Xotic, 245 Mt Albert Road, Auckland

The $12 buffet is back on, start-time 7pm in the evenings. Go Hungry and Pace Yourself.

Bottomless Naan, Fresh, Fluffy, Bitefuls of Doughy Goodness

Lydia's plate, much the same except there is more of that yummy nutty carrot? dessert.

Buffet Counter, with aesthetic not too different rom Pizza Hut all you can eat counters circa 1995? There are also other pizza takeaway references, note the logo on your yellow plate for the buffet; vaguely reminiscent of that other pizza franchise giant Domino's yes?

Chicken Chop at CRC

It was late and we were hungry, in need of a quick, fuss-free fix so off we went to Chinese Recreation Club (CRC) off Burma Road. The cafe overlooking the field provides reprieve from the heat and it serves up cheap, simple local fare.

I was recommended the CRC Chicken Chop by Fat Tulip. At RM9 a pop, I didn't think it was terribly cheap but it was a good-sized, hearty feed.

It was a nice change to have brown gravy instead of the usual tomato-based gravy favoured elsewhere. Ooh and they threw in a sausage! Who says no to a sausage? Fat Tulip ordered the Black Pepper Hor Fun which sounded and looked utterly boring. Poor Fat Tulip! I gave him some sausage and onions from my chicken chop, which made him a happy boy.

We also ordered the Roti Ayam. It was good roti, and the filling was tasty enough but I tasted no ayam. Where the ayam?

Potato and Leek Soup

Now I know it look like stodge. There is no disguising stodge. Stodge is stodge. However, this was rather fine stodge - my cooking in general leaves very much unimpressed and uninspired. For some reason, I was seized with the compulsion to make potato and leek soup, and to make it well. But y'know, you really can't go too far wrong with this much butter and cream. I mean, come on...

Glorify Stodge!

I derived the recipe mainly from the BBC recipe but took pointers from the second link which definitely elevated the soup beyond ordinary stodge, ie bake potatoes beforehand, with skins and all. I pureed 3/4 of the soup and left the rest, it was a good balance texture-wise. This is probably undeserving of an entire post, but well, I don't think I will make something this good again.
http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1731/darina-allens-winter-leek-and-potato-soup
http://desertculinary.blogspot.com/2008/03/lengthy-process-but-worth-it.html

Oriental Seafood, Gurney Drive, Penang

Oriental Seafood overlooking the marshy swampland that is Gurney Drive has always been synonymous with overpriced seafood and tourist trapping so I was surprised when my friend suggested lunch on a sleepy Wednesday afternoon there.

Curious to see how it's come along since the family last paid a visit years and years ago, I got there, parked my car with a slight hint of trepidation as two tour buses deposited a large group of tourists in front of me.

The lunch menu for regular non-tourist folk was a simple one laminated pager, mostly noodles and unassuming dishes like oyster omelette and fried chicken to share.

We started off with the Or Chien (Oyster Omelette). We liked that it was done differently than the usual local version, sans rice flour and tapioca starch. It was fluffier and felt somewhat lighter, although I am sure it was still executed with a ton of oil.

I got the Char Hor Fun, which came steaming in a small claypot. The portion was extremely generous for the price of RM4.50 and could've easily fed two. It was very tasty and very filling, and my afternoon nosedived into sluggish torpor after this, despite having to waste a good portion of it.
Mei Shean ordered the beehoon in spicy and sour soup, kinda like what was served up at Wang Zhao Jun. Again, this was a massive serving for one.

I spied some other tables with the tomyam which looked yummy, as well as the fondly-remembered fried rice. I shall have to return for those some time. Good place for a relatively cheap, quick local noodle fix in air-conditioning, if you don't mind the hordes of tourists and the grouchy aunties serving.

Restoran Kapitan, Chulia St, Penang

While our love for Penang food has been staunch and unquestionable, somehow, my dear sisters and I have managed to remain mutedly neutral for the longest time over one famed quarter, Nasi Kandar. I'm not quite sure why. A case of not having it properly programmed into our neural receptors? Or just that we've simply not had the good fortune of a remarkable encounter with this much-loved spice and rice extravaganza?

So when Fat Tulip suggested Nasi Kandar today at Restoran Kapitan, I was hesitant at first but decided to be agreeable for a change. As we walked into the shop, the gorgeous aroma of freshly grilled meat and spices hit us and pretty much turned me into an instant Nasi Kandar convert.

My plate consisted of (from right, clockwise) curry chicken, long beans, potato & shrimp stew on rice (nasi kurang) doused in gravy, one gallon.

Fat Tulip had more greens and fat, scary-looking fish roe (left). He also ordered the A+ star dish of the day, the freshly grilled Chicken Biryani.

Ooh la la. This was good chicken. Moist, tender with plenty of lime and spices to boot.

Today's foray has piqued my interest in mamak cuisine and I intend to come back for more. I hear that it's important to go to the right places (plenty to choose from) as there are just as many, if not more, places serving diabolical nasi kandar as good ones. Restoran Kapitan seems dependable enough. The Chicken Biryani (with rice) and the Tandoori Chicken look especially interesting. It is located at the corner of Lorong Pitt and Chulia Street.

Wang Zhao Jun Restaurant, Rangoon Road, Penang

Wang Zhao Jun is a bit of an institution in Penang and one of which I have managed to remain clumsily ignorant up until now. This is my second visit there, Fat Tulip and a curious Papa Chow in tow.

We arrived no later than 12.15pm and already, the place was packed to the brim, with tables spilling out over to the premises' neighbours.

Stir fried leek with shrimps. They had run out of tau kua, which usually makes up one of their signature dishes. Again, I stress my dislike for leek but Papa Chow was rejoicing.

Stir-fried kai lan with abalone mushrooms. We ordered this in an attempt to add some greens to our meal but it came swimming with more mushrooms than kai lan. Oh well.

Beehoon (rice vermicelli) in spicy and sour clear soup. Noodles in clear soup do not maketh good food porn. But believe you me, this was a clear winner from the get go. The beehoon used was of the thicker, sturdier variety so it didn't fall apart and disintegrate in the steaming soup. The soup was flavoured with lemongrass, tomatoes, coriander, cili padi and slices of fresh fish.

Steamed horfun and beehoon with fish. It kinda sounded like patient food to me. But the fat oodles of hor fun, mixed in with the simple garlicky soy dressing and steamed fish garnished with token greens and lots of ginger would do the trick on any hale and hearty day. We ordered too much though for the three of us, so had to leave a mound of hor fun unfinished at the end.

Stewed Pork at Home

Papa Chow who's been missing Mama Chow got busy in the kitchen yesterday and presented the good old home-cooked favourite, Mui Choy Kau Yok (Stewed Pork with Preserved Vegetables). Papa favours the extreme excess style of cooking, always over the top, never under-seasoning and none of that health check crap. Very necessary when preparing traditional fattening, comforting food. Slurpalicious!

Unearthing hidden treasures in the slow cooker pot

Flash-frenzy! Pork and mui choy blink in unison, bewildered.

This is how I consumed my share of glorious pork dish, on fat udon noodles. Needless to say, it was fuppin' awesome!