MANGO ICE KACANG

"Ice Kacang" for those unfamiliar with this stuff, it is a favorite desert popular in Malaysia and Singapore, though not exclusive to these countries, (in the neigboring country like the Philippines, their version of Ice Kacang is localy known as Halo Halo). Ice Kacang is sweet-tasting and is primarily ice served with sweet flavoured syrup and jelly. In Kuala Lumpur it is popularly known in the Bahasa as "air batu campur" or ABC for short..

Personally i'd consider ice kachang the inovarion of the western snow cone ;) ... the wor kacang by the way is a malay word for Bean... having given a brief on what it is all about.. let me tell you about the heavenly Mango Ice Kacang i've had recently. My previous post about Rojak Pengatin was just a prelude to this...well the best way to end a meal is having a good desert. After having feasted on durians d24's in Kepong Bharu..and not forget to mention the rojak.... on the way back to KL i saw this shop called “Kee Tak Zek” pronounced as “Kei Tuck Sek” in cantonese which means “Remember To Eat”, having heard KTZ being famous for it's varity of deserts we and i decided to just be glutons for a day and check out the place. Needless to say the picture speaks for itself...all i can say the Mango Ice Kacang was just heavenly....what was in it ..."fresh mango cubes nicely arranged over the fluffy ice shavings, afterwhich a sweet mango blended cream with sago was poured atop of it" ...FUH YUH!! when visiting Malaysia remember not to forget this experience... I'd recommend you try this stuff at KTZ ;) it would be an encounter to remember.........

hasta luego chicas

ROJAK PENGANTIN (KEPONG BHARU)

Rojak Pengantin! ... what is it? Literary "Rojak" is the Malay word for mixture and "Pengantin" means bride/bridegroom in Indonesia. In Malaysia this play of words refers to a dish that come in various preparations depending on the cultural influence in its preparation. Rojak is actually a fruit and vegetable salad dish that is quiet popular around the country, one Rojak dish from one state is different and in taste from another Rojak dish in another state.

Rojak Pengantin is a signature dish to this "Mamak" food stall in Kepong Bharu. (Mamak meaning a hawker store where Malaysian Indians sell drink and food) this rojak contains slices of boiled eggs, potatoes, fried tofu, pineapples, bean sprout, pickles, vegetables, roasted peanuts, brown sotong and has a little vinegar taste to it.

Located at the corner near few meters from the roundabout to the direction of the old market town of Kepong. If you are familiar with the area of Kepong you are sure not to miss the stall...it is the only stall that sells rojak at the corner co-located with the rows of fruit stalls. If you see a cue of people along the fruit stands...you've found the place.. this is the only place i've seen so far where people cue just for the Rojak...saying goes "if there is a cue in a food stall then the food must be good"... true enough the rojak was worth the cue.. so if you are around the place Kepong i'd recommend to give it a try...it's worth it's exotic taste..but well who can say...dishes new to a foreigner are all exotic ;) .

QUAN YING TEMPLE (BROGA)

Quan Ying is one of the most universally beloved of deities in the Buddhist tradition. Also known as Kuan Yin, Quan'Am (Vietnam), Kannon (Japan), and Kanin (Bali), She is the embodiment of compassionate loving kindness. As the Bodhisattva of Compassion, She hears the cries of all beings. Quan Yin enjoys a strong resonance with the Christian Mary, the Mother of Jesus, and the Tibetan goddess Tara.

Within a valley 50Km away from Kuala Lumpur lies the small town of Broga. Broga by the way is smack in the middle between Selangor and Negri Simbelan, the first time we went looking for this place was kinda tricky, asking around was not that helpful either...nevertheless we found Broga. Having been to Broga for the fourth time now...and each time i've gone to this place i get to discover new sites to explore..

