十年咯

一眨眼已经在同一家公司工作了十年，公司选择在今年最后第二天给我们这些‘老员工’颁‘老人奖’。奖品虽然不贵重，但我还是满心温暖。这十年来所学的、所接受的、所成长的……千金难买哦！

这样子，就十年咯……

芯荟,安息吧~

经过了一年多的顽强抗争，芯荟在短短的一生当中以我们成人都无法想象的斗志挨过了一关又一关，最终，在今天早上离开人世。

对她而言，这应该是最好的解脱……

原她安息……

双峰塔颂

我不知道有多少大马人和我一样，以Petronas Towers为荣。但我觉得这么宏伟壮观的建筑物实在让人看了心广神怡。这，才称得上地标。

摩天楼重点不在高度（因为过了某一个threshold上看下看左看右看反正就是‘摩天’），而是那镇得住场、叫人看第一眼会抽气屏息的‘气质’。我们到台北101时，台北101仍然拥有着“世界最高摩天楼”的荣衔。然而，即使已经走到101脚下，抬头望，仍然没有半分惊艳。那一刻，我想着我们的双峰塔……建筑原本就是一门艺术。和音乐家一样，快歌不是奏得越快就越好的。

好的音乐家把歌曲奏得动听，伟大的音乐家把歌曲奏进你的心底。

好的建筑师把建筑当工程，伟大的建筑师把城市当画布。 

那一天，我从迪斯哥逃出来，脑袋被轰炸得混混浊浊的。有点儿在钢骨水泥里迷失的慌乱。无意中抬头，熟悉的双峰塔很梦幻地屹立眼前，我轻易地就找回了心灵上的安静。一种纯粹被‘美’感动的平静。

我也有个读建筑的表弟，希望有一天，他也能这样子让我感动……

Midori Japanese Steamboat & Buffet Restaurant at Fahrenheit 88

OK, basically we totally didn't plan to go to this restaurant at all. We were targeted for Moussandra actually. However, by the time we reached there, the shop is already closed. The group was tired and hungry so we decided to 'cincai' pick one restaurant in Fahrenheit 88.

When we walked by Midori Japanese Steamboat & Buffet Restaurant, we saw the promotion sign -- "RM35++ for hi-tea buffet". We went in to survey and love the variety of food that they are offering. I'm sure there are more than 100 types of food for us to choose. There are Japanese, Western, local, steamboat, and most importantly, they serve 8 different flavours of Häagen-Dazs in one of their dessert counter. Everyone was so excited that we all started to get our food from the counters almost immediately after payment.

Everyone ran to the sushi counter for a quick start



Food quality (in term of taste)?? Average lo~

Ambiance?? Great (because we're the only customer there! Ha ha!)

Value for money?? Definitely! What can you eat with RM35++ in KL? Here you can get sushi, handroll, tempura, sashimi, ramen, udon, steamboat (with lots of seafood to choose from and 4 types of soup), salad, shark fin soup, roast beef/chicken/mutton, dimsum, cakes, puddings, Haagen-Dazs ice-cream, chocolate fondue etc. "Dai Dou Lan La~"

Will you recommend this restaurant to your friends?? Well, if you so happen feeling hungry when you are at Fahrenheit 88, and it is already way past lunch time, maybe you should consider drop by Midori.
Will I return to this shop?? No lah~ what for?? I'm sure there are many other greater places for me to explore.

邂逅镒记

镒记在马来西亚的foodblog圈子里头小有名气，主要是因为它是吉隆坡繁忙商业地带里的一家老字号，以八十多年的海南咖啡店文化吸引了一批又一批食客。

我在网上读了几个foodblog，被照片引诱得口水直流。为了这个诱人的Roast Pork Roll with Apple Sauce，我发誓此趟KL行吃不着就不回家！
同行的或许怕我真的发狂在吉隆坡赖死不走，星期五一到吉隆坡就赶紧打电话预定了一卷（这数量词用得对不对啊？）烤猪肉卷。RM130一卷。不贵哦！

注意哦，只能预定烤猪肉卷但不能预定座位哦！

星期日我们check out后就像游客似的，浩浩荡荡出发。从Dang Wangi轻快铁站走向镒记半途中已经可以嗅见香味，免不了让我想起Disney卡通人物随着香味“飘”到食物面前的画面。

