Recipe: Quick & Easy Mapo Tofu

Mapo tofu is a popular Sichuan dish, consisting of tofu in a spicy sauce along with minced meat. Most recipes call for the addition of doubanjiang (chilli bean sauce) and douchi (fermented black beans) to give it its signature bright red look and spicy, aromatic taste.

My easy, quick version still features the spicy characteristic of authentic mapo tofu, by using some of the ingredients I already have in the house - oyster sauce and gochugaru (Korean hot pepper flakes). I always have gochugaru in my kitchen since I make kimchi and other Korean dishes often. I usually add half a tablespoon of gochugaru so the kids can enjoy this too, however feel free to add more to bring the spice level up a notch. One of our new favourite ways to enjoy tofu these days - so good and appetizing!

Baby Sumo-style Easy Mapo Tofu

Mapo tofu

Recipe by Baby Sumo

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 10 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 box (300g) smooth tofu, cubed

1 tbsp cooking oil

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

200g minced pork

1/2 tbsp gochugaru

1 tbsp oyster sauce

1/2 tsp light soy sauce, to taste

2 spring onions, finely chopped

1. In a wok, heat oil over medium high heat. Add the garlic and saute for 1-2 minutes, until lightly golden and fragrant.

2. Add the minced pork and cook for 3-4 minutes, until meat is browned. Season with oyster sauce and light soy sauce. Add gochugaru and stir well, then add the tofu and toss gently in the meat mixture and cook for a further 2 minutes.

3. Taste, and season with more light soy sauce (if required) and more gochugaru if you like it spicier. Stir in the spring onions. Serve with rice.

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Congkak KL: Serving Classic Malay and Nusantara Cuisine

Congkak Restaurant is a hidden gem in the heart of bustling Kuala Lumpur. The restaurant is named after the traditional Malaysian game, congkak, which has been inherited and passed down for generations. Located on Jalan Beremi, off Jalan Sultan Ismail, this newly opened restaurant is all about keeping traditions alive (just like the game) and delivering flavours of both Malay and Nusantara cuisine to guests.

The kitchen here is helmed by Chef de Cuisine Firdaus Daud, who has over 15 years culinary experience in various established hotels and restaurants in Malaysia. The menu comprises of Malay and Indonesian specialties such as nasi ambeng, satay, kerabu pucuk paku, urap, itik goreng berempah, sambal udang petai, udang kara masak lemak gulai, rendang tok, rusuk panggang, oxtail belado and more.

One of the bestselling dishes here is the impressive Nasi Ambeng, a rice platter which originated from Jawa. A feast for the eyes and palate, the nasi ambeng platter is customised for 1-2 pax (RM28), 4-6 pax (RM120) or 6-8 pax (RM175). The 1-2 pax portion comes with white rice, acar rampai, serunding kelapa, telur masin, ikan masin, sambal belacan, sambal Jawa, kerabu sayur, terung sambal, keropok Belindo, begedil, ikan kembung belado and a choice of either ayam masak kicap or gulai ayam. The nasi ambeng offers a multitude of flavours and textures; spicy, savoury, sweet and crunchy, all in one mouthful. Delish!

Not to be missed here is the Tauhu Telur (RM25), a popular street food from East Java in Indonesia. A soft, silky smooth egg beancurd is stacked and deep fried to golden brown perfection. Additional deep fried egg threads sit atop the beancurd to give extra crunch. Julienned fresh vegetables such as cucumber and carrots as well as an appetizing sweet and savoury peanut sauce, similar to a rojak sauce completes this delicious dish. I'm so in love with this!

Ikan Wayang (RM48), is aptly named so - wayang translates to theatrics and with this dish, the deep fried fish is theatrically displayed on a wooden tray to mimic a "dancing fish". Turmeric, fennel, coriander and cumin are blended into a powder and used to marinate the fish. The fish is then coated in some tapioca flour and batter, before deep frying. The deep fried fish is served with homemade sambal tirasi and sambal kicap. Chef Firdaus explains that sambal kicap is usually made from fried shallots, cili padi, calamansi and palm sugar, however his version also includes Thai chilli sauce, which adds sourness and gives this dipping sauce a unique, tangy twist.

