Denise's Wonderland: Food Library

Food Library

Showing posts with label Food Library. Show all posts

If you love spicy, springy and chewy noodles, this would be the type of noodles for you. Introducing here is a product from Taiwan, named Little Couple Dry Noodle. Unlike other type of noodles, the noodle is sun-dried. Non-fried noodles are normally healthier. Apart from this, there is no additional preservative added and only plant-based oil is used for the recipe. In another words, the noodle is vegan-friendly.

For dried noodles, I always prefer the wider and thicker noodles as they tastes better. Springy and chewy texture is also something I am looking for a bowl of perfect dried noodle. You have it all, in this pack of noodle.

Just a gentle reminder that the chili oil accompanied in the packet can be pretty spicy for some. So, please be gentle with the chili oil. Try not to pour all in at once, but to add gradually and adjust the spiciness level as per your liking. As for me, I only used half packet of the chili oil and saved the half for my dumplings :)

I crave for pancakes so much, especially the ready-made pancakes by Marks and Spencer. (Check out my previous post on M&S Mandarin Orange Pancakes) To satisfy my craving for pancakes, I decided to make my own.

While shopping for the ingredients, I spotted this ready-made pancake mix by Rasmus Klump. It is a convenience pancake mix for busy or lazy folk like me :) Most of the important ingredients have been pre-mixed, including sugar and egg powder. All you need is just milk and oil/butter. Mix everything together and the batter is ready to be cooked in the pan.

The overall taste of the pancake is acceptable. Sweetness is just nice with no additional sugar is required. The only downside is, the pancake is flatter and lack of fluffiness. Obviously egg powder is not a good substitute for fresh eggs. For those who prefer fluffy texture, please stick to the traditional pancake method with fresh ingredients. Well whisked eggs (especially egg white) could elevate the fluffiness of the pancakes.

Ingredients
1 packet of Rasmus Klump American pancakes mix (300g)
300ml cold milk
3 tbsp oil
some butter (optional)

Toppings
Fresh strawberries
Honey

Directions
1. Pour pancake mix into a mixing bowl. Add in milk and oil. Whisk well till no lumps.
2. Heat up the frying pan with a bit of butter.
3. Pour in 1 tsp of batter onto the pan.
4. Leave the batter to cook for 2-3 min. Flip over the pancake. Cook for 1-2 min.
5. Repeat the same process for the rest of the batter.
6. Stack the pancakes and garnish them with your favourite toppings.

Summer is not perfect without some proper barbecues. Supermarkets are packed with great discounts for marinated meat, poultry and sausages. Adverts and pictures with tempting grilled meats printed on weekly grocery catalogues make me drool. I craved terribly for barbecue ribs and eventually dragged Phoebe along for my barbecue quest.

We opted for Bones, the American style restaurant. The initial plan was to order a full slap of ribs. However the Bone's Mega Simpler on the menu caught our eyes. The course comprises of 4 pieces of buffalo wings, 3 pieces of crispy tenders, 3 pieces of the original American spareribs, 5 pieces of onion rings, a bowl of crispy American sweet potatoes, hot sauce and aioli (oil and garlic sauce).

The portion is rather generous and is definitely suffice for small eaters like us to share a course. I would say for merely €13.50, this sampler set is definitely value for money given the fact you can sample the specialties here. There are variety top-ups and dips which you can opt for to go with the set which range between €1.50 to €8.

The spareribs tasted good too. The ribs were juice and tender.

As a potatoes lovers, we topped a bowl of Bones's home style potato slices for merely €2. Unlike the regular fries, these home style potato slices were crisscut. I am a big fan of crisscut fries, so i found no reason to dislike it. However, the sweet potatoes fries wowed me. They were crispy and sweet in taste which I found they tasted lighter than the crisscut potatoes.

I was let down by the hot wings as I expected them to be fire-grilled instead of deep-fried.

Overall it was a good meal but the element of grill has been minimized. I ended up having more deep-fried stuffs than my original crave of barbecues. Perhaps another round of barbecue spareribs soon.

I do have a soft spot for wafflers and crispy crepes despite the fact I don't have a sweet tooth. This may be due to a waffle food-stand in the shopping mall just a stone throw away from where I stay back home.

The ingredients for the waffle batter are simple, merely eggs, flour, water, sugar and milk. What made the difference is the golden ratio or ideal measurement of each ingredient. The waffles are freshly made upon order and customer could choose various toppings to go with the waffle such as chocolate spread, nutella, peanut butter, coconut jam (kaya) and various fruit jam. The great smile of the freshly baked waffle always attract many passer-by. Despite the long queue, waffle lovers still willing to wait patiently for a bite of warm and fluffy waffle. It is definitely worth the wait.

