Yado Cafe & Bistro

I was on my way back from work last Saturday when there was a massive traffic jam which had caused a bumper-to-bumper crawl along Jalan Keretapi.  To overcome the boredom of having to wait to get out of the jam, my eyes constantly scanned the surrounding.  Everything seems familiar except for this particular cafe called Yado Cafe & Bistro.  And there was this irresistible urge to go and see what it has to offer.

The next evening, my friend and I made a trip there.  For yet another 'yum char' session.  The interior was cosy; the walls and windows are decorated with cute stickers.  Scanning through the menu, I had the feeling that I would make another trip back to savour even more.  The list of drinks which boasts of varieties amazed us to no end.

I ordered a Black Tangerine which is a combination of coffee and orange.  Weird combination, isn't it?  Well, it's not as weird as I thought.  It tasted good, just that the orangey tang was rather overpowering.

My friend ordered Iced Latte, which was decent, in my opinion.

What is "yum char" without some finger food, right?  We continued to scan the food menu list.  Ahhh...the Egg Roll.  Looks very appealing, so we ordered one.  And we were greatly rewarded;  it was good.  The filling consists of generous chopped prawns, chicken, spring onion and mayonnaise.  I just loved the juxtaposing textures of the egg roll skin and the filling.

We also had the Fried Squid Rings which were well fried.  Non-greasy and lightly battered.

While enjoying our food and drinks, we continued to look at the menu.  Honey Chicken, Lemon Chicken, Curry Chicken, Rendang Beef, Kam Heong Chicken, Mixed Vegetables...the list goes on.  Hmmm...looks like we'll be back to this place in no time.  *grin*

Magna Carta

I was cruising through the city when I decided to have a magna cenae.  Now, where could I go for a realllll magna one?  Why not try Magna Carta, the little voice in me whispered.

Magna Carta (Latin for 'The Great Charter'), the fusion cuisine restaurant is owned by Dino Bidari, the owner of previous Magenta (the wooden restaurant hidden along Jalan Nanas which is now history).  Located strategically at the Old Court House overlooking the Kuching Waterfront and the Dewan Undangan Negeri, Magna Carta is surely a force to be reckoned with by those in the F&B industry.

My friend and I ventured into this restaurant for a Raya Eve celebration.  I find this place quite captivating in its simplicity.  The space within is well-used, and it's accentuated by pieces and pieces of antiques.

We chose to sit outside at the courtyard as it was a warm night.  This place is not air-conditioned.  Just a few ceiling fans to keep you cool.  Ordering our food was quite an experience.  Steps away from the entrance was the blackboard menu.  Standing in front of the blackboard menu, eyes moving keenly, we placed our order.  And we were momentarily transported back to when we were in school.  O memories of yesterdays flooded back.

We settled for the Magenta Lamb Shank, Salmon Mango Salsa, Caesar Salad, Honey Dew Juice and Watermelon Juice.

The Honey Dew Juice and Watermelon Juice...highly refreshing and light.  Just what you need on a very warm night.

Honey Dew Juice & Watermelon Juice

Not long after our drinks were served, came the Caesar Salad.  (Yes, service was fast, I must say)  Freshness is what people look for in a salad.  And that's what we got.  My verdict:  Good! (Just that I think the pricing was a tad on the high end for something as simple as Caesar Salad *smiling sheepishly*)

Caesar Salad

Next came the Salmon Mango Salsa.  "Here, salmon is called Sulaiman", said one of the staff who served us, jokingly.  The salmon was rather overcooked.  That was the first impression I got when I took a bite of just the salmon.  But eating it together with the mashed potatoes was a different story.  Just one word to describe it: Perficio!  And don't you think it was quite artfully garnished?  My verdict:  Recommended.

Salmon Mango Salsa

The Magenta Lamb Shank made its grand entrance next.  Just look at the size of the portion.  Big enough to satiate our appetite.  And the lamb was tender and juicy.  The gravy was thick and flavourful.  For a while, with every bite came "Mmmmmm...".  My verdict:  Highly recommended.

Lamb Shank

We left feeling full and satisfied.

