Support Local Restaurants: Buy a Giftcard to Help Your Favourite Restaurants

Local restaurants are suffering due to the Movement Control Order (MCO) and many are deciding whether they close shop for good.

UMAI recently launched the largest directory of Malaysian restaurants and cafes that offer gift cards and vouchers, making it easier for diners to support their favorite restaurants by purchasing a gift card / vouchers which can be redeemed later. Buying full or discounted value vouchers will help restaurants with immediate cashflow, and offset lost income amidst the MCO.

Restaurants are struggling to stay afloat, as they are no longer allowed to serve customers in-house, and sales are down across the country. As F&B businesses typically operate at a 3 – 5% margin, there’s not much buffer room left for them to weather this out, putting their teams and business at risk of closure. While gift cards provide immediate income relief that will help these business continue running, less than 1% of Malaysian restaurants are offering this service – UMAI is offering this software for free, during this unprecedented times.

“There are a lot of restaurants that are deciding whether they stay is business or not,” says Co-Founder, Jonas Chelbat. “Our generosity, collectively as consumers, now literally affects the ability of your favorite restaurant to stay open.”

“At this point, the purchasing of gift cards is the best thing any of us can do to support restaurants – and it’s win- win. It’s like giving a restaurant or cafe a loan, and getting paid back in food, drinks and appreciation. We built this software so that consumers can purchase this on behalf of loved ones, support the less fortunate or simply for themselves during this difficult time,” says Co-Founder, Alexander Small. “The most important thing we can do is bring attention to the problem, and help the community play a role in solving it.”

The site currently features 63 restaurants that sell gift cards. UMAI is aiming to help at least 200 more restaurants make it onto the list. Visitors can:
• Search for a specific restaurant, or browse based on who has discounted gift cards - by area, cuisine type and so forth.
• Visitors can purchase a restaurants gift card directly from the restaurant’s website, by clicking on a
restaurant.
• Any restaurant can add their gift card to the directory.

Check out the website here: https://www.umai.io/en/malaysia

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Recipe: Egg Banh-Jo (Fried Egg Sandwich with Pickles)

What's an Egg Banh-Jo? The egg banh-jo is a cross between two famous sandwiches - the British egg banjo and Vietnamese banh mi. I came up with the idea of putting these two together during the recent MCO.

We have egg banjo quite regularly in our house for breakfast or lunch as it is really easy to make yet so tasty. Egg banjo is a popular British military snack, commonly made with heavily buttered thick sliced bread, fried runny eggs and ketchup. How did it get its name - well, apparently one of the guys in the military spilt some yolk on his uniform, and the act of cleaning it, with the sandwich held out to the side with one hand whilst the other wipes at the drips, gives the impression of playing an invisible banjo.

Banh mi is one of my favourite sandwiches but we have never attempted making it at home as you will need a good crusty baguette. I love the simple egg banh mi, with just fried egg, pickled carrot & daikon and coriander. So, the idea came to combine my favourite aspect of the banh mi - the pickles - with the egg banjo. And Hubby came up with the clever name - egg banh-jo!

For our version at home, we usually use burger buns, slathered with margarine and then toasted in a frying pan. You can also use thick white bread if you like. For the eggs, we like them a little crisp on the edges, over easy and just a little runny. The pickles add a refreshing crunch, I can foresee us making this again soon!

Egg Bahn-Jo (Fried egg sandwich with pickles)
Recipe by Baby Sumo
Preparation time: 1 minute
Cooking time: under 10 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients
4 burger buns, halved
Margarine
2 tbsp cooking oil
4 eggs
Pickled carrot and daikon (recipe here)



1. Spread margarine on the burger buns and then lightly toast in a heated frying pan.

2. In a separate pan, heat cooking oil over medium high heat. Fry the eggs, and then flip over and cook to your liking.

3. To assemble, place fried egg on the bottom half of the bun, then place a generous mound of pickled carrot and daikon on the egg before placing the top of the bun. Enjoy!

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Recipe: Vietnamese Pickled Carrot & Daikon

If you're a fan of Vietnamese food, chances are you've come across these pickled carrot and daikon in your banh mi. Since we have lots of free time, I decided to make some at home - you only need some simple ingredients for the pickling solution such as rice vinegar, salt, sugar and water. Leave for about 1 hour, and they will be ready to eat!

