Gyozas/Dumplings (To mold or not to mold)

This is more of a post on the mold than a recipe. 

It looks more like a bear trap …for teddy bears … it doesn’t look too menacing.

There’s a Japanese store called Daiso, where most everything is RM5 … which translates to about USD$1.50. This contraption caught my attention and was too weird to ignore. 

Normally I like messing about with my fingers, making shapes and out-of-shapes. 

After messing about with this for awhile, I’ve decided that making and shaping dumplings by hand is way faster altho the mold makes it really neat and uniformed.

These Chinese Jicama Dumplings are made by fiddly fingers … not talking about the recipe, just about the shaping and sealing methods. 

The ones in the main pic, I’d used wanton skins and filled it with a stuffing of minced meat, minced shrimp, chopped spring onions, salt and pepper, cornflour to bind it all together and for a silkier texture and the optional beaten egg, also to bind.

You can also fill it instead with sliced bananas and chocolate for a sweet dessert, fried til crisp and served with ice cream or drizzled with maple syrup. 

Wanton skins aren’t just for savouries.

Watami : A Re Review

Watami @ 1 Utama

Back in 2012, I did a review at their outlet in Paradigm Mall and had a pretty okay experience. There were some good stuff, yes, of course. They still do. Some hype about it raised my expectations, I guess. This time I went without any, since I’m not here for a review. Was more impressed than the last visit (probably because they were trying too hard the last time) and I thought, they deserve an update … also because they do serve pork dishes now.

The quality of the salmon in the Salmon Sashimi Don was still as good. They certainly didn’t scrimp on the rice. I wish I could have finished it ….. soooo good! Real stuff …. no subs.

The Chawan Mushi was also very good, silky and flavourful…no bouncing on the floors with these. There’s only one other place I know (not talking about high-end Japanese restaurants, just the regular affordable ones) that makes it so beautifully.

Watami didn’t serve pork back then at my first review. Today, with so many Ramen shops sprouting up all over serving their versions of “authentic” Japanese Ramen, I’m not surprised they’ve included this in their menu. The quality of the pork slices were top notch but the texture of the ramen wasn’t quite up to par. I’ve no Phd in the ramen department…just that I like it silky smooth and al dente.

I’d asked about their Crab Croquettes and was disappointed they had taken that off the menu. Those were really something.

The homestyle gyozas were still around. Wonder why they kept this and not the croquettes? I thought the croquettes were so much yummier. Didn’t take a pic of those as they weren’t too photo friendly. You can take a look at them here.

The portions for the set meals were pleasantly and generously large. Service was excellent. In fact, the Ramen I had wasn’t on the set but they accommodated and changed it to what I wanted. Now, that’s service! 

Except for the waitress who insisted I use the shallow plate when I asked for a bowl to share my noodles with a friend…soup, noodles, duh….I got my bowl….it was a very good brunch. 

And no….unfortunately, we couldn’t fit in any desserts this time. 

The menu has changed some. I’ll definitely be back to try out more of their new stuff.

Yup…

Restaurant Review Disclaimer:

This review is of my own opinion. I am under no contract or obligation to write a review or to make it a positive one if I did.
I write my honest opinions and will tell you quickly if a product is not up to my standards. Anything I dislike may not be what you dislike (I can't help it if you have bad taste ... haha). My reviews are for entertainment purposes only. I am not a professional in the field and am not providing professional advice or anything of the sort.
Read at your own risk

A Bread Story

A friend suggested I should just go to bakeries and write about bread, pastries and whatever bakes they sell and the stuff I’ve sampled. Heck … why not … gives me a good enough reason to eat. And I do like bread.

I’m not here to criticize the quality but more so on the variety and the service of the places I visit.

You do realize that good service makes the food taste a whole lot better? Well, it makes a world of a difference to me anyway. Sour faced waiters and cashiers make everything taste ugh. Why they’re in the service industry is beyond me …

Bread Story at the new wing of 1Utama … the usual array of breads, buns and pastries ….

Friend and I picked out a couple of goodies including what I thought was a banana chocolate muffin  …. it was labelled as such. Ordered a couple of drinks to go with and sat down to enjoy our pickings. Stabbed into the muffin and out oozed a gooey mass of blueberry-looking jelly. Hmm …. Banana, chocolate muffin with blueberry goo …. Okaaay. *scratch head* . Stared at it for a couple of stunned seconds and decided to ask the manager what that was suppose to be. She said “blueberry muffin”. Hah!! Labelled wrong. Now the gist of this story is about good PR. Lady manager apologised, walked off and came back with the correct muffin and said it’s on the house. Didn’t even take away the blueberry muffin. Well, it was pretty massacred anyway …

I know that was just a muffin, but in this selfish world today …. sometimes a small kind gesture makes a world of difference to someone’s crappy day.

