[Learn] Of Pancettas & Prosciutto

A chance visit to Luretta DOP has given me a closer look at Italian cured meats. Luretta, located at the top floor of Isetan 1Utama, serves Italian food and more importantly, quality Italian ingredients. From dried tomatoes and porcini to what I was here for, Italian meats.

The 3 I tried :
Prosciutto - Italian Ham
Prosciutto Crudo to be exact, is Italian dry cured ham.
There were 2 different Prosciuttos, one from Parma and another from San Danielle. I felt the Parma ham was tougher, San Danielle had a more savoury taste and a more melt in your mouth feel. I would think the Parma was more suited to cook with or perhaps in heavier sandwiches, the San Danielle is easily eaten as is.

Porchetta - Italian 'siu yok' (pork belly)
The Porchetta, Italian roast pork, was wonderful. There is an unmistakable Italian herb & spices taste with beautifully cooked pork.

Pancetta - Italian Bacon
I have always wondered how Pancetta would taste in comparison to normal bacon, but never really gave it a try considering it is about 3x more expensive. Luretta DOP was serving good quality meats so I thought this would be a great time to try. My verdict, pancetta has a smokier flavour, aromatic meat and erm, silkier? Fats. When you hold it in your hand, you can already feel the fats melting. Visually, you can see more wonderful fat marbling on pancetta.



And now to capture those wonderful Pancetta flavours in a classic spaghetti carbonara. Many of Jamie's recipes often call for pancetta that I had previous times simply substituted with bacon, this time I can really follow exactly.
It is tastier, but hardly significant (of course it might simply be I am not skilled enough). For me, future carbonaras, simple bacon is good enough.

For the Prosciutto and Porchetta, I added it to a salad and it really elevates it to an amazing level of tastiness. And surprisingly this goes really well with Japanese sesame salad sauce!

[Cook] Dan Dan Noodles

The mention of Sichuan cooking often brings to mind the numbing peppercorns. I was never a big fan of the overly numbing sensation. Thankfully now that I am the one cooking, I am able to adjust the numbing properties accordingly. The result is a wonderful blend of aromatic Sichuan peppercorns and Chinese sauces to give a tasty, not overly numbing version of Sichuan Dan Dan noodles.
I have also taken liberties with the toppings and instead added my favourite Sichuan preserved mustard and pork slices. Really love this dish! Highly recommended!

There are 2 parts to this dish, first to make the Sichuan chilli oil, then secondly combining everything to make the Dan Dan noodles.

SICHUAN CHILLI OIL

Recipe from : http://www.chinasichuanfood.com/how-to-make-chinese-red-oil/

INGREDIENTS

Star anise	1
Chilli Powder	0.5 cup
Sichuan Peppercorn	1.5 tsp
Five spice powder	1.5 tsp
Ginger	4 slices
Sesame seeds	1 tbsp
*Corn oil	1 cup

* Any vegetable oil will do

STEPS

Crush Sichuan peppercorns into powder.

Combine everything in a small bowl.

Heat up oil and pour into bowl.

Let cool and leave for a day or two.

DAN DAN NOODLES

Recipe from : http://www.chinasichuanfood.com/dan-dan-noodles/

INGREDIENTS

For Pork Slices

Pork Slices	200g
Sichuan Preserved Vege	70g

For Sauce

Sichuan Chili Oil	1 tbsp
Soy sauce	1 tbsp
Sesame Oil	0.25 tbsp
Sugar	0.5 tsp
Minced garlic	1 tsp
Chicken stock	0.25 cup

STEPS

For Pork Slices

- Marinate pork slices with dash of soy sauce, sesame oil, corn flour and ginger.

- After about an hour, heat up 1 tbsp of oil in a wok and fry the Sichuan vege until fragrant. Put aside.

- Heat up another tbsp of oil on high heat and toss in marinated pork. Cook until done, and toss in Sichuan vege. Add a bit of water to get some sauce going. Season as needed. 

