My lucky star...

The Spain hero who won a £45 pot for me!!!

Yipeeee!!!

Hehehe... not to mention, he's pretty good looking as well... :P

Chocolate

I've never been a fan of chocolate... yes, you heard me right... I don't like chocolate!!!

But, everyone else that I know LOVES chocolate (everyone says... who doesn't???) and so...

I've ventured out of my comfort zone of making tiramisu... and challenged myself to make an edible chocolate cake...

Well... I would rate my attempt to be fair... managed to make the cake really moist... (I somehow got the idea that if I put a pan of water in the oven while I bake it, then the cake would stay moist!!!)

The verdict: It was more fun baking and decorating it rather than eating the cake itself... I'm still not a converted fan of chocolate... it's a good thing that everyone else loves chocolate and they happily finished up the cake for me...

Paled in comparison..

I thought I was not a bad cook... BUT... that was until I met my ex-colleague, Jennifer's boyfriend Kevin...

Now... I am ashamed to say that I can even cook!!!

Just look at what he whipped up when Jennifer invited me and another colleague over for dinner...

For starters... we had puff pastry topped with avocado wrapped smoked salmon and triple eggs (salmon roe, chicken eggs and quail eggs) with thin filo skin...

Then we had pan fried salmon with honey and white wine sauce as our first entree...

Our main was stew sirloin steaks in red wine and vegetables stock... after cooking the stew for 3 hours, the beef was so tender that it melts into your mouth!!

And even for desserts, we had two different entries!!! The first one was creme brulee... And oooh... he actually have one of those cook's fire to glaze the creme brulee... IMPRESSIVE!!!

The other dessert was an orange souffle with HOMEMADE orange ice-cream...

Please... let me introduce you to the chef, Kevin...

All I can say is that I'm sooooooooooo impressed that I now feel that my cooking skills are non-existant!!! I need to go and learn from the guru man... The most impressive home-cooked dinner that I ever had... even comparable to some of the Michelin starred restaurants!!!! WOW... I'm really bowled over and speechless...

Pressie for me!

A mysterious parcel was delivered to the office for me...

Ooooh... a pressie all the way from across the continents!!!

Thank you!! :)

Of abalone and sharksfin...

I think this has got to be one of the most expensive meal that I have eaten...

Brought my family to Chef Rasa Sayang Sharksfin Restaurant when I was back home... since I haven't been home for the last 2 years, thought I'll make it more special for my parents who worked so hard to provide me with the opportunities to chase my dreams...

And Yuni... sorry! I'll bring you out and make it up to you in August ok?

Anyway... here's what we had... (drumroll)...

A bowl of sharksfin soup, also known as Buddha Jump Over the Wall... Their version of it is slightly different from the one that my MiMi usually cooks as they included crab claw and fresh scallops in it...

Next up is the highlight of our meal... one whole abalone each for everyone!!! I've never eaten such huge abalone in my life before.. it's about half of the size of my face!! It's also very thick but yet... very soft and tender... it was absolutely delicious... I even finished up all the sauce... hehe... it's abalone sauce after all leh... :P

We also ordered a Peking duck to complement our meal... this is similar to the crispy duck in the UK where you wrap the duck meat with a thin popiah like skin together with the sweet sauce and cucumbers... I actually prefer the local version compared to the one in the UK as this one you only eat the crispy skin!! hehehe... no wonder I'm getting FAT!!! The remainder of the duck meat is then used to stir-fry noodles...

And finally, for dessert... we were given complimentary coconut pudding as my dad knows the owner of the restaurant (Ah Soon Gor)...

Well... the meal costs me about RM 2,500 (roughly about £400!!!!) but it's all worth it... just look at how happy everyone is (look at how happy my MiMi is when cutting up her abalone! :P)... at the end of the day... this is nothing compared to what my parents has done for me... and it's also a little present from me to them... to remind them that their little girl is now grown up and can provide for them instead!!!

And it's even better than any Michelin starred restaurant that I've been to so far!! :)

10 reasons why there's no place like home...

1. My wonderful MiMi!!! The greatest mum on earth...

2. It's where my family is...

If only Yuni was around... then it would be perfect! Can't wait for August to come when Yuni and I are both going home! :)

3. I'm being pampered all the time

See... I even get my lychees all peeled up and refrigerated! My MiMi will do everything for me, I don't even need to lift a finger - that's why she's the best!! :)

4. Friends that I've known for more than 10 years...

Friends that I can always count on!

5. MiMi's speciality - Chinese delicacies

Ok ok ok... I know it's cruel how they kill the shark for its fin... but I just love how my MiMi cook her special Buddha Jump Over the Wall and her bird's nest soup!

6. Yummylicious food!

What can I say... everything is so good... I can't help but eat and eat and eat non-stop everyday! I'm so fat now that it's not FUNNY!!

7. SHOPPING!!!

For a shopaholic like me, this is paradise... retail therapy at its best as everything is 6.3 times cheaper!!! Just look at the amount of shopping bags I've accumulated in just a week! I went home with an empty suitcase just so that I can shop shop shop shop and shop....

8. Warm and sunny weather

Unlike gloomy and gray London where summer just last for about 2 days????

9. There's no need to squeeze into the packed underground

The luxury of having cars... to drive around and also be driven around... instead of having to travel like sardines in a can (and it's a hot and stuffy one as well)...

10. Cute little doggies to entertain me... and no cats allowed! :P

Aren't they the sweetest creature?? Sigh... if only Xiao Bai is still at home... I miss him...

Home Sweet Home :)

It's so good to be back... there's really no place like home...

I miss everyone and everything!

Although so much have changed in the last 2 years...

It's HOME!!