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KampungboyCitygal is Two Years Old

On the 30th of December 2005, tiny slices of Keropok Lekor has ignited our intention to start a food blog and this is why KampungboyCitygal was borned. It is a typical real life example of how little things can make a big difference.

Food Blogging has gave us a lot of surprises and changed our perception towards food. We used to think that food is just some lifeless combination of carbo, protein, fats, vitamins and minerals that releases energy through the process of digestion. Well, something like that lar, I read it somewhere.

As time goes, food has taken on a whole new meaning. Food means friendship, from time food has been used to bring together people for celebrations and occasions. Food means culture, a devotion to authenticity and to celebrate how good food enriches our daily lives. Food is an art too, feast first with eyes and then with mouth, this is a saying said from everyone.

All in all, we were grateful that we have manage to go this far (2 years / 24 months/ 730 days) because I have not always been a persistent person. From today onwards, we will move to a new site (http://kampungboycitygal.com), a place that belongs to us, finally. So update your link people!!

See you guys at our new home......

Click to Our New Home

Floggers' Award Night @ My Elephant, Seksyen 17

Dear friends

It's been awhile since our last gathering at Sandias, so let's get together before the end of the year and create a ruckus, eat till our seams burst and throw up everything after that (what fun)!!!

This is a theme party - A Very Retro Christmas - at My Elephant, Section 17, Petaling Jaya.

Date: 28 December (Friday)
Time: 7.30 pm
Dress code: Retro lah.

-LL-

We knew that the second big gathering is hard to be missed because the previous floggers’ gathering at Sandias was awesome. It was a hangout and bonding time together for people who share the same obsessions in life - food. Eventually friendship has been forged over a shared passion for food.

My Elephant at Happy Mansion has a look of elegance sophistication with some small little details such as daisies, candle light and cute elephant painting. The quality of food has somewhat wavered due to the large crowd. This has not hampered our enjoyment because the award giving ceremony was far more interesting. We’ll definitely return for the ala carte menu due to positive reviews from other floggers’ previous visit.

The Menu

Pandan and Krachiap Coolers

Pak Choop Pang Tod (Thai style vegetable tempura)

Choo Chee Goong (Thai Yellow Curry with River Prawns)

Kom's Chicken Wings with Mango-Kiwi Dressing

Som Tam Malakor (Green Papaya with Dried Prawns with Peanuts)

Tom Klong - Northern Thai Tom Yum with Fish Cutlets

Steamed Fish ala Thai Style

Red Duck Curry with Konnyaku, Avocadoes and Rambutan

Teckiee, Citygal, Christine, Sid, Ai Wei and Xiu Long Bao

Back: Jason, Chris, Ekeng, Jackson, Teckiee, Xiu Long Bao Front: KampungBoy, Sid

Cam-Whoring with Jackson's Sunglasses

We can't put up pictures of everyone because most floggers would love to remain anonymous hence the repetition of people in the pictures.

Award List - Click to Enlarge

The undoubted highlight and surprise of the evening would be our Award Giving Ceremony. It’s pretty obvious which flogger should go with the title because we just know each other so well. Grin.

Our award for being the sweetest couple - Gula Melaka Kristal. The gift came in time cause I just ran out of sugar and you know how the price has hiked up over the months. Thank you so much.

Not many people I'd be able to mingle around because I’m afraid that my sore eyes would scare you people off. Don’t worry, it’s not conjunctivas, apparently my eyes were ‘dehydrated’ from the long hours of wearing it.

All in all we had a blast! Can’t wait for the next big floggers’ gathering again. The sisters (WMW, Lyrical Lemongrass, Precious Pea) are awesome, they kept the party going on and make sure that everyone is taken care of. Thank you so much for such a wonderful, entertaining, memorable evening!

Block C-G4 Happy Mansion
Section 17/13
46400 Petaling Jaya
Business Hours: Tuesday to Sunday (except Sunday lunch)
Lunch: 12.00 p.m. - 2.30 p.m.
Dinner: 6.00 p.m. - 10.00 p.m.
Tel : 012 328 5028 ~ Patrick

Location Map to My Elephant (Click to Enlarge)

Read Also: Floggers' Meet at Sandias, Bukit Damansara

San Francisco Steak House @ Damansara Intan

KampungBoy and I had an impromptu date where I get an hour of notice beforehand. It led us to San Francissco Steak House at Damansara Intan who went from being a special-occasion restaurant to one equally suited for an impromptu date.

The restaurant is located in somewhat of a quirky location; a full of chaotic commercial area during the day and surprisingly a quaint place at night.