I miss waffle so much until I actually started to surf for waffles recipe. During my recent shopping for a waffle maker, I accidentally discovered the ready made toast waffle from the cookies section. I bought a packet to try. Little did I know, the waffles tasted super good than they look. They have very similar texture to the waffle I am familiar with - moist, soft and fluffy with strong castella cake flavour.

This is the packaging of the toast waffles. It comes with 6 pieces of rectangular size waffles, weighing in at 250g. It cost a bit over a Euro. The waffles may not look appealing from the humble packaging but they tasted very good. You may warm the waffle in the oven for 3minutes or you may also eat it on its own. They taste both equally good.

The ready-made toast waffle is indeed a perfect option for waffle lover who has no time to make their own waffle at home. They can be a quick fix as the everyday breakfast or even desserts when you anticipate guests coming over. Just warm up the waffles in the oven and top it up with 2 scoops of ice-cream and drizzle of chocolate sauce. For a healthier version, waffle top with mixed berries or your favourite fruits with a drizzle of maple syrup and a dash of powder sugar.

I had tried a variety of toppings or spreads on the waffler, but the best has to be Banana with Nutella. It combine to form the "Perfect Trinity" - waffle, banana and nutella.

Speaking about Thai food, first thing that pops up is always the spicy Tomyam soup. Do you know there are other Thais goodies you should try out other than tomyam and green/yellow/red curry which are commonly found in Thai restaurants (especially the Thais restaurants in Europe). My first visit to Bangkok has indeed opened 'my taste bud' to the authentic Thai cuisine and these are the 10 dishes highly recommend to try out when you visit Bangkok, the capital of Thailand.

1. Crispy Oyster Omelette
Fried to golden brown, this crispy oyster omelette is really appealing and makes everyone drool by just looking at it. Oyster, egg and coriander matched up perfectly. I like the crispy edges and it tasted like crunchy snack.

2. Shark's Fin Soup
Packed with sea-maw, sea cucumber, shark's fin and of course generous amount of crab meat, the soup is simply irresistible. The coriander added a great flavour to the soup and immediately notch it up another level in terms of awesomeness. One of my favourite and remarkably affordable in Bangkok. I personally do not condone the consumption of shark's fin and the version I had in Bangkok is most likely imitation shark's fin due to the really low price of less than 200 THB per pot.

3. Grilled Big Head Fresh Water Prawns
Grilled with no additional seasoning to emphasize the freshness and juiciness of the seafood. Yup, these prawns are fresh and succulent. No dipping sauce is required at all.

4. Sticky Rice with Mango
Thailand is well know for its mango and rice grains (glutinous rice too). Blend in the two with coconut milk, it becomes the traditional Thai delicacy, sticky rice mango dessert. This is a dessert you should not miss when visit to Thailand as the Thai mangoes taste undoubtedly super good.

5. Phad Thai (Stir Fried Rice Noodle)
It did not cross my mind to order a plate of phad Thai every time I patronized at the Thai restaurants. I would, after my first try of a plate of phad Thai in Bangkok. The tanginess from the tamarind juice and saltiness of the fish sauce immediately turned the plain, tasteless plain noodles to a dish with great flavours. It was really addictive as I was practically inhaling my food when having the phad Thai.

6. Thai-style Steamed White Snapper
Sour, sweet, hot and spicy are the best words to describe the steamed fish. To keep the fish warm, the fish is served in a special fish platter which was ingeniously warm via Sterno underneath. I applauded the ingenuity on how the fish is being served which kept the fish and soup steaming hot regardless of the air-conditioned surrounding. Furthermore, I am a slow eater *wink*

7. Bird's Nest Soup
Bird's nest soup is packed with nutrition and it is good for the complexion too. I am not a big fan of bird's nest soup but did give a try since it is an affordable dessert in Thailand. The bird nests soups served here come in different grades and prices. Boiled egg and ginkgo nuts are served along side with the bird's nest soup. Not my liking due to the acquired taste, but worth a try.

8. Spicy Crispy Basil with Soft Shell Crab
I sported the dish when I strolled around the food court when i saw someone ordering it. If you are like me who like chili, soft shell crab and basil, this would be the dish for you. It goes very well with steamed Thai rice. Yum!

9. Stir Fried Water Spinach
A popular dish in Thailand, stir fried water spinach or morning glory. The veggies was cooked perfectly as they still remained crunchy and packed with flavours. You will never go wrong ordering this 'pad pak bung fai daeng'.

10. Ruam Mitr Dessert
Nothing beats a bowl of cooling icy Ruam Mitr in coconut milk & syrup after hanging out under the hot sun. There are a variety of 'tidbits' (jack fruits, sago, coconut flesh, colourful water chest nuts etc) to opt for your crushed iced coconut milk base. Very refreshing dessert indeed.

There you go ... my list of 10 delicious and must try food in Bangkok.

