Cameron Highlands, Malaysia - Sep 2010

Last month, hubby and I brought the little rascal one to Cameron Highlands, Malaysia. Yes, a 8hr car journey with an active and restless baby. Call us crazy but the wanderlust in us just couldn't resist the beckon of nice, cool weather and hot, steamy steamboat with lots of fresh veggies. It's 4-5 years since our last trip and been yearning for sometime now. We reckon self-drive would be easier since I could nurse baby on-the-go with ease and stop whenever necessary.

We set off around 6+am when baby woke up, I think he was excited too since he usually wakes up around 7am. After crossing the checkpoint, we stopped by Machap, our usual pitstop for breakfast.

And what better way to start the journey than my favourite Maggie Curry Sup! I always like the way the Malay stallholders cook this simple dish, al dente and flavourful, probably coz it was cooked fresh and using a wok. I also added a piece of Ayam Goreng; the Malayan fried chicken always tasted sedap with the spice marinate.

Thereafter we continued the long drive up north, stopping once for lunch. Meanwhile, baby did fine, slept quite a fair bit after nursing as well as lunch. I guess the rocking motion helped ease him to sleep. Other times, he was happily watching the scenery.

As we approached our destination, we decided to go up Cameron Highlands via Tapah instead of Simpang Pulai. Simpang Pulai is another half an hour drive away and will reach the town of Kg Raja first (North) whereas for Tapah, will reach the town of Ringlet first (South). Previously, we drove up from Simpang Pulai where the roads are wider and less windy. But this time, we thought of trying Tapah which some said more 'scenic'. BIG MISTAKE. The roads are narrow (only one lane each way) and very windy. If there is a slow moving vehicle in front, it's difficult and dangerous to cut lanes (need lots of guts). It wasn't really scenic anyway coz hubby was busy swiving the steering wheel and I was trying not to get giddy/puke while trying to entertain baby who was obviously getting impatient and also uncomfortable with the windy roads. The only saving grace was probably the many durian stalls along the way. Hubby stopped by one of them for a quick snack. Well, the durians were good but to me not worth it (the journey) coz durian would make me wanna puke more. So, lesson learnt, I swear not to take the Tapah exit (well, I take that back for now coz, due to circumstances we had to take the dreaded roads again during the return trip. Will explain later).

The journey took forever and I was soooo relieved when we finally reached Cameron Highlands Resort, our lodgings for the 2 nights stay. As we parked our car and unloading our luggage, the porters actually came to our car and helped us with all our stuff. We truly appreciate it as all of us were so weary from the road up. This is what we call service.

The Front Office Manager led us to the lounge area and served us hot tea with towel while arranging check-in for us. The lounge area was bright and airy, and there was an air of serenity. We already felt much more relaxed, especially with the cool weather of around 20-22 degree celsius.

After settling the check-in procedures, we were led to our deluxe room which overlook the golf course. There's even a balcony where we could chill and enjoy the peace and tranquility. The room is cozy and well furnished as expected.

After nursing baby, we decided to explore the resort grounds and also go for afternoon tea at the Jim Thomson Tea Room.

I like the colonial charm of the resort, with its long corridors, timber wood ceilings, French-style windows and doorways.

The Reading Lounge even has a real fireplace and a fire would be lighted every evening.

Time for afternoon tea!

We ordered the afternoon tea set for 2 which included a pot of tea each and a 3-tier platter of scones, pastries and sandwiches.

The pastries were so-so only.

I enjoyed the finger sandwiches which came with tuna mayo, cucumber and smoked salmon fillings.

Any good traditional English afternoon tea would come with scones. The scones were served warm, nice and buttery and the clotted cream quite light. Since strawberry is a specialty product of Cameron Highlands, the jam is definitely good. 2 extra plump sweet and juicy strawberries were also included together with a chocolate dip.

After the high tea, we retreated to the room for a snooze till late evening before venturing out for our much-anticipated charcoal steamboat.

