CNY Dinner @ Noble House

The host brought additional abalone to top up the existing dish of Lou Hei. Seen here the selected waitress was busy topping it up as she spoke of well wishes for all around the table. She was definitely selected to serve the family for her top notch service, understanding and values. I liked her too :)))

Last Sunday, Monkey & JS were the lucky few to be invited for a family gathering by the Vs - Victor, Viola and Vivian....and of coz their lovely and kind mother. We last met their home to watch the 1st January fireworks before flying down to Singapore for another New Year gathering with the Singapore peeps.

Next dish was the double boiled soup with chinese long cabbage. Somehow scallops and long cabbage is like a good marriage. :)))) I-Ching taught me to boil some and I will try it this weekend.

It's such a blessing to congregate like this...though we couldn't do it as many times as we wanted to...as most of us are travelling most of the time...and this dinner was set on the first week of January to block everyone's schedule. Soon the Vs gonna head to Hawaii and the MW + Papa Bear are goin to Italy. While JS will be flying off to Japan and me Monkey??? no where to go...so I'll be rawking Malaysia hahahaha.

With my new job *which is so not new anymore* travelling for leisure isn't as easily planned as before. But I am really eppy with what I am doin right now, so travelling has got to wait for a lil while more :)))

more abalone!!! yippeeeee with its imperial stocks cooked on the spot, it was really succulent and delicious. Someone once told me that abalone has got high cholesterol by weight....so...err...*gulped* then *burped*.Looks like my appetite ruleeezzzzzz but oh well we must have balance in life for we don't indulge in abalone every single day....err maybe during CNY we did!!!!

You.Are.My.Love!!!!

perfectly roasted by the Head Chef...it's really a big different when being roasted by the head chef. Only the Vs can request this to be done by head chef...for it takes hours to prepare. The skin was so so so thin and crispy.

the skewer left a mark on the skin with a small dot where it went through....Oh u come to mama!!!!!

The rest of the piglet were chopped to smaller pieces and deep fried with salt and pepper. This was really really awesome too and I ate far too much till I was bursting outta my cheongsam. Lurve the baby ribs part.

Monkey was telling Ori-San to take the ribs it's the best part....and someone told him to take the trotter it's the best...while another said the head is a must!!! Poor Ori-san ended up with different parts on his plate. Yes the very same Ori-san of Oribe sushi, speaking of which it's time to visit his restaurant soon.

There was a fish dish and we ate it so fast outta respect, Monkey forgot to snap pics. Yes must alwiz respect the food that's being killed for you, and prepared with so much technique and skills. At least u dun let the piglet died in vain right??? hahahaha why am I being so philosophical when food is just food. But we did devour the entire piglet, nothing was left to waste.

WAHHH this claypot waxed meat rice is a must for every Chinese New Year!!! Those days, all these preserved meat were air dried by the autumn wind/breeze. And it would be ready for consumption by Chinese New Year...well that was in China....these days they used machine to air dry the preserved meat in a more hygienic method.

Some rice and a lil bit of everything :))))))
It was so so so good that I had 2 bowls...and JS proudly announced he had 3
-_-"

a 1920 maidera
we were so so lucky to share this for it's the Vs' mommy's birth year. Same like me!!! we are both monkeys :)))) she smiled to me in glee.

We had so many other wines and bcoz JS is the wines photog these days, I didn't snap any. So so blessed to be able to taste each and every bottle of it contributed by the guests and hosts.

and finally what is Chinese New Year without fried Nian Gao aka sweet rice cakes!!!! It looked so crispy right? They were indeed awesome and crispy :)))

thinly sliced fluffy yam and sweet potatoe sandwiched the nian gao in the middle. We lurve it for it's not sweet at all. Yummmzzzzzzzz. Still one of our favourite chinese restaurant in town :)))

Thank you to the Vs for such an amazing dinner and gathering. Looking fwd to our next session :)))

Noble House,
19, Jalan Delima,
Off Jalan Imbi,
55100 Kuala Lumpur,

Malaysia.
Tel: +603 2145 8822 

http://www.orientalrestaurants.com.my/

Celebrations on Valentine's Day

Gosh that was 2 months ago....shows I have so many pics and details to blog about. Thing is, Monkey didn't wanna pick and choose, everyday every events, every session is truly important to her, and it must be documented for memories.

