absolut ginger

Yvonne has been telling us about this place, so we decided to make a trip down to Hulu Langat over the weekend for delicious Thai food. Further, the lunch is going to be on a friend who had just won RM1,000 cash during her recent company annual dinner lucky draw.. so, it’s pigging time!

The very obscure signboard

The place is indeed out of civilization! If you miss the small sign pointing leading to the restaurant, that’s it. You probably would not find it. Even Yvonne who has been there a few times with her family and colleagues also slowed down to look for the place. I think we passed by this place during one of my photography trips.

When we made a turn into the place, we were greeted with greenery and lalangs. LOL. It was indeed a very sangkalah place. The moment we reached the restaurant overlooking the pond, we were excited. We were amazed that such place could be found in the middle of nowhere. We went “Wahhh…” and were delirious even when we got down the car and couldn’t wait to sample the food.

Since we were early, there were still many empty tables. We decided to sit at a corner overlooking the pond. The ordering process started with ordering of tody (fermented alcoholic coconut drink). Haha. I felt like we are hard core drinkers. Anyway, stout in cans were out of stock, we didn’t want to order one whole bottle and couldn’t finish it. Stout is nice to go with tody. So we just ordered one small bottle of tody to be shared among us.

We ordered the seafood tom yum, grilled salted fish, spicy chilli lala, grilled cockles, kerabu sotong, black pepper crab, grilled crab and a plate of vege. The seafood is quite fresh here, so I guess that’s the main factor that brings in the crowd, despite being located in such a secluded area. For so many dishes, the damage was about RM160+. Quite ok lah for fresh seafood. (Ratings applied from 1 to 10 – 10 being very yummy! Based on consensus’ taste among 4 of us)

Tom Yum Seafood (6/10)

Grilled Salted Fish (6/10)

Spicy Chilli Lalas (8/10)

Grilled Cockles (3/10)

Kerabu Sotong (4/10)

Black Pepper crabs (9/10)

Grilled Crab (7/10)

A quick search on the internet shows there are many listings pointing to the restaurant. So, this is nothing new. Here’s a blog with pretty decent pictures and write up. If you would like to know how to get there, perhaps you can try using a map here.

My take/tips on this place.

1. The seafood is fresh. So it earns many bonus points here.

2. Price is quite reasonable.

3. Not advisable to visit during rainy days, I guess the tracks could be slippery and dangerous.

4. Not advisable to visit at night. My friend said, this place is infested with mosquitoes at night. And the drive there could be treacherous as there is no road light leading to the place.

5. Paku pakis – the favorite order for vege is always out of stock.. so perhaps you should try coming on weekdays instead of weekends or maybe, bring your own paku pakis? Haha!

6. Tody has quite an interesting taste. Perhaps, should try one with stout next time.

7. Kids will love it here! You can buy fish pellets and feed the fishes in the pond.. before you eat them. Haha!

8. The black pepper crab is a must order! So is the chilli lala! The grilled salted fish is so so to me. The cockles were overcooked. My mom makes better kerabu. They have this really good condiment for dipping though – made from chilli, garlic and sour plum.

9. The down side is probably the presence of flies. I was told by a friend during his visit, it was infested with flies. We did too, but a few flies here and there, nothing major though.

10. I think there are many better seafood restaurants in KL, but what makes this place special is probably its ambiance. Lau Heong is STILL my favorite in terms of price, location, service, taste and quality of food.

8 Comments | In: Kindred Spirits, Makan-makan | | #
Posted by Gina

I think to me – friends = food. Whenever there is a gathering of sort, we would dine wine and laugh our hearts out. Since the busy September, I didn’t have time to meet with friends. So, October is a time to catch up … before my trip to Shanghai on 20th, that is.

This month, I didn’t waste much time. Ever since I came back from Bangkok, I have arranged to meet some friends over the past two weeks that had me feeling utterly exhausted. Firstly, to meet up with Kat & Rob who were in Malaysia for a two weeks’ break before heading back to their daily grind in the United Kingdom. Then, also to meet up with Dimples whom I haven’t seen in two years. She, too was back from the UK for a month holiday. Of course, I always take friends to my favorite restaurant – Lau Heong. I can safely say 10 out of 10 friend love Lau Heong! Except for Rob – he finds the nam yue chicken wing taste a little bit weird. He’s an ang moh. What do you expect lah? LOL!

Nyonya Fried Rice

Just when I thought the hectic week was over, I was dragged (lol) to karaoke at Redbox at the Gardens on Saturday morning. Well, this is not my usual routine. I hardly sing. Unless you want to hear how a chicken screamed before slaughter, then you may invite me. The food at Redbox was kinda good. The Nyonya fried rice is not that bad. However, the song selections were not too great. Most of the songs I knew were no longer there.. geez… actually, it’s a sign of old age. LOL! Probably I should search the songs I like in oldies. Haha! By the way, Datin, ML and Curly could really sing! Ada bakat to join One in a Million!

