Recipe: Ma Yi Shang Shu 蚂蚁上树 (Ants Climbing a Tree)

𝐌𝐚 𝐘𝐢 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐡𝐮 蚂蚁上树 literally translated as “Ants Climbing a Tree”. Don’t worry, no ants were hurt in the making of this dish. It’s actually a classic Sichuan dish containing glass noodles which is supposed to resemble a tree, minced pork for the ants and spring onions for the leaves on a tree. Haha I don’t see the resemblance at all but hey it’s a delicious dish. 

It's slightly spicy from the doubanjiang (chilli bean sauce), the same sauce used to make mapo tofu. Very flavorful, and makes a quick lovely lunch/dinner meal.

Check out the step-by-step recipe video here

(click on this link to watch on YouTube):

This is brand of glass noodles brand that I use, very nice texture. Buy here: https://shope.ee/1ffRrsNG64

𝐌𝐚 𝐘𝐢 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐡𝐮 蚂蚁上树

Recipe by Baby Sumo

Preparation time: 5 mins

Cooking time: 10 mins

Serves 1

Ingredients
50g glass noodles (1 piece), soaked in hot water for 5 mins
60g minced pork
1/2 cup water
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp grated ginger

1 tbsp cooking oil

3 stalks spring onion, finely chopped

Seasoning
1 tsp doubanjiang (chilli bean sauce)
1 tsp light soy sauce
1/2 tsp dark soy sauce
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp chicken stock powder

For marinating the pork
1/2 tsp light soy sauce
1/2 tsp Shaoxing wine
White pepper

1.  Marinate pork for 5-10 mins.

2. In a pan or wok, heat oil over medium high heat. Add garlic and ginger, and saute for 2 mins, until lightly golden. Add pork and brown. Then, add seasoning and water, cook for a few mins until sauce has been absorbed into the noodles. Add spring onions and give it a quick stir. 

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Jiu Gong Noodle House, Setapak 舅公菠菜面馆

A few weeks ago, we were in Wangsa Maju to sort out some chores and come lunchtime, we decided to try out this restaurant, Jiu Gong Noodle House 舅公菠菜面馆 , which was highly rated on Google. They are famous for their spinach handmade noodles. 

 The restaurant is air-conditioned and clean. The menu is simple - one page for noodles, and the other for snacks and drinks. Their handmade noodles are paired with minced pork and shredded chicken, as well as other ingredients such as wantan, bitter gourd and pork ball. They also have Thai kway chap noodle soup here.

I highly recommend the spinach noodle with minced pork, shredded chicken and wantan (RM9.50). The noodles had a really nice texture, and was well seasoned. I thoroughy enjoyed this. Hubby had the egg noodle, which has a similar texture, just without the spinach. For drinks, I had the Thai green tea (RM4), a good thirst quencher for this hot weather!

Jiu Gong Noodle House Menu

If you're in the area, do give this place a try!

Opening times: 8am- 4pm. Closed on Mondays.

Location: Jiu Gong Noodle House, 12 Jalan Usahawan 7, Sri Rampai Business Park, 53300 Kuala Lumpur (paid street parking available, can use T&G to pay)

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Super Ramen, Desa Park City, KL

Super Ramen is a fusion ramen restaurant located in Desa Park City, Kuala Lumpur. Most of the ramens here are served with the traditional tonkotsu broth, with non-traditional toppings such as pork chops, chicken katsu, or truffle mushroom. Other than the tonkotsu broth, they also have an interesting Japanese Nyonya curry gravy.

During our visit, we tried some of their bestsellers, including:

🍜 𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐏𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐂𝐡𝐨𝐩 𝐑𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐧 (RM39.90)
- each bowl comes with a juicy, tender pork tomahawk marinated in Western spices such as Cajun spice, cooked sous vide and then seared in a hot pan to finish. Other toppings include corn, bamboo shoots, spring onion, fungus etc.

🍜 𝐊𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐨 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐬𝐲𝐮 𝐑𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐧 (RM27.90)
- for traditionalists, this is the closest you can get to the classic tonkotsu ramen. Rich and flavourful, the broth is made using at least 10 ingredients and boiled for at least 13 hours. Recommended to add on ajitama (egg) which is nice and runny. Ramen texture is good 💯 the Charsyu is slightly different from the classic Japanese version; slightly sweeter like the Chinese version.