待我们走到店门口也只不过是将近中午，但各个入口处已经排着长龙。我们一行11人兵分三路，其中两组人各在不同的队伍中排队，我和Bong则负责到处拍照。
我们到达镒记时也只不过中午，但Roast Pork Roll只剩下最后一又四分之一卷，当然，一卷是我们预定的，那四分之一没两下子也被一扫而光。当我们终于等到位子，坐下来慢慢享受时，其他顾客看着我们大快朵颐的那羡慕眼神可是无价的！（它的Roast Pork Roll with Apple Sauce只在星期五和星期日两天早上十一点出炉，先到先得，卖完为止。）


最后的四分之一卷



作为一间八十多年的海南咖啡店，它当然不会只靠一个roast pork roll‘吃糊’

在咖啡店里到处乱钻，意外地完全没有被人责骂或阻挠。店员们都文质彬彬地excuse me excuse me，搞得我也不好意思。

咖啡店里，我特喜欢店后边那小小的冲泡咖啡的空间。黄色木架子呈一种老去的浪漫，那一种属于以往时光的浪漫。阳光从天井轻轻洒下，在泛黄的墙上写着岁月的故事。

八十多年了，究竟有多少杯的香浓咖啡在这儿冲泡，而究竟又满足了多少个单纯的欲望……

在马来西亚，有时候，老店内的一杯浓浓咖啡乌，比任何一个世界连锁咖啡馆里的高级咖啡更能满足挑剔的、地道的味蕾。再加上缓缓旋转的铜风扇、泛白的云石老圆桌，结实耐久的黑木椅子，那应该是海外大马人最具体的乡愁之一……







第一道被端上桌的是老店招牌--Roti Babi。虽然不至于让我们惊为天人，但朴实无华的点心自有它在推荐榜上屹立不到的原因。面包扎实但松软（是不是自制的呢？那天忘记问），馅是简简单单的肉炒小葱头，简单得像我们家里准备的早餐或下午茶。很亲切的美味。

Roti Babi

第二道端上的是海南炒米粉。这可让我们折服了。我一直都相信，搞饮食的，要是能把最简单的食材做得好吃，那它菜单上的食物必有一定的水准。这炒米粉真的超级简单的，就只有肉片、鱼饼、青菜，并洒上很多的油葱。跟着炒米粉一起送上的还有一小碟酸柑sambal。就这样，我们就爱上镒记了。

接着送上的是French Toast with Kaya。个人觉得kaya稍微太甜了（但反正我的甜度适应力与正常人的threshold有一大段距离，倒是不能作准），同行的却个个赞好。我问食神：“什么这么好？”。他说：“这就是kaya咯。”呵呵。

Roast Pork Roll with Apple Sauce

刚为空腹打底，我朝思暮想的roast pork roll终于送上。肉食动物如我根本无法抗拒这样的诱惑。瘦肉肥油加上香料给卷上，外头裹着猪皮，绑上后拿去烤。猪皮烤得香脆带焦，不点浆单吃已经很美味了。点上苹果浆又是另一番风味。浓郁果香中和了肉的油腻，可以多吃几块呢！我在网上找了这roast pork roll with apple sauce的价钱，一碟两片要RM10。我们十一人吃这么一卷烧肉卷平均一人吃三片，才RM130，很值得哦！

其实我们两桌还点了很多食物（那桌发育中的年轻小伙子差不多把墙上剪报提到的食物都点上，食物才摆满圆桌就狂风扫落叶似的一扫而空，然后再点，再一扫而空。吃流水席似的，把刚刚过了发育年龄的阿Bong吓呆了），只是我忙着大快朵颐，哪有时间一碟一碟地拍？

吃饱后大家很满足地离去，个个都说下次一定要再来……



连酱油也是老一辈记忆中的
“红毛豆油”

怎么去？
游客最容易的是乘轻快铁到Dang Wangi车站。走出车站后跨过Sungai Kelang(其实是大水沟一条）到对岸，然后往左走，到了Jalan Dang Wangi（这时左边远处已经可以看见KL Tower了）往右走，三分钟之内你一定会嗅到空中充溢着食物香味，然后看见长长的人龙。这就到啦！

镒记茶餐馆
地址：35, Jalan Dang Wangi, Kuala Lumpur.

