2 Million Hits - Thank you for your support!

18 June 2013 is the day my blog surpassed the 2,000,000 hits mark :) From the bottom of my heart, I would like to say thank you very much for your continuous support. It really means a lot to me.

A big thank you!

Celebrating 2 million hits with none other than my beloved family :)

Hip hip hooray!

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The Deli @ Micasa All Suite Hotel KL

One of our favorite kids-friendly lunch spots is The Deli located in Micasa Hotel. Plus our kids love the duck confit and fries here, and not forgetting the ice cream! :D

Since the Wagyu burger made an appearance on its menu last year, Hubby always orders this without fail. For RM20, it is very good value and most importantly very delicious. The burger patty is moist and juicy and the fries are great. On this occasion we were having an "early dinner" as well so Hubby also ordered the grilled beef sandwich (RM20) which also comes with fries. The beef was beautifully cooked and very tender and was topped with some caramelised onions and rocket.

Wagyu Burger

Stealing a fry before mummy finished taking her photos :P

Grilled Beef Sandwich

The rest of us ordered a duck leg confit (RM17), mushroom soup (RM12) and fish and chips (RM20) to share. The duck leg confit is a must-have for the kids, they can easily finish this between them and will even lick the bones til it's clean. First time ordering the mushroom soup here, very rich and creamy - I like it a lot. The fish and chips is one of the best I've had in KL and they do a really awesome tartare sauce to go with the fish.

It is no longer possible to share 1 dessert amongst us, so this time we ordered two of the strawberry meringues (RM10) and requested for the caramel ice cream. The meringue was heaped with fresh sweet strawberries and luscious cream. And the ice cream is simply lovely.

Everybody wants a piece of Baby D (and the boy just wants his dessert!).

The Deli Menu

Opening times: 11am to 7pm. Closed on Sundays.

Complimentary parking for The Deli customers.

Location: The Deli, Micasa All Suite Hotel, 368B, Jalan Tun Razak, 50400 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Tel: 03-2179 8082 ext. 7082

GPS Coordinates: 3.162273, 101.719548

Recipe: Easy stewed British rhubarb with vanilla ice cream

As usual, before we go on holiday I would make a list of things I would want to eat when I am there. I love the fresh produce we can get in the UK, so I was prepared to make some homecooked meals for us even when we're on holiday. Rhubarb was on the list, and luckily for us, British rhubarb is in season. Of course, we can get rhubarb in KL's high-end supermarkets too, such as Ben's Independent Grocer but they are selling at RM52.90 per kg!

Since I've never cooked rhubarb before, I delegated the task to Hubby who grew up eating rhubarb, sometimes harvested from his father's garden. This stewed rhubarb with vanilla ice cream is one of the simplest, nicest desserts I have had in a while - great job Hubby!

Stewed British rhubarb with vanilla ice cream

On our day trip to Braemar in Scotland, we stopped by in Aboyne for a photo opportunity and when passing one of the gardens, my father-in-law pointed out this rhubarb plant to me. Nice to be able to see this upclose as usually we only see the stalks/stems in the supermarkets. The leaves are usually discarded because they contain oxalic acid and are poisonous. According to my FIL, rhubarb are very easy to grow as they will flourish without much attention  - too bad we cannot grow it here in KL though!

Rhubarb is too tart to be eaten raw, so it should be cooked with plenty of sugar. The way my MIL makes it is that she first places the chopped rhubarb in a bowl and sprinkle it with sugar - this will help release the juices from the rhubarb. Then it is placed in a small saucepan and cooked over medium high heat until tender, about 10 to 15 minutes.

I love the tart, refreshing taste of the stewed rhubarb, accompanied by the rich creamy vanilla ice cream. This simple dessert is garnished with some edible flowers from my FIL's garden for a more exquisite finish.

Easy to make but tastes so good!

Stewed rhubarb with vanilla ice cream
Recipe by Baby Sumo's Hubby
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 10-15 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients
400g British rhubarb
40ml water
40g sugar

To serve
Vanilla ice cream
Edible flowers, to garnish


1. Place rhubarb in a bowl and sprinkle the sugar. This will help release some of the juices from the rhubarb. Leave for 2 hours.

After 2 hours - see the juices released

2. In a small saucepan, add the rhubarb-sugar followed by water and cook over medium heat for 10-15 minutes until tender. It should be soft but still holds its shape.

Note: If you prefer to skip the 2 hours "waiting time", you can also place sugar and water straight in a pot and bring to the boil, then add rhubarb and cook over medium heat until tender. The above method (Step 1-2) is the way my MIL would usually make it.