There are many steamboat restaurants in Brinchang Town but we opted for this small eatery hidden at the backstreet of the town, which uses charcoal for its steamboat. The steamboat came in a set chargeable at RM15 per pax (I think so, can't remember) which included meat, prawns, cuttlefish, tofu, fishballs, beehoon, noodles and the star --- fresh veggies.

Not sure if it's due to the cold weather, the steamboat tasted really good, especially with the fresh veggies. We loved the watercress and ordered another portion.

After the satisfying dinner, we headed back to the resort for a good night's rest.

Early next morning, it's rise and shine to breakfast at The Dining Room.

Bread basket and fruits were first served and a few selections on the breakfast menu freshly prepared upon order.

I ordered sunny side-up with sausage and hash brown.

Hubby ordered the daily Chef's Special which was Fried Kway Teow. I must say the Fried Kway Teow tasted really good!

We took our time for a slow and relaxing breakfast. It's been a long time since we last enjoyed a good breakfast together.

After breakfast, we went back to the room where I nursed baby, got him to nap then headed to my much needed spa therapy at the Spa Village. Will blog about my spa experience in another entry.

By the time my spa treatment ended, it was lunch time. We headed to Brinchang Town and settled at this restaurant called OK 徳. The entire Brinchang Town was bustling with lots of people, probably coz it was weekend.

Sweet and sour pork, our favourite zi char dish. Pork was deep fried to a crisp and sauce sweet and sourish. Yums!

We saw people ordered curry fish and ordered it as well. Reckon curry would be tasty in such a cool climate. Alas, the fish was not very fresh so the dish was so-so only. Lesson learnt, never order seafood on a mountain.

Stir-fry Cabbage was crunchy and sweet. When the veggie is fresh, just a simple stir-fry is enough.

After lunch, we drove around and stopped by this place called Watercress Valley and bought a bunch. The watercress in Cameron Highlands tasted really sweet and crunchy unlike those sold in SG.

Then, we dropped by an organic farm located near Kea Farm (the largest market place in Cameron). Few years back, we also came near to get our veggies which were freshly dug and picked.

The radish was really sweet and good for both soup and braised dishes.

We love the round cabbage, can even be eaten raw.

Uncle digging sweet potato for us.

There were leeks, yam and some other types of veggies as well but we could only eat this much.

Next, we explored Kea Farm where all sorts of fresh veggies were on sale.

How could we not eat strawberries? The strawberries here were all sweet and juicy unlike those sold in SG which tend to be sourish. I wonder why these are not available in SG?

Along the way back to the resort, we were caught in a massive jam (apparently common during weekends). Passed by a Pasar Malam at Brinchang but decided against dropping by as the jam was bad and parking was impossible. Instead, I hopped down to grab some snacks during the jam and then we headed back to the resort for a rest before meeting a group of friends for dinner.

This purple sweet potato ball caught my eye and I bought a bag of 8 pc (can't remember the price). It was yummy! Crispy on the outside and chewy inside. Purple sweet potato has this special fragrant that was unique and unlike the usual sweet potato.

Sweet corn is another specialty and a lot of stalls were selling either steamed ones or grilled ones.

After rest, we headed to this steamboat restaurant located at the basement of Hotel Titiwangsa to join a group of friends for dinner. The charge was based on per pax (can't remember the cost, I think between RM15-20) and items like meat and seafood came in a set whereas veggies were free flow buffet-style. Forgot to take photo, as we were famished and busy eating! I strongly recommend this place, simply for the free flow veggies! Made a mental note to visit this restaurant again for our next trip.

After the hearty dinner, headed back to resort for a good night's rest as we would be returning home the next day.

Our last breakfast, hubby ordered a waffle sandwich which was really yummy.

As for me, I ordered the daily Chef's Special which was Bee Hoon soup. The broth was light and soothing, just what I needed to perk me up.