Tangy, slightly sweet, crunchy and refreshing - love it! We used these pickles in our version of egg banh-jo, a cross of two famous sandwiches - British egg banjo and Vietnamese banh mi! Do look out for the recipe in this post.

Vietnamese pickled carrot and daikon

Pickled carrot and daikon
Recipe by Baby Sumo, adapted from Vietnamese Bible
Makes 2 cups


Ingredients
1 large carrot, peeled
1/2 daikon, peeled

For the pickling solution
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1 1/4 tbsp caster sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup water

1. Cut the carrot and daikon into 2 inch lengths, then slice thinly. Stack 3-4 slices together and cut into fine shreds (like thin matchsticks). Place in a heatproof bowl.

2. In a small saucepan, combine the ingredients for the pickling solution and bring to the boil. Simmer for 1 minute, then remove from heat. Pour over the carrots and daikon, stir and cover. Allow to marinate for at least 1 hour before using.

3. Store in a clean jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

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Recipe: Stir fried lamb with capsicum

We love lamb but it's not something we cook regularly at home. And when we do, it's usually roast lamb, grilled lamb chops, lamb stew or rogan josh. While at the grocers last weekend, there wasn't much option at the meat department, so I grabbed two packs of boneless lamb loin. This is what I rustled up in the kitchen - a quick and easy stir fry dish - stir fried lamb with capsicum.

The lamb is thinly sliced and then marinated with light soy sauce and sesame oil. Then, it's high heat cooking - first the capsicums (you can use green, red, yellow peppers as you please) and then the lamb, finished with the smooth, velvelty sauce. Lovely with a big bowl of boiled white rice! ;)

Stir fried lamb with capsicum
Recipe by Baby Sumo
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Serves 4


Ingredients
300g lamb loin, thinly sliced
2 tsp light soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 thin slices of ginger, julienned
1 green capsicum, cut into squares
1 spring onion, cut into 2" lengths
2 tbsp cooking oil

For the sauce
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tsp light soy sauce
2 tsp rice or ginger wine
1/2 tsp caster sugar
1 tsp cornflour
1/8 tsp ground black pepper


1. Place lamb in a bowl and marinate with light soy sauce and sesame oil for 15-20 minutes.

2. In another bowl, combine ingredients for sauce and mix well. Set aside.

3. In a wok, heat 1 tbsp of oil over high heat. Add garlic, ginger and capsicum and stir fry for 2 minutes, then add the spring onion and stir fry for a further minute. Transfer to a plate.

4. Reheat wok with 1 tbsp of oil and stir fry the lamb, about 3-4 minutes. Add the sauce (from Step 2) and allow to simmer for a further 1-2 minutes, until sauce is velvety and has thickened slightly. Add the cooked capsicum mixture and stir fry to combine.

5. Serve with rice.

Stir fried lamb with capsicum

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Recipe: Beef in Black Bean Sauce

How's everyone doing at home? We've been good - stayed home, played board games, watched TV and movies, and enjoyed lots of homecooked meals.

One of the dishes we made earlier this week is this Beef in Black Bean Sauce. I actually first ate this dish in the UK, when I used to work in a Chinese takeaway and the lady boss would cook this for me to take home with me.

To make this dish, you will need salted black soy beans which you can find easily in the supermarkets in jars. I used rump steak, which is fairly tender and flavorful - slice it thinly so it cooks quickly in the hot wok. The beef is first marinated, and then stir fried along with green pepper and onions. For those who do not eat beef, you may also substitute with chicken breast.

Stay positive guys and happy cooking!

Beef in black bean sauce
Recipe by Baby Sumo
Preparation time: 5-10 minutes
Cooking times: 10 minutes
Serves 4


Ingredients
350g rump steak, sliced thinly
2 tbsp cooking oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp ginger wine or rice wine
1 green pepper / capsicum, cut into squares
3 spring onions
1 tbsp salted black soy beans
1/4 cup water
1/2 tbsp cornflour
1/2 tsp chicken stock granules

1. Marinate beef with light soy sauce and 1/2 tbsp ginger wine for about 15 minutes.

2. In a wok, heat oil over high heat. Once oil is hot, add the garlic and saute for 1- 1/2 minutes until lightly golden. Add the marinated beef and stir fry over high heat for 1 1/2 minutes. Add the green pepper, salted black soy beans, 1/2 tbsp ginger wine and chicken stock granules.