Go ahead. Have a muffin. Have a great day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Restaurant Review: Watami

IRASHAIMASE! .... echoed from all corners of Watami as we stepped into the establishment.

A pretty standard greeting at any Japanese type restaurant, but Watami is anything BUT the standard Japanese place with the standard menu of bentos, sashimis and miso soups.
This is an establishment fusioned with influences from Japan (of course, duh), Korea, Taiwan and Hongkong. (You will find out in a moment when I introduce the dishes we'd got to sample).

Based on the Japanese Izakaya ("I" : to stay, "sakaya" : sake shop) concept where one hangs out with friends and colleagues for drinks and to graze on little portions of good quality food, drink some more, graze some more and have a comfortable, cosy and relaxing time, enveloped in a happy, tipsy haze.

Watami is a larger scale of the Izakaya (with less emphasis on the alcohol) while keeping up with the changing times and thus came up with their trademark Ishokuya concept - "I" : scene, "shoku" : meal, "ya" : restaurant. 

Coming here, one has to leave behind the expectations of a typical Japanese restaurant and get absorbed into this younger, hipper and a more nouveau-japanese environment.

Let me take you on a little tour of some of Watami's recommendations ...



 Beverages

L to R: Green Citrus Green Tea, Kiwi Mojito (I was very tempted to order a mojito with the "extra" but I thought I'd better behave myself this time and get my review in first), Green Citrus Yuzu Marmalade Soda and Purple Sweet Potato Vanilla Shake.
My Kiwi Mojito was nice and refreshing. The Green Citrus Green Tea was, um .... green. The Yuzu drink had so many calamansi limes in it, it may as well be limau ais soda ... didn't taste anything of the marmalade. The Purple Sweet Potato Shake ... well, I guess it takes an acquired taste to appreciate that. Personally, I thought it tasted like melted ice cream potong. 

Wafu Touban Gyu Steak : RM 27.90

(Self Grilled Beef Short Ribs)

This is to die for ... well, maybe not that drastic, but it's pretty good beef (provided you don't turn it into carbon but you can always get some help from the staff to cook it for you if you're really that inept).

Bariuma Teba Karaage : RM 14.90

(Crispy Fried Chicken Wings with Special Sauce)

Nice and crispy, but special sauce? ... tasted like terriyaki. 

Kani Tappuri Cream Croquette : RM 15.90 (2 pcs)

(Crabmeat Cream Croquette)

Now this, I would have again. The filling was perfect, not overly creamy to make you "jelak" (cloyingly rich) and not "kedekut" (miserly) either. Very nice!

Teppan Bo Gyoza : RM 15.90
(Gyoza/potstickers on Hot Pan)

Pretty standard stuff. Since this place doesn't serve pork, the filling was made with chicken. But this didn't come out of a frozen package, they make their own gyozas.






Salmon Sashimi Don : RM 22.90
(Salmon Sashimi Rice)

I love sashimi. Give me good salmon and I'm sold! 






Kani Kamameshi : RM 24.90
(Crab Meat Pot Rice)

This came with a bit of a flair .... lit tea candle underneath and not allowed to lift the lid until the flame goes out, we were told, or all the "magic" goes away. Hmm ... that got my expectations way high. And when we finally got to lift the lid, okaaaay, lots of crab meat, kudos for that but .... I thought it was a little fishy. Forgive me if I'm a little fussy about my seafood. I'm from Penang, where there's nothing BUT fresh seafood. I'm thinking this has the potential to be one of their better selling items. 






Tokyo Gyudon : RM 22.90
(Beef Rice Bowl with Hot Spring Egg in Tokyo style)

I'm a red meat person and a runny yolk lover. So this combination ..... I could eat this everyday ... seriously!





Chawan Mushi : RM 6.90
(Steamed Savoury Egg Custard)

This is one item that I must have as a gauge as to how good a Japanese restaurant is. (Bear with me, don't roll your eyeballs). Believe me, I've been to so-called fancier places and had chawan mushis that can literally bounce on floors or swimming in a layer of water or with the egg all curdled and lumpy. And they have the gall to serve those! Cheez! 
I'm pleased to say, I'm happy with my chawan mushi here. Nice and silky with a good flavor you know isn't all chicken stock. Delicious!






Choco Banana in Toast Box : RM 16.90
(do you really need a translation?!)