3. Serve warm, topped with a quenelle of vanilla ice cream and garnish with an edible flower.

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Happy Father's Day 2013

Wishing all dads a very Happy Father's Day ;)

"Super Dad" toast for our super dad at home ;)

We love you papa :)

The World's Best Dad :)

Best Hubby in the world too :)

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*This post was featured on Asian Food Channel's FB page on 16 June 2013.

Kebab @ Lara's Imbiss, Regensburg, Germany

Due to the huge Turkish population in Germany, the döner kebab has become one of the staples of the German fast food scene. Döner kebab (literally rotating kebab in Turkish) is meat roasted on a vertical spit. The German version of the kebab is different from the original döner kebab, also known as the Iskender kebap. The meat is sliced off the vertical spit and served in a pita bread with a salad and a choice of sauce, usually a yoghurt based sauce, or a hot sauce. The result is a great snack which is loved by the young and old.

Our choice of döner kebab came from this small shop called Lara's Imbiss. The shop here sells kebab of the turkey meat variant.

Located within close proximity to the Steinerne Brücke (Old Stone Bridge), this can be a good alternative to the renowned Wurstkuchl, and at the same time a bit lighter on the wallet.

Take away one of these babies for €4 a pop...

Carbs check, protein check, greens check

Pretty balanced considering this is fast food!

Be it lunch, an in-between meal or a late night snack, there's always a time and place for the döner kebap

Seagulls by the bridge

Price: €4 each.

Location: Lara's Imbiss, Silberne-Kranz-Gasse 1, 93047 Regensburg, Germany.

Phone: +49 (0)941 5861754

*This is a guest post by The Unc.

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Glenfarclas Whisky Dinner @ The Smoke House, The Majestic Hotel KL

Just as we were heading back to KL from Scotland, I received an email, inviting us to an exclusive Glenfarclas Scotch Whisky pairing dinner at The Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur that weekend. 

Glenfarclas (which translates to valley of green grassland) is owned by J & G Grant, an independent family firm. The Glenfarclas Distillery was legally established in 1836, on the Recherlich Farm at Ballindalloch, in the heart of Speyside and has been distilling whisky for six generations. It is renowned for producing Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky in the traditional Speyside style, with a heavy Sherry influence. They produce a wide range of expressions from the mouthwatering freshness of the 10 years old, to the indulgent 30 years old. 

The distinctive character of Glenfarclas Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky, for which only three essential ingredients are required; pure spring water, malted barley and yeast, is due to the Grant family’s commitment to traditional distillation methods, combined with the unique size and shape of the Glenfarclas copper pot stills, the specially selected oak casks, and the style and location of the warehouses.

The intimate dinner was hosted by the distributors of Glenfarclas in Malaysia - Single Malt Sdn Bhd with the attendance of Ian McWilliam, brand ambassador of Glenfarclas. It was held in the classy private dining room in The Smoke House, whereby each dish is selected by the Executive Chef to complement the single malt whisky.

The Smoke House in The Majestic Hotel KL

Hubby donned his kilt for the evening :)

Menu for the evening

Amuse Bouche - Irish Gin oyster marinated in chilli, lime and gin. I don't really like oysters but I wouldn't mind eating a few of this. Nicely presented on a bed of frozen rocks. 

We get to watch the chefs plate up the dishes

Next, we were served the beef carpaccio with capers, tapenade, shaved Parmigiano and truffle oil. Light and refreshing, this was excellently paired with the Glenfarclas 15 year old. The 15 yr old was one of my favorites since it has a light butterscotch aroma with a long-lasting sweet finish.

The 12-year old and 15-year old Glenfarclas whisky

Cream of Broccoli and Stilton Soup - rich and creamy soup served with a crispy garlic toast. 

The next course is the pan roasted salmon trout with beetroot, fennel and radish, and served with the Glenfarclas 17 year old. The fish was moist and juicy, with a crispy skin. The 17-year old is more full flavoured with a touch of peat smoke.

The roasted rump of lamb is served with eggplant caponata and reform sauce and is paired with the Glenfarclas 21 year old. The 21 yr old was Hubby's (and many of our fellow diners) personal favorite - it is full bodied rich with a fresh nose with a smoky and spicy finish.

Dessert is sticky date pudding with butterscotch sauce, served with the Glenfarclas 30 year old. It is richly indulgent, thanks to the casks used for maturing the whisky and is often described as a "Christmas cake in a glass".

The Scotsman with the Glenfarclas 30 year old Scotch whisky

Petit fours

Group photo ;)

Coincidentally one of the traditional fudge we bought from our trip to Scotland was infused with Glenfarclas whisky ;)

You can read more about Glenfarclas here. You can read more about The Majestic Hotel KL here.

Location: The Smoke House, The Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur, 5 Jalan Sultan Hishamuddin, 50000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Website: http://www.majestickl.com/

GPS Coordinates: 3.139059, 101.692617