Why I wasn't blogging ?

I had a tremendous surprise coming back from my holiday when I found out that I had a surge of visits to my blog! It's a bit of a relief because I have been writing this blog for a couple of years now and I do enjoy sharing my own experience and learning from others and it would be a shame if no one wants to read it any more!

So, why I wasn't blogging for more than a month? I have been travelling to Asia, Europe and North America and I had the best intention to do so but I only had my ipad with me during this trip and the blogger app is a real pain to blog and to top it off, I was getting very flaky wifi. I will remember to update my twitter instead next time. If you are on twitter, please say hi.

Just a quick update , here are some photos of my food adventure in Kuala Lumpur. I have tons of photos that needs uploading but please be patient with me until I post more about my recent trip.

Claypot Loh Shee Fun in Petaling Street 

 Frog legs 

 Nasi Lemak Ayam Goreng

 Roasted Pork Braised Egg Noodles aka Siu Yok Mee in Petaling Street - best dish I have eaten in Kuala Lumpur

Live turtle and eels. I didn't eat the turtles.

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Review: Ortolana Restaurant Britomart

I had a really lovely weekend eating wonderful meals with friends and family. A friend suggested Ortolana and I can't resist. We got there for Sunday brunch and was surprised that it wasn't heaving. There were a few tables around that are available and we found ourselves in a cosy nook. Ortolana is the latest instalment from the Hip Group that runs The Store, Cafe on Kohi, Takapuna Beach Cafe and St Heliers Bay Cafe.

As with all the other cafes by the Hip Group, Ortolana is well-staffed and you don't have to try hard to get any service. Everything on their menu sounds interesting and after scanning through their menu for a good five minutes I ordered a crayfish, apple, cucumber, lemoncream salad ($22). I didn't expect much crayfish for $22 but wasn't disappointed when it arrived at the table. In fact I was pleasantly surprised how generous they were. I love the abundance of fresh herbs and romaine lettuce in my salad and the lemoncream is divine. I can imagine Manu saying "The sauce..it ties the dish together...but I would like more sauce". The lettuce were so crunchy and sweet. Maybe it's because they claim that they grow their own vegetables. Anyhow, I enjoyed my light and healthy choice.

S ordered beetroot, feta, cumin, hazelnut lasagnotte ($19) and I had food envy when I saw it. I actually like his dish more than mine. All the components went well and the lasagnotte was so smooth and al dente. I love all the different textures in the dish and the toasted hazelnuts adds a nice sweet crunchiness to the dish. S was in love with his choice of dish and wasn't very happy that I keep nibbling on his food. I would definitely come back soon for this dish.

I didn't order an appetiser because I wanted to save some room for dessert without feeling sick afterwards. When I saw our neighbour eating a mini bombe alaska I couldn't resist. It was lovely. I  really liked the luscious italian meringue. 

When we finished our meals, I asked the waitress about Milse, which is a small dessert kitchen right behind Ortolana. Currently it supplies the desserts to Ortolana but they will be available for 'fine dining desserts'. Oh my! My heart skipped a beat when I heard that. Three courses of desserts would be insane. Good sugary insanity. 

After our brunch, we hopped over to The Store to get some ice-cream because they are just too good. We will definitely be back soon to try out their breakfast and to check out Milse when it open its doors. Happy days.

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Pop-up dining Bao at DOC Bar K'road

 The eating scene in Auckland is getting merrier as the weeks passed. Coupled with the most amazing summer that we just had it was a real treat. I was meant to post this a couple of weeks ago but it forgotten. I know I have to post this because this new cool concept has taken NYC, Sydney, Melbourne, London, Chicago and many other cities by storm. Many restaurateurs in Australia has jumped onto the bandwagon; diluting the true experience of the concept. However in Auckland it's still relatively new although the Pop-up dining guys has been around for a bit over a year now. The best place to find them is on a Wednesday at D.O.C Bar in K'road. They are not always there but if they are cooking up something good, chances are they will be there. I have been there a couple of times and these guys can cook up some wicked dishes for $10 and you can't even find similar food in a restaurant. How cool is that? But don't expect to be seated and presented with a wine list. DOC Bar is a student bar and it's not flash but bring along a few mates and you are in for a cheap and cheerful meal and come cheap beers.