Since February 2015 was around the celebration of Chinese New Year, we decided to kill many many birds with a single stone. To celebrate the arrival of Sheep Year, TC the Photog's birthday and finally Valentine's Day.

In fact JS and Monkey don't really celebrate V-Day, more like of anti V-day bcoz according to JS, everyday is Valentine's Day....hiak hiak hiak. But since we are cooking, we invited friends to dine with us with home cooked food, with love of coz.....candles and flowers and chocolates. Hahahahaha.

We bought the prepacked Yee Sang set from Isetan, added more sashimi slices of Salmon Belly. Added more fresh pomelo sacs, grated fresh daikon and carrots, used own extra virgin olive oil and we have a semi-home made yee sang.

Hmmm where's the condiments? I only see fish around here...but no complaints coz in the end everyone went for the sashimi quality fish!!!

Lou ah!!!
Huat Ah!!!!!

It's always a mess but this is a good mess, it's wat every chinese who celebrates Chinese New Year would want. The abundance of good things in a single dish...but to me Yee Sang is quite symbolic and serves as a quick appetizer. The true full abundance of good things kinda dish to Ms. Monkey is actually "Pun Choy". I had so many this year and would rate the one from Chuai Heng Chinese Restaurant at Jalan Imbi the most delicious one. :)))))

So far the year of Sheep has been a fantastic one, I am really enjoying each and every day with good company of friends and loved ones, amazing eats and drinks but most of all absolutely amazing new experience in life....

to sum it up, I just need to do 4 things this year.
Travel
Eat
Learn
Live

:)))) simple and meaningful.

Not bad.....guests did an amazing job in tossing the auspicious yee sang to such beautiful mix of colors. Just reminded me of the recently launched Hennessy VSOP Privilege Collection 5, a bottle with vibrant colors and stood the test of time, designed by British Art Director Peter Saville. :)))

Read more about it *here*

because I've promised all my beautiful guests that it will be a dining experience for them on their Valentine's Day, so it had to have some for of decorations for mood and ambience.

Japanese Yuzu with the special citrus grater and "duster" which JS acquired from Japan. Basically u grate the yuzu and dust it off ur dishes straight fr it.

Cute isn't it? we saw the same one at Kame-Sushi Desa Sri Hartamas, :)) Kame also means turtle in japanese.

Bahahahaha Horses are indeed so last year...
Welcome year of Sheep Sheep and this lil cute card is now sitting on my office desk. Reminding each day to Bahahahahahahaha. Which I do....every morning without fail esp with my secretary first thing at 7.30am

double boiled superior stock....all made with love by Mr. JS and boiled for 7 freaking hours!!!!.....those were not sea cucumber floating in this soup, but grand cru level of fish maw, acquired and procured by none other than his mommy dearest. The texture was so so good, almost like gelatine but with a good bite.

The soup was extremely sweet with a certain umami-ness. Yuzu zest added right before serving just further enhance the flavour. Indeed this was a very rich bowl of soup. Every guest only got to have one single bowl coz there ain't enuff!!! hahahaha

YS the giraffe was the only lucky one to have an extra bowl, to the dismay of other guests. Everyone was watching him slurping down the last drop. Hahahahahahaha

Mr. JS frying some greens with prawn oil. Look at that face.....it's like I got this under my control....I called this the LCLY look. LOL. Agree?

His kitchen is considered spanking clean looking at the amount of food being churned out from here. Since we have TC the Photog as one of the guests, he was also made to "work" here....snapping pics for Monkey :P

what is chinese new year without the yummy claypot waxed meat rice!!!
all cooked from scratch...where the waxed meat from Yung Kee Hong Kong were sauteed on the same claypot, rendered its fats and oil....then some these oil were used to fry the rice to a certain degree before being left to boil on its own.

the superlicious yummy waxed meat!!!! U only get this at certain time of the year :)))) So rich and full of flavours bcoz the darker colors were made with mixture of foie gras :))))

JS cooked a small portion of baked prawn pasta for Joey C coz she doesn't take meat. But it ended up in everyone's stomach. Yeah the piranhas...u know who u are :D

My dearest Dom Perignon Chef :)))) made ROAST PORK wahahahahaha. This pic was taken by Photog TC on 14th February, way before I joined the brand :)))) I know...he's really supportive of my career and I think he secretly wants my job :) kekekekeke.

We bought this apron during our visit to Dom Perignon's maison, Epernay a few years ago.

