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Pinkelle tagged me with this meme on my favourite food. My first thought when I read it was “Die la, how to select only ONE?”

Hence the delay coz I’ve been racking my brains trying to think of my favourite food. Have to be careful, k? Your favourite food defines you! I don’t want to be known as the female blogger who loves errr….chicken pie? Not that there’s anything wrong with chicken pie per se, but then people might think…eeeyeeerr…chicken pie? How boring. Then I’ll forever be known as that boring female blogger who loves chicken pie. How how?

Ok, jokes aside…*puts on thinking cap*. