Last weekend was honestly the most random weekend ever. From a friendly steamboat dinner to a full-fledged 3-days of non-stop eating- another period in my life where I have not once felt the cravings of hunger. One might simply ask, "why don't you just stop eating?". Well, to think that the opportunity may not present itself as easily the next time, I think you would dig in too.
An invitation came in some time Saturday afternoon wondering if I had plans for dinner, and being me, I would never second-guess joining any food parties. So, at a blink of an eye, we were digging into a steamy pot of all sorts. I haven't had steamboat (aka. hot pot) in a very long time actually. To be fair, that "very long time" is with reference to how often we had it when I lived at home. Hot pot is convenient and flexible to everyone's liking. Want some udon, done. Want some veggies, done. Yet, that's not even the best part. It's the whole experience surrounding a pot of food and bonding while we enjoy our favourite family time- indulging in food paradise. But anyway, I can't wait for November when I get to go back for some good old' Papa Sung Seafood Restaurant :)
Back to the weekend, so after steamboat, the girls asked whether I would be interested in joining them for a trip to Batu Cave. Yes, I have been there last year, but I thought it would be nice to spend the weekend with human beings, so I agreed. Then someone suggested that I should just stay over to make all the traveling easier- the girls stayed in Petaling Jaya while I'm in KL, so staying over would avoid all the meeting-up hassel. Within 20minutes, I was packed and ready for a sleepover. Little did I know, that turned out to be a whole weekend...good thing I grabbed an extra pair of undies!
Not a minute to waste, after the Batu Cave visit, we went straight into food hunt. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves...
(Steamboat in Taman Cheras: half Tom Yum, half Seaweed, not bad at all. Just enough flavour. Definitely must try yee mee in Tom Yum soup. Yums!)
(With all my favourite meatballs & veggies! Fill'em up~)
(Batu Cave: this time was much better without the sun beaming on us the whole time! The climb took us no longer than half an hour, and lots of babies too!)
(suppose there are places where you can actually climb the cave? maybe next time)
(Warning: do not bring any plastic bag or bottles. Look at him enjoying his stolen good...tsk tsk tsk)
(Village Park in Uptown PJ: definitely changed my stubbornness about Nasi Lemak! This was amazing~ the rice was lightly sweetened with coconut milk, the chicken nicely crisped and just enough spicy, the sambal went well the the peanuts. Overall, a thumbs up from me! Suppose it's the best in town, so I can't guarantee you'll have the same experience, but always worth a try)
(Nightmarket in Taman Megah: Lots of small desserts to try. I've always been a fan of sweets in general, so you can imagine how long we stood there deciding which ones to get :P You really can't go wrong with anything coconut, or read/green bean pastes! Oh yah, apparently the blue rice is NATURALLY blue, but I didn't have enough stomach space to try...maybe next time)
(This was certainly a pleasant surprise. At first bite, I thought it was durian, thinking I've been tricked because all my friends know I don't take durian. Of course, by all means try the king of fruits while you're in Malaysia, but don't say I didn't warn you. It's not for everyone, that's for sure. But this, fried ball, was actually jackfruit, also another fruit that the Malaysians favour. Key to nightmarkets? If it stopped you in your steps, then go ahead and try it)
(OUG KL somewhere on the road side: nicely done lamb that didn't have the unpleasant lamb meat taste that some improperly prepared lamb meant may have. Dipped in mint sauce, certainly not what I expected, but a very good combo indeed~)
(Duck Egg Kuey Tiao at the same road side. Fresh flavour, not too heavy or oily. Though, I couldn't really taste the duck egg, but meh. Good kuey tiao to snack on :P by now, we're sharing everything because we were too full to have full servings individually. But sharing is good, more tummy space to try other things)
(Craved for something sweet and cold, so here we were for some iced red bean. With a tid of corn sandwiched between all of that, it's quite a taste to try. I've had a really awesome one in Taiwan, but nonetheless, enjoyed)
(I just had to take a picture of this: Cappuccino chinese translation...LOL)
(Siew Pow at PJ Taman Mayang: whoo, what a snack. Crispy and flaky on the outside and chasiu chicken on the inside. I couldn't wait for it to cool down, haha)
(Curry Wonton Mee at PJ Sunway Mas: WOW! Okay, so you know how I don't like spicy food simply because it takes away the fresh flavours of the ingredients, but this, wow. Just spicy enough, the noodles paired perfectly with the decorations aka. chasiu, roast pork & tofu. I would definitely go back for more, when I find out how to get there from my house)
(What better way to tone down from a meal than some lightly sweetened tofu swimming in soya milk. I know it sounds a bit odd, but trust me, so healthy and serves your sweet tooth)
(Salon Du Chocolat: Just wondering around in Publicka while waiting for my friend, we walked into this Turkish dessert shop with the most beautiful wrappings for candies! The owner served us a couple of samples, and immediately, I knew I had to get it. See below picture)
(The fastest purchase in the history of my shoppings: after a taste, I bought RM50 worth of sweets for the family. This one: Pistachio turkish delight rolled in a layer of rose pedals. YUM! Good thing the lady had already gift-wrapped it, or else I'd be sneaking pieces)
(Pudu chicken near my place: Paper-wrapped and slowly simmered to perfection. The best combo dined with Kuey Tiao! Now, I just need to find that address...)
See what I mean when I say, you can't say no? It's only under special circumstances that the weekend turned out this way. If they didn't invite me to steamboat, I wouldn't have joined them for Batu Cave, then none of this deliciousness would've been at my mercy. As always, trust the locals. I mean, guidebooks and references like Lonely Planet and Tripadviser are great, but ultimately, the locals have the most time to test out everything. Whether good or bad, old or new, they would be the first to know. So if you're ever invited by local friends, always say yes. You'll be in for a great adventure! Great, after recapping all that, I'm hungry again! Hm, wonder what to eat for dinner tonight :P