Twitter or blogging?

Once upon a time, blogging was the big hit (probably still is).

However blogging required obviously time, pictures, lots of words (well more than 140 characters in any case) and some editing.

Posting a post was almost like a special occasion.

Then came twittering, to be able to say a thought on your mind almost spontaneously. You could do a mini post a hundred donkey quotes or updates about your silly self or on the meals you eat. Heck people post pictures on twitter too (god, i don't how to do that to save my life).

But now, i can't decide. What would it be?

Twitter vs Blogging?

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It is very obvious that i have a lack of pictures in my picture database and im deciding to do a twitter-like post, just to pass time.

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Happy Long Weekend to the people of Malaysia. If people ask me what i like about my home country, the next best thing after food is the public holidays!

The Blog turns an ancient 3 years old

Its funny how awhile ago, everyone celebrated their blog's birthday and it reminded me that i should celebrate mine too.

So 2 weeks ago, i started to remind myself everytime i stare at my blog to double check when i wrote my first post and to make sure i tell everyone that this blog had turned 3 years old.

Then i realised that today is already the 23 November 2009.

My blog has just turned 3 years and 1 day old.

Im late i suppose, well i suppose i have got a reason after all; im ancient.

I am back.

Its funny how every holiday as far as i can remember since i bought my DSLR, would involve lugging the camera bag around and giving me aching shoulders by the end of the trip.

I must admit that with a DSLR you get moments down on pictures to revisit, but the whole point is to enjoy first hand and not from the pictures. Alot of memory is lost between the moments where you have to say "eh wait, let me take picture first".

This time around, i decided that the camera and shoulder will get to rest.

I must say holidaying without a DSLR gives you a totally different experience. I can walk down the streets without saying i need to stop to take out the camera. I don't have to find restaurants with good lighting and the need to snap away.

I don't have to cover my camera bag when the ocassional drizzle starts.

I can just blend in to the crowd that i used to be among just a few years ago.

All in all a good short deja vu trip.

Now, back to work.

Leonardo's @ Jalan Bangkung, Bangsar

Living through to my blog's name, i often have cravings despite the copious amounts of food i stuff myself with (throughout the weekends). After the recent crave for fish head noodles which eventually resulted in eating a bowl of it every weekend for 3 weekends, it was pork knuckles.

So it was, google and blogs, your best friend when it comes to finding food.

Leonardo's it was.

The concept is really very simple. A cosy restaurant with a minimalist approach; the most obvious being the brick walls. Another floor houses what they call it; a wine loft. As simple as that and the name of the restaurant coincides with the famous Da Vinci (i would think the resemblance stops there, unless the menu is what he use to eat).

Another restaurant under the same group as Cava, Opus and Moxie, with the major difference of serving pork! After visiting the trio, it was time to get my taste buds to try Leonardo's cuisine.

Before the pork knuckle, the starters.

Complimentary whole grain bread. Just the right kind of carbs which came with olive oil and vinegar. It will always be the topic of debate; butter or this?

The mushroom soup was excellent. With chunks of mushrooms and what tasted like garlic croutons and truffle oil, a brilliant starter for that rainy night.

A very creative name was given to this dish but bluntly put it is a iberico pork nugget / mini cutlet. The meat was tender which went well with the beet root sauce and onion marmalade on top.

It took awhile but man it was worth it. Crisp skin and tender meat. As we dug in, we were surprised with a stuffing of some herbs and bacon, it was truly magical. The portion was so huge that two people could barely finish this, leaving the bread untouched.

Accompanied with some pickles, mustard, apple sauce (delicious!) and mushroom sauce.

A lot more on the menu namely their infamous bak kut teh and hokkien mee meant for people who had their fair share of single malt whisky to sober up before they leave the place.

I can safely say the craving is now gone, phew.

Address and contact details:

61-1 and 61-2, Jalan Bangkung,
Bukit Bandaraya, 59100 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03.2096 2226

Verdict: 4 stars out of 5 stars minus the pork nuggets. The Knuckle is a firm favourite and i like to chill here especially on a Sunday night with a glass of wine minus the crowd (better if i don't have to work the next day).

PS: Will be away on a short trip, see you guys and girls on Monday!

Market food @ Jalan Pasar, Penang

Are you a morning person?

Ultimately if you have to wake up for a 9am-5pm job, inevitably you got to be a morning person. For the rest out there, don't even bother leaving comments because i despise you (just kidding).

On many ocassions i find myself sleeping through mornings during the weekends, however there are always the one in a blue moon days where i find myself waking up slightly later than i usually would on a working day.

One of these days has got to be when you are in Penang.