Glossary:

Cenae - dinner

Perficio - perfect

Dim-sum @ Joyous Shanghai

I woke up with a start.  Hmmm...was I dreaming?  Did I make it up?  I thought I heard my stomach drumming.  To the tune of "悦上海, 悦上海..." I jumped out of my bed.  The joyous feeling written all over my being.  I knew just what I was going to have for breakfast.  Yes, dim-sum.  Dim-sum at Joyous Shanghai Restaurant.

The restaurant is on the 2nd Floor of Lok Thian Restaurant, Jalan Padungan.  Stepping in to the restaurant, you will be greeted by some Shanghai oldies.  The place certainly looks bright; the walls are adorned with Chinese paintings.  For those who like antiques, the rosewood furniture will be quite a feast for the eyes.  Such a nostalgic ambience!

The menu made me drool, and I settled for some of these yummilicious dim-sum:

Chee Cheong Fun with Prawns.  You don't think it is made from real pig intestines, do you?  :D  This is actually a thin roll made from rice flour, filled with fresh prawns.  Upon serving, soy sauce is poured over it.  Just one word:  Tasty!  But Joyous Shanghai's version would have been tastier if it were served with some sambal.  A dollop of sambal for every biteful will go a longgggg way.

Chee Cheong Fun - Prawns

Phoenix Talons (Chicken Feet).  Ordering chicken feet is a must for me whenever I go for any dim-sum outing. ;)  This is deep fried chicken feet which later is simmered with sweet sauce and black bean.  This dish was a little too sweet for my liking though.

Phoenix Talons (Chicken Feet)

Siew Mai.  The first time I sank my teeth into one of these, I thought it was rather bland.  But slowly, the flavor built up.  Just your ordinary siew mai this one.  Nothing extraordinary about it.

Siew Mai

Har Kow.  Look at the skin.  Thin and translucent.  Soft.  The texture makes you long for more.  The fillings, i.e. the prawns were fresh and not overcooked.  This is very good!

Har Kow

Szechuan Dumplings.  This dish tasted rather bland.  The chef was not very generous with the Szechuan pickled vegetables;  so little there were that I feel this dish shouldn't be called "Szechuan Dumplings".  More pickled vegetables and this dish will be perfect!

Szechuan Dumplings

Chee Cheong Fun with Char Siew.  Had the char siew been roasted long enough, this dish would be superb.  

Chee Cheong Fun - Char Siew

Char Siew Bun.  The skin was white and soft.  The filling was flavourful.  But my advice is to savour this last as it is very filling.

Char Siew Bun

Joyous Shanghai is one of the very few places in Kuching that serves dim-sum in a very delectable and palatable ambience.  For your next dim-sum adventure, you might want to try out this places.

Pasar Ramadhan

It's strange that the one-month long food galore in conjunction with Kuching Festival didn't manage to entice me. For some of you foodies, faithfuls of this yearly event, you wouldn't have missed the fact that the ground of Dewan Masyarakat was transformed into a food haven.  Hmmm...Guess it wasn't attractive enough so as to propel me to even pay a visit.  However, the Pasar Ramadhan was a different story.  I made a trip to not only one bazaar, but 3 different ones.  The purpose of each visit was not so much to buy the food on sale, but to take snapshots.

Of all the 3 bazaars, the Pasar Ramadhan at Satok still holds a special place in my tummy...err...heart, I mean.  So many stalls there were and food was plentiful.  Throngs and throngs of people filled up every nook and cranny of the bazaar that moving was a humongous task.

Now, let's feast our eyes upon some mouth-watering dishes:

~ Pasar Ramadhan @ Satok ~

Celorot

Ikan Bakar

Ikan Terubok Panggang

Nasi Kerabu

Buah Kurma

Chakoi ("You tiao" in Mandarin)

Putu Mayam

~ Bazaar Ramadhan @ Stutong ~

Many different types of umai

Nasi Briyani Ayam

Kuih Bongkol

Udang Goreng

Sate

~ Pasar Ramadhan @ Kampung Gita ~

Cendol

Keropok Lekor

Sotong Bakar

Kebab

Stall No. 25 @ Top Spot, Taman Kereta

Lazy to cook?  Craving for some seafood?  Celebrating some occasion?  And don't know just where to go?  Well, think no more.  This might just be the eating place that you are looking for - Stall No. 25 @ Top Spot, Taman Kereta.  Business at this stall is brisk.  It is no wonder; the seafood is fresh.  And there is a wide selection of seafood on top of varieties of meat and vegetable dishes to satiate your hunger.