I have to admit, that after all that food, I really can't give this the credit it's due. All that bread? Perhaps, if one were to drop in between shopping to reenergize and have a cuppa and a breather, rest your aching feet and gossip with friends, this would be a good item to share. Filled with some choice fruits (mango, red currants, strawberries, scoop of vanilla ice cream, dollop of whipped cream, drizzled with chocolate and a dusting of powdered sugar. I don't know about reenergizing, but it's enough to make me hyper!
Folks with a sweet tooth .... it's all yours for the picking!


Arigato gozaimasu, for the invite and to Miss Pei Jin (Group Marketing Executive) and Mr Seal (Outlet Manager @ Paradigm Mall)

For more of their menu and other outlets, check out their website 
@ http://www.watami.com.my/



Restaurant Review Disclaimer:

This review is of my own opinion. I am under no contract or obligation to write a review or to make it a positive one if I did.
I write my honest opinions and will tell you quickly if a product is not up to my standards. Anything I dislike may not be what you dislike (I can't help it if you have bad taste ... haha). My reviews are for entertainment purposes only. I am not a professional in the field and am not providing professional advice or anything of the sort.
Read at your own risk.

Pearl of the Orient : Diet Buster

I had a great weekend in Penang, aka Pearl of the Orient. Short as it was, the visit was well spent with good friends and good food! And that, my friends, was the end of my very short-lived diet. Nobody goes to Penang and goes on a diet. 
Do you hear a complaint? Heck, no.
I'm blissfully contented, and I shall just have to start another diet soon.... did I say soon? I meant, now.


In the meantime, may I tickle your tastebuds with pics of some of the popular local dishes on the island? 
These are some of the stuff I crave for. I live in the big city now, where things are modern, fancy, expensive, the city where you can get cuisines from all over the world. Great chefs have graced our 5-star hotel kitchens. Well known celebrity chefs have bothered to visit our not-so-humble country and cooked for the country's rich and famous. And yet, nobody here can make a decent plate of fried koay teow (fried rice noodles), mee goreng (indian fried noodles), just to name a couple. Yes, of course, there are those who claim they come from Penang and that the dishes are authentic. You can't fool a real Penangite's tastebuds. Pffft.


I can't believe I've only 6 dishes to show you. I know we ate more than that in one sitting. (Told you my diet's busted). We must have eaten them so quickly there wasn't even time to take a pic. 


Anyway, ogle and drool time .... (I'm speaking for myself)

Top row, left to right:
charcoal baked crab with roe, salt baked prawns and baked crabs before they got massacred (peeking out from top right corner: stir fried littleneck clams)


These were from a ramshackled restaurant, very old but famous for the Chinese temple next to it. (You think it's good feng shui?). It's also by the beach. Sitting in the outdoors, praying hard that the grey clouds above don't decide to turn on their faucets. There was a lovely cool breeze blowing, was there a good sunset? Too busy eating, laughing and chatting to notice. 
There were also grilled fish, chicken and mutton satay, fried noodles ... pictures we forgot to take.  


Bottom row, left to right:
fried oysters omelet, fried koay teow and kerabu meehoon (nyonya rice vermicelli salad)


These were from another old but popular place where the locals like to hang out and load up on their favorite hawker fare. A place we Penangites fondly call "padang", which means "field". Aptly named, as there is a huge padang beyond these stalls, where kids and adults from around come to have their walkies and whatever form of exercise and play. And as usual, we were so engrossed in stuffing our faces, we forgot to take photographs of some of the things we had ..... pasembur (Chinese style salad, consisting of shredded jicama and cucumber, crispy fritters and tofu, all drenched in a sweet potato sauce), nyonya kuihs and fresh coconut to drink.


And this is where I hibernated after each meal.

sigh ...... definition of Contentment: Ping.

Scallops with Mango Chutney: Another Review

(Thank you everyone for helping get this to FoodBuzz Top 9)

Mango Chutney.

Another cool product from Vom Fass, part of a bunch of interesting stuff Mr Teoh (GM) so kindly passed on to me for a review.

As with the raspberry chutney, this had all the glorious aroma of the fruit, it would be such a shame to try use it in a cooked recipe as a sauce or something. I was very tempted to use it as a Thai styled topping with a fried fish dish, or in another sweet, or a pie, or, or ... So many ideas, so little chutney! Big hint, Mr Teoh! :D

So, again, I've kept it simple, with clean, fresh flavors to complement.

INGREDIENTS

Fresh scallops

Red onions

Red chillies

Coriander leaves

Mango chutney (Vom Fass, of course, duh)

A little oil to sear the scallops

METHOD

Peel and dice the onions.