The unagi bento is main reason for my repeated visits to Zipangu Japanese restaurant at Shangri-la Hotel. Regardless on constant reminders to try out other dishes in the menu, my option is always the same. Yeah, I listen to my inner instinct as it knows exactly what I desire.

The unagi serve here are high in quality, fresh, thick and fleshy. The skin of the unagi is lightly charred while the flesh remained tender and juicy. Grilled to perfection, every bite is so satisfying. Those unagi sold in supermarkets or common Japanese food chains are simply incomparable. Those off-the-shelf pieces are thin in slices and sometimes with fishy smell. The one served here are fresh with no trace of fishy smell. The difference is due to the usage of Sea eel instead farmed fresh water eel.

You may order the unagi bento set or Ala-cart unagi which comes with 5-pc of thick sliced unagi (MYR89). They are ideal as snack or side dishes. I would recommend the bento set as it served with a side dish, rice, miso soup and chanwanmushi. Of course you will get only 4pc of smaller unagi slices.

The teriyaki cod fish is second in the line after unagi which I will recommend. The cod is so fresh and the flesh was oh so flaky. The teriyaki sauce is rather mild as the chef would like to showcase the natural taste of the fish.
I had also tried the Saba fish set, lobster and wagyu beef set and sushi set before. The Saba fish set is normal but the wagyu beef set is worth a try. The lobster and beef slices are pan fried, tepanyakki style and served with tangy ponzu sauce. Very appetizing instead. The sushi set is not my thing, perhaps I am not a sashimi person and do not appreciate 'raw seafood' well. I instantly felt that I experienced iron overdose after the sushi set. The zinc and iron taste kept lingering in my breath and I felt discomfort the whole day. Even several mouth washes can't remove the smell.

If you still have room for dessert, do try the mochi red beans with green-tea ice cream. The warm glutinous rice ball mochi contrast perfectly with the green-tea ice cream accentuated further by the sweetness from the red beans to form a truly balance taste. For those who prefer fresh fruit, the strawberries jelly will be a great option. It is indeed very refreshing, all natural with only natural sweetness from the fresh strawberries.

A visit to Czech is incomplete without tasting the famous Czech roasted duck and dumpling goulash. I first tasted the roasted duck in Pilsner Urquell Brewery Restaurant in Plzeň (Pilsen), a small town about 90 km away from Prague. If time allows, I recommend one to patron at the restaurant for a good taste of local Czech cuisine before/after the tour to Pilsner Urquell Brewery.

If Pilsen is not in your travel plan, not to worry as I know exactly where in Prague city you could get the delicious yet authentic Czech roasted duck. Located in a hidden alley in old town square, the Restaurant Mlejnice is easy to miss. The restaurant is usually packed and it is best to beat the crowd by either patron before noon or after 2pm.

Regardless of the great selection of food including streak and pasta, the Czech roasted duck and goulash are must try items. The 1/4 duck is served with sauerkraut and gnocchi pasta. The skin of the duck is fried till crispy while still maintain the tenderness of the duck meat inside. The duck meat is best to enjoy with sauerkraut as the sourness helps to reduce the gamy taste of the duck. I tasted no cheesy taste on the gnocchi which I suspected they could be a type of Czech dumpling, in gnocchi pasta shape. Nevertheless, the whole dish scored!

Next in the menu is the famous Czech beef goulash soup in crusty hollowed bread. This is by far my favourite goulash. The gravy is flavorful, thick and creamy. The beef chucks are stewed to perfection, tender and moist. It is hard to stop after the first spoonful, so addictive indeed. Enjoy the goulash by tearing the crusty bread and dip into the gravy. Yum! If you are not mind with soggy bread, the inner bread should not be missed as they packed with great flavor after soaked up in the rich gravy.

Another restaurant I would like to recommend is the Hlucná Samota located in Praha 2, a highly recommended pub restaurant by my local Czech colleague. It was where I usually held welcome dinners for visitors (especially colleagues) from homeland.

I had tried quite a number of dishes and the most memorable one was the gigantic salad platter with delicious hot wings. I yearning for it but could not figure out which one was the item listed in the menu. I ended up order the hot wings with ciabatta. An average dish I would say. On the contrary, the beef goulash and sausage dumpling with bacon strips did wow me, especially the dumpling. Unlike the dumpling served in Restaurant Mlejnice, the dumpling served here is the classic Czech dumpling with meat filling. The bacon strips added the salty and crispy dimensions to the dish. The dish did have the classic flavour i am searching for.

Although I am not a 'meaty person', I do like Czech food a lot. Perhaps I have acclimated to it after spending few months in this beautiful country. I love Prague !!

The online reviews for Taro Japanese Restaurant, London are good. Since we were shopping around the Oxford Street, we decided to stop-by the restaurant for some Japanese treats.

