yam, pandan + corn, durian and corn flavors.  I've always wanted to get the pandan and yam flavors to try. 

A friend of mine who lives in Singapore even organized a group buy with some friends and got the cake shop to transport the cakes to Singapore on a refrigerated truck, just to satiate their cravings!

I've seen many of my friends raved about this cake on their socials, which makes me drool even more. 

Yesterday must have been my lucky day. Hubs brought home two boxes of Regent pandan layer cakes!  His friend who's a famous Chinese food blogger traveled all the way to Klang to get hold of the layer cakes and got us some too. Woohoo, I was tickled pink!    

Any form of pleasant surprise sprang on us during this dreaded lockdown would make me happy.  Hubs likes to gives us surprises, all in the form of food and desserts.  I'm waiting for the day that he springs a bigger surprise on us by telling us that he has struck the lottery or 4D 😁

Our verdict?

The cake's deliciousness has been overrated.  No doubt the pandan layer cake is nice but I had expected it to have a stronger aroma of santan and pandan, the kind that would make me melt and say "so yummmmmmmy!" and then drift to dessert heaven.   I was a tad disappointed.

The pandan layer cake from RT Pastry House, a bakery at our hood, sells a similar looking pandan layer cake, which we have been eating for almost a decade.  It's our family's all-time favorite cake.   We find that RT Pastry House's pandan layer cake has a stronger santan and pandan aroma. And it's cheaper than Regent Pandan Layer Cake.

Our conclusion?

We're just stick to RT Pastry House's pandan layer cake.  I can get the pandan layer cake to satiate our craving at any time and don't have to cause a dent in our wallet on the delivery fee.

RMCO Day 52 ~ Friday, 31 July 2020 (Homemade Sweet Potato Cubes / Balls)

It's Hari Raya Haji and a public holiday today.  Our baking queen decided to play with play dough and doughed out something that she'd wanted to make for a long time - sweet potato cubes / boba balls! And mil decided to make Jiao Zi (dumplings).  Grandma and grand daughter sat alongside each other at the dining table, kneading dough - grandma made savoury delight and grand daughter made dessert delight. It's like a scene from a Chinese restaurant where kitchen staff are hard at work kneading dough to churn out dumplings for hungry customer waiting impatiently outside the kitchen.

Purple, orange and yellow sweet potatoes were steamed, mashed, mixed with tapioca flour and  a sprinkle of sugar and kneaded into  addictive chewy cubes and balls -- cubes for Taiwanese dessert bowl and balls for 'tong sui' and bubble milk tea!

Kids and adults will find it hard to say NO to these colorful chewy cubes that go inside their dessert bowls filled with red bean tong sui, shaved ice cream and grass jelly.

These precious babies are stored in Ziploac bags in the freezer.

Sherilyn's creative ways of savoring the sweet potato cubes and balls:

Added into red bean + lotus seeds + Mandarin peel tong sui with swirls of evaporated milk (to replace fresh santan):

Added into boiled ginger and Gula Melaka water:

Taiwanese sweet potato cubes / Taro balls dessert bowl, composed of red bean tong sui, shaved ice-cream potong (red bean flavor) and sweet potato cubes. Would be good if we had taro/yam too, for the cubes and balls.

This one is without red bean tong sui but with grass jelly:

Sherilyn's homemade sweet potato balls and cubes are so addictively chewy and delightful that I think she should produce them in bulk to sell. It's a way healthier alternative to commercial boba/pearl balls.  This is another item on her 'to sell wishlist' which she can produce to sell during the long school holidays.  This girl is overflowing with creativity and ideas and I'm just so amazed at what she can make and do! 

RMCO Day 3 ~ Friday, 12 June 2020

I learned to admire the colors of sunrise and sunset during my camping days when I was a teenager.  During the best times of my life spent camping in Pangkor Island and Pulau Kapas in Terengganu, my besties and I slept on a towel on the beach and we were often awoken by the freezing cold wind or the waves beating on our feet.  The first thing that would greet us was the awesome view of sunrise spread right in front of us happy campers, like a 3D picture on a TV with an infinity screen.  And then these excited crazy teens would scamper to our backpack inside the tent to fish out our bulky cameras for some camwhoring before going to the stream to freshen up  in the super cold crystal clear water.  Then we would gather in a group to find the perfect spot to do our business in the jungle! 😬  Next, we would wait under a big shady tree where Mr Lee, our camping guide who is a teacher, would have already cooked breakfast of hot yummy porridge for us.  How I miss those days terribly 💓💓

Since the start of the MCO 3 months ago, I've had the opportunity to witness the different stages of sunrise from our balcony on the 5th floor.  Today's sunrise was exceptionally beautiful!!☀️









Lunch is Nasi Kerabu from hubby's shop again. Nasi Kerabu is the girls and my favorite and it's quite unbelievable that after more than a month of eating it every Friday, we still haven't gotten bored of it yet!  The chicken is non-spicy and the spiced curry fish is mildly spicy.




