It was after dinner last night and I fancied some persimmon. Hubby was nice enough to cut the fruit for me and I was just innocently munching on it.
And the unexpected happened…
I must have mis-chewed and bit on the seed of the fruit for I felt a horrible crack. My pre-molar! Ouch.
Probing the tooth with my tongue, indeed I have traumatised the tooth again with the impact. Something feels misaligned. Sigh… I foresee the impending visit to the dentist may be much, much sooner.
We were supposed to leave early yesterday but the lure of Penang food was too tempting to leave the island without savouring it. It feels incomplete to be in Penang and not eat, you know? So we ended up at Restaurant 113 on Lebuh Melayu for Duck Meat Kueh Chap. Needless to say, it was good.
We also ordered Tiger Char Kueh Teow and Lobak from the shop on Carnarvon Street, perpendicular from where we were. These people delivers even though we are one coffeeshop away and facing a different street!
After the satisfying breakfast, we bid Penang goodbye. And already making plans for a return soon.
This time I made sure the prawns were visible!
Lobak
Duck Meat Kueh Chap
Duck Meat with yellow noodles
We actually drove to Penang over the weekend to attend a cousin’s wedding dinner. As the invitation came our way many many months ago from hubby’s uncle, we readily agreed. Unlike the last time where we missed out (we were in Bangkok) when the same uncle invited us for his daughter’s wedding, this time we made sure we would come for his son’s happy occasion.
Penang is always a lovely place to return to especially for the food. We had to have the obligatory Char Kueh Teow on Saturday night for dinner. But time was not on our side and there wasn’t much opportunity to eat other stuff because on Sunday morning, we were busy with the traditional tea ceremony.
By the time the morning session was over with a light luncheon served, we rested. Come evening, a light cocktail took place before the dinner. So there was no time at all to sneak in a street food.
The banquet was held at E&O Hotel, a lovely colonial place. The bride and groom were lovingly radiant and it was good for the old generation to meet up. Occasions like this are running out as most of hubby’s cousins were married.
Dinner ended late as always with Chinese wedding dinners. Thankfully we stayed another night before making our way back to the city today.
It was an impromptu decision. Feeling very accomplished after the Endurance Golf Challenge and another round of golf after that Wednesday, we decided to go to Ipoh (again) for more golf and food for the weekend. The usual group made up the numbers with the inclusion of a new recruit.
We were to meet for lunch on Friday before teeing off at 1.30pm. Lunch was good and cheap; after the satisfying meal, we made it to Clearwater Sanctuary Golf Resort for our first game. The resort was not crowded at all, neither was the golf course. We literally had the place to ourselves.
The haze followed us and we had dull grey skies. But did it bother us? Well, it was very humid but the company was great. Although the fairways were good, the greens were a bit inconsistent. Nonetheless, we had a good time. After the game, which we finished very early, we showered at the Club and headed towards Tanjung Tualang for seafood.
We’ve heard many stories about the famed fresh water prawns, which we ordered. Boy, were they juicy! And helluva expensive too but you only live once, so best to just enjoy it! All in all, Friday was a good start.
Then on Saturday, we all had noodles for breakfast before our second game at Kinta Golf Club. This time, it was more challenging because the course was not very well kept and we had to contend with a lot of overgrow grass. We even had to be careful for there were monitor lizards, huge ones and little ones, everywhere! As if that wasn’t enough, we encountered a brown snake under the tree where my tee off landed. I lost that ball and had a stroke added for that hole. Darn snake!
Our games ended at an odd time and we ended up having a late lunch before heading back to the house to shower and rest. Time passed by quickly and before we realized, it was dinnertime! Hey, didn’t we just ate?
So out for dinner we went. Dinner stop #1 was at Cowan Street Chicken Rice and Beansprouts which were really good. We sat down, waited for ten minutes before our order was taken; then waited another ten minutes, the food arrived. Within twenty minutes, we were done eating. Talk about fast food, this is fast food! Then we walked over to another restaurant for Dinner stop #2!!!
Yes, we had two dinners. At the second stop, we opted for seafood. By then, I could feel my waistline increasing. Oh dear, my weighing scale is gonna scream at me.
Come Sunday, all the good fun came to an end. We woke up late, had a dim sum breakfast, followed by coffee at another restaurant before making our way home. The impromptu escapade was a good decision and I hope we will do another one soon.
At Clearwater Sanctuary
Oodles of noodles!
Ready for battle at Kinta Golf Club
A hearty dim sum spread
As you know, I have a recent obsession with the Thermos brand flask. Not too long ago, I requested hubby to redeem his credit card points for the red 600ml flask from the catalog. And he did. And I have been using my flask for my drinks, warm tea during Sunday afternoons and cold drinks during my golf games. I love it.
As it was very useful, I insisted that he should redeem another one but for himself. And he did.
Then I realized with the size at 600ml, it’s too large for my coffee (because it’s way too much coffee but it’s fine for tea). Furthermore at this size, the flask is too long to tip over to sip a cuppa’s worth of the hot brew. I am a creature of habit; I like my coffee hot and my tea warm. I have scalded my tongue several times when I tipped the flask too fast.
So what did I do? I went and bought a slim 300ml flask specifically for hot coffee and it worked out fine. The big flask remained for warm tea or cold drinks while the small flask for hot coffee.
But guess what?
After several uses, hubby complained that his black 600ml Thermos was not suitable for his hot drinks! Ah hah. It wasn’t just me who faced this scalding problem! So what did we do? We decided to redeem another flask albeit a smaller volume one. And he’s been using the slimmer 400ml flask and M2 inherited the 600ml flask.