✨ 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐟𝐟𝐥𝐞 𝐆𝐲𝐨𝐳𝐚 (RM13.90)
- wonderfully juicy. The gyoza sits on a thin omelette and is drizzled with Mayo and topped with truffle oil and ebiko.

✨ 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐨 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐧 𝐊𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐚𝐠𝐞 (RM12.90)
- Japanese fried chicken… crispy and moist. So good!

✨ 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐧 𝐂𝐨𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐮𝐭 𝐌𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐥 (RM13.90)

✨ 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐮 𝐊𝐢𝐤𝐮 (RM25.90)
- delicious ume cocktail whereby chrysanthemum is infused with umeshu sake. 💯

* Note: we sampled the above at their Sri Petaling outlet in February. Since then, the outlet has closed. However, the same menu / dishes are served at Desa Park City.

Opening hours: 11.30am - 3pm; 5.30-10pm.

Location: Super Ramen, FF03A-5, The Waterfront @ Park City, 5, Persiaran Residen 52200 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

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Recipe: Braised pork trotters with sea cucumber and mushrooms

A must-have dish for us during our Chinese New Year Reunion Dinner: 𝐁𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐏𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐒𝐞𝐚 𝐂𝐮𝐜𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐦𝐬.

Every year, during our reunion dinner, this Hokkien specialty would make an appearance. The pork trotters are braised for about 2-3 hours until tender and falling off the bone. Sea cucumber is added at the end and cooked to your preferred consistency (different sea cucumber will have different cooking times, so check every 10 mins to see if texture is to your liking.)

For this recipe, I used Japanese wild shiitake mushroom for this recipe, but you can use any regular dried Chinese mushroom too. The mushrooms were incredibly smooth with a lovely aroma. 

Braised pork trotters with sea cucumber and mushrooms
Recipe by Baby Sumo
Preparation time: 15 mins
Cooking time: 2 1/2 to 3 hours
Serves 6

Ingredients
2.2kg pork trotters, ask your butcher to cut into chunks
1.2l water
6 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
70g dried mushrooms, soaked for at least 4 hours
400g sea cucumber, cut into bite-size pieces
1 tbsp cooking oil
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4-5 slices old ginger
2 tbsp Shaoxing wine

1. In a large pot, sauté garlic and ginger with oil for 3-4 mins. Add water, dark and light soy sauce and bring to the boil.

2. Add trotters and braise for 1 hour.

3. Add mushrooms and braise for further 1 hour.

4. Add Shaoxing wine and sea cucumber and cook for further 30 mins, or until the sea cucumber texture is to your liking. Taste, and adjust with more soy sauce or salt as necessary.

5. Serve with longevity noodles or rice.

Note: One way to tell that the dish is ready; the sauce will be gelatinous and rich once it is ready to be served.

Buy sea cucumber here: https://shope.ee/5pZf3782IF (see this post on how to rehydrate and clean dried sea cucumber)

Buy Japanese wild shiitake mushroom here: https://shope.ee/9USxjeUrtk

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Seng Huat Bak Kut Teh, Genting Highlands

The cool weather up in Genting Highlands is perfect for indulging in a bowl of piping hot bak kut teh. You can find Klang's famous Seng Huat Bak Kut Teh up in the highlands, at Genting Permai (near Gohtong Jaya). 

There are various pork cuts to choose from; big bone, knuckle, lean meat, pork belly, small intestine, pig's stomach, big intestine and more. You can also try their famous dry bak kut teh, which is pork knuckle cooked in BKT stock along with dried chillies and dried squid.

Here are some of the dishes we had here: 
Dry bak kut teh (RM35 for small)
Soup Pork ribs (RM20.50)
Soup Pork belly (RM20.50)
Yau char kwai (RM5.50)

Everything tasted great; we thoroughly enjoyed it especially in the cooling weather. 

Price: Total bill RM97.50 for 4 pax, inclusive of tea and rice. 

Location: Seng Huat Bak Kut Teh, Unit No. 2, Ground Floor, No. 21075, Jalan Permai 2, Jalan Genting Permai, 69000 Genting Highlands, Pahang.