Click here to view their full menu.

Opening times: 12pm to 10pm daily.

Location: Congkak KL, 24, Jalan Beremi, off Jalan Sultan Ismail, Bukit Bintang, 50200 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (Street parking or open air car park).

Tel: 03-2110 6005

Nearest MRT: Bukit Bintang (take Exit F and walk 200m to restaurant,which is located next to KL Journal Hotel).



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Restoran Shi Zhi Wei 食之味饭店 , Tapah

On our drive back from Penang, we decided to stop by in Tapah for lunch. Mr. Google came to the rescue and we chose Restoran Shi Zhi Wei, a dai chow 大炒 Chinese restaurant located not too far from the toll.

As they do not have a menu, we randomly ordered some of our favourite dishes whenever we have a Chinese meal such as siong tong la la (RM12) and sweet and sour pork (RM15). Turned out to be good choices - both well executed and very tasty.

Siong tong la la - fresh clams and superior soup was nice with a strong Chinese wine taste. 

Sweet and sour pork 

Japanese tofu with minced pork (RM8) - their version also comes with steamed egg on the bottom layer

We also had the stir fried paku vege (RM7) which was very nice too - not something you can find everyday in Chinese restaurants in KL.

Portions here are big and very reasonably priced. Live fish is available here, which seems to be very popular with their other guests. Would definitely return if we're in the area again.



Opening times: 11.30am - 3pm; 5pm - 10.30pm.

Price: RM47.40 for 4 pax.

Location: Restoran Shi Zhi Wei, No 9 Taman Tapah, 35000 Tapah. (about 1.1km from Tapah toll, street parking available)

Tel: 05-401 9315



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Recipe: Tofu with minced pork, prawn and mushrooms

Tofu is a good source of protein, so I try to incorporate it into our meals whenever possible.

This is a variation of another tofu dish which I have posted here on the blog before. For this version, I have used minced pork as well as prawns and Chinese mushrooms. Garnish it with some garlic chives (or spring onions) and viola, you have a complete meal right there! I love this so much that I can have just this with rice for dinner. So yummeh!

Tofu with minced pork, prawn and mushrooms

Tofu with minced pork, prawn and mushroom
Recipe by Baby Sumo, adapted from here
Preparation time: 5-10 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Serves 3-4


Ingredients
1 piece silken tofu, cubed
150g minced pork
3 prawns, peeled and diced
3 Chinese or shitake mushrooms, rehydrated and diced
2 tbsp cooking oil
1-2 tbsp mushroom sauce (or oyster sauce)
1 tsp ginger wine
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 garlic chives, finely chopped (or spring onion)


1. In a wok, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 1/2 minutes, until lightly browned.

2. Add the minced pork and mushrooms, and cook for about 4-5 minutes, until the pork is cooked through. Season with the mushroom sauce and ginger wine, and taste.

3. Finally, stir in the tofu and prawns cook for a further 2 minutes. Add the garlic chives and give it a quick stir. Serve immediately.

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Buka Puasa Buffet at Golden Valley, KL: All-You-Can-Eat Chinese Food

This holy month of Ramadan, Golden Valley is offering a Buka Puasa Buffet, where guests can enjoy unlimited servings of their favorite Chinese dishes, all made with Halal ingredients.

Guests can order off their a la carte menu, which consists of starters, soups, yam basket, claypot dishes, fish (patin buah, Murray perch, seabass, fish fillet), prawns, squid, chicken, beef, tofu, vegetables, vegetarian dishes, fried rice and noodles (except crabs, dragon grouper, tiger prawns and fresh water prawns). We ordered five dishes to start with, and then added on more later - this way you can avoid food wastage.

One of our favorite dishes here was the Salted egg yolk deshelled prawns. The batter was light and the prawns were fresh and bouncy, coated in the delicious salted egg yolk sauce. The fact that the prawns were deshelled made eating so much easier too. We also had the the Deshelled prawns with butter with oats, though we much prefer the salted egg version which was more flavorful.

