Goodbye 2009 - Suburb of Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi says goodbye to 2009...

The city comes to a rest...

Goodbye 2009...

ps. See you in ... 2010!

Spag Bol on the eve of New Year's Eve

Add a little french bread ... sprinkle some magical Kotanyi crushed peppers...

And you are nearly there...

A delicious spag bol for the eve of New Year's eve :-)

My attempt at cooking in Abu Dhabi!

Tomato Chicken ... Thanks to L for the recipe!


Pad Kaprao Kai ... inspired by my time in Thailand


Yes ... even a humble fried egg, is a dish :-)

I Love Yoo!

One afternoon in The Gardens at Mid Valley ... We were drawn by the intense heating lamps, the great smell, and "Freshly Made Tau Foo Far" signage! YES please!!


I love Yoo!


Mid-valley / Garden's I Love Yoo ain't as good as Pavilion's You Tiao .. mmmmh! But still, so yummy!


ps - Seems they have EVEN more outlets!
The Gardens
The Mines Resort City
Suria KLCC
Sunway Pyramid
1 Utama, and
Hawker Square @ Ikano Power Centre.

Desserts at Xin timsum, Concorde Hotel KL

Thanks for the treat HK-aunty :-) We were so famished by the time we got to the KL-famous Xin at Concorde, I didn't take pictures of the mains ... just the desserts! Check out my previous review here.

bbG's eternal fave ... Tong Yuen. Delish!


Nothin special ... the Mango Pudding!

Consistently good ... Dragon-i at Mid Valley

Add: Cititel Hotel, Mid Valley City, Lingkaran Syed Putra, KL
Tel: +603 2282 0155
Located: Main Lobby, Cititel Hotel - Ground Floor, Mid Valley City (Centerpoint)

Ever since the TM'ers brought me to this outlet, I have been hooked. Previous visits include Dragon-i's at Klang's AEON Bukit Tinggi Mall and Centrepoint Damansara, but this one is The One!


My usual ... Si Chi Tau, basically a giant Porky Ball. Mmmmh, served with La Mien in a really nice soup.


I was introduced on this occassion by BM, V, KT, bbG and our new friend, A, to some other fine dishes here ... Crispy fried mange-tout, House specialty fried eel and Tung Poh Pork.

Home is where the heart is ... Tanjung Malim

I remember doing a write-up of my Favourite foods of the year in 2008 , which was inspired by my first favourite foods review of 2007 ... but when I look back at 2009, I can't help but think ... Home is where the heart is.

My favourite foods of the year has to be those I enjoyed in Klang and Tanjung Malim too :-) Here's a recent fantastic home-cooked meal I had when I was home ... Steamed kampung chicken, Char-yoke Hakka style, stir fried homegrown spinach, and all the sauce condiments that perfectly compliment the dishes!

Inside Man - A Spike Lee Joint (2006)

Watched this DVD (UK) last night, it was surprisingly good!


Directed by Spike Lee (I liked his films from a decade ago, this was his first "new" movie which I watched ... Summer of Sam , 1999 / He Got Game , 1998 / Malcolm X , 1992 / Do the Right Thing , 1989), it has a strong cast including ...
Denzel Washington ... Detective Keith Frazier
Clive Owen ... Dalton Russell
Jodie Foster ... Madeleine White
Christopher Plummer ... Arthur Case
Willem Dafoe ... Captain John Darius


Wikipedia really nicely describes the start of the film...
The film begins in medias res with Dalton Russell (Clive Owen) narrating his plight in the confines of an undisclosed cell, musing about the difference between a cell and a prison. Shortly afterwards, he begins in narration to describe the "perfect" plan for a bank robbery.
The robbery begins in flashback as a group of robbers, dressed as painters and utilizing aliases under variants of the name "Steve," enter the bank, disable the security cameras, and take control of the bank. All customers and bank employees are herded into the basement, where they are forced to give up their keys and cell phones and change into painter uniforms and face masks identical to those of the robbers. They then lock the hostages into several rooms, periodically rotating them and introducing themselves among the hostages at various points.
Meanwhile, the police arrive and surround the bank.

Westin Kuala Lumpur - Its breakfast-time

Breakies @ Westin KL
Add: 199, Jalan Bukit Bintang, KL
Tel: +603 2731 8333

Breakfast one morning at the Executive lounge ...

Pretty, but not the nicest cupcake!

Go local? Yes please! Great nasi lemak ... surprisingly so!

Very blah mee soup ... but hey, what did I expect!

Eating many floors above Jalan Bukit Bintang & KL!

We had a view by the window ... nice!

WAW Grilled Chicken Wings - Jalan Alor, KL

A well used, well oiled (from chicken wing fat!) machine ...


WAW chicken wings, or Wong Ah War, is an institution along a road that is a foodie institution, Jalan Alor, in KL. A trip home is incomplete without stopping over here, and BM, bbG and myself couldn't resist one night .. for dinner!


Rasamalaysia.com has an interesting perspective of this place ...
Located in the heart of downtown KL, Jalan Alor — once notorious as a seedy red light district – is now a food haven casually known as “Wai Sek Kai,” which literally means Glutton Road in Cantonese. When night falls, Jalan Alor turns into a giant open-air hawker center with coffee shops and food stalls serving all sorts of Malaysian street food delicacies; seafood, snacks, fruits, etc. Having so many great choices, the biggest issue of conscience you face is whether your stomach is big enough to accommodate the vast array of foods available. Jalan Alor is truly a foodie mecca!
When I think of Jalan Alor, Wong Ah Wah Grilled Chicken Wings naturally comes to mind. These chicken wings are famous; indeed, this flagship delight of Jalan Alor has now crossed the ocean and landed on the menu of FATTY CRAB (not that Fatty Crab in KL, one of the hottest new restaurants in New York City. Once a resident of KL, Chef Zak Pelaccio launched this Malaysian joint to pay homage to the phenomenal food culture of Malaysia (finally, someone is doing justice to Malaysian food!).

I like the noods here! Espesh the 2nd dish ... Siew Yoke Meen.


Not sure if this helped after all the healthy food, but we had some veges too! :-)

Cool Sabahan registration plates ... in KL!

SS6N ... Nice!


ps - In case you didn't recognise, this is a 2001 Lexus SC430. Ultimate poser car, ah-beng mobile, or genuinely nice? You can decide!

Strawberries with chocolate - Westin KL

Relaxing at the executive floor of the Westin in KL ... Strawberry meets Chocolate? Bliss!

Merry Christmas from Pavilion, KL

Coffee one pre-Christmas evening at Island Bistro, Pavilion ...


Classiest Christmas display in KL this year? I think its gotta be Pavilion.


ps - Merry Christmas from KL ... 5 days belated!

You Tiao & Posh Tao Fu Fah at Food Republic, Pavilion KL

Never thought I would see a stand-alone stall called You Tiao selling ...
1) Yau Char Kuey,
2) Soya bean and Tau Fu Fah, and
3) Porridge
... in Pavilion KL!


Located at Food Republic, Lot 1.41.00 ... Posh'ish display means strong heater/down-lights and glass display cabinets!


Roadside, Pavilion-side, same same lah ... comes in a huge cauldron. Served with a simple flat spoon. Brown-sugar or white-sugar juice, take your pick.


Its actually really good ;-)

ps - Haha, RM$3.20 for Tau Fu Fah!? Times have changed ... I still miss Funny Mountain, Ipoh though! Ranked as my FAVOURITE EATERY in 2007!!