Sunrise at Bukit Panorama Sungei Lembing [Part 1]

The arduous steps up the hill does a lot of good to clear the clogged sweat pores as you gasp for more oxygen to fill your heavy lungs. The leg muscle pushed to its limits while cranking your knee joints to its full capacity, bowing your head breathless at times, the steps seems never ending, but then the distance laughter and howling of those who have conquered in the cool breeze twinkle of the early dawn was the only tell tale sound that the end is near and the next flight up is the last.
Earlier i was awaken by at 4.30 am to prepare for the early dawn conquest of Bukit Panorama. Touted with emaculate sunrise and misty hills scenery, the journey from KL early yesterday was in much anticipation as it was my first department own expense trip.
It was few minutes to 6.00 am then when the steps vanishes and the dawn clear sky light appears to greet you. Without further effort i sat on the gravel in shallow thoughts .......... and pondering.... 'why am i here?'.
The journey...... no doubt started way back before yesterday !

Thanks for the memorable trip, guys and gals !

Birthday lunch for Lily Hooh

Birthday treat for Lily at The Loaf @ Pavilion from me and Li Yen. Ordered the Chilli Prawn Pasta while the ladies opt for Loaf's Club Sandwich with chicken bacon. Rich in olive the pasta offer fresh spicy flavor while the fresh prawn was tangy. Accompanied by Loaf's unique deep freeze latte that came in form of a single chunk of iced coffee bath in fresh milk. Enjoyable meal overall though we were hoping to re-fill the fresh milk when the glass emptied.

Steam Fish Head @ Restoran Queens Peel Rd

A new addition to Restoran Queens at Peel Rd corner coffee shop is a stall offering steam fish head. Right in front of the satay and pau stalls. Amazing how the owner and stall operators manage the crowded place. Also notice a tom yam ikan bakar and tai chow stalls next to the sup kambing stall. Spoilt by even more choices, you can have shark fin soup from the tai chow. My dinner was steam fish head, tau geh w ikan masin and fried prawn egg.
Between the charcoal BBQ chicken wing and popiah stalls next to the coffee shop facing Carrefour, the thick noodle hokkien chow is surprisingly good - it was oily-licious with ample deep fried pork fat "chee yau char".

Lunch Party @ 12 Pantry

Jin Lee's sandwich party outcome was a fresh change and has set another new standard for the ladies to grappled with. In the past loaves of breads, sausages, meat patties, fried eggs filled our bellies. For those who miss it, check out the spread pain-stakingly prepared by CJL and spouse.
Its variety of maki sushi & nigiri sushi. Artfully decorated and thumbs up for the taste with wasabi-in-a-tube.

The sandwiches was triangularly cut with cucumber slices and buttered in advance, then the cut sausages, tomatoes, eggs and chicken ham was optional to your likings and appetite was very well done. Eric stayed longer than usual to sample and finish the food (that is the food-o-meter if you want to pass the test). Mee Wah was late but manage some bites. Lily worries too much as she is next but was good at washing and cleaning up. I was busying taking photos and as usual remarking the events unfolding as Eric finishes the last sausage from the container, which Mee Wah misses !!!!!! The fresh water jambu was sweet !!! It was a conclusive satisfying change.

Cheers Jin Lee and thanks for the good lunch. Waiting forward to the next gathering @ 12 Pantry.

Loon Sing Restaurant, Nilai

Got to know that the famous nilai rest. is offering dimsum spread there, so sunday brunch were decided. Anticipation were high and as expected the place were full. Waited a short while and seating for 9 were arranged. As usual the ladies quickly size up the menu with the in-laws. Hmmm any thing from the kitchen is worth exploring. The menu looks sooo classy and pricey list to go with it.