So, during our last visit here, we had the Black pepper beef in hotplate, which Baby D loved a lot. The dish sure made a lasting impression as this visit, he requested for it again. It arrived sizzling hot, with tender, peppery slices of beef. This time, he even requested that we ordered a second helping once he finished the first.

For every 4 paying guests, you can also order a whole fish. There is no limitation as to how many fishes you can order, however you may only order one at a time (ie finish one before ordering the next). Choose from patin buah, murray perch, and seabass, cooked in various styles. We opted for the Deep fried seabass with superior soy sauce. Nicely butterflied and fried to crispy perfection, we certainly enjoyed this.

To complete our meal, we also tried the Egg white "hai tong" tofu and Kailan with oyster sauce.

For dessert, we had the Lotus seed paste pancake, ginger soup tong yuen and red bean tong yuen. Overall, this is a fantastic buka puasa option as you get freshly cooked food, made with high-quality fresh ingredients.

The Buka Puasa Buffet is priced at RM80 per adult and RM40 per child (4-12 years old). For reservations, please call 03-7722 1488 or WhatsApp 012-286 0210.

Terms and conditions apply:
1. RM10 will be charged for every 100g of unfinished food.
2. Strictly NO takeaway.
3.Whole fish for 4 paying guests and above, one fish may be ordered at a time.
3. All menu items excluding crab, dragon grouper, tiger prawns and fresh water prawns.


For the extensive Ramadan Buffet Listing for 2019, kindly click here.


Enjoy 6% cashback everytime you dine in any restaurants managed by Globalfoods and RM5 off on your first bill. Recommend a friend and enjoy 3% cash back when they dine here too. 

Download free app UDS by following this link, register and press the link again to get the membership.
https://promo.uds.app/apps/?code=uhxc0548

You can enjoy the cash back at
1- Hanare, their Japanese fine dining at Intermark KL (pork free)
2- Royal Canton, their Chinese restaurant serving dim sum and HK style roasts at DC Mall Damansara Heights
3- Golden Valley, their halal seafood restaurant at Melawati Mall
4- Harley's, their no-frills all natural Burger and fried chicken cafe at DC Mall, Damansara Heights and Third Avenue, Cyberjaya


Halal.

Opening times: Mon-Fri 11.30am - 3.00pm; Mon - Sun 6.00pm - 10.00pm.

Service: Good.

Location: Golden Valley, LGB Tower, Lower Ground Floor, 1, Jalan Wan Kadir,, Taman Tun Dr Ismail, 60000 Kuala Lumpur. (Parking RM3 for first hour, RM2 for subsequent hour. RM5 per entry after 6pm on weekdays and RM2 per entry on weekends).

Tel: 03-7722 1488

Nearest MRT: TTDI (150m)

Website: https://www.facebook.com/goldenvalleykl/

GPS Coordinates: 3.138086, 101.629761



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Recipe: Sambal Tofu

Gone are the days when we only cook non-spicy food to suit BabySumoKids tastebuds. Now they love all types of spicy food, including sambal. Baby D eats sambal with his roti canai, nasi lemak and he also particularly likes sambal tofu that we cook at home.

This is a super easy dish to prepare at home, using store-bought fried tofu and cili boh (or giling) as well as onions and chives. A lovely accompaniment to your meal.

Sambal Tofu
Recipe by Baby Sumo
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients
2 fried tofu, cut into rectangular chunks
1 onion, sliced thinly
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 1/2 tbsp cooking oil
2 tbsp cili boh / giling (chilli paste)
3 tbsp water
6 garlic chives, cut into 1" lengths
1/2 tsp light soy sauce
1 tsp chicken stock granules



1. In a wok, heat oil over medium high heat. Add the garlic and onions and saute for about 2 minutes, until the onions have softened.

2. Add the cili boh and saute for 1-2 min, until fragrant. Add the tofu and stir, mixing well with the chili paste. Add the water and allow to simmer for about 3-5 mins. Add chives and saute for 1 minute.