Since it was still early, we made a quick spin to the Cameron Bharat Plantation & Tea House to take some pictures. We even drove into the Boh Tea Plantation but there was no parking and we ran out of time, so decided to head back.

On the way back to the resort, we were caught in a jam once again as it was approaching lunch time and many vehicles were heading towards Brinchang Town. (Cameron Highlands Resort is located between Brinchang and Tanah Rata). We reached the resort in-time for check-out and pondered which exit to take. I had sweared not to take the Tapah exit but if we were to take the Simpang Pulai exit , we would have to endure the jam which could take 1-2 hrs to clear (as Simpang Pulai is towards the direction of Brinchang). So no choice, we had to brave the windy roads again. This time, it was worst, the roads seemed never ending and baby was really cranky. I had to cradle and pacify him while trying not to get sick. I literally heaved a great sigh of relief when we finally reached the foot of the mountain. Thereafter, it was an uneventful long drive back home with 2 stopovers for lunch and dinner.

Lesson learnt, don't go to Cameron Highlands during weekends as everywhere was crowded and always traffic jam during meal times. And never ever take Tapah exit.

That aside, it was definitely an enjoyable getaway with the cool climate, serenity and fresh veggies. We didn't visit most of the attractions as they were all too crowded but anyway we had visited most of them a few years back.

I think baby enjoyed too as he loves cold weather and was laughing and playing during the trip. If not for the long journey, we would love to go there more often. Well, probably in a couple of year's time when he's bigger, we could go again and pick strawberries together. Looking forward to Cameron Highlands again!

Restaurant Review: Chaozhou Inn at Parkway Parade

My very first restaurant review! Yep, just went for an invited restaurant review at Chaozhou Inn (Parkway Parade) together with fellow bloggers Passionate About Baking and Precious Moment, as well as a writer from omy.sg.

When Sharon from Chaozhou Inn contacted me, I was rather surprised as my blog is not a food blog per se and just personal ramblings on things that interest me. Was also worried due to the recent bad publicity on bloggers attending food reviews. Nevertheless, I decided to go with an open mind. And I was glad that I did coz the session was enjoyable (I need me-time and more social life being a SAHM!) and most importantly food was great (another restaurant to add to my list of dining places for family). Our usual haunt for family gatherings are the more common Cantonese-style restaurants like Crystal Jade, Tung Lok, Kam Boat etc. Although my grandmother and mum are Teochews, it never occur to me to go to a Teochew restaurant and I'm ashamed to admit that I have limited knowledge on Teochew cuisine. Hence, this is an opportunity for me to find out more.

The ambience of the restaurant is classy yet cozy with modern oriental furnishings and plush seats for some of the tables. Private rooms are also available for more intimate gatherings. Apparently the restaurant is relatively new, coming to 2 years only. Menu items are pretty extensive featuring over 90 dishes covering Appetizers, Soups, Marinated/BBQ Selection, Main Dishes, Vegetables, Porridge, Rice & Noodles, Dim Sum and Desserts; and not just Teochew cuisine but also the usual favourites like Sweet & Sour Pork. Our tasting menu included some of their signature dishes and new items.

This is a side dish, homemade Pickled Papaya which I like very much. Crunchy and sourish, certainly whets the appetite!

The first dish served was a new item from the Dim Sum Selection, Steamed Spinach Dumpling with Prawn & Dried Scallop 瑶柱菜苗饺 ($4.50). The translucent skin of the dumpling was nicely done, not too thick yet didn't break easily. The dumpling was juicy with succulent prawns, crunchy water chestnuts and refreshing spinach. I always lament the lack of veggies in Dim Sum, so this suits me well.

Next up was the Braised Pork Belly Bun Chaozhou Style 鲍汁扣肉包 ($3.60). I'm a big fan of Pork Belly. Give me anything Pork Belly and I would be a happy gal. The bun here was very soft and pork belly very tender. Not too oily and nice proportion of bun to meat. Would be better if more juice can ooze out from the bun but considering that a leaner cut of meat was used hence less sinful, I was satisfied.