For Noodles

- Cook noodles according to packet instructions.
* I used Taiwan white egg noodles

- Mix ingredients in a bowl to make the sauce.

- When noodle is done, simple add sauce and mix well.

- Top with pork slices.

[Cook] Shakshouka

When I first encountered a Shakshouka recipe, it piqued my interest. What an interesting dish that I have never heard of. It looks yummy and simple enough. So from the green version I first encountered combined with this Eggs in Hell recipe, I came up with my version of Shakshouka. Though it is classically cooked entirely on the stove, I'm going for the baked version.

The end result was a delicious, spicy dish. The sauce was spicy and flavorful, with a strong cumin aroma. I think could use a little bit more tomato. The spinach and mushrooms served as the core of the dish with the jalapeno and cheese providing extra awesome flavors. Eggs were sad, it seems baking eggs creates some kind of plastic like layer on the top. The eggs look nice outside but inside they were already over cooked. I had expected it to be runny. Maybe if I had not gone the bake way, the eggs would have come out much better.


INGREDIENTS

Onion	2
Garlic	3 tsp
Jalapeno	3
Tomato puree	2 tbsp
Paprika	1 tbsp
Cayenne	0.5 tsp
Cumin	1 tbsp
Parmesan	0.5 cup
Spinach	100g
White Button Mushroom	200g
Eggs	3

STEPS

In cast iron skillet, saute onion until soft. Add in garlic and fry till brown.
Preheat oven to 175 degrees Celsius.
Add jalapeno, mushrooms, cumin, paprika and cayenne powders and fry till fragrant. Constantly stir.
Add Tomato puree and a cup of hot water (stock if any)
Add in spinach. Reduce and season till the desired consistency and taste.
Remove skillet from stove, sprinkle Parmesan and crack in eggs.
Pop skillet into oven and bake till eggs reach desired doneness. 
* I did for about 10mins which is overcooked. Probably 6 or 7 mins would have been enough.

Penang Char Koay Teow I Hardly Know You

I can't remember when I first tasted Char Koay Teow. But I do remember those long drives back to Penang to visit my grandparents. It always comes with a visit to my favourite Lorong Selamat Char Koay Teow. That beautiful 'wok hei' (a wonderful smoky taste from high heat frying in a wok) from the charcoal, the balance of pork lard and flavorful sauce..mmm... just awesome. I have loved Char Koay Teow for a lonnnng time. It must be at least more than 15 years. And till this day this love has remained. Unfortunately my favourite Lorong Selamat Char Koay Teow seems to have changed. The taste is not as I remembered. it tastes oilier, the sauce not as memorable.

What is Char Koay Teow? 
Koay Teow itself is simply a flat rice noodle. A direct translation would simply be fried rice noodles. 

Then what is Penang Char Koay Teow? 
It differentiates from those in 'tai chows' (Chinese food places that serves restaurant dishes) that are often more wet and leaning to the sweeter side. And most importantly it differentiates from the god awful abomination of Char Koay Teow of those from the South, where a beautiful plate of Char Koay Teow is desecrated by the liberal addition of atrocious sweet sauce. 

Fire needed for 'wok hei' :)

Penang Char Koay Teow had always meant to me a style of frying the Koay Teow with an amazing savory sauce and infusing it with heavenly 'wok hei'. Any home cook who says they can fry a good plate of Penang Char Koay Teow is either a liar or an idiot. Such 'wok hei' can only be imparted by a seriously powerful stove and is beyond the reach of any normal home kitchen. A standard plate of Penang Char Koay Teow is often accompanied by prawns, cockles, garlic, kuchai and bean sprouts. Often these flavors are then further improved with the addition of pork lard, 'lap cheong' (Chinese sausages) and charcoal fire. In my opinion pork lard not only brings an extra wonderful taste, it also allows the Koay Teow to be fried at higher temperatures as pork lard handles heat well. 'Lap cheong' adds a nice meaty sweetness. And of course charcoal adds a smoky aroma. It was to my surprise that some people actually also consider the color of the Koay Teow as an indication of Penang Char Koay Teow. According to them Penang Char Koay Teow should be a whiter shade. That was news to me ( because I'm not racist? :P ), I had no idea about this because I know the sauce is different for each stall and I do not see why it should not be called Penang Char Koay Teow simply because the sauce color is dark. I have also tasted very awesome pork-free Char Koay Teow, so I consider these criterias : color, pork lard, 'lap cheong' and charcoal fire, as enhancements but not defining attributes. I would happily refer to any with great 'wok hei' and amazing savory sauce as Penang Char Koay Teow.