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Wagasa Yakiniku, Bukit Jalil, KL

If you're looking for something special for date night / family night out, Wagasa Yakiniku, located at The Link 2 in Bukit Jalil, offers an authentic Japanese yakiniku dining experience that is sure to please. The menu features premium A5 Japanese Wagyu from Kagoshima prefecture, Kurobuta pork as well as a variety of seafood. 

Wagasa, literally translates as traditional umbrellas in Japanese; as you step foot into this restaurant, you will be greeted by the colorful sight of hanging umbrellas. You will be ushered into one of the private rooms so you can enjoy an intimate meal with your family or friends.

During our visit, we had the Japanese A5 Wagyu Shoulder Clod set (RM388 for 300g) which comes with 5 different cuts. The cuts were well-marbled, with differing textures when cooked. You can either self-grill or one of the friendly staff can assist you. The meat is grilled over charcoal embers, to your preferred doneness. The wagyu was really good, tender and flavorful. You can pair the meat with one of 3 condiments available - sesame oil and salt, chilli oil or garlic and coriander.

Refillable side dishes served with your meal

Other than wagyu, you can also get Kurobuta pork, highly revered for its outstanding texture, flavour and juiciness. We had the Kurobuta pork belly (RM48), with great, even marbling and fat layers. Very delicious indeed!

Check out our reels here:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Baby Sumo (@babysumo)

Click here to view full menu.

Opening hours: 5pm to 12am.

Location: C-18-G, The Link, 2, Jalan Jalil Perkasa 1, Bukit Jalil, 57000 Kuala Lumpur (parking in basement RM2 for first 2 hours, RM1 subsequent hour)

Tel: 03-9766 3447

Website: https://www.wagasayakiniku.com/

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Cafe Deli by El Mesón, 163 Retail Park, KL

For a taste of Spain, visit Cafe Deli by El Mesón for both authentic and traditional fare such as tapas, paella, cold cuts, and more. On top of that, you will also find Oriental dishes such as pork noodles soup and pad grapow as well as other Western specialties such as burgers and pastas. 

There are 3 different outlets; Desa Parkcity, Bangsar and 163 Retail Park. We recently visited the latter for a spot of daytime dating while kids were in school. We absolutely loved the casual setting, delicious food and friendly service we experienced during our visit.

Since we visited on a weekday, their set lunch promo was on and it was too good to give it a miss. You can choose either a tapas dish and mains OR a mains and drink for only RM25! All these dishes are also available on their a la carte at other times of the day. 

Croquetas (RM22*) - deep fried croquettes with truffle mushroom.  Jamon Serrano (RM24*) on tomato bruschetta. Simple and good! Thai milk tea (RM12); Refreshing mango lemonade (RM12). 

Spaghetti al Funghi (RM32*) - spaghetti with a 60° egg, button mushrooms, shiitake & porcini mushrooms in truffle cream sauce. Rich, umami flavours, definitely one of the best pasta dishes I've eaten out in a while. Suitable for vegetarians too. Must-try!

Ultimate Pork Burger (RM25*) - premium pork patty served in buns, with salad, pickle, caramelised onions, fries and smoked paprika sauce. 

We also ordered an additional tapas dish from the a la carte menu, the Josper grilled Iberico lagrimas (RM28). Lagrimas is the delicious meat in between the ribs. Served with Thai dipping sauce.

We also had the Eggs Benedict (RM26) from their breakfast menu. The breakfast menu is served daily until 3pm. The organic kampung eggs were beautifully runny, and was served with brioche, spinach and mushrooms as well as some crispy lotus root on the side. For those who love their Big Breakfast, you'd be happy to know that they serve real pork bacon here. 

For dessert, head over to the cake counter and check out what's available for the day. We had the San Sebastian burnt cheesecake (RM18) which was lovely and rich. I saw that they had Russian honey cake (RM18), which is slightly less common in KL; had it once in another cafe and loved it, so had to order it here too. It certainly did not disappoint. Yum.

Cappuccino (RM12)

Check out our short video here:

* prices indicated is the a la carte price. The set lunch promo is available on weekdays only (excluding PH) from 11.30am to 3pm. Visit their website to view the menus.

Reservations highly recommended as restaurant can get very busy during peak hours. 

Book your table here: 

Non-halal. 

Opening hours: 9am to 10pm.