Discard seeds and white membranes of chillies. Chop finely.

Chop the coriander leaves.

Mix chutney, onions, chillies and coriander together.

Leave in the fridge for the flavors to infuse while you prepare the scallops.

Heat a non-stick pan.

Brush scallops with a little oil. Sear scallops until you get a golden brown crust.

Flip and do the same for the other side. (About a minute or so each side, depending on the thickness of your scallops).

Remove from pan. (*Do not overcook, scallops will continue to cook after you take them off the heat).

Pile chutney mix on top and devour immediately!

(*Scallops get rubbery if you wait too long to serve them).

Product Review Disclaimer:

This product was sent to me at no cost. I am under no contract or

obligation to write a review or to make it a positive one if I did.

I write my honest opinions and will tell you quickly if a product

is not up to my standards. My reviews are my opinion only. I do not make any money on any of the products I review.

Review & Recipe: Raspberry Chutney (in a Trifle)

I've had some pretty good experiences with fancy foods in my lifetime. Visited some olive groves, fruit farms, vege farms, nut farms (heh, just checking if you were paying attention), and vineyards during my travels and tasted their homegrown products. Now that I don't travel as much, I have missed getting some quality, home-pride products that I normally cart home a lot of.

I was very happy to notice at one of our upmarket grocery stores, a counter selling some very interesting oils, vinegars and jarred concoctions. Mr Teoh, Managing Director of Vom Fass Malaysia, must have noticed me salivating over his jars, started offering me teeny (and I really meant teeeeeny) tasting teaspoons of some of his most popular oils and vinegars. We got talking about some of the more unique nut/seed oils and the possible usage of them in foods.

Now, you see where i'm getting at?

Yup, Mr Teoh kindly gave me some of his precious products to use, taste, test and, of course, blog about.

Today, i'm using the Raspberry Chutney in a very simple trifle. I wanted the chutney to stand out and not have too many combinations of flavors to interfere ... just a couple of complementing ones. Besides, there wasn't a lot of it to have a thicker layer. But it turned out just right. The slight tartness of the chutney went great with the sweetness of the whipped cream. The jelly and crushed oreos provided a contrast to the textures.

It was deeelicious!

INGREDIENTS

*I didn't put in any amounts or measurements here. It's up to you how thick and how many layers you would like to make.

Oreos, crushed

Whipping cream, whipped with some sugar

Raspberry flavored jelly, prepared as per package instructions

Raspberry Chutney (Vom Fass, of course)

Fresh raspberries

METHOD

Layer to your heart's content.

For those who are wondering ... my layers from bottom:

Crushed Oreos

Whipped Cream

Raspberry Chutney

Whipped Cream

Raspberry Jelly

Whipped Cream

Fresh Raspberries

*I'd made 2 more portions with a final layer of crushed oreos just before the fresh berries. That was good too, the added crunch and chocolate.

To purchase the chutney, click here for the Vom Fass Malaysia website to locate their outlets. For those outside of Malaysia, just google Vom Fass and you'll find their various outlets in all parts of the world.

Disclaimer: This product was sent to me at no cost. I am under no contract or obligation to write a review or to make it a positive one if I did. I write my honest opinions and will tell you quickly if a product is not up to my standards. My reviews are my opinion only. I do not make any money on any of the products I review.

Tag! I'm it!

I'm it alright.

This tag is all about your own stuff. I think it's a great idea to highlight some long forgotten posts or some lonely, neglected, uncommented recipe ... especially during one's early days of blogging. I'm happy to be tagged by Three Cookies to take part in this 7 - Link Challenge. That's 7 of your own posts in relation to the categories and then to nominate 5 victims bloggers to join in. No extra cooking or baking required.

2 simple rules:

1) publish links for the categories below (1 link per category)

2) nominate up to 5 bloggers to take part

Here are my links:

1. The most beautiful post:

Hmm ... well, this link I chose for this category isn't about the looks of it but rather the content, the memories that are beautiful to me. Apple Sauce. I loved those times when mum was so able, capable and independent. Today, we can just talk about those good times since she's no more mobile due old age.

2. The most popular post:

That would have to be Spike! Yeah, I named my pie. I picked this based on the number of views.

3. The most controversial post:

What? Who? Me? Controversial? Wouldn't dare. This is so lame but it'll have to be the Red Velvet Cupcake.