The flask ownership worked out fine until last weekend. We went to the mall and obsession got the better of me and I bought yet another flask! This time, the 350ml size Thermos, slightly bigger in capacity than the 300ml one but shorter – it’s the one I was eyeing from the last encounter with it.
I love my new blue flask as it’s very cute. Yes cute. And since I now have two mini ones, I decided to give hubby my other slim 300ml flask so that he can drink his hot coffee without scalding his tongue too.
So yeah, we now have five Thermos flasks at home and one in college with M1. Unbelievable.
The curvaceous lines of the body made me want to caress it longingly. The size was irresistible plus the height and shape was just right. I could not resist, it was love at first sight.
The new 350ml baby blue Thermos flask beckoned me. I had to buy it.
This was a few weeks back when we were at the mall and we happened to walk pass the Thermos display. Hubby and M2 rolled their eyes at me. We already have four Thermos flasks at home, why do we need another one?
Somehow they managed to pull me away from the lure. But on Sunday, when we went to the mall, I brought up the subject again.
Amazingly, they allowed me to go buy my flask! Oooh… I am in heaven. I went off quickly in case they changed their mind.
So now there’s five Thermos flasks at home. Oh, it slipped my mind, we actually have six but the 500ml one went off to college with M1. Is this an obsession?
Our first night in Khao Yai and where did we go for dinner? Khao Yai Cowboy Steak House! Hahahaha…
We picked all three choices from the recommended list. Although not the most authentic in Thai flavors save for the fish and Singha, dinner was actually good.
The accompanying chili was explosive. A little dip in it with the pork knuckle was enough to put the mouth on fire!
Glen Campbell was belting out the ‘Rhinestone Cowboy’ over the speakers then Dolly and Kenny came on before the band members came on stage to prepare for their live performance. Hard to believe we are in Khao Yai.
We are calling in the night early. Tomorrow, let the golf begin!
I hardly have cravings, I just indulge. A glass of wine, Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, some chocolate, you know… the usual decadent stuff once in a while. Last Friday I suddenly find myself craving durian, the King of fruits.
It’s been said when you crave something, most likely you are pregnant. The last time I had a strong craving, I was pregnant with M1 and I specifically remembered a strong craving for satay. Hubby had to oblige me. This time, while I am certainly and definitely not pregnant, it’s rather unexplainable that a sudden craving developed. And for durian!
We didn’t have to go far in search of it as my golf buddies came to the rescue! They were kind enough to go buy for me. I just had to pick it up after work: a tub worth at least 4kg of durian. Yum…
The minute we walked into the house, M2 groaned. The smell! It’s just too pungent for words. She opted to sit in the terrace away from the smell and played with Rooney, official pet number one. Between us and the maid, we polished off the tub.
No words can describe the smell. To say it smelly is an injustice. Then again to label it fragrant is equally incorrect. I guess one has to savor to appreciate as it’s an acquired taste. I was definitely a happy camper with my craving satisfied after the feast. Burp…
It was an interesting weekend. We took Friday off and drove north to Ipoh to meet our golf buddies for golf. A pleasant drive, we arrived early and it was the beginning of not just a golf outing but also a gastronomic adventure.
We started off with lunch at a food court, having a simple soto ayam and a salted fish fried rice before meeting at the golf Club to tee off. Kelab Golf Kinta was interesting to say the least.
Unsure of where the greens were many a time, we were also challenged as to where the fairways were on certain holes. At some point, we were even unsure where the red tee boxes were located! Thank goodness for it allowing buggies on course for most of the time, this saved us a lot of grieve.
We never completed our round of 18 holes for the rain came down and we had to abandon our game. But nobody complained.
Went back to our friend’s home to shower and we headed out for dinner, which was very good and cheap. Paired with the 18-year old Old Parr whiskey, it was a good dinner.
Despite a late night, everyone agreed to wake up early the next day for a dim sum breakfast. My goodness, the crowd was crazy at the restaurant, Ming Court! We had to literally stand next to a table to rush the family finishing their meal. I would have choked on a morsel of ‘har kau’ if subjected to this! Here begins the foodie trail.
After dim sum, the seven of us piled into the MPV and off to another side of town for coffee and toast. Then we took a drive to another location to have dessert: tau foo fah. A stroll here and there, we tried to burn some calories. After all this, we decided to head to Meru Valley Golf Resort to chill. With 4 buckets of beer (that’s 16 bottles of beer) whilst we chilled, all those burnt calories were piled back on. I know… I cringed.
We decided enough beer and we should do lunch! It’s like we all had bottomless pits on that day. Lunch at Lou Wong was simple and satisfying. I belief we were contented by then and decided it was time to make our way back to the city.
It was a good outing and we look forward to another occasion like this.
Upon reaching home late because along the way, it rained so heavily, we had to go slow. A quick shower and off for dinner with Mom and M2!
Yes, we ate again.
We had Spanish tapas. At the end of the day, burp and double burp is all I can say to sum up this whole gastronomic day.
Lunch at Lou Wong
Tapas and paella for dinner
Whenever we eat authentic Thai food and not the fusion version, we would be hit with the worse sweating and sniffling. A mountain of tissue would always be part of the table mess.
The recent Saturday outing with Mom, we did Thai and that was exactly what happened. Hubby declared he lost a kilo of water and on the verge of dehydration from all that sweating, I fared slightly better and M2, almost in tears from the spicy chilli onslaught. Mom had a good laugh as M2 also complained she had to have three servings of rice to quell the burning sensation.
Although we had a clear tomyam, a kerabu, a pandan chicken and a veg, the last two dishes being not spicy at all, it was the lemon chili fish that did us in. Man… It was spicy to high heaven and back!
Despite the sweaty experience, it was a good dinner and we look forward to the next outing with Mom.
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