Pork Belly Bao with Sriracha sauce

I came here after yoga and I was starving. The options were easy- vegetarian or pork. Both are divine. For the vegetarian option, it was mushrooms braised with a lot of yummy flavours and you will not miss meat after eating it. It's succulent, creamy and packed with loads of flavours. The pork belly option was pretty damn good as well. The meat was so tender and cooked with the right amount of hoisin sauce so it's not sickly sweet and sticky. I am not sure if the buns are handmade or store bought but they are pretty good. They are mostly uneven in size and shape so I would guess that it's handmade by the talented duo of Andreas and Ben.

The dish is a popular dish from David Chang of Momofuku NYC which later generated a cult like following and copycats has been appearing everywhere since. It has even become one of the most popular food in NYC in 2012. Yes, food can be trendy too and one day in the near future you might find a Food Runway. Don't laugh.

For $10 I got two baos with gorgeous fillings and a small side salad. Pretty good deal for $10 I would say. Beats the boring subway sandwich anytime.

Pop-up dining will appear at DOC at 6p.m 27 March. My advice is to get in early to get a seat. Come late and there won't be anything left. They will be serving up Korean Tacos. Check out their website for other upcoming food events.

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Hot Saturday lunch at Maldito Mendez, Ponsonby Central

The Auckland food scene has been pumping  in the last 6 months with numerous new food joints popping out every other week and I can't be happier. I have to say I am getting really spoilt by the choices, so diverse  and exciting. There is also a new wave of casual dining eateries / bistros with some young talents behind it. One of the promising new joint to look out for is Maldito Mendez in Ponsonby Central serving central South American food. The first time I came across their food was  at  Grey Lynn Festival 2011when they were operating from a food truck.They must have done really well and now have a permanent  place for their followers to find them 7 days a week.

The place is not very big therefore it feels rather cosy and welcoming.There's an open kitchen where you can see all the food being prepared. The kitchen looks basic and I love watching people preparing the food that I am going to eat. You have to order and pay for your food at the counter. The staff are really easy-going and approachable even though it was a very busy Saturday afternoon. Service is basic but it doesn't leave you feeling unappreciated.  I kinda like that because it freaks me out when the staff keep coming back to ask how my meal is going but they actually don't really care.

The prices are very affordable, between $10 to $15 for most meals and around $28 for bigger shared plates. Since I didn't know how big the portions are here and there's only 2 of us, I ordered conservatively because the tables are small and I didn't want to look I was a participant on Survivors. I ordered a Grilled Fish Taco with capsicum, limes and chillies. It was delicious. The portion is not big but leaves you satisfied with the fresh ingredients. You definitely need more than one taco to fill your hunger if you are not eating anything else.

Next up was the dainty Watermelon Salad with feta,coriander and green tomatoes. I have never eaten watermelon with anything else other than itself. It is refreshing and not weird at all with the feta cheese. It fact it highlights the sweetness of the watermelon.

Our favourite dish was the Fish Ceviche with blood orange, watercress and mango. The whole dish just comes together so well without any of the garnishing taking too much attention away from the tender fish. Just like how Manu from MKR would say 'magnifique'.

I would happily come back with a couple of friends any time. The atmosphere is casual, the food is fantastic and prices are very reasonable for the fantastic food that is being served. Ponsonby Central is becoming a melting pot of great food and I am not complaining. Just wish that parking around here would be easier but it's never too much hassle for some great food with friends.

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The Depot

I have been meaning to come to the popular Al Brown's 'The Depot' since it opened its doors more than a year ago but it's always packed and they don't take booking plus I am not a fan of waiting around watching others gobble delicious food. I have heard really good reviews too, so it made it more painful. After several attempts, we finally got ourselves in for a late lunch last week. 

First impression is good, I personally like the rustic decor and friendly service from the staff. I feel very welcomed here and that my experience is going to be great and I wasn't wrong. 