3. In a small bowl, mix the water with cornflour. Add the mixture to the beef and then cook for a further 3-4 minutes, until sauce has thickened. Taste and season with salt if necessary.

4. Add the spring onions and stir fry for another minute. Serve immediately with rice.

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Recipe: Oven-roasted chicken drumsticks and vegetables

Today marks the first day of the partial lockdown that we Malaysians face. At this time, we should try to practice social distancing and avoid going out except for essentials such as food.

Let's do our part and stay home during the next 2 weeks. It is still important to eat healthy during these times, so please try not to have instant noodles for every meal. Here is a very easy recipe you can try at home with minimal ingredients - oven-roasted chicken drumsticks paired with oven-roasted vegetables and fries.

Simply drizzle some olive oil over the chicken drumsticks and season with salt and pepper and oven-roast for 25-30 minutes. The chicken is moist with crispy skin (tip: to ensure that the skin crisps up, ensure that you dry the chicken thoroughly with kitchen paper towels.)

To go with the chicken, I roasted some French beans with carrots, tossed in some olive oil, salt and a dash of soy sauce. French beans and root vegetables such as carrots are great as they keep longer than leafy vegetables in the fridge, so you can keep a stock of them in your fridge during partial lockdown times. I also made a simple gravy to go with the chicken. Happy cooking guys!

Oven-roasted chicken drumsticks

Oven-roasted chicken drumstick
Recipe by Baby Sumo
Preparation time: 2 minutes
Cooking time: 25-30 minutes
Serves 3-4

Ingredients
8 chicken drumsticks
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
Butter
1/2 tsp thyme, if available

To serve
Gravy

1. Preheat oven to 200°C (roast mode). Pat dry and arrange the chicken drumsticks on a baking tray, making sure they do not overlap.

2. Drizzle over olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper and dried thyme (if using). Roast for 20 minutes, then remove and reserve juices for gravy. Place a sliver of butter onto each drumstick. Roast for another 5-10 minutes, until the skin has crisped up and is lightly golden. The juices should run clear when the chicken is pierced with a sharp knife.

3. Remove and serve with gravy.

4. To make the gravy, add 1/2 OXO cube and 1 cup of water to a saucepan. Bring to the boil, then add the reserved juices from roasting. Add 1 tbsp of cornflour (mixed with 1 tbsp of cold water) to thicken the gravy. Season with black pepper.

Note: Please ensure you pat dry the chicken to get nice, crispy skin.

For whole roast chicken recipe, click here.



Roasted vegetables
Preparation time: 2 minutes
Cooking time: 10-15 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients
16-20 French beans or green beans, cut into 2" pieces
2 small carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced vertically
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt
1/2 tsp light soy sauce

1. Place the vegetables and garlic into a baking tray, then toss with oil, salt and light soy sauce. Place in oven and cook for 10-15 minutes.

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Recipe: Asian-style Nachos

Nachos are a great snack for sharing and can be made in under 30 minutes. This weekend, we made  nachos with an Asian twist - for the topping, we used minced pork cooked with kicap manis and light soy sauce. The results - a delicious, sweet and savoury pork topping.

The store-bought tortilla chips are then topped with generous amounts of mozzarella cheese, and placed under a hot grill to melt. Then they are topped with mashed avocado, sour cream and chopped tomatoes, as well as pickled green chillies and pork. An amazing combination of flavours and textures.

Asian-style Nachos

Watch our step-by-step video here (link here):

Asian-style Nachos
Recipe by Baby Sumo
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Serves 3-4 as snack


Ingredients
1 pack (170g) tortilla chips
150g minced pork (or chicken)

1 tbsp cooking oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp kicap manis
1 tsp light soy sauce
Freshly ground pepper

Salt
1 tbsp olive oil
1 ripe avocado
4-5 cherry tomatoes, chopped
1 tbsp pickled green chilies (or jalapenos)
150g shredded mozzarella

100 - 150g sour cream


1. Cut the avocado into half, remove the stone and scoop out the flesh into a bowl. Roughly mash the flesh with a fork, add olive oil and season with salt and black pepper.