This Quan Ying temple is my....or should i say our latest escapade find at Broga... i may be wrong calling it the Quan Ying temple, but for those who've been here and familiar with the temple do please share your input on it. The temple's location i right on the way going to the where the famous Broga Ikan Bakar is...thats the closest direction i can make out to the place.

our adventure to the place was not acidental...we were on the way to another round of the Broga Ikan Bakar, which is the fourth time for me by the way...and like always i suggested just to make a quick stop since we were quiet early for beers and lunch at the time.

on the assending steps to the entrance are my partners in crime... the evil DarkAngel and the one and only QOB, this two are faster than light when it come to the topic of JALAN JALAN....see how happy the faces of the two..
we never expected the inside of this temple to be like this...this second level of steps leads to the dragon garden, you see it as you scroll down.i don't know what this is...none of us read kanji, well heck just decided to put the picture in...for you to see what this remote temple in Broga has to offer... its treasure that one does not see everyday, specially for if you are from Kuala Lumpur, i'd bet even not all the local Broga folks know about this place.

taking a pick into one of the altars are the two demonettes probably planning to pray for their souls (if they have one) for their many sins...the altar is housed in a natural rock crevice at the side of the hill...

a closer look inside the alter, notice the ceiling and the rear behind the altar, it is natural rock. I wonder how old and who built the temple. There was nobody to ask around... no monks either were there, we din't notice any caretakers either, the temple is open to everybody for walkin visits i guess....
see the scenic view of the mountains and the valley bellow, from one of the many courtyards of the temple, the place is very well maintained.
this is facinating to me personally...temples, churches facinate me... like i mentioned in one of my previous posts that i'm facinated with such places... anyway above is one of the two pillars from another altar, where it was actually carved from natural rock...notice the craftsmanship on how well defined the head of the celestial dragon was done.

now this is a striking scene... the devil personafied in the flesh...praying?! ! ! i wonder how he never melted in this temple... oh well never question the power of the darkside....

i guess this is the main altar or the main house of one of the gods... that's why the demon himself paid some respect to it... notice the golden prayer wheels, they are made of Thai gold leaf. (real gold)

another beautiful garden courtyard.... this is one of the gazibo's where one can relax and rest to just enjoy the scenic surroundings.

the entrance to the Dragon garden....beautifully carved dragons make the arch to the entrance...seen in the foreground is the golden dragon tortoise... don't know its significance though.

the demonettes making a pose with their celestial sign the Dog....don't get deceived by their smiles friends...specially QOB.... see the babi behind her? she claims to have had a pet babi that she later on roasted =) like i said QOB can eat almost anything even crickets, and pangolins... as for me i can only eat grasshoppers...
the celestial Dragon...this is my Chinese zodiac..the supreme sign of all, majestic isn't it... lets see what there is to say about Dragons "The Dragon is one of the most powerful and lucky Signs of the Chinese Zodiac. Its warm heart makes the Dragon's brash, fiery energy far more palatable. This is a giving, intelligent and tenacious Sign that knows exactly what it wants and is determined to get it. Dragons possess a certain natural, charming charisma that ensures they can always influence their peers and often find themselves the center of attention in social situations." .... aint it intresting?
this is a view of part of the Durian orchard to the western side of the temple....Durian! just wonder how this place would look during the Durian season...and not to forget the durian fragrance that would be in the surrounding air...yeah i know what may be going on your mind about durian.... but heck i love DURIAN!

i wish someone could tell me the meaning of this character...i guess it's something of a peace greeting or peace be with you of some sort...oh well all good Jalan's at some point has to come to an end...i wish i had more space to post the tons of pictures i took of this place...but then! why don't you as well go and see and find out for yourself the beauty of this temple...until then , ...on towards the next food and place ad

CHILLIN OUT AT GURNEY DRIVE (PENANG)

We arrived in Penang around 5:30am, it was one of those days that we just decided to take a break and chill from our buzzling work loads. The consensus was, why not make a quick stop at George Town and just chill for a day.

Okay we asked QOB to gather the CUTI CUTI gang and see what we could work out...not all were in attendance, but heck who cares yah... its CUTI CUTI time and who wants to pass on that idea.

So we arrived at the island on a very wet morning. First thing everyone had in mind was get a quick breakfast bite and head to our hotel....for me breakfast was the least in my mind... i just started snapping away with my 7,500 ulu camera according to DarkAngel who was not present..was on assignment somewhere who knows and who cares!!.. first picture i took was this temple...you may want to tell me the name if you recognize it...coz me din't care to ask, coz was still sleepy.