Complementary Bun and Butter

Velvety smooth and rich in flavor, the Mushroom Cappuccino with frothy top has definitely won my heart.

San Francisco Steak House offers an extensive menu but prices are on the high side and as such obviously we resorted to the value for money set dinner. The set dinner consist of caesar salad with chicken/soup of the day, dessert, coffee or tea with a choice of main (grilled tenderloin with mushroom sauce or béarnaise sauce/grilled sea bass with spinach and mass potato/spaghetti aglio olio with grilled kign prawns and asparagus) at RM 38.90++.

To cure our hunger pangs, Potato Wedges with Bacons are ordered. A not very wise decision I shall say, some of the wedges are hard and undercooked and it is sprinkled with lots of burned and charred bacon bits. My main of chicken is unforgettable too, bland and tasteless.

The declared winner was the grilled tenderloin of beef, with a melt-in-your-mouth cut and grilled to perfection. The sides of mashed potatoes and greens are delicious too. It may not be a good looking slab of steak, but you do get the ounce for ounce of satisfaction.

The restaurant needs to fine tune its' serving timing though; we had barely been served our mains when we are done with the entrees. The gracious ambiance and the juicy cut of steak are the only factors that make our evening a memorable one.

San Francisco Steak House
G01, G03, G05, Ground FloorBlock A,
Damansara IntanNo 1, J
alan SS20/2747400 Petaling Jaya
Selangor Darul Ehsan
(Also Available in Submit USJ, Mid Valley and Suria KLCC)
03 7118 2988
Open Daily from 12 noon to 12 midnight.

Easy Apple Crumble Recipe for Christmas

What does Christmas smell like to you? Mint? Candies? Nutmeg? For me, the sweet smell of Christmas would be cinnamon. The smell that tempts my senses and reminds me that Christmas is just around the corner when I’m nibbling on my aunt’s home baked fruit cakes during my younger days.

To bring up my fond memories and relieving all the Christmases that I’ve had, I’m going to bake a fruit cake! Lo an behold, did I just mean a dense fruit cake filled with pre-soaked fruits in rum, brandy or other liquor that is deeplu spiced and full of surprise? I’m pulling back my words, an easy and yummy apple crumble sprinkled with lots of cinnamon will do.

The crumb topping is wonderfully light and muesli added an extra bit of delicious texture and crunch to this heartwarming dessert. I smell Christmas with the cinnamon scent in the air, the delicious smell is tempting my senses. It tasted divine when it is still fresh from the oven or even better when it is chilled. Serve it with maple syrups and a scoop or two of ice cream.

Filling:
8 apples, peeled, washed and sliced
3 tbsp of brown sugar
2 tbsp of cinnamon

1 cup of raisin (soaked in rum, if you prefer)

Crumble:
2 cups of natural muesli
2 cups of flour
125 gram of butter
2 tbsp of brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Cook the apple over slow fire until it turns soft. In a large mixing bowl, stir in brown sugar, cinnamon and raisin and cooked apple. Pour the mixture in an 8” baking dish.

In a large mixing bowl, combine crumble ingredients other than butter. Rub in the butter into the mixture using your fingers or two knives to mix thoroughly. Sprinkle the crumbles over the apples. Bake 30 to 40 minutes in a preheated oven at 180°C.

If you are expecting guests, pouring some soft state ice cream into Ikea's ice cube tray overnight and voila - you get some cute little heart shaped ice creams. For hygenic purpose, store the tray in a zipper freeze bag. Alternatively, serve them in either white-wine glasses or tall champagne glasses.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Foh San's Dim Sum Galore

Apparently I love to visit Foo San Dim Sum on a Sunday because they have this Sunday Only unorthodox looking dim sum. I think that I have this minor youth Alzheimer's syndrome that I could not remember the name of these lovely goodies that I have to made it up myself!! Please bear with me people...

Sun Rise - The salted egg yolk played well with the the other textures of the dim sum; the thinner outmost layer is crispy, followed by another layer of bouncy fish cake and lastly the seaweed.

Triangle Love - Unrequited love between century egg, prawns and pork has created a very romantic yet complicated relationship (ermm taste).

Loh Mai Kai in Bao Blanket - Yes, actually loh mai kai is keeping itself warm by hiding beneath a layer of soft and fluffy pao skin.

Har Gao Just Got A Face Lift - There were light and crunchy bits of carrots and sengkuang giving it a refreshing change from the typical fillings of shrimps only.