Going through the day market at coincidentally Jalan Pasar on a Saturday morning is virtually unheard of from me. Somehow i went with the flow and man, we went with the flow when it came to eating.

I have heard numerous versions of this kuih's name, last i heard it was Dai Gao Meen.

Looks like Char Kuey Teow, smells like it (without the cockles) but is not Char Kuey Teow. Its Char Tao Kuey?

Something Zhap (which means mixed), i remember numerous body parts from the pig.

Was this Mee Jawa?

This version of Kuey Teow Th'ng had some pork slices but the broth was evidently not the same as pork noodles.

Fresh curry puffs that no one can resist.

Just look at the filling!

The market was obviously entertaining to say the least for people who dream at this time of the morning. In fact reminds me of the time where i used to accompany my mom to the market during my university holidays.

I think i still prefer to sleep in.

Ping Hooi Coffeeshop @ Penang

Despite the trip to Penang being a good 4 months ago, the experience has been inked into the brain so that the automatic reply to someone who announces that they are going to Penang is "Good luck, sure gain weight one la"

The only thing worth doing in Penang is to eat.

Eating alot is probably an understatement.

Imagine the 6 meals a day rule, times two (number of meals and portion of meals) and that pretty much sums up the new rule of thumb when one visits Penang.

I remember blogging about Ping Hooi Coffeeshop and their char kuey teow. What people didn't know then was that char kuey teow was like an amuse bouche.

There were mains too.

Everyone loves fried food and Penang does it well with their local "lor bak". The additional items is their fried sting ray and some kind of lean pork.

Some soupy to continue, their kuey teow th'ng. Duck broth in smooth kuey teow, something quite rare in KL.

If you thought that miserable amount of meat was enough for us in that bowl of noodles, you are wrong. Succulent pieces of duck breast meat with a gravy was ordered to go with it.

Yeah, that about right, before the next meal.

Address:

Ping Hooi Coffee shop
Corner junction of Lebuh Melayu and Lebuh Carnarvon (Carnarvon Street)

Verdict: 4 stars out of 5 stars. Go for the CKT and Lor Bak. If you still have space, go for the kuey teow th'ng.

Now you know why i will tell people "Good luck, sure gain weight one la"

Not surprisingly, i haven't been back to Penang.

Fatty Frog Porridge @ OUG, Old Klang Road

I have found another place that the Girlfriend loves.

Apparently the name isn't quite as flattering though, 肥佬田鸡粥 is translated to Fatty Man Frog Porridge stall.

PS: Its cheap and affordable especially since it is after all the economic downturn despite the good rebounding news.

After reading Food-4-Thot and subsequently how TheStar picked it up, one rainy Saturday evening, we decided to go find the porridge stall. At the same row as Stevens Corner, the coffee shop is at the "real corner" of the street.

Right in front of the coffee shop, you will be greeted by the stall, pots of porridge and frog legs cooked to order. Just the thought makes me drool eventhough porridge is about the most basic food one can find, heck its even known as the poor man meal.

The porridge is done just the way i like it. Thick and gooey from the hours of cooking, unlike the Teo Chew version where their porridge looks like a bowl of rice and water. The chunks of fish was fresh, de-boned and had a meaty texture. Century egg is optional but advised. In addition to their fish porridge, there is also the lean pork (tenderised) with salted and century egg, oyster, prawns and frog legs too.

Their Kung Pou Frog Legs appear to be their signature dish and after all the rounds of TV shows praising this dish in Singapore, i finally got to taste the idea and eureka! The sauce mixed brilliantly with the porridge and frog legs? Well, extra protein going into the meal is always welcomed. I spied many tables ordering this to go with rice too (i mean why not, unless you have banned rice from your diet like garlic and vampires)

A pot of fish porridge with century egg and a pot of kung pou frog legs (both for 1 pax) for RM24.

I also read that the fish head was another awesome catch. The tricky thing though is that theres a stall that just sell fish head in front of the coffee shop (next to the porridge stall) but if you are seated inside, theres also a "dai chow" that coincidentally sold fish head when i asked.

Despite not getting the real deal, the fish head was good on a rainy night. The concoction of minced ginger on smooth fish head meat ended the meal brilliantly. (RM17)

Address:
Jalan Hujan Rahmat Dua,
OUG, Jalan Kelang Lama
58200, Kuala Lumpur

On the same row as Steven's Corner

Verdict: 4 stars out of 5 stars (I have been hitting the jackpot with good food recently). On days when you just want to dig into some really comforting carbs i.e rice, try it with porridge. The filling bowl of porridge with a variety of ingredients and the frog legs definitely makes me want to go back again, and this time try the apparently original fish head stall. I hope this place closes late because it would be a great spot for supper too!