2. In a wok or frying pan, heat the cooking oil. Add the garlic and saute for 1 1/2 minutes, until lightly golden. Add the minced pork and break up using your spatula. Brown all sides, then add water, kicap manis and soy sauce and simmer for about 4-5 minutes, until the mixture is dry. Season with black pepper and scoop into a bowl, leaving any sauce behind. 

3. Arrange tortilla chips in a tray and sprinkle generously with mozzarella cheese. Place it under a hot grill for 2-3 minutes, until cheese has melted. Alternatively, you may use a blowtorch to melt the cheese.

4. To assemble, spoon pork, mashed avocado and sour cream over tortilla chips. Scatter chopped tomatoes and pickled chilli all over and serve immediately.

Click here for recipe for the Scottish-style nachos with haggis and guacamole.
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Shelley Yu's, Bangsar: Nyonya Cuisine & Cocktails

Authentic Nyonya food, delicious Nyonya-inspired artisanal cocktails and fun decor are just some of the highlights at Shelley Yu's. Although the restaurant is located on the busy stretch of Bangsar, it has a lovely, chilled out vibe, perfect for spending a relaxed weekend at.

Vibrant murals line the walls at Shelley Yu's, with the open bar taking the spotlight. Shelley Yu's offer a gin-centric cocktails menu, infusing gin classics with local Malaysian flavours such as galangal, assam boi, coriander and sambal.

 The bartender recommended that we try the KLCC and Pandan Ekspres, two of their signature, most popular cocktails. The KLCC (RM45) is the classic Clover Club cocktail with an Asian spin to it. Gin, raspberries, grenadine, lemon and egg white are shaken together with kaffir lime. Meanwhile, the Pandan Ekspres (RM45), featuring gin, pandan, coconut milk, lime, egg white and nutmeg, showcases the flavours of nasi lemak worked into a cocktail.

The food menu consists of traditional and authentic Nyonya dishes, ranging from appetizers to meat dishes, seafood, noodles and rice, sambal, egg dishes, vegetables and dessert. To start, we had the Jumbo udang pai tee (RM25), a popular Nyonya appetizer comprising of crispy, crunchy top hats, filled with braised turnips, diced prawns and finished with a drizzle of sweet chilli.

To best enjoy a Nyonya meal, order several dishes and share it amongst your family or friends. We had the Ayam pongteh, Rusuk masak kicap, Ikan rawa special, Udang lemak nanas, Bendi bawang putih, Terung sambal and Telur dadar... what a delicious feast it was! We left the restaurant with happy, full tummies.

Ayam pongteh (RM30) - braised chicken and potato stew with caramelised shallots, soy and taucu. One flavorful dish - great for kids!

Rusuk masak kicap (RM60) - one of our favourite dishs here at Shelley Yu's! Beef short ribs are first marinated for 48 hours and then slow cooked in soy and spices for hours until fork tender and falling off the bone.

Ikan Rawa special (RM54) - deep fried sea grouper (ikan kerapu) and doused in a butter and umami sauce.

Udang lemak nanas (RM50) - spicy, creamy prawn and pineapple curry cooked in coconut milk. 

A must-have whenever we have Nyonya food.

Bendi bawang putih (RM22) - stir fried okra with garlic

Terung sambal (RM20) - stir fried aubergine with sambal paste.

Telur dadar (RM18) - Nyonya-style omelette

For desserts, we shared a Cendol (RM16) as well as a Sago mangga (RM18) with coconut milk and gula melaka.

The kids sampled their mocktails - the Boi-jito (RM16), a combination of lime and assam boi cordial, mint, lime, and soda as well as the Rumah teh markisa (RM16) - passionfruit, citrus and cold brewed hibiscus tea. Perfect thirst quenchers on a hot afternoon!

Book your table here (choose either Bangsar or Plaza Arkadia outlet):

Shelley Yu's Bangsar Shelley Yu's Bangsar Shelley Yu's Bangsar Shelley Yu's Bangsar 

Opening times: Mon - Wed 12am - 2am; Thurs - Sun 12pm - 3.30pm, 5pm -2am.

Location: Shelley Yu's, 49 Jalan Telawi 3, Bangsar, 59100 Kuala Lumpur (street parking or park in BV).