Proud Chef with his mouth full of roast pork....bz chewing...krop krop krap krap. We forgot to snap upclose pic of the roast pork...coz once it was presented on the table.....it was WAHHH all gone!!! real quick!!! well u could tell fr Chef's face he was already enjoying it before serving it to the guests.

yup we are only 30 years old.....really young :))

all the great whiskeys of limited edition and limited productions, especially the sherry cask and mizunara. What a privleged to enjoy them, :)))


Happy Guests eppy hostess....
Beautiful CS must be trying to stress her points *as always*

Ben smacking his head....can't remember what it was about...while Cat was bz helping herself to more japanese whiskey.

It was also on 14th February 2015, that her husband fell in lurve with whiskey for the first time. When he was served alcohols that nite, Cat insisted that the hubby doesn't drink a lot. Now he's a true whiskey connoisseurs with knowledge spanning from production, the types of barrels used, its peats to the different style of whiskeys and of coz the tasting profile.

what is chinese new year without "Tong Yuen"???
and what is valentine's day without something sweet to end the dinner?
so JS made the ginger jus from scratch and with love of coz, but store bought frozen black sesame dumplings.

Not forgetting the birthday boy TC the Photog with Joey C

It has always been a joy to work with TC and *click here* to read about the making of one of the project we did together --> Shell Shell's Bridal Shower photoshoot

JS was so tired by now, from cooking hahahaha and drinking :P

Joey C, Cat, Beautiful CS, Monkey and BCBG Amy

and bcoz it's Valentine's Day, all ladies deserve a bouquet of flowers :))))
thank you for coming :)))) so blessed to have all of you in my life. But most of all thank you to chef for such an awesome dinner.

Chinese New Year 2015

Monkey, Mommy Connie, Ass Kickin Vonne, Su San and Chan Lu

Notti Monkey with her University mates who still stayed put with her despite all her urrkkkksss and arkkkssss. And so CNY is the only time when everyone is back from Germany, Hong Kong and wherever around the globe for a major reunion.

It's been 17 years since we've known each other!!! gosh has it been that long??? It felt like not too long ago, when we were attending Pre-University orientation but it was much better than I first thought. There were no bullying from the senior year students nor any major drama...*much to my disappointment*

I had been practising so hard to snarl and scratch and bite back should there be any seniors who try to make me wake up at 4am and run around the campus. But there wasn't any. Instead we were being well-fed and guided and shown around the campus. The seniors were so well behaved, friendly and knowledgeable. After all they were like maths and science geniuses from their respective high schools. I thought I was the Monkey genius until I met all these ppl and the competition was really tough.

-_-"
it was so unexpected and abnormal to have nice seniors. Prollie being in a private university was different? Plus all my classmates were such nice people, my roomies were amazing lot and coursemates were all extremely dynamic and everyone did their homework and assignments on time...oh well except me.

Plus everyone seems to be really good at sports too. Hmmmm I was only scratching the surface of the basketball court running around like a monkey trying to score some balls or hitting out at the tennis court, think more like getting hit by the high velocity yellow balls. Ouch!!! my chest...no wonder they are so flat now.

Pamela, Cindy and Monkey

Chinese New Year is also the time to gather with practically anyone that you can get hold of. I was so happy that these two United States citizens are back in Malaysia and it was a really really really rare catchup.

We've known each other since primary school...then attended the same music school....and moving on towards the high school before Cindy departed to the States and finally it was Pam's turn. These two distinction students also made me stay put on my toes esp when it comes to music lesson. Oh well wat do u expect, notti monkey was lazy.....she yawned so much in class, and alwiz copied Pam's homework. Tee heee hee thank you. But I am so glad to have met both of you. Until today I do still enjoy my lil piano at home. :))))))

Monkey's mommy made char siew and roast pork for the family. Her knives skills were so so amazing, cut to such precision even the butcher would be ashamed.