There was a terrible jam on Saturday. It was only 4 pm when I got home then, I saw the crawl going downtown KL. I didn’t what the fuck was happening till a friend told me, they had road blocks. Policemen were not doing anything but sitting like lame ducks. And it was for the stupid election in Bagan Pinang. Hello? This is KL? What the fuck is the road block doing in KL when the election is in Bagan Pinang, Port Dickson?  Or was it for the MCA EGM? Please lah. Go lah do something useful. Waste of tax payers’ money and time! @#$%^&*

After a few winks of sleep, I prepared myself to go out second round with Popiah and SureWin. Popiah was caught in the bloody, brainless jam. So we ended having dinner at 9 pm. We were supposed to go try some bak kut teh but eventually didn’t go because the girls wanted to try something else, so I took them to Like to Eat.

Walnut & Almond tong sui!

We ended the night with Hong Kong style dessert at Dim Pan Ko Ko in Kepong. Here, I found the walnut – almond tong sui! Well, of course it was not as fresh and “minty” compared to the one I had in Macau, but I guess this would temporary ease the cravings till my next visit to Macau! The glutinous rice ball coated with peanuts is quite good too!

Glutinous rice balls

Next day, I woke up early for dim sum at Jin Xuan Hong Kong restaurant at Damansara Jaya. Well, it’s really unthinkable to wake up at 7.15 am on Sunday morning to go for dim sum! I guess this place need not any introduction as we saw many stools outside for waiting customers. It was a good thing we got there early and skipped all the crowds to enjoy some dim sum. Not bad! I guess I would bring my family here one day.

Shang Yok Pao

Siew Mai

We went to One Utama to lurk around and shop for some toiletries before heading to Jinjang to have our hair cut. Haha! Why Jinjang? Well, it’s quite cheap and the salon lady boss is good! I usually go there for my twice yearly hair coloring. Popiah would get her hair curls and SureWin straighten. Popiah will be going to do afro style for next CNY! I can’t wait to see the results!

Bean sprout & chicken rice

Blended ginger!

We had late lunch after our hair treat at Restoran Honghong at Desa Aman Puri. They serve really good hainanese chicken rice. They have two choices of chicken – a “normal” chicken for normal people (lol!) or “kampong chicken” for the health freaks. Of course we opted for normal chicken. Kampong chicken has no meat! We ordered some fishball to go with the chicken and bean sprout. It was a good and wholesome meal for hungry stomachs! The best part is, the meal came with blended ginger condiment apart from the usual chicken rice chilli! I love it!

All photos taken with my new mobile phone – Sony Ericsson C901. I don’t think it’s that great also.. sigh..

10 Comments | In: Kindred Spirits, Makan-makan | | #
Posted by Gina

Two weeks before the wedding, my first aunt decided to give the house a new look by painting everything! Imagine, she has the whole year to do so but she only started to paint the gate two weeks before the wedding. Three days before the wedding, she decided to paint the brickwall fence. She decided to spring clean the store room on Saturday morning before relatives came in throngs!

At first, I asked the family if they would like to have a buffet dinner the night before the wedding so I could get people to cook for us. My mom shot down the idea. They decided not to have anything at all. Mana tau, my mom and aunts decided to cook for the family, relatives and some friends on Saturday. The preparation for the dinner started a week earlier – buying ingredients, setting the menu, etc. My aunts from Taiping came to our house on Tuesday night itself and started to prepare things for the Saturday cook out.

On the Saturday morning, all aunts were busy cooking to prepare dishes to be presented at the ancestral altar. There were lobak (meat spring roll, taiping style), fish, stir fried vegetables, acar, yam cake, nam yue chicken, pig’s intestines soup, etc. It was said that, there should be 12 dishes on the table as offering to the ancestors to ask them for blessings for the wedding.

After pouring tea and wine 3 rounds in each tea cup and glass, my sis kow tow to the ancestors 12x to show respect and pray for good marriage and good luck.

Then, my mom “puak puay” by flipping two coins and throwing them on the ground – if the coins showed one side up and one side down, meaning the spirits of the ancestors had arrived to consume the food and gave their blessings for the wedding. Things were rather smooth because every time my mom flip the coins and threw them on the ground, it was always affirmative.

The entire afternoon was spent entertaining relatives and friends that came intermittently. Imagine, we had to prepare the table, warm up the dishes, scooping rice, washing the dishes, etc around the clock till night time! And I was in charge to check in outstation guests at Vistana Hotel and the guests all came at different hours that I had to make 3 trips to the hotel that day!

By the time we finished helping out at the kitchen and making sure all things are packed for the big day on Sunday, it was already 2 am. And I had to wake up at 5.30 am with my sister to follow her to my cousin’s makeup studio at 6 am. After brushing teeth and changing clothes, we headed out to the makeup studio. It was an auspicious day to get married because my other cousin sis is registering on the same day too! So, she was also there at our cousin’s makeup studio. I took a picture of the three of them and my sis was excited to compare it with a picture taken of the three of them some 10 years ago during her 21st birthday!

It was a mad rush at home at 7.30 am. Imagine, there were 15 people in the house and all wanted to use the bathroom and getting dressed in the morning. The whole scenario really pumped up the adrenaline to the max!