It was about noon (before 12 noon to be precise), and there were already some patrons in the restaurant, mainly the locals I reckon. Customers started to swamp in when it got to 12.15pm and almost 70% of the seats where gone in a jiffy. The advantages of being the early birds are i)you get to choose the best seats and ii) you can take your time to browse through the menu. That were exactly what we did!!

Nothing beats a bowl of warm home specialty tonkotsu ramen on a chill day (yeah, it was a rainy afternoon). If possible, I wish the soup could be a bit more richer in taste, just like the one serves in Menya Musashi - milky pork soup. This is considered pretty good for European standard. I like the chewiness of the ramen.

You will never go wrong with curry katsu don (curry chicken fillet with rice). Yeah, it proved me right again. The chicken cutlet was cooked to perfection. The cutlet remained crunchy from the outside even soaked long in the curry gravy. Such a comforting food - a spoonful of rice with the curry potato/carrot and a thin slice of chicken cutlet. Delish.

I like the curry katsu don so much that I will surely come back for that during my next trip to London. Perhaps, I will forego the ramen and opt for the bento sets next time.

Taro Japanese restaurant is conveniently located near Totemham Court Road station at 10 Old Compton Street.

Crispy Duck at Four Seasons Chinese Restaurant, London

Trip to London is not complete without tasting the legendary Crispy Duck at Four Seasons Chinese Restaurant (at least for me). It is in my Must-Eat-List whenever I visit London. There is a Four Seasons Restaurant in Empire Mall, Malaysia which has the same dish in their menu. Unfortunately, the taste and texture are incomparable to the original London version. For the authentic taste, the London's version remains the sole winner.

The duck skin is crispy whilst the duck meat is tender and juicy with a hint of Chinese herbs. You will surely crave for more after the first bite.

The complete set comes with duck (1/4 , 1/2, whole bird at your choice), pancake wraps, sweet sauce, cut cucumber and scallion strips.

Here is how I enjoy the dish.
1. Spread the sweet sauce on the wrap
2. Top it up with shredded duck meat, some scallion and cucumber strips on the wrap
3. Wrap it and devour ....

The final look of my crispy duck wrap. Yum!!

The 1/4 bird set comes with only 8 slices of pancake wraps and there are definitely more meat left for rice. These crispy duck meat is indeed fantastic to go with rice. You may order some vegetable or dishes to enjoy along. You will never go wrong with this stir-fry kailan with scallops. Crunchy kailan and fresh scallops are fantastic pairs.

Chinese dinner is incomplete without a bowl of hot soup (especially during cold days in fall/winter). The wantons wrapped with minced pork and shrimps. Judging from the look, you can tell how good it is.

Despite the not so friendly service, it doesn't stop me from keep coming back. A hearty and satisfying meal.

Address:
84 Queensway, London W2 3RL, United Kingdom

Tea with Dutch butter cookie

For almost a year, I have always mistaken Garoeda Indonesian restaurant as a western restaurant although it is indeed an Indonesian restaurant. Neither the exterior nor the interior correspond to the typical Asian restaurant feel (maybe a little giveaway by the wood carving). Perhaps you will have the same thought too if you happen to pass by the restaurant at the corner of a busy shopping street.

The restaurant serves a wide array of tasty yet affordable Indonesian cuisine, nasi rames, bami, rijsttafel etc. However, what sets this restaurant apart from other Indonesian restaurant in town is its unique ambiance.

The whole restaurant is brilliantly illuminated by natural sunlight, thanks to the wide window panels around the restaurant. Wooden yet not too bulky furniture, complete but not too elaborate table settings make the restaurant extra cosy and comfortable. Even if I am not here for food, I could spend a relaxing afternoon here, sipping through a cup of tea while enjoying a novel.

The afternoon when we popped by for lunch, there was a TV shooting going on in the restaurant by local TV production company. I was pretty sure it was the great decor that brought them here.

It is indeed worthwhile to check out the restaurant even if you are not keen to try out the food. A pint of Bintang beer or a glass of wine at the bar corner will surely light up your evening.

Address: Kneuterdijk 18 A, 2514 EN Den Haag, Netherlands
Phone: +31 70 346 5319

Denise's Wonderland

Spicy Noodles - Little Couple Dry Noodle

Rasmus Klump American Pancakes

Bone's Mega Simpler @ Bone's American Diner Restaurant

Toast Waffle with Nutella and Banana

10 Delicious Food To Try in Bangkok

Zipangu Shangri-la: Luxurious Japanese Treats

Famous Czech Food Roasted Duck & Beef Goulash

Taro Japanese Restaurant, London

Legendary Crispy Duck @ Four Seasons Chinese Restaurant, Bayswater London

Garoeda Indonesisch Restaurant @ The Hague

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