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/

Ipoh Art Mural

 

Hello there....whatcha doin?
trying to reach for the caged birds? wanna set them free?

I can't reach either!!! 
I'm just petite and tiny like you too, gal.

Now lemme help you...this is the least that I could do. Don't think the stool can carry my weight. Wahahahaha.

so over the CNY, Monkey & JS & hobbits were in the Land of Chicken Hor Fun, silky soft Tau fufah, intense curry mee, fat juicy bean sprouts and not forgetting all the beautiful porcelain skinned ladies.

and as visitors we must do wat other visitors do. :)))) So we ventured to the Ipoh old town and hunt down the street art wall mural works. Specifically works of Ernest Zacharevic but there were oso other pieces by local artist.

such as this one by a local artist. 

Uncle!!! i wanna buy bananas since it's the year of the Monkey.

Notice the difference in terms of brush strokes, colors, styles, perspective. There were only 7 art murals done by Zacharevic namely the Girl, Paperplane, Old Uncle with Coffee Cup, Hummingbird, Kopi O, Evolution and Trishaw. You can visit all by foot as it's pretty near except that the weather was a killer on that day, so we were hop in and out of the car.

At a kopitiam. Done by another local artist at Concubine Lane 3. So what were they serving at this Coffee House?

Hold ur chopsticks and enjoy your Curry Noodle!!!
From a different angle, it looked different so do make sure u get a nice frontal shot. Wall murals are painted to be viewed from the front I guess.

"Hey I-Ching, do u know that your hometown has the best Curry Noodle ever? Ever!!!!"
I-Ching: "It's more than just Curry Noodle my dear :)))"

Concubine Lane 3 is really a lane.

Now why would they name their lanes concubine? oh well long long ago, when Ipoh was famed for its tin mining, all the lanes around this area from Concubine Lane 1 to Yi Lai Hong (Concubine Lane 2) and Concubine lane 3 were a thriving den of prostitution, opium and gambling. Soon the men began keeping mistresses around this area for their pleasure. 

Today is a magnet for all the shutter bugs like me hahahaha for the town council has spent quite a bit beautifying this area with an Ipoh Heritage Trail.

Another artwork by Ernest Zacharevic - Old Uncle with Coffee Cup

situated just opposite the Ipoh Tourism office and on the side wall of Old Town Coffee. It's a huge mural covering the entire side wall.

It takes a lot of patience if u wanna fit the entire wall onto your frame. Reason being, mainly are the never ending distractions. You will have 2 choice....either u wait and have that lucky window of moment to click ur shutter at the right time....or.......just tell all those ppl anad cars and motorbikes, bicycles to move aside just for u.....

Uncle....can move aside boh??? u won't be able to get the entire thing if u stand so near....

after a few minutes...already told u...u gotta stand nearer to snap it....

then there were a few visitors who stood there to shield themselves from the scorching afternoon heat.

-_-"

Once the crowd dispersed, a hero car rolled in and park itself there...
Champion....

big sigh...told ourselves ohmmmmm it's Chinese New Year...let's learn to control our emotion amid the hot sticky afternoon.

JS cropped the pic and say this will do.....
okie lar......can lar....

Paperplane by Ernest Zacharevic.

He painted this with a crane...I wondered how does artist paint it from their point of view as the perspective and size differs from where we stood and from right smack in front of the wall.

Kopi O by Ernest Zacharevic

Such a hot day and we totally deserve really really iced cold Ipoh coffee :))))) *slurped*

Titled "Evolution" also by the same artist

The tin mining machine and the limestone hills on the background. Again not easy to shoot bcoz just so many distractions like the 2 cones there.

or distraction from other visitors or traffics or inconsiderate ppl parking right in front of this mural to view it. Sigh......this is manners. To enjoy art pieces, one needs to be considerate. Just like letting ppl out from the lifts before you enter...manners ppl!! Manners!!!!

Still best viewed from the front.
There were other murals done around this street by local artist too.

Hummingbird by Zacharevic
the tree has gone.....what a shame!!!! the bird was supposed to be facing a tree!!!

Tree is gone and cars are everywhere. Mostly non-Ipoh car plates.

My favourite works of all would be this - Trishaw
Ernest Zacharevic has made a huge name for himself after his works in Penang has gone viral globally. A Lithunian based in Penang, well done!!!

Uncle!!! How much more to load? Where is the recycle centre???

Uncle no reply me oh!!!

Looks like it's gonna be long.....I'm burning here~~~~JS u mind helping?

It's taller than me, he said!!!!

Yaaay!!!! Now we can move!!!! Let's go let's go!!!

But JS decided he wanna collect more old newspaper first...

Old Newspaper~~~~
Paper lama paper lama

Sau kaoo bou ji!!!

Oh well, if u grew up in Msia u will understand the above. 
He sure looked determined and very much on the ball when it comes to performing his duties.

Shhhhhhh Quiet......
this was done by local art teacher along Hugh Low Street

Tickle!!!!


Follow me instead :))))

For more information and its location, visit the Ipoh Tourism website below:
http://www.ipoh-city.com/attraction/art_of_oldtown/

http://www.ipoh-city.com/attraction/Ipoh_Wall_Art_Mural/