CNY is also a time to indulge and eat like there's no tomorrow which is so so wrong~~~~~ coz in the olden days, people were so poor, they worked throughout the year and only get to wear new clothes and enjoy good food during Chinese New Year.

and bcoz life has changed...we all eat like this almost every other day, have new clothes any time, blessed with friends and good life. So we should alwiz be thankful and take care of our health. Note to self: stop indulging in those CNY food!!!!! gosh I'm gonna look like a fat whale soon. My tummy is protruding.

my happiest time would be....WUAHAHAHAHAHA yes I m still very much eligible to receive Ang-Pows....pls feel free to :)))

I hope you had a blessed and fun celebration too. The year of the Goat/Sheep/Ram will be a smashing one, I knew it already :)))) coz I've promised myself to work harder, love even harder, *be less lazier*, take care of my health so that I can enjoy my life even more and share all these with loved ones around me. :)))

Gong Xi Fa Cai!!!

Happy Chinese New Year 2015

It's the year of the Sheep....or ramp or goat...or lamb...whichever u wanna call it.

But Sheep Sheep definitely is one happy errrr sheep. For it will bring new challenges, new destination, new friends, new amazing eats but most of all...NEW adventures.

Wishing all my dearest readers Gong Xi Fa Cai. It's gonna be another smashing year ahead.... :))))

Post-CNY Lap Mei Farn dinner

Thanks to Wilbur and William, we got some really high quality sausages from Hong Kong. They lugged the pork and goose liver sausages back to Msia....more like smuggled in :P oh well tell me who doesn't smuggle things in huh?

Since both of them didn't have the confident to prepare them, it was passed onto Mr. JS to cook some awesome lap mei farn. I guess it's a good excuse not having to cook and clean...and yet u get to nom nom chomp chomp some really awesome home cooked food :))))

NO party is complete without popping some champagnes....Mr. JS was so generous to open a bottle of KRUG for us....not just any KRUG but a rose :))))

It's March now...the sight of anymore Yu Sang or Lou Hei sends shudder to my body. We've been over doing it year after year starting from 1st January none stop all the way until end of February.

Anyhow this dinner was done in February so we were still pretty much in the month of chinese new year hahahaha. JS bought more salmon belly and sashimi the bugger with his super sharp sashimi knife from Kyoto *with his name engraved on it* -_-"

LOU AH!!!!!!
HUAT AH!!!!!!
I thought everyone would be so sick of this but surprisingly every morsel of food on this plate were gone.

Double Boiled for ages was this superior homemade fish maw with japanese scallop soup. So so yummy that everyone complained not enuff to share. Hahaha ok noted on this. Next time will boil one big pot. JS used kilos of meat and chicken to extract 8 bowls of soup only. Looks like we need a REALLY REALLY HUGE POT

To further complete our chinese new year dishes....JS prepared some crunchy prawns Abalone Har Ji Meen *oso from Hong Kong* so so yummy...definitely the best wan tan mee...now if only there's some char siew :))))))

Beautiful CS, Brian C and Sal - so color coordinated and def a coincidence :))))

Wat were they staring at until so amazed!!!!

Finally, the pipping hot clay pot lap mei farn. Aaaahhhh looking at the steam made me so hungry right now. JS boiled this from scratch on this clay pot.

The edges of the sausages were so so crispy. The fragrant of chinese rice wines hit our nose....silence ensued the dining hall and u know this was a good dish.

one helping, two helpings and again it wasn't enuff to feed all the guests....aiyayayayayaya....we underestimated this group of piranhas.

Beautiful CS and YS.
JS used a Leica lens that evening to create all these super blur pic with depth of feel *he said*

Wilbur and William
so u see the lens only focused on one person while the rest were all blurred out.

I have very strong arms....dun play play ok?
all thanks to lifting my Le Creuset pots and pans.

Very beautiful pic of Sal with the fuchsia background.
i never knew that this color is so lasting for all occasions :))))

After a hearty burpy meal she's all eppy :))))))
this is wat I call a rare smile from Beautiful CS....her eyes were usually zap-zap-ing never this soft. Wakakakakakakaka

Group pic of us after so much of FOOD and drinks
we forgot to snap pic of dessert - black sesame dumplings in ginger soup. That one was so awesome, guests were asking for 2nd helping too :))))


This lens is not good in taking group pic bcoz it's so blur!!!! esp those ppl at the side. I guess it's only meant to snap food pics huh?

Trying to play some songs under the influence of alcohols. Ppl alwiz thought u'll play better after more alcohols....hahahaha i doubt so. 

Thank you to William and Wilbur for all the beautiful lap mei...not just any lap mei but the one from Michelin starred Yung Kee, Hong Kong :)))))

Till our next dinner yea :)))))
Life is alwiz about eating, drinking and great friends :))))