We ordered 5 dishes and the first to arrive is their signature pulled pork sliders with coleslaw. It was delicious and the flavours of the meat was intense. I savoured every bite of my bite size slider. When the first dish is great, it truly lifts your mood and expectation and we were not disappointed.

Next up was the lamb ribs with skordalia with paprika oil. The serving was generous for 3 people to share. The lamb was so tender that it comes off the bone as you sink your teeth into it. Every mouthful was a delight. The flavours were beautiful balanced.

We did not order any freshly shucked oysters although it's very popular here because neither one of us is a big fan of oysters. We ordered mussels instead but the photo is not doing justice to the beautiful grilled mussel dish we have ordered. The mussels were accompanied by small chunks of prosciutto and croutons that made this dish so enjoyable but not heavy.

 We were fairly full at this point when our pork hock with salsa verde, black beans and grilled sweet corn arrived at our table. I have to say this was my least favourite dish although it is still a very good dish. I think I was getting a bit full and I didn't think all the components went well together. They were all very good, but just didn't create spark together on a plate. 
Our last dish was potato skins with gouda and porcini salt. I love the strong gouda on the potato skins but it they were too generous with the gouda here and made me feel a bit too bogged down but that could also be because I ate too much.

The Depot lives up to its hype unlike Tin Soldier. I think it's fair to compare the two because the have very similar concept, decor and menu. In my opinion, The Depot beats Tin Soldier hands down. I would definitely come back  here with friends soon.

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Trail Running from Bethells to Te Henga

Another fantastic trail run for me when some friends took me to the Waitakeres for a so-called 'gentle run'. I shall never believe his version of gentle ever again. But he did promise me that there's going to the gorgeous views. I got that. He did not exaggerate at all. I took all these photos with my iphone and they have not been photo-shopped. It was stunning and I had to stop so many times during the course just to take in the views. 

This track is part of the Hillary Trail (named after the great Sir Edmund Hillary) and my friend Josh is training to do a 75km  ultra marathon this autumn on this legendary trail. It is a very rugged and at times challenging route to run. There were some narrow paths that could be a little hazardous if you are not careful and lots of flax that you can trip on and fall on your face. I have tripped a couple of times because there were patches of hollow grounds covered with grass. Thankfully I got away with only a few scrapes. I was wearing my calf guards and when I fell it prevented me from getting a luxurious scrape on my lower leg.

We started our journey at 8amThe total distance we ran/ walk was 16km and took me about 3 hours 15. My friend Josh ran a little further and it took him only 3 hours.

The view of Bethells beach from the track is simply stunning. It beggars believe that nature can be so beautiful in its purest form, harsh and untamed and the same time vulnerable to human actions. I am so darn grateful to live in such a beautiful country that has become my home for the last 12 years. New Zealand Tourism Board might consider me to be a spokesperson to promote the country soon??

Trail running on such a rugged terrain is very new to me, I have only ran on suburban roads.Trail running takes a lot of energy and attention so not to twist my ankles and roll over because I am suck a klutz.

 We finished around 11 a.m and it was scorching because the trails is rather bare with very little shade to hide from the sun. We hopped into the car and drove for a few minutes to Bethells beach and jumped into the cold water. It was an absolute bliss! I am looking forward to a few more trips like this. I feel so energised being out in nature and suck in all the beauty nature has to offer.

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Summer Eats :Mexico Britomart

If you have been eating out a bit in Auckland, you'd notice the trend of Mexican food sweeping in everywhere. Pretty good times for me because I love diversity in the eating scene. The more the merrier. One spot that I have been wanting to check since it has opened its door is Mexico in Britomart. It has been opened for almost a year now and I haven't had a chance to check it out because it is always packed and I have tried twice to get a seat after yoga on Wednesday but I gave up. I decided to give it a go again this time since it's holiday period and most people are away. Hopefully it'll be easier this time around. The day was scorching and I am just craving for cold margaritas and The Depot was closed so we somehow ended up in Britomart area. Got in and there was a table available in 10 minutes. Score!

The three of us ordered fish and pork tacos, beetroot salads, fried chicken and a carafe of margarita.