Peking Duck Wrap Minus the Peking Duck - Wrap Skin? Checked. Cucumbers? Checked. Hoi Sin Sauce? Checked. Crispy Duck Skin? MIA. Bits of pork floss and a slice of char siu is actually a better combination than the crispy duck skin itself.

Typical Stir Fried Radish Cake Pretending As Dim Sum - The radish cake cubes are evenly coated with the thick and sweet savoury dark sauce. I can't stop nibbling on the crunchy dried shrimps, salted radish bit and the XL sized bean sprouts of Ipoh.

After numerous time of eating and fighting for a table in Foo San, I've come out with my own strategies - Be there as early as 7 am or as late as 11 am. Its hard to get a table during peak hour, and after you get seated bring your bill to the cart and take your own dim sum as the waitress are too busy to entertain you.

Foh San Dim Sum
No. 2, Jalan Dato Tahwil Azar (used to be known as the Ozbourne Street)

Restoran Yu Ai @ SS2

More than two decades ago, Yu Ai Seafood Noodles took root at Segambut as a humble little noodles place. Today, it has become one of the most famous eating establishment around Klang Valley, giving us the impression of a place that lures loaded consumers who are willing to pay ridiculously high price for a bowl of noodles (fyi, RM13 for small and RM15 for big).

Numerous positive reviews on the seafood laden bowl of noodles from floggers piqued our curiosity and we had to check it out. Now that it has spawn into another two outlets around SS2 and USJ 9, we have no excuse for not paying a visit.

Within minutes a steaming hot bowl of curry seafood noodles appears before you, rich and satisfying like nothing else. Seafood such as squids, clams, mussels, fish slices and prawns fill the bowl to the brim that you can hardly see the noodles. A little unctuous, but there's not denying that the creamy rich broth is very flavourful.

The most sought after broth after the santan laden curry broth would be the fiery red tom yam. Of course, for non spicy offering you can opt for clear broth. The broth is nothing exceptional with the obligatory spicy, sour and slightly sweet taste.

We find it to be slightly overrated, you know when people rant and rave about the place and you set your bar of expectation higher and eventually it leads to disappointment.

Restoran Yu Ai
PJ SS2 Branch
No. 58, Jalan SS2/10, 47300 Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
Tel: 03-78778117
Open Hour: Daily 11am - 9pm
Located behind the Chow Yang kopitiam (Lim Mee Yoke prawn noodles)

Hung Kee Wanton Mee @ Jalan Loke Yew

Having heard so much about the best wantan meen place at Loke Yew, but we have yet to been there. One fine day when everyone is not too famished, KampungBoy and his ex-colleagues braved the traffic to Hung Kee located along Jalan Loke Yew . It was started in 1965 by the Phoon family as a small shoplot but business is so good that it has been expanded to two air conditioned shoplots now.

Everyone’s patience is tested to the limit as it is almost impossible to get a proper parking space and you have to actually wait for a table on a weekday lunch hour. We do hope that the food will actually make the hassles that we have been through all worth while.

The thin strands of wantan meen are hand-made. Everyone loves the springy texture of the noodles tossed in dark coloured soya sauce. Each servings of wantan meen come in a big bowl of wantans. Other than the obligatory glistening and sticky sweet char siu (bbq pork), you can opt for other side dishes such as siu yoke ( roasted pork), roasted duck, siu kow and braised chicken feet mushroom too. The char siu and siu yoke is not as good as expected though but Hung Kee is still a decent place for a good plate of wantan meen.

Hung Kee
28-5 and 28-6, Jalan Loke Yew
Pudu
Kuala Lumpur
(Non Halal. Open from 7 am to 10 pm daily)

Location Map curi-ed from EatinOut

Nyonya Colors @ One UtamaNyonya Colors

Nyonya Colors is the place to go whenever we are hankering for some Nyonya food affairs. Nyonya food is actually the marriage between Malay cuisines and Chinese cuisines, so a lot of ingredients are used and the preparation is just tedious which is hard to be replicated at home. So it makes more sense to dine out rather than cooking it, at least this is the thought of a lazy people like me.

Take a look at the endless array of multi-coloured and layered Nyonya Kueh. It is truly a heaven for someone with a sweet tooth like me.

Anyway, who can resist luscious creamy coconut milk and sweet aromatic palm sugar paired with rice or glutinous rice?

They have taken some effort to create a cozy and lay back settings with these colourful wooden benches and tables.

Cucuk Udang (RM 1.70 per stick of 3 pcs). Cucur udang also known as traditional prawn fritters, is the combination of bean sprouts, spring onion, prawns and flour.It was crispy and light, but the shrimp is almost non-existence.