At Top Spot, you can choose to sit outside in the open air or inside which is less airy.  If you plan to go even when it is raining sheets out there, you will have to be there early to beat the crowd.  It truly doesn't help if your tummy is already drumming away asking to be fed, and you have to wait for what seems to be eternity.

Securing a table on a wet day is like looking for a needle in a haystack as all the tables under the shed will have been occupied, especially those at Stall No. 25.  Take this from yours truly who was made to stand, eagle-eyed, for at least 40 minutes one fine evening.  But truly, it was worth the wait.  The food was tasteful and flavourful.

Black Pepper Cray Fish

The cray fish was well-received by my guests who had never in their so many years of existence tasted such a delicacy.  The black pepper was not too overwhelming.  Just nice to say the least.

Crabs in Egg Gravy

The crab dish was a tad too wet though.  But oh my the crabs were so deliciously fresh;  the meat came off so very easily that it made crab-eating a pleasure.  And I must add, the crab roes added texture to the so-good-that-my-sister-kept-going-back-for-more gravy.  MmmMmm...simply yummylicious!

Ginger Venison

The ginger venison dish was scrumptious.  The ginger bits dominated the palate, but it was not that overpowering, and the venison was cooked to perfection.

Butter Prawns

The butter prawns were well coated with a butter sauce.  To me, the prawns were tender enough to be eaten wholesale together with the shell.

Midin Belacan

As for the midin, it was crunchy and appetizing.

My guests enjoyed the truly hearty meal at a rather palatable price.

If these pictures are not a strong enough testimony, my suggestion is that you wait no more.  Hop into your automobile and off you go to Taman Kereta.  And peeps, it is Stall No. 25.

And did I mention?  Stall No. 25 now has a branch at One Jaya Shopping Mall, Jalan Song.  This bit of info was shared by the cashier (who is always seen donning a traditional baju kebaya Nyonya) that evening I was there.  So folks, what are you waiting for?

Dessert Paradise

"The night is still young, let's go for second round", said my friend, after a dinner that must have caused us to expand horizontally by a few inches.  Didn't know where to lounge exactly, so Dessert Paradise was where we ended up at.  Hidden somewhere behind Starbucks Coffee, next to Cosway shop at Jalan Song, that's where this paradise is.

The setting of this place belies the fact that it is only a place for desserts;  it looks more like a fancy restaurant.

The setting

Eh, what to have?  So many choices...

Hmmm...the risk of expanding sideways was looming.  Arrghhh...the temptation...we simply couldn't resist!  Having quite a full stomach, we decided on Caramel Pudding and Ice-cream Pancake.  The mango-flavoured pudding comes with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream, a Chipsmore cookie standing majestically on top.  There was only a hint of mango present in the pudding.  Overall, it was so-so.

Caramel Pudding

In an attempt to burn the calories consumed, I gulped down a glass of Green Tea. :-)

Green Tea

Ice-cream Pancake perhaps tops the garnishing department.  It comes with some watermelon balls, banana slices and half a Chipsmore cookie.  It's simply mouth-watering. And the portion is just nice.

Ice-cream Pancake

So, peeps, if you're a dessert lover and don't know where to go, you might want to sail your way to this paradise to see if the desserts it has to offer suit your palate.  Prices are reasonable here.

Recipe - Marie Crumbs & Chocolate Almond Squares

Let's share some fats.  Here's one simple and easy recipe which can be prepared in less than half an hour.

Ingredients (A):

200g  Marie biscuits

300g  Cooking chocolate

60g    Sliced almond flakes, toasted

125g  Butter

Ingredients (B):

150g  Cooking chocolate

50g    Almond nibs, toasted

Preparation:

(1)  Crush Marie biscuit in a mixing bowl.  Add in almond flakes and mix well.

(2)  Double-boil cooking chocolate until melted.  Add in butter and mix well.  

(3)  Pour into mixture (1) and mix into a dough.  Place the dough into 8"X8" square lose base cake tin and 

      press until firm.

(4)  Double-boil ingredients (B) until melted and pour onto the bottom layer and sprinkle almond nibs on top.

(5)  Chill in the fridge for 1 hour.  Remove, cut into squares and serve.

Happy trying!