Today I bought some ice-creams for the girls as the afternoons have been extremely hot and humid lately.  We saw Tealive Boba-licious at 99 Speedmart and I bought one to try.  It tastes nothing close to Tealive milk tea and is quite a disappointment.  But I can't set too high an expectation on a RM2.20 ice-cream, kan? No more 2nd time for us. 😁

Breakfast On A School Day

Breakfast on one of the school days last week:




The mil got up at 5 a.m. to boil dumplings which she made and organic baby sweet potatoes for her beloved grand-daughters. Because the littlest grouchy girl is fed-up of eating eggs, toast, sandwiches and cereal for breakfast at 5:30 a.m.. She doesn't like eating biscuits in the morning. Because this little manipulative brat will just turn her head away from the 'usual breakfast stuff' and go to school with an empty stomach, we have to think of new breakfast menu for her. Just for the littlest brat. See how much loved she is, even though lately she's been really really manipulative and challenging.

Because boiled dumplings are not her kind of breakfast food, my health freak daughter #2 prepped her own healthy low-carb high-protein breakfast consisting of organic traditional rolled oats with premium matcha powder, vanilla, organic Javanese palm sugar, banana and low-fat sugar-free yoghurt.  She made some for me too and it was surprisingly yums!



Early quick lunch with the hubs at PappaRich before rushing back with takeout lunch for Sherilyn and then went out again to drop her off at school...













Love this new item on the menu at PappaRich ~ fried meehoon with chicken curry and sambal sotong. I had less than a quarter of it and doggy-bagged the rest for Sherilyn.

Sharing My Cakes

The Taiwan traditional cakes from Yuan Taste are my kinda cakes. I love this kind of cake that's light, fluffy soft  and mildly sweetened, unlike butter and chocolate cakes which are heavy, greasy and can make me feel cloy and nauseous at times.  My favorite flavors are pandan and chocolate.  If I want to, I can nosh down half the cake on my own in one day. Of course I won't torture my body like that.  I could afford to eat  like a wolf when I was younger. I eat so much lesser now than I used to when I was 20 years younger. Wish I could still eat like that and not gain weight and don't have  to worry about the elevated cholesterol level. I was once a hardcore carnivorous 😈 with a sweet tooth but not anymore. Not one bit now.


Each time I have cravings to sink my teeth into this pillowy soft sponge cake, I will buy it on any of the day that Cass' Mandarin tutor comes. I will then share 1/3 of the cake with her.  The rest of the cake is shared with Cass and our part-time helper who has been with us for over 5 years.  Alycia and Drama Queen don't really fancy this cake. They prefer stodgier cakes ~ Alycia loves the latest 'Messy Cake' that's all the rage now and Drama Queen loves chocolate brownies. Thus, the reason why she bakes them these days.




The more decent looking portion goes to the Mandarin tutor.

The remaining cake is usually gone by the next day. I don't like keeping it in the fridge as the taste and texture change once it goes inside. For just RM15 for a cake, I am one very happy camper and so are the Mandarin tutor and our part-time helper 💗 

Happiness is all about sharing your carbs 😆

Ngoh Jie Apom @ K88 Food Court, Old Klang Road

I finally found my favorite Apom Guan @ Jalan Burma, Penang right here in KL!  Just 10 to 15 minutes drive away from where I stay!

But...no it is not the authentic Apom Guan apom but it tastes 98% similar. I still like Apom Guan's apom best!  Looking at the photos from Ngoh Jie Apom's Facebook page, I guess that they either still have a stall at Gurney Drive, Penang or once sold there. The Facebook page is updated in Chinese and I can't read Chinese.

Ngoh Jie Apom currently has two stalls in the Klang Valley: one at Bandar Puteri, Puchong (morning) and one at Old Klang Road (night).