3. Season with light soy sauce and chicken stock granules. Serve with rice.

Note: Omit chicken stock granules if vegetarian.

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Restoran Fu Wah: Dai Chow 大炒 in Cheras, KL

Restoran Fu Wah is a Dai Chow 大炒 restaurant serving Chinese homestyle food, located in Taman Len Sen.

They have pictures of their signature dishes on the wall, and for first timers, you can also ask for the menu (in English and Chinese). Prices are reasonable and portions are good. As we were the first customers of the day, service was prompt.





Sweet and sour pork is a dish I love having at the dai chow. The version at this Seremban dai chow is my favorite and sets the benchmark. First bite of the sweet and sour pork (RM16) at Fu Wah convinced me that this was going to be a good meal. Lovely, crisp battered pork in a sweet, tangy sauce.. just the way I like it!

The siong tong la la soup (clams in superior soup -RM16) was another fantastic dish; here, the plump clams are cooked with ginger, chilli and lots of Chinese wine. Loved the wine-laden, hearty soup!

When at the dai chow, it's recommended to order a saucy dish, so you can add the sauce to your rice. The whitebait tofu (RM12) features smooth homemade eggy tofu, topped with crispy whitebait as well as some Malabar spinach on the side. Very tasty!

And of course some greens to balance out our meal here... we had the stir fried kangkung with cili padi (RM9).

*******

We revisited Fu Wah for lunch, this time with our kids in tow. We had the Salted egg squid (RM20), our kids favorite dish whenever we visit dai chows. The portion is generous and it was nice and crispy; however slightly lacking in saltiness. Pretty good though.

Hooray... BabySumoKids approve of the sweet and sour pork here too!

We also tried the Minced pork tofu (RM12), which comes with deep fried egg tofu, in a thick sauce. Yummeh.

Stir fried Hong Kong kai lan (RM13)

Opening times: 12pm - 3pm; 5pm - 11pm.

Price: Total bill RM59.70, including tea and rice for 2 pax (first visit), RM69.10 for 4 pax (2nd visit).

Location: Restoran Fu Wah, 89 Jalan 2, Taman Len Sen, Cheras, 56000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. (street parking available)

Tel:  03-9102 1832



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Father's Day Dinner @ Big Tree Lin Kee, Cheras, KL

Naturally the dad gets to choose the dinner venue for Father's Day, so off we went to Big Tree Lin Kee.

We used to come here pretty often but then they took la la off their menu (it was our fav dish here at that time).A couple of months back, Hubby and I came here for our dinner and saw that la la was back on the menu so we're back here with the kids and my parents for our Father's Day Dinner. Unfortunately for us, there was no la la in stock (NOOOOOOOOO) as they were no deliveries due to the Raya break. Nevertheless, we still had an enjoyable meal here.

I tried my luck and asked if they do salted egg yolk squid here (it's not in the menu) and they did! That made the kids very happy as salted egg yolk squid (RM26 for medium) is their current favorite dish at a Chinese restaurant. Crisp and beautifully golden, the portion was generous too, much to our delight.

We also had the ham yu fah lam (RM17.90), thin slices of pork belly cooked with dark soy sauce, dried chillies and salted fish  in a claypot - absolutely delicious.

We also ordered their signature dishes, the seafood tofu (RM16 for 6 pieces) and chicken wings (RM3.80 each). The wings were well-marinated and crispy...loved it!

If you're a fan of steamed fish head, they serve them with various types of sauces. Other than fish head, they also offer tilapia, baung merah (catfish) and grass carp.

We had two types of vege dishes, the stir fried sweet potato leaves (RM11) and beansprouts with salted fish (RM9.90). The portions were extremely generous.

Opening times: 11:00 AM - 2:30 PM, 5:00 PM - 10:00 PM. Closed on Wednesdays.

Price: RM111 for 6 pax, including rice and tea.

Location: Restoran Big Tree Lin Kee, 18 &20 Jalan 15A/142, Taman Orkid Desa, 56000 Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. (Street parking available)

Tel: 016-6656 331 (Charlie Chong)

GPS Coordinates: 3.077523, 101.73872

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