4. The most helpful post:

I've 2 categories on my blog called The Occasional Tip and DIY with some helpful hints. Here's one .... Marshmallow Plugs

5. The post that was surprisingly successful:

This was so funny! It wasn't even supposed to be featured. It was just one of the many dishes we had for our dinner and at the last minute decided we'd just snap a shot just for the heck of it and it turned out to be a top9! Fried Pumpkin

6. The post that did not get the attention it deserved:

This poor biscotti ... I'm not sure if it had even been looked at. So lonely and sad :( This was actually a very good recipe using egg whites ... very light and a great snack. That's why it got to be featured above :D Egg White Biscotti

7. The post that I'm most proud of:

Most may not find this too interesting but it took a lot of elbow grease (ouch) for the dough. And the chicken turned out beautifully moist! Salted Dough Chicken

And my 5 nominees ..... (drumroll)

1. Citra - My Home Diary in Turkey

2. Elisabeth - Food and Thrift Finds

3. Kita - Pass the Sushi

4. Megg - Pop Artichoke

5. Kelly - Food Pusher

Review: Lebanese Wines

@ O'Gourmet

This was yet another privileged event for my other half and I, having been invited again to another of O'Gourmet's very exclusive wine tasting evenings.We were very excited to hear that they were featuring Lebanese wines that evening. What with the sheer production volume and reputation of the French wines and now, New World wineries, we have perhaps forgotten that the area around Lebanon was most possibly the granddaddy of all wine growing regions and the birthplace of wine itself! And apparently,

Chateau Musar had been around since the 1930s. Duh.

We also had the privilege of having the winery owner himself, Mr Ralph Hochar of Chateau Musar, who is the 3rd generation owner, to present his very exclusive and limited edition wines and to give us an overall history and details regarding the grapes, procedures etc, that our amateur minds needed to absorb... my apologies to the other folks who attended this event, I was only speaking for myself and hubby.

We started off with the Chateau Musar Cuvee Blanc 2004. It's made with Obaideh grapes from vines aging from 50 - 75 years. It had the most lovely fresh green apple scent. This was served to accompany an antipasti platter of marinated olives, peppers, mushrooms, calamari rings and my favorite of all .... the creme crottin tartlets, which is a creamy goat's cheese in a tartlet shell. Didn't think the shells did it any credit tho, I just dug out the crottin and ate it on its own .... Mmmmm, heaven!

Oh yeah, the wine ..... beautifully complimented each other. Wish they'd served more of that. Personally, I'd have this wine with some fresh oysters / seafood and a cheese platter and not the very marinated, sour feta stuffed tomatos that dulled my tastebuds (couldn't even taste the feta) and changed the taste of the wine.

That probably contributed to my opinion of this next wine ....

The Chateau Musar Jeune Blanc 2009, an unoaked blend of Viognier, Vermentino and Chardonnay, also served with the same antipasti platter, didn't hit my pleasure points as much as the Cuvee did. But then, I'm biased towards the more fruity wines. I thought the acidity was a little sharp. (Tongue-buds still a little wonky, remember?)

The unoaked Chateau Musar Jeune Red 2009, a blend of Cinsault, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon was next and to compliment it was a Duck Confit Pizzette (where's the duck?) ... I thought the pizza was good even if I couldn't find any duck pieces in them and, yes, it went well with the wine. I felt the tannins were a little strong for me when drunk on its own but it mellowed some and went down easier when drunk with the food. I can imagine this with a good tomato-based pasta and maybe even some local curry dishes. Yessss ....!

The last and my favorite red for the night, the Chateau Musar Hochar Pere et Fils 2002, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault, Carignan and a hint of Grenache. A lightly oaked red, with all the scents of dark berries you can think of. Lovely! This was paired with Sous Vide Shortrib Beef Tempura with a spiced dip and some pickled red onions. Also recommended to compliment the wine: game, poultry.

Recap:

1. Château Musar Cuvée Blanc 2004

2. Château Musar Jeune Blanc 2009

(Paired with an antipasti platter of marinated olives, pepperone, mushrooms, tabbouleh, creme crottin mini tartlets and calamari rings)

3. Château Musar Jeune Rouge 2009

(Paired with a duck confit pizzette)

4. Château Musar Hochar Pere et Fils Red 2002

(Paired with sous vide shortribs beef tempura with ras-el-hanout spiced dip)

All in all, it was a good evening and we also had some light moments with the in-house French Sommelier poking fun and making jabs at the Lebanese wines ... which I think he'd already swirled, nosed and "tasted" a couple of bottles before the event even started. :D

Not surprising that I went home happy (and pretty "tanned") with 3 of my favorite bottles in the bag.

Food by Chinoz