Hanibal, Spade, the one and only QOB, and Darkseid, waiting for a bus at the Komtar Plaza bus interchange... a cheaper way of getting to Gurney Drive, than taking a taxi....taxi transport in the island is most of the time rediculous.. the taxi drivers refuse to use the meter and charge their passengers unreasonable rates.

finally got checked into the room, nice view from up here yeah... right down bellow is Gurney drive, also you can see the beach beyond the tree line...accross is a posh service condo..with a nice view too with nice Kuching in them ;)

okay time for more poses in front of our hotel...left to right, Darkseid, Ace, QOB, Hanibal and Spade...well yours truely is rarely captured in pictures since i take them...hehehe

ehem ehem ehem...rainy afternoon walk to get some lunch...well i guess Darkseid got the hint three is a crowd ;) let the Spade and Ace huddle under the umbrella, chances like this don't come that often hehehe.
anyone for live Alaskan Crabs?...they are priced at RM 65/Kg to much for the budget though...i'd rather go for the green local crabs...well we din't have this crab for lunch.
this is nice...i don't know what it is called locally, but this weird looking sea creatures are Mantis Shrimps, the meat is very juicy and sweet... the catch to it is...you should know how or be an expert in cooking this shrimps...too long boiling will leave you with only the shell. .... anybody got a good suggestion on how to cook them? oh before i forget you get them at a restaurant at Gurney drive... at Bali Hai....excellent the way they cook them in butter but quiet a pricy place though.
as i said we were just out to chill at Gurney drive, nothing serious like searching for food specialties, although it could have been a good time to go for it... Penang by the way is a place known for good food...anyway, again we were just chillin, so nothing special nothing specific about food this time.
Ace, Darkseid looking on at QOB who is so happy at the sight of steaming hot Bah Kuh Teh for lunch, which we had at 3PM by the way...what a lunch....well what did anyone expect? everybody was too lazy to wake up...the weather was awesome bed weather.......or was it beer weather;)

this is the night hawker at Gurney drive where you find lots of mouth watering famous Penang food, it is a famous night spot that you will find open through out the week. On week ends you will find this place normaly packed, from locals to tourists alike. This is one place one should not miss when visiting Geotge Town.

the Ace of Spade, ehem ehem or the Ace of Spades...lovely couple they make dont you think?....striking a pose along the beach wall at Guney...behind in the backdrop afar is the seafood restaurants at the end of Gurney drive...hmmmm i smell something in the air.

back to the hawker street, three lovely demonettes enjoying all the food they could get...at cheap cheap prices too.. yeah all the food on the table belongs to this three...they have quite an appetite, don't be decieved by their looks friends....they can eat! hehehehe....specially QOB =;)

and more food......yeah foood galore...forgot what they call all this....if i only had the space to taste each and everything my eyes could see at this hawker stall..... oh well i guess on visit is not enough for one to savor all this delicious goodies..... i definitely have to make a trip again to Gurney to make a detailed post on this goodies.

nah this is not part of the exotic menu...this is my pet monitor lizard that i let go for a walk by the beach... his name is Godzilla....by the way last time i saw him he was fishin for food....(you also can find exotic food at Gurney by the way) like Pangollin stew...i just wont tell you and promote on it...i pitty those pangollins...i'm not like QOB who enjoys eating pangollin meat :(

oh well all good things have to come to an end....if i had a choice to stay in this place longer i'd gladly do..but well we got to be back to work work work....and so back to savin the world.. ananymously ;) (photo of pine trees along Gurney) and the memory remains...

SZE CHUAN VILLAGE STREAM BOAT (PUDU)

Sze Chuan - how is it properly pronounced, and what is it. Before I go further telling you about the food of Sze Chuan Villege Reataurant, first lets learn what SZE CHUAN is .. if you had peppercorns in mind or something close to it, well you could be wrong.

Szechuan pepper; Szechwan[SEHCH-wahn, SEHCH-oo-ahn]Native to the Szechuan province of China, this mildly hot spice comes from the prickly ash tree. Though not related to the PEPPERCORN family, Szechuan berries resemble black peppercorns but contain a tiny seed. Szechuan pepper has a distinctive flavor and fragrance. It can be found in Asian markets and specialty stores in whole or powdered form. Whole berries are often heated before being ground to bring out their tantalizing flavor and aroma. Szechuan pepper is also known as anise pepper, Chinese pepper, fagara, flower pepper, sansho and Sichuan pepper.