 I was starving and food a little while to arrive but it all arrived at the same time. Our favorites were the prawn quesadillas and beetroot salads. Both the pork and fish tacos were rather bland. I prefer the tacos from Jalapeno Grill but would definitely come back for the quesadillas.

 The fried chicken was pretty good but not phenomenal and I could give it a miss and save the calories for another drink or snack.

Food prices are quite affordable but would definitely become expensive for big eaters because you will need at least 3 tacos to fill a raging appetite. The service was not as patchy as I'd expected after reading about the complaints online. The hostesses are a bit pointless but the waiting staff are pretty helpful.

The drinks are reasonable priced for this part of town so it'd be a good place to come to on a hot summer's day to have some drinks and small bites.

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My first trail run - Okura Bush to Stillwater Beach

Happy New Year everyone. This is going to be my very first post for the new year. I have been doing lots of cool new things over the holidays hence the blog is a little neglected. Sorry for the MIA. 

I went for my first ever trail run on Sunday and it was terrific. A little scary for me because I really didn't know what to expect. Maybe it was blessing in disguise anyway because I wasn't anticipating such a long run, most of the time alone. I went with 3 other friends but we were running at our own pace. We started out together and they lose me somewhere in the track. It allowed me plenty of personal time to ogle at the beautiful track and listen to the sounds of nature. We ran from the carpark and back, a total of 14km in 2 hour 15 minutes. Most part of the track is covered in gravel and clearly marked so it is very pedestrian friendly.

This track takes you through Okura River estuary and edge of the Long Bay – Okura Marine Reserve to Karepiro Bay and on to Stillwater Beach. It's a really beautiful track to run with plenty to see and I was lucky to be running on perfect weather day. Runs like this truly allows me to just lose myself and let my mind wander, not having to watch for traffic and pedestrians. All I do is just running and spending time in nature and listening to my own breath and sounds of the streams. It is  worth the effort and pain. 

It's so easy to lose track of time when you run in such a beautiful environment. It totally beats the mundaneness of running through the suburbs but you can't run an even pace because of the uneven terrain. This track is fairly easy if you are wearing trail shoes. I was wearing my good-old road running shoes and it got quite wet when I slipped into a swamp. I have to start wearing my new trail shoes although it is quite a bit heavier.

The bridge was one of the highlight of the run, plus my legs were fatigue after the run so it was such a joy to see it. I can't remember if this was before or after the 100 step super steep stairs. Unless you are superfit, it's surreal to run up all the way.

DOC (Dept of Conservation) has done an excellent job with the track,making it very inviting for leisure walkers and young children. I am looking forward to running a few more trail runs this summer before the bad kicks in. If I keep running lots of hills on these weekly trail runs, I hope to sport a pair of strong gluteus to power up all the hills on my road running sessions.

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El Sizzling Chorizo Argentinian BBQ, Ponsonby Central

I have been excited about the opening of Ponsonby Central which was promised for October but after much delays, it finally open its doors to the public end of November. There will be more to come as only some of the tenants have begin operations but it was abuzz with locals on sunny Saturday lunchtime. I have read  rave reviews from fans of Sizzling and their humble beginning of operating next to a church in Waiheke until someone complained about the smoke and they have to shut down. Their move to central Auckland must have been a great loss to the locals of Waiheke.

The place was packed with eager meat-eaters. I just had a discussion with a friend about giving up meat for environmental reasons the night before. I can see that the result of that conversation wasn't working well for me. We ordered a short rib 300-400gm for $17, chorizo $10 and a mixed platter of chicken, sirloin and pork belly for $30 as suggested by the waitress. Each dish comes with a small green salad and chimmichurri sauce served on a wooden chopboard. The wait for our food took a while as there were lots of patrons arriving at the same time. We sat next to bar and you can smell the woodfire. I'd imagine that this would be such a good idea in winter. The meats were succulent and are all of good quality. I really liked my sirloin as it has a very nice smoky flavour. We didn't like the chicken too much because it was bland. Hubby and friend liked the chorizo and would come back just for that any time. It was juicy and succulent.