What is the ultimate Penang Char Koay Teow? Where can I find it? I thought I found it in Lorong Selamat Penang, but it is no longer. In recent memory it has failed to live up to expectations. Where then is the ultimate Penang Char Koay Teow now? Ah Leng at Dato Keramat? Siam Road? Have I lost the ability to taste the ultimate Penang Char Koay Teow or have my tastes evolved to another level?
I do not know, but what I do know is I will not stop looking. If no one can make the Ultimate Penang Char Koay Teow then maybe, just maybe... I will?

Porcini : King of Mushrooms?

I have heard it mentioned so often by Jamie and Gennaro but I have not seen it around here. When a friend from Australia managed to get me some, boy was I excited.

And it did not disappoint! I took the dried porcinis, reconstituted it and used it to make mushroom risotto. I see why it is called the king! The mushroom flavor was intense. It was so strong I regret not using strong fresh herbs to balance it out.

This is an amazing ingredient and I would definitely love to use it again!

A Culinary Dream - Cooking Elite Chinese Food

I have always loved food from a proper Chinese restaurant. Those with impressive 8 course sets. However trying to learn to cook these dishes has proven to be difficult. I could easily Google a western fine dining dish and get a good recipe for it, but these elite Chinese dishes were much harder to come by. Perhaps it is because the names of the dishes I do not know for certain, or perhaps these dishes are simply not feasible for a home cook to achieve, or perhaps the recipes are secrets passed down to only elite Chinese chefs. One thing is for certain, browsing food sites alone have not shown me any results. I have not found them, but I will not rest till I have achieved this culinary dream.

Origin of KL Hokkien Mee

KL Hokkien Mee origin story. Gotta love our Malaysian food!

[Food] Trumpet Restaurant @ Oasis Damansara - CLOSED

-----This shop is now CLOSED-----

Elephant and Trumpet theme. Jazz Elephant!

Thai Tea. Nothing special.

Thai Omelette. Why do people keep adding their cuisine name in front of a normal dish? It is just an omelette. Which part made it specially Thai? It should be called Just Omelette

Morning glory with garlic and oyster sauce. Just enough oomph in spiciness.

Massaman chicken curry

Massaman curry, the best food according to CNN. I have tried it twice in Malaysia both times I was not amazed. Either we have corrupted the flavor by making it Halal or CNN has got it wrong ( not a surprise :) ). This curry was a complex mix of flavors but to me it was distinctly sweet and creamy. Personally I do not like sweet curries and prefer it savory. The creaminess simply means it is too cloying to ever drink it till the last drop. So in my opinion, Tom yam is still undisputed king of Thai food and CNN food review sux!

  

Address 
A-G-08, Oasis Square, Jalan 1A/7A, Ara Damansara
47301 Petaling Jaya, Malaysia
( Facing the main road where you would turn in from Subang airport road. Facing Citta mall )

Hours 
Mon - Sat: 11:45 am - 10:30 pm

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[Food] Slurp Cafe @ Dataran 3Two

Nice cafe with beautiful deco!

Interesting menu

Seafood Miso. Generous amounts of lala!

Mushroom soup. Too thick.