The hubs chanced upon Ngoh Jie's apom stall when he went to the newly opened K88 Food Court to get some food recently.  He got so excited and bought 20 pieces of apom to surprise me 😍😂

Our trip to Penang will never ever be complete if I don't get to savour Apom Guan's apom.  Our routine upon arrival in Penang is to have lunch at our favorite Sin Kheng Aun restaurant, then go to GMC to see Cass' surgeon, after doctor's appointment and ultrasound scan, we head straight to Burmah Road to get Ah Guan's apom and then check into the hotel.  I could easily whack 10 pieces of Ah Guan's apom at one go... in the car while the apom are still hot, after waiting for at least an hour for them. By the time we reach the hotel, all the apoms would have been gobbled down by us.  It's my most favorite snack of all time and to think that this old man only makes about 20 or 30 cents profit per piece of apom, I think he's only selling them as a passion or to pass time.   It's a laborious job standing at his push cart under the unforgiving sun or rain working non-stop pleasing the perpetual long queue, most of which are his long-time loyal patrons, just like myself.  I discovered Ah Guan's apom during my 3 weeks nightmarish stay at Gleneagles Hospital, Penang in May 2009 during Cass' surgeries.

OK, back to Ngoh Jie's Apom!  I was SO happy when the hubs came home that evening carrying plastic bags of tapau food. When I opened up one of the bags, I could not believe my eyes!  One bite of the apom and I was sent to food heaven!  Where on earth did my man find my favorite apom in KL?!








At only RM4 for 5 pieces, Ngoh Jie's apom are a steal.  The apoms are best eaten fresh from the pan. They tend to get soggy if you keep them inside the plastic bag for more than an hour.  Best is to scoff down all 5 pieces at one go, while they are still hot. 😋






Ngoh Jie Apom
Morning
8am ~ 2pm  at BANDAR PUTERI, PUCHONG, 928 FOOD COURT

Night
6pm to 11pm at JALAN KLANG LAMA , K88 FOOD COURT

Mobile number: 016-431 2288 (you can Whatsapp to make reservations)

Grilled Cheese On Cream Crackers

My friend and her hubby paid me a visit last week. They gave me a big tin of Jacob's original cream crackers, a gigantic bottle of Ribena, a big packet of red dates and American ginseng. They are old school like that - cream crackers and Ribena must go hand in hand when it comes to gifting to sick / convalescing friends. So very sweet and thoughtful of them to come all the way from Shah Alam to visit me with the goodies 💗

I can't remember when the last time was that I bought original cream crackers. I used to eat them for breakfast so very often when I was in college. I would dunk the cream crackers into Milo / coffee. It was such a fast, convenient and economical breakfast that could fill me up until lunch. My dad still eats cream crackers dunked into his coffee till today.


The other day, Alycia found a novel way of enjoying cream crackers. She placed cheddar cheese on the crackers and grilled them in the toaster oven for a few minutes. Then, she spooned some 'tau kok lup' (a dish consisting of sauteed long beans, carrots, meat, prawns, peanuts and preserved radish - all diced)  on top of the crackers with cheese, turning it into a pizza cracker!  I thought it was a weird combo but it turned out to be epic! Soon, Cass and Drama Queen followed suit. And I helped myself to a piece too.  

I thought that the girls wouldn't fancy eating cream crackers as they are pretty tasteless and dry but now, they have found a novel way of savouring this crispy and delightful snack😋👍

Mykōri Dessert Cafe, Taman Desa

On one of the evenings during the school holidays in December last year, the hubs brought us to a newly opened dessert cafe after dinner.  Mykori Dessert Cafe is a purveyor of Japanese snacks and desserts with a twist. Their signature items are their array of taiyaki (fish-shaped cake) with different fillings in both sweet and savory options - the cheese croissant version is high on their list and cheese lovers will love the cheese filling taiyaki to bits.  We ordered one cheese taiyaki initially but one was definitely not enough for 3 adults and 3 kids, so we ordered another one later and sure enough, it was gone in just seconds after it arrived 😛  Another of  Mykori's most popular choice is the Melon Kakigori which is very refreshing and light. Generously topped with fresh melon balls on a bed of finely shaved and soft ice, the Melon Kakigori is just perfect on a hot day.  The ultra soft shaved fruit flavored ice reminds me of the ice-cream sold at 100 Yen Shop, which we would indulge in occasionally in the past when 100 Yen Shops were still operating around KL.


Source: http://www.buro247.my/lifestyle/food-and-drink/5-new-dessert-cafes-around-kl-to-visit-in-october.html




Melon Kakigori and Strawberry Cheesecake Kakigori







Taiyaki (fish-shaped cake) with lots of oozing soft and melting cheese hidden inside. The chewy strands of cheese can be pulled high up. Fans of cheese will love this savory dessert.









Mango yoghurt kakigori...












Recognize this handsome chap? He's our regular 'makan' buddy.  You may have seen Alan Yun in TV commercials, magazines and local movies.



Mykōri Dessert Cafe, Taman Desa
No 28, Jalan 2/109E Desa Business Centre
Taman Desa, Off Jalan Klang Lama
58100 Kuala Lumpur