We were overwhelmed by the amount of meat we had and start getting meat sweat from our protein rich lunch. This is certainly a place to check out if you love eating meat. It's reasonably priced, good quality meat, staff are friendly, casual and very social eating. We were chatting to our neighbours to discuss about our food and the atmosphere is great. I wouldn't be back too often because I am not a big meat fan. I like eating meat but not too much of it but I will certainly come in when I have a craving for a good chorizo. 

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Annabel Langbein's Hazelnut Butter

I am currently in my Annabel Langbein mode which means making everything myself and make it look so effortless. In fact most of Annabel's recipes are idiot-proof. So far I have not made anything from her books that didn't work. If you need to host a dinner party and impress all your guests, Annabel's recipes are the way to go. As much as I love Jamie Oliver, his recipes are more for cooking for yourself or if you need to bring a plate to a potluck. Annabel's recipes will make your friends think that your salads are only made by the vege from your own garden, you can whip up 30 cupcakes and ice them at 2am and cook a Christmas lunch for 12 on short notice. I am not joking here. Please take note that I am in no way related to Ms Langbein other than I watch her cooking programme every Saturday night and I do not benefit in anyway from blogging about her.

Hey Annabel, if you read this please know that I would love to be friends with you and go to your cabin for dinners.

 A couple of weeks ago, I saw this incredible simple recipe for Hazelnut Butter on her new TV show 'Simple Pleasures'. I can't resist. This is super easy to make and almost no skill is needed. The most difficult task is only removing the skins from the hazelnuts but that only took 5 minutes and a resistance from eating the hot roasted hazelnuts whilst at it.

Roast 3 cups of hazelnuts for 15 mins at 180c. Let the roasted hazelnuts cool for a few minutes and spread them onto a tea towel and rub them with the tea towel to remove skin. It's easier to do once the nuts have cooled down a little. You may not be able to remove all the skin from each hazelnut but that's ok.

Put all the skinned hazelnuts into a food processor and pulse. Add 1/3 cup neutral oil i.e canola, grapeseed or sunflower. Add a pinch of salt.

Once you are happy with the consistency, stop pulsing and pour into a glass jar.

                                      

I store my hazelnut butter in an reusable peanut butter jar. The hazelnut butter smells heavenly  like a potent Nutella and very creamy. These are good for a few months because the oil will preserve it. I doubt anyone can resist eating all of it in 2 weeks. The cost of making your own hazelnut butter may not be very much cheaper than buying it from the store but I get a satisfaction from knowing that I can make something so yummy so effortlessly in my own kitchen and with so little fuss. On top of that, I enjoy knowing what's in my food. Next time I will add some cocoa powder to make my own Nutella :)

I am planning to make a batch of these as Christmas presents for my friends. This will make better gifts than the usual Christmas cookies.

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Thanksgiving with FRIENDS and giving thanks.

This is was supposed to be a special post to my readers from USA who are celebrating Thanksgiving last week but I made an error of setting to schedule the post on Thanksgiving but did not hit the 'publish' buttom. Anyway, I still want to share this with all the American readers of my little blog. Thank you for taking the interest in my little blog which details my musings of life in the faraway Auckland. A little late but still better than never. 

I have never celebrated Thanksgiving but my perception of the holiday is always linked to FRIENDS with Rachel's English trifle, Monica's head stuck inside a turkey, the episode with Brad Pitt and Joey wearing Phoebe's maternity pants which he later rebranded as 'thanksgiving pants' as he work on eating a whole turkey on his own.

My favourite has to be the episode with Rachel's trifle when Ross declares the trifle tastes like feet. I love that episode and I can't make myself eat a trifle without thinking about Rachel's trifle with beef and peas,yuck! I'm such a sucker for Friends and still watching it every now and then although it has ended since 2004. I love Modern Family too but it still can't beat 10 seasons of Friends that I grew up with. It's one of the many things that I am thankful for.

Here are a few things that I am very thankful for:

1. Ability to run. Not that I can run fast but at least I can run. My heart and lungs work overtime to cope with the stress I give it but I know with every run, I am getting stronger and better. I run because I can. I am very thankful to have found this sport that I have grown to love so much and committed to do it as long as I can.

