tesss

I cannot imagine Christmas without Plain Vanilla's seasonal cupcakes - to the extent of it becoming a must-do every year. Dark Chocolate Whiskey is made for those with a penchant for all things dark, rich and well indulgent. The dark chocolate cake is spiked with whiskey, piped with a dark chocolate ganache center and topped with a hand rolled whiskey chocolate truffle. Count the number of times whiskey is mentioned - I swear I can get drunk on these whiskey treat alone. Spiced Maple Bourbon pays tribute to eggnog, not quite my favourite festive drink truth be told. This was almost too tame for Christmas, almost like vanilla gone naughty. That maple bourbon fudge however should be sold separately. White Chocolate Gingerbread man is a personal favourite this medley, the spiced gingerbread cake comes with a cheesecake swirl, crushed gingerbread crumbs, cheesecake frosting and a gingerbread man cookie. Did I already mention it's a white chocolate whipped cream? SOLD, many t...

I originally planned to check out another peranakan eatery but Nyonya Restaurant Treats was so memorable - I cannot deal with two disappointing meals in a day so we headed back! Irresistible ngoh hiang (RM 12) since their kuehs and kueh pie tees weren't available. Their pineapple squid curry was the bomb, the prawn version (RM 37)  is equally scrumptious. That piquant gravy is good enough for me to drink neat. The belachan is different from the last we had and still as tasty with a plate of blanched ladies fingers (RM9). The fish head curry (RM 49) that we did not have enough space for the first time round - soooo gooooood. It hit all the spicy and sour notes to a T, fresh fish head and the slew of vegetables tossed in made for a super meal on its own. Worth every calorie and delicious to the last drop. Braised Chicken and Potatoes in this Pong Teh Chicken (RM 17) was the least peranakan of the dishes, infact, very homecooked and ordinary. Second visit and still a fan of this pla...

Since breakfast was so unsatisfying and we had a spot of grocery shopping to do nearby, I was actually tempted for the first time to try this make shift hawker stall under the bridge a stone's throw away from Tebrau Tesco! I mean look at the parked cars all for it, has to say something right? Upclose of the diners, there was an array of dishes and easily 20 of them laid in open containers and the dishes were scooped according to preference. All for under RM 4. Tempeh, a radish curry and fried chicken. I swear this has to be the darndest random food discovery of the year. Malay fried chicken still ranks tops next to Indonesian fried chicken as yummiest around - probably the oil used but nobody's complaining when the food is so good! I am usually not a fan of curries with light gravies and this had me at hello. Now, this goes into my list of must eats everytime we head in for groceries!

After sussing out my favourite Nasi Lemak place, I figured it was high time I moved onto hunting down the best of other delicacies too. Ah Gong's has a legacy dating 1978 and has been serving up bowls of comforting laksa since 1978! The signature Ah Gong's Laksa (RM 6.60)  that I was looking forward to. No hum and mainly fishballs, fishcakes, beancurd skins and a dollop of belachan. The gravy was too watery to be considered a legit bowl of laksa. I was disappointed. By the way there is a Granny's version and I'm not sure what is the difference but I'm definitely stopping at Ah Gong's. Their version of bak chor mee with a sweet sauce tossed noodles and minced meat! A tad sweet but still a more decent effort than the laksa. Fish ball soup. Traditional Malaysian breakfast that really was not worth travelling for nor wasting my calories over. Ah Gong Laksa No.1, Jalan Harmonium 35/1, Taman Desa Tebrau Johor Bahru

I grew up with chicken rice and there were many brands that played a part in my love for our national dish. Hai Kee started out as an eatery back in 1959 at Upper Cross Street. The star of their menu is clearly soy sauce chicken and my years of eating Chicken Rice, the favourites have hovered around roast chicken mainly and rarely steamed chicken. Double Happiness Platter ($12.50) The set was definitely more than sufficient for two, there was a choice of Superior Soy Sauce Chicken, Char Siew, Roasted Pork, Char Siew and Roasted Pork for the protein and it came with soup, Oyster Sauce Vegetables and two bowls of chicken rice! I would have expected a salty affair and it was actually balanced well. Delicately seasoned and doused in sauce but who can refuse such a tender plate of meat? Hai Kee has found a new fan in me for sure. The chilli sauce itself is worth mentioning for one, fiery yet restrained. Not to mention that chicken rice, and I hardly cave into chicken fat rice but it was ju...

~Invited Session~ As Christmas draws to a close, the choices for that single merry making meal are boundless and Marriott Cafe is pulling out all the stops to keep diners merry throughout the year-end festivities. I was invited to a preview of their festive specials and here's the chow down on them! Who can say no to lobster thermidors? These are topped with cheese (oh holy cow!) and move over oysters, these are the new must eats at the buffet. Cheese rock oysters. Cheese prawns? I guess I cannot get enough shellfish with mussels baked with more cheese too! Roast beef is such a Christmas must have, I usually get torn between this and the Turkey for stomach space. This was done well, so tender and peppered with enough spices. Honey and Clove Glazed Ham (Boneless) with Cinnamon Pineapple Sauce ($168) and a glass of wine makes a delightful festive treat too, yes? And not forgetting a must eat, the Traditional Roasted Turkey with Chestnuts, Foie Gras Stuffing, Cranberry and ...

Tokyo Milk Cheese is ALSO in town! Looks like I'd be seeing plenty of Japanese confectionery boxes making their rounds this Christmas and Chinese New Year and no more dragging boxes of these home anymore from my Tokyo and Hong Kong travels. The promise of all things good and creamy. The soft serve counter has been causing quite a buzz and with their cheese soft serve up for grabs, I just had to join the queue though I was really keen on the Cow Cow Ice Sundae - a combination of  soft serve and cheese cake! It's got a queer texture, somewhat foamy and light. My twist soft serve ($4.50) had both flavours - Cheese and vanilla which were acceptable and turned out too heavy for a post lunch dessert even. At $5.50 I'm already wondering if I should have gone straight for a Godiva cone instead. Tokyo Milk Cheese Raffles City Basement 2