The third Dim Sum was Pan Fried Black Sesame Cake 豆沙煎软饼 ($3.90). Not a fan of red bean but when paired with this mochi, it was not bad at all. I like it that it was served warm with interesting combination of crisp mochi skin, QQ mochi, smooth red bean  paste and nice aroma of toasted black sesame. Hmmm, would even be better if a bit of savoury ingredient could be added for even more depth to the item. Ok, I'm asking for too much.

From the Soup selection, we had the Double Boiled Old Yellow Melon Soup 八宝老黄瓜炖盅 ($8.00). Oh, this soup I must rave about it!!! The presentation was interesting; the centre of the yellow melon was dug out and filled with generous amounts of bite-size pork, prawns, sea cucumber, mushroom and lotus seeds and the entire melon was double boiled. This method of cooking retains heat of the soup well which is really thoughtful.  

I don't really like old yellow melon soup but this, I was slurping mouthful after mouthful as the soup was really sweet.

From the Marinated/BBQ Selection, we had the Braised Platter Chaozhou Style 潮州卤水拼 ($10.00). The braised sauce was nice and duck meat very tender. I also like the duck wing which was very chewy and flavourful being well marinated with the braised sauce. The duck gizzard was a bit too tough though. There was also silken tofu which paired quite well with the braised sauce too. Unfortunately the chilli sauce didn't make the cut for me, not spicy and sourish enough.

A new item from the Main Dish selection, Battered Fried Oyster 金钱蚝仔酥 ($8.00). Rather disappointed with this dish as there was no taste of oyster at all and the batter was overwhelmed by salt and pepper. I thought the dip of thai-style chilli sauce was a bit too casual, probably could have concocted something more special.

The Steamed Pomfret Chaozhou Style 潮式蒸仓鱼 ($22.00), signature dish of Teochews fared well. White pomfret (supposedly the most coveted pomfret species) was used and for the generous size and affordable price, this was a really good catch (pun intended). The broth was very light and fish meat fresh and sweet. Definitely a must-order!

The restaurant also started a Lunch Special consisting of a steamed rice and soup. We tried the Steamed Rice with Spare Ribs 原盅豆豉排骨饭, and soup of the day 每日例汤 ($6.90) was Winter Melon soup. I enjoyed the steamed rice which was tasty with the spare rib sauce. But the spare rib was a little starchy. As for the soup, well, after tasting the Double Boiled Old Yellow Melon Soup, this paled in comparison. Nonetheless, this is definitely a value-for-money set.

For veggies, we had the Chao Yang Four Treasure Vegetables 潮阳四宝蔬 ($9.00). The four treasures were long cabbage, tofu, three mushrooms (shiitake, button and straw) as well as ginko nuts. The braised sauce was good and paired well with the veggies especially the long cabbage which was cooked till very tender and soft.

From the Porridge selection, we tried the Pomfret Porridge Chaozhou Style 潮州仓鱼粥 ($12.00) which came in an urn-like pot (like those old-time urn used to prepare medicinal soup), I guess to retain heat? Once again, serving was generous for its price. Apparently, a whole pomfret was used to cook the porridge. The broth was very sweet and fish meat fresh. But I did have one piece of meat which was a tad fishy.

Yeah, we've come to Desserts!!! Yam Paste with Gingko Nut and Pumpkin 福果芋泥 ($4.90) is a must-have for Teochew cuisine. I used to look forward to dessert during wedding banquets if Orh Nee was served =D The pumpkin was a nice touch and together with the ginko nut made the otherwise plain-looking yam paste looked so much more refined and appetizing. The Yam Paste was really smooth and light and most importantly not oily and not too sweet.