As we sip Tieh Kwan Yin light Fujian oolong tea [courtesy of Kevin & Adelyn Tan of Ipoh] the waiters were quite frantic while pacing up and down attending to the brunch crowd. After ticking our orders, a waiter came to advise that we may have to wait for the dimsum, so i say we do not mind the wait either that where else to eat at Nilai?? Reason kitchen cannot cope while later we have to cancel some of the dimsum due to overwhelming breakfast crowd. Noticeable some patrons decide not to wait.
Manage to taste some and to make up for the dissapointment in waiting and cancelled orders, the quality is commendable though.

Sui loong pau, lotus wrap loh mei and meat buns were - tasty

Pan-fried turnip and yam cakes - delicious

Deep-fried "egg" batter i think w syrup is crispy and sweet,

Chee cheong fun wrapped yau char kwai and fried durian ice cream desert.
The durian ice-cream were the favorite and taste reall good with a thin crust - a must order.

The tong sui is black sesame in glutinous in sweet ginger syrup is flavoursome.
While admiring the alakart menu brunch is meaningless if we don't order any. So, came this 3 well done dishes.

Vermicelli seafood in stewed pork (canned version), chinese onion pancake and "Tong por" pork belly accompanied w steamed buns were well prepared and has my thumbs up.

Next, a slow drive back using the old trunk road to check out Mantin roadside durian stall!!!

Aroma across a thousand miles

Wednesday nite "pasar malam" at Taman Connaught is always crowded and one of the attraction there is the famous smelly tofu trader who park his van at an alley nearby the main nite market stalls. The queue is always there even on rainy nites. Chew chew chow tofu, just follow the smell. Hot & crisp outside and juicy white tofu inside the chilli sauce dips and pickled cabbage goes well with it. Motto: "Never try, never know"

An Afternoon at an Orchid Farm

Off the less travelled trunk road between Mantin and Seremban, came across an orchid farm which according to my sis-in-law cater to export market. Spent some time admiring the orchids and the fresh air there. Emily and Vanessa took some of these to blog. Have a great time there with the kids.

They do cater to walk-in clients and you can pick and choose the varieties of orchids there. Bought a few to decorate the dining and living rooms.

Tow Kee Seremban Hakka Noodles

One of the few things that i always look forward when in Seremban during the weekends besides taking a rest from KL hectic pace was to bring my daugther Emily, out to her favorite hakka noodles stall at Seremban wet market. She loves it very much. The dish is simple of self made noodles with braised pork&garlic toppings. Taste is delicious, though when the first time i tried, it was a bit plain. After few more ventures, it is a hearty meal for morning brunch.


Seremban wet market of course have few other good food to venture, such as the famous beef noodles, and along side the corner wantan mee stall, chinese version rojak mee and sotong "yau yee" beehoon.

While strolling and buying some fresh vegetables, along the wet market area colourful hand made flowers garland stalls lined the crowded car parks. The bright and colourful scented flowers & buds greets you while patrons choose and picks. Emily took some photos to share,

Nasi Lemak @ Jalan Baiduri, off Jalan San Peng

On the way back home came across a popular nasi lemak stall along Jalan San Peng. Its chinese version nasi lemak and operates only late at nite, i think after 9.00 pm. It was drizzling and decided to take-away, so got this pic to share. The chili sambal was not hot but spicy enough with good aroma accompanying the coconut milk rice. As i queue up under the makeshift stall, big pots and trays of curries - chicken, potatos, pork, sotong, cockles, fried lup cheong, long beans, eggs[boiled & sunny side up], peanuts and crunchy fried anchovies, cucumbers and onion sambal lay neatly as you place orders. There are also other stalls selling chee cheong fun, drinks, mamak's food next to it but the waiting and queue is noticeable at the nasi lemak stall. Parking a slight problem though as the owner scatter its table even at parking lots.

Jalan Baiduri is opposite SanPeng flats and in between two rows of shoplot after Loke Yew Shell station. They are close on Sunday. Advise to go early for nite supper & see the nicely layout pots and trays.

Afternoon Storm in KL @ 2.00 pm - 1st April 2008