2. My BFF who also happens to be my hubs. He'd watch multiple seasons Project Runway with me anytime. Enough said.

3. Family and friends.

4.Auckland. I bitch about the traffic and car drivers but I love this city. I was born in Kuala Lumpur but have made Auckland my home. It's strikingly beautiful and one of the top 10 cities in the world to live in. Expensive but the people are so nice. Ok, I do admit Vancouverites are pretty damn friendly too so it's a tie. But Auckland's got one of the best coffees in the world -alongside Wellington. Sounds bizarre but it's pretty damn true.Starbucks don't get too much love from us.

5.Malaysian food. I think it's one of the most underrated cuisine in the world. Although most Aucklanders that I have met adore Malaysian food but it is still an unsung hero of Asian food. Malaysian food is bursting with flavours and very diverse. Go beyond the habitual Curry Laksa and try the many varieties of what it has to offer.

6.Health. I strongly believe that health stands above wealth. If you're healthy physically and mentally, everything will be ok.  

7.Travels. I have been to quite a few places and can't get enough of travelling. I am thankful that I don't have a fear for flying, can read a map and enjoys all the weird and wonderful experiences that comes my way.

I hope you all had a very good Thanksgiving break with your loved ones.

Are you a fan of FRIENDS? What is your favourite Thanksgiving episode?

Did you go out for a Thanksgiving run?

What do you give thanks for?

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Dark Chocolate Chilli Con Carne with Buttermilk Cornbread

This is a relatively easy recipe that it packs so much flavour and texture it's really worth making a big batch and freezing a few portions. The flavours becomes more intense after a few days. I love making a batch of Chilli Con Carne and freeze some for whenever I am too lazy to cook. The dark chocolate gives it more depth and the toasted dried chillies used in the chilli paste will bring some smokiness into the mix.


For Chilli Con Carne:

1kg topside mince
4 cans of of beans - I used 2 cans of kidney beans, 1 can pinto, 1 can mixed
3-4 stalks of celery, chopped
2 large carrots, chopped
3 tbsp canola oil
2 chopped green capsicums
2 cans peeled tomatoes
2 diced red onions
150gm  quality dark chocolate
1 tsp thyme
salt
pepper

Chilli paste:
4-6 large dried chillies

2 red chillies
2 green chillies (optional)
2 tsp water

1. Toast the chillis on a medium hot non-stick pan until a little burnt.
2. Chuck all the chillies and blitz it with 2 tsp water to form a paste. Set aside to be used later.


To cook the Chilli Con Carne:


1. Saute the diced onions and add in mince to brown. Add in chopped carrots and celery
2. Once the carrots are tender add in the beans and chilli paste and peeled tomatoes and let it simmer for a bit. Season with salt and pepper and then add in the dark chocolate. If you find the chilli con carne is a bit too spicy for your liking, you can add more dark chocolate. This will tone down the heat and add the depth of the flavour.  Let it simmer for about 5-10 minutes and remove from the stove.

Buttermilk Cornbread:

100gm softened butter
1/4 cup sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp baking soda
2 cup cornmeal / polenta
2 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp salt

1.Preheat oven at 180c. Grease a shallow 8 or 9 inch pan
2.Melt butter in microwave for 30 secs. Remove from heat and stir in sugar. Quickly add eggs and beat until well blended. Combine buttermilk with baking soda and stir into mixture in pan. Stir in cornmeal, flour, and salt until well blended and few lumps remain. Pour batter into the prepared pan.

3. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, depending on your preference how hot your oven gets. I left mine in for 40 minutes because I like the golden crust. Poke with a skewer and see if it comes out clean. Leave it to cool for a few minutes before cutting into squares.

I have used this recipe a few times and I love how easy and tasty it turns out to be. I have used fairly fine grounded cornmeal/ polenta but on the few occasions I have used coarse cornmeal/ polenta and it works fine. I like both. The coarseness gives it more bite and the finer version is very smooth and moist.

I had 4 twin foetus eggs in my batter!  What are the chances??

This recipe will easily yield 4 generous portions. You can cut the cornbread in small squares and heat up in the microwave the next day or lightly grill on a sandwich press and it will be great.

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