Ipoh Stadium Food Centre

Wok fried Rice noodle aka beehoon
Where's the noodle??? hahahaha we just lurve the beans sprouts from Ipoh. Fat, juicy and crunchy!!! One can go crazy at this food centre next to the stadium. It has many stalls with a variety of food from malay chinese indian. Not only it's cheap but really good, definitely value for money.

This plate of fried noodle has got such intense breathe of fire....its wok must be melting from the torch of its stove. Hahahahaha really really good and ain't easy to fry beehoon to this dry texture.

If u are not a fan of beehoon, there's always the velvety flat rice noodles aka kuey teow. A raw egg was added in before they serve this for that extra moist and yummmnesss~~~~~the chili sauce was pretty good too!!

The wan tan noodle is very good here too, just that we didn't have any more space to eat...since this was an interlude between our many breakfasts before lunch which was scheduled to start at 12pm sharp.

 something new that we tried this trip - Pork innards soup.

The broth was pretty intense with sourness from the "kiam chye", some julienned ginger. I'm not an innard person but the crispy fried intestines were so good. You can also opt for fish meat if u are not a pork innards person.

Mixed fruits rojak....with thick yummy and stick shrimp paste...very very balanced, enuff of acidity and sweetness.

Finally to quench our thirst after all these sinful food.....something light and refreshing - shaved iced with lemon juice. By that time, it's already 11.45am. Time to head off for lunch....this was not our first breakfast...some of us had dim sum early in the morning...

and this hakka noodle earlier nearby the hotel.

If u are in Ipoh, u should really pay a short visit to this food centre by the stadium. Parking could be difficult, but the food here is good and cheap :)))

Nasi Lemak Brunch Gathering

Rice boiling in rich coconut milk and coconut water, thrown in some pandanus leaves for that extra fragrant nose. YES JS boils all his rice from scratch and our rice cooker is a bit under-used. He was contemplating to get another high-end Japanese super rice cooker which cost thousands of USD...I dunno wat it does, prollie can make coffee and massage me too bahahahaha

so back to the rice...it ain't easy to control the temperature, but according to HIM, it's much easier to boil rice this way to achieve the best texture, consistency and flavours. I guess if he could start some wood fire at home, he would do it....>.<

the amazing caramelised....beef rendang...oh my gawd, this was a bomb!!! It's so rich and intense in flavours with good balance of spiciness, sweetness and coconut cream. I don't wanna know how much of coconut cream and milk went into preparing this brunch :))

The ferocious chef with his Japanese knife, but wearing a cute Kumamon apron :)))))

one of his many Birthday pressie from MW Maho...he indeed looked cute innit. Thank you MW Maho!!

everything was made from scratch including this sambal belacan paste, where Mr. JS had to cut the red dried chilis with his scissors to remove all of the seeds, wearing his gloves and apron....he looked like he's about to cry. HAHAHAHAHA poor thing but the end results was so fabulous so it's totally worth it!!

The camera feast first before the human can hahaha.

Yes I do know, I've lost too much of weight, it's not the kind of healthy weight lost bcoz 7kg gone in 2 months. So now I need to stuff my face with more food and nasi lemak to gain those back :))) Gimme back my curves!!! I don't wanna be a bag of skeletons!!!!

even the preparation of hard boiled eggs has got its own techniques *rolls eyes*
JS said it has to start from slow boil...bla bla bla bla...to give it that full and creamie texture. Before he could finish explaining his methodology, Monkey ady popped a few into her mouth alongside the yummylicious sambal.



We took "orders" from guests the nite before.....how they want their eggs and number of pieces. Runny yolks or thoroughly cooked.



The must have fragrant peanuts and crispy slow fried ikan bilis from Kuantan. Oh yes the anchovies must be fried slowly and patiently......ohmmmm ohmmmm ohmmmm, took quite some time and Monkey was bz stealing fr the bowl in the process...krop krop krop yummmsss.


superb beef rendang, garnished with thinly sliced kaffir lime leaves....oh so caramelised and the meat was so soft and succulent :)))))) delish~~~~If there's any rendang that can convert anyone, this would be it....bcoz even those guests who don't consume beef had the thick gravy.


crispy fried fish with turmeric powder. This's my all time favourite, if JS prepares this for dinner...oh yummssss.....dip with sambal or any homemade chili sauce makes my evening :))))


Homemade from scratch.....sambal sotong...

JS was so anal, he insisted that it has to be the yellow sotong, instead of the white one for its chewy texture and it can absorb more flavours from the base sauce and gravy. This whole pot of sambal was gone in 1.5 hours time.


very last minute, Mr. JS prepared a bonus dish - fried salted fish with sugar, fish sauce and drizzled with lime juice and cut bird eyes chili.