Tel: 03-2201 4139

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Ramadan Buffet 2020 List: KL, Selangor, Malaysia

During the holy month of Ramadan, gather your family and friends and enjoy a scrumptious feast together to celebrate this joyous occasion. Ramadan 2020 will start on 23 April and run until 23 May 2020. 

* Due to the Movement Control Order (MCO), these Ramadan buffets are CANCELLED*

However, you may still get Ramadan feasts delivered right to your doorstep, check out these places- click on name for more details:
1. De.Wan 1958 by Chef Wan
2. Traders Hotel, Kuala Lumpur

Here is a compilation of Ramadan 2020/Buka Puasa / Iftar Buffets in KL and Selangor, highlighting the price, early bird discounts and contact details for reservation. The list will be in ascending order, from lowest to highest priced.

Do check back as more places will be added in the coming weeks.

Hotel/ Restaurant Name	Date	Price	Early bird / Discount
Hilton Garden Inn Puchong Tel: 03-8084 1299	1 May - 21 May 2020	RM90 (adult)	RM70 (adult) for bookings made by 25 Apr.
Maya Brasserie,  Hotel Maya Kuala Lumpur Tel: 03-2333 1358	27 April - 20 May 2020	RM98 (adult), RM49 (child/senior citizen)	RM75 (adult) for bookings made by 23 April.
The Gardens Hotel & Residences Tel: 03-2287 5586	27 April - 21 May 2020	RM110 (adult), RM65 (child/senior citizen)	RM99 (adult) for bookings made by 23 Apr.
TPC Kuala Lumpur Tel: 03-2011 9187	25 April - 21 May 2020	RM111 (adult), RM55.50 (child)	RM88 (adult), while stocks last.
Ibis KLCC Tel: 03-2778 3388	23 April - 23 May 2020	RM120 (adult) - Buy 1 Free 1	Extra 1 complimentary buffet lunch voucher (purchase by 10 April)
Zenith Putrajaya Tel: 03-8893 9993	25 April - 20 May 2020	RM125 (adult) RM65 (child/senior citizen)	RM98 (adult) for purchase by 20 April.
Four Points Puchong Tel: 03-5891 8855	24 April - 23 May 2020	RM138 (adult) RM69 (child)	RM85 (adult), RM42.50 (child) for bookings made by 23 April.
Renaissance Kuala Lumpur Hotel Tel: 03-2771 6692	25 April - 22 May 2020	RM138 (adult), RM69 (child)	30% off for Club Marriott members, 20% off  for Marriott Bonvoy
De.Wan 1958 by Chef Wan Tel:010-2070 383	27 April - 22 May 2020	RM150 (adult), RM70 (child)	RM128(adult), RM58(child) for bookings made by 15 Mar. RM140(adult), RM64(child) for bookings made 16 Mar- 26 Apr.
Nipah, EQ Kuala Lumpur Tel: 03-2789 7839	24 April - 23 May 2020	RM158 (adult)	RM108 - RM128 for purchase from 16-31 Mar.
Hilton Petaling Jaya Tel: 03-7955 9122	20 April - 23 May 2020	RM158 (adult),  RM78 (child) for 1st and 4th week. RM168 (adult), RM88 (child) for 2nd & 3rd week	RM118 (adult) for bookings made by 5 April.
Latest Recipe, Le Meridien Putrajaya Tel: 03-8689 6888	24 April - 23 May 2020 *CANCELLED	RM168 (adult), RM84 (child)	RM130 (adult), RM65 (child) for bookings made by 23 April.
The Living Room, The Westin Kuala Lumpur Tel: 03-2773 8495	25 April - 22 May 2020	RM178 (adult), RM89 (child)	RM99 for bookings made by 22 March. Dining period 25-30 April. RM118 for bookings made 23 March - 24 April. Dining period 1 May - 23 May.
ATAS, The RuMa Hotel and Residences Tel: 03-2778 0753	27 April - 19 May 2020	RM180 (adult)	30% discount for bookings made by 31 Mar, 25% discount for bookings made by 30 Apr.
Sofitel Kuala Lumpur Damansara Tel: 03-2720 6688	24 April - 23 May 2020	RM188 (adult), RM94 (child)	RM141(adult) , RM70.50 (child) for bookings made by 22 Apr.

Ramadan 2020 Ramadan 2020 Ramadan 2020 Ramadan 2020 Ramadan 2020 Ramadan 2020

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