营业时间：8am至5pm（周一休息）

电话：03-2698 8108

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记忆中的vs现实中的“富山”

小时候，“富山”是怡保最火红的点心餐馆。每一天凌晨五点多，店里已坐满晨运回来的银发组，要找个空位子可是难如登天。然而，大家都爱委屈地站在桌子旁等候‘猎物’吃完点心，一家大小分布餐馆各角落霸位的例子比比皆是。

那时候，“富山”是槟城亲友到怡保探望我们时必到的餐馆。我怀念那个外头黑漆漆，里头香喷喷的感觉，非常温馨的。点心车一辆一辆地过，我们一笼一笼地拿。大人们爱煞酿辣椒，我则超爱他们的叉烧包（那是我一生中吃过最美味的叉烧包，皮软馅香，那叉烧炒得香喷喷的，馅汁不多不少刚刚好）。

只是，或许是老厨师已经不在了，“富山”的食物水准每况愈下。许多从槟城南下的食客都已经把目标转向“明阁”。自从“富山”搬到“明阁”对面，我每一次路过，看见那富丽堂皇的装潢，以及它给予我那非常儒雅悠闲的感觉，我总是按捺不住想要进去尝尝。这一次，终于有机会进去在给它一次机会了。

老实说，“烂船也有三寸钉”，食物水准还是属于中上，选择良多。至少在槟城就肯定找不到这样的水准的广东点心。不过，由于新店比以往更大、更多顾客，食物或许得提早准备，早上九点多点的食物大多数已经冷却了，未免令人失望。

不过，当一行十二人同行，再加上当中>80%是发育中的年轻人，只要不至于难以入咽，基本上都可一扫而光，而且，还非常享受当中过程呢！

我想，要是他们可以在食物保温上下一点功夫，我应该还是会很享受偶尔到富山饮茶的。毕竟，这新店宽广，没有老店或明阁那种拥挤迫促。“饮早茶”本来就属于“悠闲文化”，有些时候，只要食物水准不错，“感觉”还是略重要一点点的……（可以不可以到明阁打包芋角花生糊到富山饮茶啊？哈哈！）

我不是要唱衰（五）台湾餐

蕙敏失踪了几百年，突然之间打电话来说她人在大马，惊喜固然是惊喜，但临时搞个小聚会就真的很草率了。
我选择在Auto City，因为那毕竟是中心点。然而，坦白说，Auto City实在没几家真正好吃的餐厅。我一时没了主意，就决定给那家新开张的台湾餐馆一个机会。

这年头搞餐馆的，许多是注重装潢多过食物水准的。这一家就是铁证。

我们点了几道前菜做quality sampling check。肉丸才上来，爱敏就投诉吃到“冰橱味”了。我们却早已坐得舒服了，有点儿懒惰离开，于是继续点菜。

要了两个套餐，上来的“三样佐菜”少得可怜。还好主菜还算咽得入口。

最要命的是甜品和饮料，那是“死甜”的典范。果汁没果味、巧克力没巧克力味，仿如搅拌了一杯白糖水就往甜品和饮料上倒。可怕死了！

还好我们都是懂得自得其乐的人，老朋友几百年见面一次，我们才不会让那小小的食物水准问题影响我们的好心情。只是哦，我有点遗憾咯，蕙敏几百年回大马一次，我竟然让她吃一顿低水准晚餐，真是罪过……

“宜香茶楼”- 唇齿遗香

宜香茶楼是槟城的老字号了。我总是在其他部落格上看见它的大名，却总是没有机会去尝尝。上个星期终于抽空在那儿吃了一顿简单的晚餐。

宜香茶楼店面非常干净明亮卫生，完全没有老店时光洗礼的味道。然而，我倒是非常喜欢它给我的自在感觉。单单为此，就足于让我会经常再去的。

此茶楼早上卖点心，中午晚上卖煮炒。我们由于时间紧蹙，各点了一碟面食。虽然都是很简单的食物，但非常美味，而且选择良多，大家都很满意呢！

期待着下一次的光临……

炸生面

炒大板

石斑蒸河



卖相最不好看，口感却最佳的“招牌面”

香辣卤肉

招牌豆腐

Yee Heong Restaurant
Add : 12.14 Campbell Street, 10100 Penang.
Tel : 04-2616990
Business Hours : 6.00am to 2.30pm, 5.30pm to 9.30pm. (morning session is serving dim sum)
Closed on Thursday

时光烤面包

这些年来，总听爸说这槟城新街后巷老档口的咖啡和烤面包有多美味，只是，这档口在非工作日的周末休息，所以始终只是听说而已。直到几个星期前，我们终于在机缘巧合之下，拜访了这大名鼎鼎的“多春茶座”。

仿如踏入时间隧道似的，一不小心就回到了50年代的槟城，那个我错过的美丽的南洋风情……

我是典型南洋人，烤面包+半生熟蛋+咖啡对我而言是难以抗拒的美味，我甚至可怕得可以在早、午、晚餐甚至宵夜时间吃这样的配搭。所以，多春茶座有多吸引我可想而知。

我们坐在小巷子里头慢慢地聊，让时间缓缓的在身边流过。我握着相机，不安分地，想把时光留住。当然，你知道的，谁留得住穿梭白马呢？应该就只有多春茶座吧，以油桶一物两用，上头煮水，下头火炭烤面包。在这繁忙大城市里，既然劈了一个生活步伐缓慢的小天地……