Monkey: "Eh I think some of our guests don't eat smellie salted fish lar."
JS: "Nevermind lar, I wanna eat."

in the end, everything gone.......-_-"
Monkey to a guest: "hey hey hey I thought u don't eat salted fish?"
Our Guest YS: "What do u mean I don't eat? I swallow them whole....love it!!!"

so...wat did Monkey prepared?
heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
*sheepish smile*
I cleaned and cut the japanese cucumber. Very important to complement the main course...no nasi lemak dish is complete without the cool cucumber...JS insisted it has to be cut in such angular chunks. and I thought doing this task was easy....when u are in JS's household, nothing is "easy"

and oh my......the end results...
forgot to add in beef rendang and fried egg into my final presentation. All the multiple preparation and hardwork was worth it. The grain was so flavourful with coconut milk and juice. Everything else complement each other from texture to flavours, spiciness was balanced with a certain amount of sweetness, the saltiness of the fried anchovies just add some zeng to the dish....but my ultimate favourite was still the sambal sotong....

and bcoz I've cut a huge servings of cucumber...there's a lot of leftover...I just ate them all with sambal :)))

chitter chatters on a beautiful sunday morning :))))
I lurve dining at my own home, no dress code....and so so comfy especially in the comfort and company of my friends :))))

everything was gone including 1kg of rice
-_-"
I dunno how we could finish 1kg of rice!!!!

JS had to supplement more with the leftover belacan paste and fried a Nasi Goreng Belacan. Spicy yo!!!! He was too generous with the belacan paste.

mini cute sweet and crunchy apples and Teh Tarik and Horlicks ice creams!!!! Yup Nasi Lemak must have teh tarik. Beautiful CS brought a few packets of hot and fragrant teh tarik but we forgot to snap pics.

Lil Monster can't wait for her ice cream!!!

YS, Melvin, JS, Brian C and Eric C
Good to see that everyone had an amazing time and thank you for mopping off all the food. :)))

and the ladies - Beautiful CS with her Lil Monster, Sal, Monkey, Brian C and Eric C
Thank you for your infectious laughters and beautiful friendship.

We ate brunch till 5pm
hahahahahaaha so now it's time again to prepare for the next Nasi Lemak brunch for another group of friends. Now I can no longer eat outside Nasi Lemak for the version that's prepared and cooked with love by Mr. JS is just too yumssss.......

my colleagues still don't understand why izzit that I alwiz rushed home for dinner before coming out again to see them for events. 
Colleague: "Babe let's grab dinner before the event."
Monkey: "Dude, I gotta go home to eat ...."

Boss: "Do you want to dine with me before we head off for the event?"
Monkey: "I am goin home to eat first, so see you at the event boss!!"

colleaguesssss: "What is it about you goin home to eat first ALL THE TIME??? You don't like us izzit???"
Monkey :)))))))))) hehehehehe

Breakfast room service @ The Ritz-Carlton, Kyoto

We woke up with the sun blazing through our eyes as we did not draw the blinds to zzzZZZzzz. Just wanted to wake up to this stunning view of the mountains. There were still sights of snow on the mountain, afterall winter was still around the corner.

Sometimes I do wished I am living in a country with 4 seasons and wonderful weather like this :))) It's not just about the dressing up but more so of the seasonal fresh produce that u get. The different marine produce, vegetables, roots and fruits :)))

Monkey is blessed to have visited Japan throughout all these seasons, oh well maybe except Spring. Coz it's usually never a time to visit Japan during this time period due to my work. Now that I've changed my job, April may be quite feasible to visit Japan. :)))

When you ordered toast, u dun expect them to carry the entire stainless steel toaster to ur room and prepare it on the spot for you right??? It was quite a breakfast setup....all while Monkey was busy brushing her teeth and doin her biz.

oh wat do we have here.....
some fresh greens with peas salad on the side....4 different types of jam, 2 types of salad dressing....freshly made yogurt, a pitcher of freshly squeezed grapefruit juice, coffee....

2 poached fresh farm eggs, homemade sausages and grilled vege.....and oh yes a small platter of fruits.

Not forgetting pastries on the side from Pierre Herme bakery....this was heavenly...flaky, buttery, with just the right sweetness to it.

how do u poach eggs without having imperfection on its white?

okie....where do we start now???
I suppose consuming food should be my expertise by now :)))

the bomb was just the eggs...I wouldn't even say the yolks is yellow...
it's more of deep orange colors....to the extend that it's RED. Scary but true...the flavour and aroma was oh my...how can eggs be this excellent? I don't know. In its menu, it did mention it was from some specific poultry farm in Kyoto, but I did not take note, hence forgotten its name. My bad.....

and it's Monday today. As I drove to town for work, I saw one of the most beautiful sunrise over the silhouette of twin towers, then I exclaimed to myself alone in the car "Ohhhh it's so beautiful" and gave myself the widest smile. So I hope my dear readers will have a beautiful week ahead to :))) Remember you make your day happen!! and I'm just gonna do that now :)))