The Homemade Soya Beancurd 桶仔豆腐花 ($4.50 for 2 pax. $7.00 for 4 pax) is a hot favourite sold at Chaozhou Inn's sister eatery, Sweet Spring, so they brought it over. Quite a cute idea to serve it in a tub like this :) The beancurd was so smooth just like silken tofu. I didn't even need to add the sugar syrup.

We ended the tasting session with the latest creation Sweet Potato Paste with Pineapple. The paste was so smooth and creamy as sugar and butter was added, but a tad too sweet for our liking. Instead of just canned pineapples which looked boring and plain, probably could think of other ingredients to complement the paste and enhance the presentation.

All in all, I was impressed with the quality of the food yet affordable pricing, attentive service and warm hospitality of Chaozhou Inn. Would certainly recommend to my friends and family. Already thinking of bringing my family there for our next gathering and can't wait to try the other dishes.

Thank you to Sharon once again for the invitation and hospitality.

Chaozhou Inn

80 Marine Parade Road, B1-84D,
Parkway Parade, Singapore 449269
(65) 6346-6617
czparkway@chaozhouinn.com
http://www.chaozhouinn.com/index.html

Bittergourd, Chicken & Tomato Curry

As a child, I disliked bittergourd for its bitter taste and would shun whatever dish my mum whipped up with bittergourd. However, recent years I began to appreciate and like the bitterness of the fruit and more importantly, the health benefits. Sign of getting old? LOL!

Previously when I was still working, I never cook bittergourd since hubby doesn't like it. But since I'm now a SAHM, I have every opportunity to use ingredients that hubby doesn't like for my own lunch. It's also a chance for me to experiment certain dishes and if good, add on to our dinner menu list.

After trying the Stir Fry Bittergourd with Roast Pork, I searched the net for recipes using bittergourd and came across this very interesting dish, Bitter Melon Tomato Curry. I knew I have to give it a try, can imagine the flavours of tangy tomato with spicy curry!

The original recipe uses bittergourd and tomato only. As I want to make it a one-pot dish, I added chicken and pineapple. I thought the addition of pineapple might give the curry a tinge of sweetness. In fact, I think veggies like okra (lady fingers) and brinjal could be added as well =D

 Ingredients (serves 2-3 pax)

• 4-5 cloves garlic, minced
• 4-5 shallots, thinly sliced
• 2 tomato, cut into wedges
• 1 small size bittergourd or 3/4 medium size bittergourd
• 1 slice pineapple, cut into slices
• 5-6 pieces of chicken fillet, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp tumeric powder
• 3 tsp curry powder
• Salt, black pepper, mixed herbs to taste

 Steps

1. Remove centre core of bittergourd and cut into thin strips. To lessen bitterness, soak in salt water for at least 5 mins.
2. Marinate chicken pieces with some salt and pepper.
3. Heat 2 tsp of oil in a pot, add garlic and shallot. Fry till fragrant. Add chicken pieces and fry till chicken turns colour. Add the tomato, bittergourd and pineapple.
4. Stir-fry for 3 mins, then add cumin, tumeric and curry powder. Fry till all the ingredients are coated with the powder.
5. Add enough water to cover 1/2 to 3/4 of the ingredients. Bring to boil, stirring occasionally.
6. Once the ingredients are bubbling, turn to low heat and simmer for about 10 mins or till bittergourd turns soft (I like it soft). Add salt, black pepper and mixed herbs to taste.
7. Serve hot with rice, prata or naans.

Instead of rice, I had my curry with prata.

I think I could have added a tad too much water as the curry became slightly watery. Nevertheless I love this soupy version and was slurping up all the curry =) I guess one could not go wrong with the wonderful aromas and tastes of spices. I thought all the ingredients were well complemented by the curry and the curry was in fact not spicy at all due to additions of tomato and pineapple.

Shall let hubby try and see if he likes it as well. And next time I could explore with more ingredients like okra and brinjal too. Meanwhile, will be searching for more recipes using bittergourd. Stay tune!