Swee Kang Chiew Dinner for Chinese New Year @ Home

Chinese New Year is near the corner and as usual there will be lot of eating and eating. This is what Chinese New Year is all about. This “Reunion Dinner” with my in-laws or rather I call it the “Swee Kang Chiew” dinner was held at our house instead of going to a restaurant.

In a few days time every one will be going back to their respective home towns for the spring festival celebration. Some of us are going back to Bagan Serai, some Muar and some going to Singapore.

There wasn’t much of a preparation for this dinner we have it generally a Pot Luck mode and it turn out to be a meaty dinner. My father in law who is still good with his kitchen prowess helped us out in some of the last minute cooking.

What a meaty dinner but it was a fabulous meal for every one of us.

There were white wines for the fish cakes, red wine for the roasted duck, beer and whiskey for the roasted pork belly. I hope every one had a good evening & dinner for this special occasion of Chinese New Year.

Roasted pork belly slab was bought from Ah Bing Chicken Rice of Sri Rampai. Even though it was prepared in the morning, the crispiness of this Siew Yok was still there for us to enjoy.

Hock Chew fish balls with minced meat soup in the balls was cooked at home and it was a delicious soup.

Beggar chicken ordered from Restoran New Heong Kee of Ulu Klang. The chicken was still warm when we broke clay cast. It was interesting with it unusual way of savouring this food.

So was this fish cake delicacy from Heong Kee.

This BBQ Char Siew was a killer, every one liked it so much, it actually melts in the mouth and was skillfully home cooked by Ah Chan. We want more.

The famous roast duck from Loong Foong of Paramount Garden was also made available on the table. The duck meat was awesome.

The trouble and hassle of preparing beggar’s chicken at MRR2, Ulu Kelang.

My lovely wife Jo was surprised with a birthday cake at the end of the dinner. Thank you to Hwee Wen for the secret arrangement of the yummy cake. And a hApPy HaPpy BirThDay to Heong.

Traditional Herbal Soup @ Blue Boy Mansion, Jalan Tong Shing, KL

I found an interesting place for traditional herbal soup though this place has been in existence since 1985 and I truly love this place as far as soup is concerned.

I parked my car at the old Cathay cinema site at Jalan Bukit Bintang and took a hunt for this place. It was an interesting search and I found it. It is actually situated at the ground floor of the Blue Boy Mansion @ Tong Shin Road.

The interior is neat and clean with old white wall glazed tiles that you cannot get them anymore.

Another entrance to the restaurant from the back of Plaza Magnum (Jalan Pudu).

While waiting for a friend to come I ordered a bowl of soup No.9.

In this A4 size print out menu there are exactly 11 types of soup for you to choose. And your choice will depend on the condition of your body and your medicinal needs…. How interesting in deed. Eat and be healthy why not.

This is described in the menu for Soup No.9 - "Would strengthen the immunization and promote the growth of immune cells Enrichment for elderly, harmonise the heart pulse, regulate the blood and Qi, painful veins, cold cough, night cough with phlegm, bronchitis, osteoarthritis, protect the liver".

As usual I would ask for fresh chilli for my meal but was told that chilli does not go with the herbal soup as it will nullify the medicinal value of the soup. In fact there are 4 things that you cannot find in this restaurant i.e. Chilli, Ice, Tea & Sweet & sour sauce. This is another interesting fact of traditional herbal soup.

My friend had this soup no.11 “The warm herbal strengthening Soup consisting of 6 tonics with pig’s tail bone and not suitable for those having cold fever, constipation, sore throat and dry throat.

As described in the menu - “Remove rheumatism, waist pain, spinal aches, feeble waist and knee, hand and foot paralysis, invigorate the waist, to strengthen the kidneys & to enrich Qi and blood.”

Besides the 11 types of soup served here there are also standard "Tai Chow" dishes. We tried these dishes and were delicious. The prices are reasonable and I will come back for more soup. Thank you Mr. Huang Hai Xiang for providing this lovely soup based cuisine.

We opted for unpolished rice for our healthy meal.

Jade Garden Restaurant 聚苑补品楼

Jalan Tong Shin, Kuala Lumpur

6011-C, Blue Boy Mansion, Jalan Tong Shin,

50200 KL.

          Tel: 016 910 9117

GPS : 3.144912,101.705921

Siew Wah 60th Birthday Bash @ Restoran Best Palace, Kuala Lumpur

A night to mark Siew Wah 60^th birthday with friends at a quiet hide out in Kuala Lumpur. Restoran Best Palace is tucked & secluded at a corner of an industrial area known as Taman Perindustrian KIP somewhere near the vicinity of Sri Damansara area.

The cheese cake was awesome and thanks to Cheng for contributing this wonderful cake for a wonderful occasion like this.

With these noisy and whiskey loving friends around in the restaurant, a quiet Best Palace has become lively. The food is nothing extravagant but merely a simple Chinese cuisine for a change. What was important is the friendship that we will cherish as much as we can.

We started off with some lovely bites which went well with our drinks and this was the calamari fried with salted eggs. The squids were juicy with appetising smell from the crisps.

Another type of bites before we go full force with the dinner. Home made Tofu.

Braised pork trotter with mixed vegetables and black moss (fatt choy) was fantastic the whole group of the makan crew just loved it.

Sweet soy sauce fried prawns were tremendously delicious, they were fresh, juicy and succulent ...... yummy yum yum.

Stir fried Kai Lan veggie was as good as the rest of the dishes on the table.

Leeks stir fried with roasted pork were nostalgic for me, my late dad's favourite dish and my mum would cook this for him every reunion dinners. It was a great recollection especially Chinese New Year is so close and I am not going back to Penang this year what a pity.

Steamed fish head (Soong Yee) with finely chopped ginger was spicy good and the strong aroma of ginger was so comforting.

On the table where the food was laid upon us for the celebration of a good friend's birthday. Happy Birthday to Siew Wah again.

Bitter gourd cooked with chicken was a last minute add-on dish, we like variety and we enjoy food.

Braised Pork belly (Tong Po Yuk) a dish not meant for us I just stole a snap for my blog. Looks good and I reckon it must be good we will try this next time.

This is the handsome birthday boy with Jan. They are a truly matching couple in deed.

Husband & wife were in great form and they had a lot to deliver and we were happy to listen.

The honorary members of the eating crew enjoying a good evening of friendship where whiskey is a common love and a universe language to us. Who is next in the list for a birthday bash?

Restoran Best Palace 

150, Jalan KIP 8, Taman Perindustrian Kip, 
52200 Kuala Lumpur
Tel : 019-387-2933 (Elaine)
GPS : 3.202489,101.605692