BIG Breakfast @ Beniya Mukayu Ryokan

Early morning rise and shine~~~~

Such a beautiful stunning tree outside the terrace. But it was too cold to go outside to admire this pine tree, so we just did it inside the comfort of the dining hall. I couldn't remember what was the temperature but enuff for ice to form. And if it rains, there will be snow~~~ brrrrrrRRRRrrrrr

we don't call it BIG breakfast for nothing...definitely bigger than the usual BIG BREAKFAST @ McDonald's. Anyway I'm not a fan of McD. The only consumptions were mostly done at international airports or if there's some special burger like the one I had in Switzerland *click here to read about it*

The staffs here actually took the trouble to draw this with explanation. Hahahahah. Japanese breakfast definitely beats any other big breakfast in the world that we had :))))

We were offered fresh juice for breakfast, and it's cold pressed. It has become a craze these days to only consume cold pressed juices for this process retains the vitamins instead of killing them with heat. We selected 2 shots each, of Oba Leaf with green apple, and grape fruits with oranges. Refreshing way to start the day especially we were so hungry after jumping into the hot onsen early in the morning.

Do not underestimate this tiny platter of vegetables. It was powerpacked with flavours, from the super sweet tomatoes to the delicious radish and OMG the carrots....I've never tasted carrots like this, except in Japan. The sweetness and flavours intensity were so amazing it left u wondering how? why?

and u don't eat ur vegetables without dressing....here we have the ponzu, miso and vinaigrette dressing for us to choose. All were homemade, and Beniya Mukayu only uses local ingredients, sourced from their trusted organic suppliers, and finally cooked with love of course. 

Here we have homemade pickles, served on such a beautiful plate that resembles a traditional musical instrument.

mushrooms and other roots vegetables that were so umami and delicious...just makes u wanna have a big bowl of rice with it.

Chirimen Sansho
These tiny white baits with the greenish peppercorn was JS's favourite. He lurve it so much that he got crazy and bought quite a bit back when he first saw it in Kyoto. The white baits were cooked with japanese rice wine and some soy sauce with this special green peppercorn. The end results were delicate yummy tiny fish with the strong peppercorn that leave a good length in ur mouth.

Next, a beautiful ceramic box was presented and unveiled....to a beautiful kaleidoscope colors of local vegetables!!!!Here we have locally grown broccoli, sweet potatoes, cherry tomatoes, leeks, pumpkins, carrots and radish. 

All were steamed accordingly and my oh my the sweetness and flavours were so different from what was expected. No sauce were needed to consume these, u just want to taste the original beautiful flavours. If only we get produce this good, I don't mind eating my vege everyday for 5 meals!!!! oh yes I do eat 5 meals a day :D:D:D 

Beautiful and yummy local koshi hikari. I like it that they boiled their rice this way, with a claypot. Somehow the rice has got a delicate sweetness to it. Now I understand how Japanese could consume rice plain on its own, bcoz it's so tasty!!!!

A wooden box with beautiful nori on top, it's heated at the bottom...so that ur nori seaweed would be crispy and warm. If u like it, u can wrap the rice with these. Anyway we have no idea and etiquettes of japanese breakfast dining....we just ate and nom nom nom as we wished :)))

Grilled fish!!!

I lurve this size...coz we can't possibly finish everything but at the same time we lurve varieties >.< Really greedy buggers. So when everything was presented in small portion, it just make it less guilty hahahahaha...especially for not finishing our food.

perfectly made japanese egg omelette and freshly grated daikon. The eggs!!! omg why are eggs here so yummy???

a piece of cured cod roe - mentaiko. Fukuoka/Hakata is famous for mentaiko and a year ago when we were there, we could almost find it everywhere.

a hearty bowl of miso soup with fresh seaweed and aromatic japanese herbs.

after Monkey has gone go-go-ga-ga over the breakfast and the not-so-brief explanation by our room attendant, JS threw me this look....LOL

like how are we gonna finish our big breakfast??? Come on, u are a man!!! This should not be a problem for you.

Monkey gave the "instructional" look....NOW EAT~~~~
and finish every piece of vegetables there!!!

but seriously it wasn't a problem bcoz at the end we mopped everything clean off all the tiny plates. Plus JS had to add more rice bcoz it was really really seriously extremely delicious. Wahhhh looks like we can skip our lunch when we headed to Kyoto *not!!!* after this.

Mr. Nakamichi the owner of the property, eppy JS, Monkey and Mrs. Nakamichi

So nice of them to send us off. Seriously Japanese take hospitality really really very seriously. As in serious SERIOUS. but it's such a novelty to us. :))))

Good bye for now Mr and Mrs Nakamichi. We will definitely return and thank you so much for everything!!! We had an amazing time at Beniya Mukayu :)))

and Happy Monday to my dear readers :)))