Thank God for the fairly good weather. There were drizzles the night before so it was not a very hot morning. However, with some 40 – 60 people walking around the house, you could imagine the heat emitted from everybody. I was practically drenched in my own sweat to the verge of drowning! I couldn’t bear to watch the video because I believe I would be seeing myself wiping my sweat frantically at every scene or me showing disgusted face whenever simian-like kids running around the house, knocking everything and blocking the walkways and their parents were too busy (body) to care!

Night dinner started well before 8.45 pm. I guess it’s a good timing considering there were 60 tables this time.

I wish to thank all my friends for their helping hands during the two busiest days. Thank you to friends who came and also those who didn’t come. Hahah! It was a good thing to have good friends around to celebrate my only sister’s happiest day in her life.

8 Comments | In: Celebrations, Kindred Spirits | | #
Posted by Gina

After Wednesday registration, my mind was tired. I went home to edit some pictures then I slept rather late at 2 am. I went to work at 8 am the next morning in a daze.

The following night, I had dinner at Lau Heong with Datin and Curly. It was good to see Curly again. This time he’s back to Malaysia for good. At night, I selected some pictures to be made into a video and songs for my sis’ wedding reception night.

On Friday night, I went shopping for some cosmetics and then, made a dinner appointment with Jane, WL and Yip at Dragon I. I was looking forward to the weekend because I just want to catch up with some winks of sleep. I was really sleep deprived.

Come Saturday, I dragged my sorry ass to work in order to replace my Saturday duty for next weekend because, it’s the eve of my sis’ big day – the wedding reception on 20.09.2009.

The moment the clock hit 1 pm, I was already packed and ready to go home for a good lunch (by the way, the nam yue fried chicken is great, mom!) and some very much needed shut eye.

As I was watching tv with the children and QQ snuggling next to me, I was on my way to dreamland when the  house phone rang at 2.30 pm. To my annoyance, the call was for me.  Bloody hell! Nobody calls me at home anymore since I start using mobile phone except for some clueless girl who asked me for notes at 7 am and got screwed by me big time – that was many years ago!

I thought of an aunt I bumped into while I was at my cousin sis’ makeup studio with my sister on Wednesday. She relentlessly tries to get me to try some direct selling products in order to lose weight. I cringed before I picked up the phone, hoping that it’s not her.

Caller: You are at home?

Me: Yes…

Caller: Why are you still at home?

Me: WHO ARE YOU? *pissed*

Caller: It’s me, Lil.

Me: What’s the big matter that you have to call my house phone? *pissed*

Caller: BIG MATTER LOR. You never pick up your handphone.

Me: WHAT MATTER SO DAMN SHIT BIG? *pissed*

Caller: ……. Aren’t we supposed to meet up at 1.45 pm at Yvonne’s house?

Me:…….. HOLY FUCK! LOL!!! *Feeling guilty*

Caller: Now you remember??

Me: HOLY SHIT! I really forgot!! HAHAHAHAHAHHA!!!!

I could hear Yvonne talking on the background, cursing me.

Caller: We don’t care lah. You must belanja coffee.

Me: Ok ok.. next time lah.

Caller: So you are not coming?

Me: No.. sorry. I am really tired.. and I am sorry that I really forgot!

Caller: Ok lah. Then don’t say we go lunch without you!

Me: I won’t. I am really sorry.

Caller: Ok bye.

10 seconds later, the house phone rang again…

Lil: Wei.. Yvonne’s mom made you some nyonya bak chang leh.

Me: Aiyoh…

Lil: Are you coming over nearby Loke Yew tomorrow?

Me: No… aiyah… I see you girls lah in Bangsar!

Lil: Ok ok.. then we see you lah.

I didn’t even take my bath, changed into some fresh clothes and hit the road at 100 kmph. I reached Bangsar Shopping Center at 2.56 pm.

Me: Hello. I am here already.

Lil: So fast ah??? We are just on the way.. TBH is driving. LOL!

Me: Yes.. so now, you girls are late. Not me. LOL!

Lil: Wei.. because of you we are starved since 1.45 pm okay.

Me: Ok ok. See you at the lobby.

Five minutes later, I received sms from Lil. *We are here.. parking at Capital Square*

*ALARMED!*

Me: Wei?? I thought we are supposed to meet at Bangsar Shopping Center?

Lil: No lah.. Capital Square mah.

Me: Bloody….

Lil: Kidding lah. We are at BSC liao. Wait for us at Monte’s.

Me: Geez…

Look at what I might have missed if I didn’t go to the lunch appointment.

Left row top to bottom: Bread & butter, mushroom soup, baked potato skins

Middle row top to bottom: Gourmet Beef Steak Burger, Prawn & Chicken Combo

Right row top to bottom: Seafood salad, Spaghetti Vongole & Apple pie ala mode

My favorite – Peach melba

I wonder if gingko biloba would really help to improve memory? And I really THANK GOD for forgiving and understanding friends!

5 Comments | In: Bitch & Whine, Drama, Kindred Spirits | | #
Posted by Gina

Posted in my old blog on 1 June 2005 @ 8.39 pm

10 Comments | In: Celebrations, Kindred Spirits | | #
Posted by Gina