Kopi Cine

My first visit to Kopi Cine is on BB's birthday. We planned to have dinner at Ingolf actually but Ingolf is as full as usual. Being a usual food blogs bleader, I can easily think of several new restaurants (not really new lah, but those that I've never tried before) to try. So we ended up at the quite street of Stewart Lane. I've read about Kopi Cine many times and from the photos that those bloggers posted, I am expecting romantic warm straits style. I am correct :) I especially love the huge classic old counter, reminded me of all the old kopitiam that I visited as a child.  

Kopi Cine has an interesting menu, where they have separated section for breakfast, lunch and dinner. They have very limited choice of main courses for dinner (less than 8 to choose from). However, I'm sure, with this, they are more specialize in their food and the quality is great!

BB and I decided to share a mezze and a main. Their smoked salmon bruschetta is simply satisfying. I really missed the soft, fresh salmon and the simple combination of taste. The Parmesan Chicken Schnitzel is very interesting, with layers of texture and taste. The salad sauce is very refreshing too.

If there's only one thing that I can complain about this restaurant, it is their price! Of course, it is not really sky high but with both of us ate for almost RM100 with one mezze, one main and one drink each! At least, with this price, I would love to relax in air conditioned environment.

Smoked Salmon Bruschetta

Parmesan Chicken Schnitzel with Mash and Salad

Anyway, I went to Kopi Cine again last weekend, unplanned. (and hence without my DSLR). We were having Amelie Cafe in mind. We wanted to have a relaxing brunch and extremely long chat before I send Xiu Mei to the airport. However, to our surprise, almost ALL the cafes in Georgetown are close on Sunday!! We went round and round and round, until Kopi Cine finally came into my mind. We were so glad that it's open.

I had The Day’s Special -- Lamb Pie with Mashed Potato and Salad while Xiu Mei had Mushroom Bruschetta with Chedda and Parmesan Cheese. Both taste so good that we actually cleaned the plate despite being so full!

I regretted that I don't have my DSLR with me. It's a beautiful Sunday morning and we had great time there (the only complain I have is -- why there's no air-cond?? We are in Malaysia!!) It's so hot that even the cool refreshing lemon and mint frappes can't help to cool me down!

The brunch cost us RM66. Again, though it may not be sky high but it's definitely REALLY expensive for Penang standard. Having say so, I guess I'll still go back there once in a while. You gotta love the food quality that they offer.

我不是要唱衰（四）有风味的泰国餐

槟城贵为美食天堂，要吃一顿美味的食物实在不是什么难事，只是，有时候我觉得有些部落客未免太夸张，好像凡是他们到步一尝的餐馆都是人间美味。总有一些中等或中下水准的吧？

比如说，那天我们就去了一家网上相当有名气的泰国餐厅。对我个人而言，这餐厅的地点决对是一流的。你想想，餐厅就在其中一条姓氏桥的尽头。我们到达的时候，老旧木桥配上蓝天白云，我们仿如浮在水面上，感觉特别有味道。

只是哦，食物一送上就大打折扣了。食物水准普通，Green Curry Chicken和东炎贡份量特小，我们一行七人，碗里头的鸡肉和海鲜都不够分我们一人一块呢！最令人失望的是那一碟lala，炒得太老，蚌类的特有鲜美香味尽失，可惜得很。还好蔬菜炒得还不错，只是份量也是特小的，小虾三两只、菜一两条……槟城人虽然以吃东西份量小著名，但这也未免太过分了。

食物水准普普通通也就罢了，价钱可一点都不便宜哦！我们七人吃了以下六道小小道的菜肴，和一人一杯的Ribine，总共花了RM138。

你要是和我一样，是为了拍照而去，那倒无妨。否则，免了吧~

It's a New ME!!

I love to find every available reasons to celebrate this beautiful life, and what is the better excuse than my own birthday??

This year, I started early.

On the 31st October, instead of celebrating crazy Halloween, I invited 3 friends who share the same "birthweek" with me to my house for a self-celebration-birthday-breakfast-party in my garden. It's bliss to have my mum's fresh-from-the-oven-scones and cheesecake for breakfast, followed by "loh mee" for lunch.

We had great chat, laughter and tears. We shared secrets in the nice cool breeze.....