Location: Cafe Deli by El Mesón, GF-16, Ground Floor, 163 Retail Park, No 8,  Jalan Kiara, Mont Kiara, 50480 Kuala Lumpur. (Parking RM2 per hour)

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Menya Appare, Isetan The Gardens, KL

Located at the newly opened The Table in Isetan The Gardens, Menya Appare is well worth visiting for its Japanese ramen. Each bowl of ramen is made from carefully selected ingredients, both imported from Japan and locally sourced. Appare in Japanese means "wonderful" or "brilliant" and the ramen we had here sure was "appare". 

We had the Deluxe Tonkotsu Ramen (RM38) as well as the Deluxe Black Tonkotsu Ramen (RM39), which comes with pork shoulder char siew and pork belly char siew, ajitama and seaweed. 

The broth is rich and flavorful; pork bones undergo over 20 different processes for more than 48 hours for maximum flavour extraction.  The black tonkotsu ramen comes with black ma-oil, a fragrant garlic oil made from a blend of 7 types of garlic. The ajitama here, made with Kenkori eggs, is superb, with a perfectly runny centre. 

If you order the set, it also comes with 3 pieces of gyoza and refillable green tea. 

Opening hours: Tue-Sun 11.30am - 3pm; 5.30pm - 9pm. Closed on Mondays

Location: Menya Appare, Isetan The Gardens, The Table, 3F, The Gardens Mall, Lingkaran Syed Putra, Mid Valley City, 59200 Kuala Lumpur. (Parking RM2 for first 3 hours on weekday, RM3 for first 3 hours on weekend) 

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Restaurant Fishing Village 元魚鄉餐廳, DK Senza, Bandar Sunway

Last weekend, we visited Restaurant Fishing Village 元魚鄉餐廳, a fairly new Chinese Seafood Restaurant in Bandar Sunway, Subang Jaya. Located on the first floor of DK Senza, near Taylor’s University, the restaurant is spacious and serves a myriad of delicious Chinese dishes at affordable prices, perfect for a comfortable family meal. This spot is also particularly with the university students as they offer reasonably priced set lunches (RM17.90) daily.

The restaurant specialises in seafood and has various fishes such as sultan fish, catfish, threadfin, tilapia and grouper fish head, as well as tiger prawn, sotong and mantis shrimp.

Here are some of the dishes which we tried during our visit and would highly recommend:

✨ 𝙋𝙖𝙩𝙤𝙣𝙜-𝙨𝙩𝙮𝙡𝙚 𝙏𝙞𝙡𝙖𝙥𝙞𝙖 𝙁𝙞𝙨𝙝 (RM48)
Sweet, sour and spicy sauce originating from North (co-owners are from Penang) served on deep fried tilapia fish. Very appetising! This is one of their signature dishes, so do give it a try.

✨ 𝙎𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙚𝙜𝙜 𝙮𝙤𝙡𝙠 𝙨𝙤𝙩𝙤𝙣𝙜 (RM32 for medium, RM60 for large)
Our must-order dish! And they do it so well here. Definitely one of the best we’ve had! Super crispy batter with fresh squid ❤️

✨ 𝘾𝙡𝙖𝙮𝙥𝙤𝙩 𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙠 𝙗𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙨𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙛𝙞𝙨𝙝 (RM28 for medium, RM48 for large)
Another one of our favorite dishes whenever we eat out at the Chinese restaurant. Thin slices of pork belly cooked with dried chillies and salted fish. Yum!

✨ 𝙏𝙤𝙛𝙪 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙙 𝙢𝙚𝙖𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙚𝙙 𝙧𝙖𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙝 (RM18 for small, RM28 for large)
Homemade tofu, simple and nice!

✨ 𝘾𝙡𝙖𝙮𝙥𝙤𝙩 𝙒𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙎𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙘𝙝 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙋𝙧𝙖𝙬𝙣 𝙋𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚 (RM16 for small, RM28 for large)

Book your table here: 

Opening hours: 11.30am - 2.30pm; 5.30pm - 10.00pm daily.

Location: Restaurant Fishing Village 元魚鄉餐廳, F1-05 &07 &09, DK Senza, Jalan Taylors, Bandar Sunway, PJS 7, 46150 Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia. (Visitor parking RM1 per hour)

Tel: 011-10910910 (Mr Lim)

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