The aromatic, spicy and tangy gravy soup is served with oodles of rice vermicelli and topped with a fresh garnishing of onion, pineapple, mint leaves and fresh chilies. The curry broth has a subtle but distinct flavour and the ricer vermicelli is fine enough too.

From Top: Tapioca Banana (RM0.80 per pcs), Talam Keladi (RM0.90 per pcs), Sweet Potatoes aka Three Sisters (RM0.80 per pcs). The bite sized kueh is really good that Nyonya Colors has become the default place for tea whenever we are around One Utama. We have to fight our ways through sometimes, when the crowd is big during weekends.

Nyonya Colors
F66, First Floor, Old Wing
1 Utama Shopping Centre
Bandar Utama
WebSite: http://www.littlecravings.com/

Wong Siong Wong @ Sunway Mas Commercial Centre

We have been frequenting Sunway Mas Commercial Centre lately, mainly because of parking is a breeze and the traffic line is not as congested as other PJ/Damansara area.

Few weeks ago, we found ourselves to have the craving for bak kut teh but balked at the thought of traveling a great distance to Klang. 15 minutes later, we were sitted comfortably at Wong Siong Wong, overlooking the drizzling dark night. Just the perfect weather for some bubbling hot herbal soup! Wong Siong Wong is run by the Wong’s family where Kenny and Kin Meng are the main chef behind the screen.

Crispy chinese crullers and herbal soup arrived shortly. A good way to start our meal and great to cure our hunger pangs too.

The Johor style bak kut (RM 9 per pax) is served in a claypot with obligatory ingredients such as intestines, cabbage, button mushroom and bean curd. It might not be the best bak kut teh around, but we love the light and fragrant herbal taste of the soup.

Wonder from where does bak kut teh originated and what is the story behind? Read "The Fun Facts About Bak Kut Teh".

The lamb stew (RM 9 per pax), marinated with Chinese five spices powder are stewed together with garlic, onion, ginger and pepper before it is cooked in a claypot with garnishes such as carrot, celery, bean curd, fungus and Chinese wine. The chunks of meat are perfectly done where we couldn’t find a hint of the annoying lamb smell. A very appetizing dish because the thick gravy goes really well with rice.

Chinese Tea is great to wash down all the delicious meaty and greasy and meal.

Restoran Wong Siong Wong
21-1 Jalan PJU 1/3F
Sunway Mas Commercial Centre
Petaling Jaya
Selangor
Tel: 03-78051576, 016-3238200
Business Hours: Monday till Friday (10.30am-9.30pm), Saturday and Sunday (9.30am-9.30pm)

Wai Sek Gai @ SS2

Food Bloggers have the occasional another no-idea-where-to-eat-moment that strikes in too. While we drove around PJ area, we were moved by a dispute over where to go again.

"Food court with multiple vendors and plenty of choice would be the option."
" But which food court is it?"
"Kuchai Entrepreneurs Park Food Court and Pudu Wai Sik Gai?"
"Against the economic principal to travel such a great distance for dinner lar"
"Asia Cafe SS15?"
"A great place for sight seeing, plenty of hot college girls, but we dressed sloppily!"
"Ming Tien Taman Megah"
"Not Again?? "
"SS2 wai sek gai!!" We yelled concurrently and agreed on that finally.

A war has just been stopped from breaking out. Pheeew! That was so close!

No more day counting to be back in Thailand to savour the real thing because there is this stall no.25, selling authentic Thai food and runned by two beautiful Thai women.

Our plate of som tam (RM 6), heavily dosed with garlic and chilis looks dangerous. The great colour combination of shredded unripe green papaya, green beans, tomatoes, slices of octopus and dry-roasted crushed peanuts make it looks more palatable. The spiciness is just intolerable; with every bite, I got hotter that my tongue went numb and my lips tingled. However, we enjoyed every single bite of it.

A long queue was seen infront of stall no. 78, Baba Nasi Lemak. Somehow, kiasuness and curiosity is evoked that we joined the queue! They have a very interesting selections of Malay/Baba Nyonya style chap fan (economic rice) with dishes such as sambal petai, assam prawn, curry stingray and telur sambal.

The dishes, with the greasy and delicious gravy, paired fairly well with the rice. Two thumbs up to the chicken rendang; the chicken pieces is tender while the gravy is great to be poured over rice. Total damage? RM 8, not your usual chap fan price but it is fairly reasonable.

Grilled Fish (RM15)

We should have taken heed not to overindulge because our tummy is rebelling and rejecting against the fiery hot goodies the next day...