On the first day of my birthday month, En En and I persuaded mum to have early dinner. Why?? Because both of us want to make good use of my Haagen-Dazs Birthday Month 20% Discount Voucher. We can never resist ice-cream! We drove straight to Auto-City right after dinner. Despite heavy rain, taking home 4 pints of ice-cream is pure satisfying :-)

To make full use of Deepavali holiday, my colleagues had planned for birthday BBQ party for November "birthdayers", and of course, we invited Sasi too, since his birthday fall on Halloween. Thanks to James and his mum, we had great variety of extremely delicious food, and of course, great fun too! To our surprise, we can have the panoramic view of Kulim at Jame's house. When the clock strike 12am, Deepavali is officially announced with unstoppable fireworks!



Birthday present from Wah Chan

Wei Wei, En, Ah Chi, Ah Yuan and Ah Yao accompanied me to watch Megamind for my birthday-eve-celebration. As usual, we bombarded the cinema with our uncontrollable-unstoppable-laugh. After the movie, I collected my birthday present from Wah Chan. (OK, I think I really owe them an free advertisement: I bought a platinum necklace for Wei Wei as her graduation present a few years back. Ever since then, every year, I'll receive an absolutely free birthday present from them. Really, no purchase required! From time to time, I'll receive cards/sms regarding the members' day special. Of course, if you plan to buy some gold or real jewelries, they will give members some 50%~70% discount. However, for non-jewellery lovers like me, you can always go for free gifts, free Starbucks coffee and free sandwiches. I've had a lot of free stuffs at Gurney Plaza Wah Chan for these few years.)

I went for meeting / training as usual, and had another round of birthday cake cutting and birthday song singing session on my birthday-eve. It's a simple celebration but it's sweet to have a group of highly-motivated-positive-thinking-enthusiasts around, singing super high pitch "恭祝你福寿与天齐......"

After the meeting, after our usual post-meeting drinking session, finally, we headed to Uncle Zack by the beach at Parkroyal Hotel.

Wei promised that I can "thong" her on my birthday (and I'm kind enough to remind her to set a budget for me before I decide where to go). With her budget, there are lots and lots of choices in Penang. However, with my new Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G (oh, yes, I do buy birthday present for myself every year), I am dying to test the lens. Uncle Zack definitely is the best choice -- good food at beachfront of Batu Ferringgi. Unfortunately, it changed from drizzling to raining by the time we reached Uncle Zack's. We have no choice but to move to Cool Banana. There's no sunset or romantic candle-light dinner photos to share here but at least I still have the food shots to show off :)

On the actual day of my birthday (finally!), we had breakfast in the garden (yes, AGAIN!). Wei made me a cup of latte to go with the mango cheese cake that mum made a day earlier. Not only that, mum also made "Chai Tou Kuih" (raddish cake) and "Gu Chai Deh" (leek pancake). I can't resist so I end up had breakfast and lunch in one meal.

Latte

My favorite - Gu Chai Deh

Mango Cheesecake

Chai Tou Kuih

After the unplanned brunch, Wei started to get bored. She insisted that she MUST go to hair saloon, almost IMMEDIATELY. Not that I dislike going to hair saloon, just that I didn't see the point to be rush. I am still enjoying the lazy Sunday morning.....

En En is kind enough, willing to be her driver. He dropped her at the hair saloon first while I took my time to shower, chit chat at FB, continue eating, reading newspaper etc. 

When I finally joined Wei at the hair saloon, I requested to have my hair style change, again. The hairdresser probably already run out of ideas on what to do with my head. I guessed that's why he asked his assistant to dye my hair first, and he will come back to me later (take some time to think??). However, I think he likes my adventurous. It must be fun for him to have one or two customers that always challenge him to create something different, or always willing to try something new. When he's cutting my hair, he kept on explaining the style "I made here more bob, here more layered, here longer etc etc etc". He must have thought that I love to change hairstyle because I love fashion. Sigh..... pity him. "Playing guitar to the cow". I love changing hairstyle simply because I love changes :p I hardly understand 80% of his hairstyle-talk actually.

Anyway, I love my new hairstyle. It made me feel fresh. It made me wanted to shout "It's a new me! It's a new me!" as Donald did.

For finale, mum introduced a new recipe -- "酿鸡翅"(Chicken wings with glutinous rice stuffing).

This is a snapshot of how I celebrated my birthday - never ending eating and never ending fun. I am never a real fan of my own birthday celebration actually. I enjoy more on planning birthday celebrations for others. However, I love the feeling that I know I'm loved. I love the fact that life is always full of surprises. I love the self-reminder that I'm a new me every single day.