Having much said about Szechuan, let me tell you about the Sze Chuan Village Restaurant which the evil CUTI CUTI Malaysia gang, and with yours truely decided to sample their steamboat. Like the earlier post i had on steamboat sometime back, there may be a few simmilarities but heck, who does not love steamboat?.

Sze Chuan Villege Restaurant has 2 shops around KL, one in SS2 and this one that we dicided to go to is found in Pudu, (Pudu a suburb in KL not a country okay). Above is just one part of the menu what Sze Chuan Villege has to offer. Note: at very low reasonable prices like RM 12 per pax.

Lovely, this is the sze chuan steamboat vat, looks mouth watering... its not your typical steamboat soup, fresh coriander, spring onions, Chinese dates, shreded chicken in the stock added all up makes the soup real tasty...not to forget the szechuan peppercorns that makes the soup spicy and tangy.

here is a sauce that you have a choice of having your steamboat with. The sauce is made of fermented bean curd mixed into sesame oil and chili oil...yum yum. For those who are unfamiliar with Steamboat, a good way to enjoy having steamboat is having it with a group of friends...having it alone is not fun and will cost you.

Brown Sotong or Brown Squid, famous and probably local to Malaysia. A personal favorite when it comes to steamboat. Just nice after leaving it to boil for a few seconds in the steamboat soup, then dip the sotong strip into the fermented bean curd sauce.... ahhhhhh heavenly. What is Brown Squid actually..(The squid is actually dried squid soaked in alkali water or air abu/karn sui.) thats what it is.

Fresh Chinese cabage top right was part of our steamboat, it wouldn't be complete without vegies....we also had some pork stomach strips....choice of DarkAngel....im not too fond about eating pork by the way except for ....choice parts such as the skin of the Lechon and ham thats as far pork gets into part of my diet ;).
as i mentioned, the way to enjoy steamboat is by having it with some friends. This is the CUTI CUTI Malaysia gang that i hang out with. From left to right...Hanibal...new member "Black Canary", the evil DarkAngel, new member "Shade", next you have DURIAN-X soon to change name...and last new member too..."Darkseid"... look them up from JLU...;) (sorry no real names here to protect their delicate identities)

back to our food, some choice strips of beef that we added to our order....requested by the Carnivour Hanibal..who loves his meat red and bloody or must have been BlackCanary who called for this...not all of us eat beef so with pork but not to worry DURIAN-X and Hanibal can eat almost anything...
This thinly sliced chicken meat...it looks more like chicken shavings to me, yeah this one is also one of my favorites...just dip it into the boiling soup for 3 seconds, then dip into your been curd sauce....and into your mouth it melts like butter to the palette.

this two were not content with what we all had on hand...and decided to call for additional of the following.
Harimaw... the locals call it. for me what is steamboat without prawns.... yeah prawns, not just your ordinary prawns but you are looking at the juicy Tiger Prawns...you know by now that part of my staples in my diet is prawns...any will do..sinful it may sound but i can eat prawns almost every day...who cares about cholesterol anyway....for me its all in the mind.

Top is some i guess squid or pork balls.... din't really care what it was, i was too busy taking all this pictures when they were calling the orders...next is the thin choice venison shavings if not mistaken....yet again who cares what it is...all i know it melts like butter in my mouth....and thats all that counts, agree! yeah.....

Remember DURIAN-X from the post ROASTED DUCK (Kepong Bharu). ? now DURIAN-X got a new alias...deffinitly not Jenifer Gardner from the series ALIAS!.....without further ado I present to you the one and only QOB... ask me by comment and i may just tell you the meaning of QOB.....=;).

I got tons of material to post the only thing is i got less time now a days to blogg...just lucky to have been sick ;) thats why was able to blogg a bit....remember if you feel like having steamboat...consider tryin out this place when you are down in KL... im sure there wont be any regrets to your experience...