Signature Omu Rice. Nice! But the egg gets cloying after awhile

Address 
C-16-01, Dataran 32, No. 2, Jalan 19/1 Petaling Jaya 46300

Hours 
Tue - Fri: 8:00 am - 11:00 pm
Sat - Sun: 9:00 am - 11:00 pm

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[Food] Ploy @ Work@Clearwater

Amazing Ploy Black Fried Rice! (RM30.50)

Wonderful dinner at Ploy. Their signature Ploy Black Fried Rice was awesome! Balanced and flavorful rice. Add on the egg and get a silky, gooey texture like creamy carbonara without the cream :)

Tempura was forgettable though. Below average I would say. Give this a miss.

Spaghetti Thai Anchovies (RM24.50)

Lovely spaghetti! Nice and flavorful. Not overpowering or cloying.

Durian Panacotta ( RM12.50)

Must try Durian Panacotta!!! Rich durian flavor balanced with the milky panacotta.


Address 
G-02, ground floor, Work@Clearwater,
Changkat Semantan, Off Jalan Semantan,
Damansara Heights, 50490 Kuala Lumpur.

Hours 
MONDAY TO FRIDAY
12.00pm – 3.00pm ; 6.00pm – 12 .00 midnight
SATURDAY
6.00pm – 12 .00 midnight
CLOSE ON SUNDAY

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[Food] Manmaru Udon @ MidValley

Manmaru Udon, a delightful udon place in Midvalley serves some very excellent udons. Each bowl averaging around RM20, was delicious. My favourite, the Onsen Tamago udon, partially cooked egg on al dente udon served with garlic, seaweed and chicken teriyaki. The flavors were well balanced and not over-powering. A clean and distinct flavor from each ingredient combined to make a wonderful udon meal.

Duck breast udon. Sweet, flavorful soup with high quality duck meat.

Nice Niku udon but unfortunately only average and certainly was the least inspiring of the 3.

Onsen Tamago Udon. The highlight of the night, highly recommended!

Address 

Manmaru Udon, Midvalley

Hours 

Lunch & Dinner 

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[Food] FIQS Gastronomy @ Subang Jaya

FIQS Gastronomy is a wonderful hidden little gem in the quiet neighborhood of SS19. The chef had worked previously for a Michelin 3-star restaurant and I must say the food certainly did not disappoint. Price is high but definitely worth it. Expect to pay around RM40~ per pax. Food is amazinggggggg. Highly recommended!

Simple and nice decor with a open kitchen concept. Love it!

Pillow soft gnocchi complimented perfectly by the crunchy strips of I dunno what.

Ravioli with a soupy cheese filling. An Italian xiao long pao!

Turkey ham & bacon sandwich. Wonderful smoky grilled taste served with a side of delicious fries.

Address 

No. 34 Jalan SS19/1D

47500 Subang Jaya,

Selangor Darul Ehsan

Hours 

Lunch

12:00 PM – 3:00 PM

Coffee & Dessert

3:00 PM – 6:00 PM

Dinner

6:00 PM – 10:30 PM

*Closed every Monday 

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[Food] Grand Shanghai Food Theme Park @ Setia Walk

Beautifully decorated, the Grand Shanghai was a really awesome place to visit. It was a joy walking around in this beautiful replica of old Shanghai streets. A very photo friendly place. They even have costumes for rent so you can take pics. Cool.

We eventually settled for this shop below. Even the waiters were dressed in costumes!

Food thankfully was also good. Simple, delicious and healthy Chinese food. Noodles were served in a lotus root and peanut soup. The watercress soup was nice and flavorful.

Simply soup noodle with brinjal in minced meat.

Watercress soup. Good and flavorful

As we continued wandering around this wonderful world of Shanghai we had some interesting snacks. Taste-wise though they were not great.

Giant squid! Just novelty. Taste bla.

 Kindori ice cream stall had a queue and so we gave it a try. Decent but nothing to shout about. Maybe it was the nice way the ice creams were presented? They has ice-cream biscuits, lollys, cakes. We only had the biscuit.

Address 

Level 4 of the "Mall building" part of Setia Walk, Puchong.

Hours 

Mon - Sun: 12:00 pm - 10:00 pm  

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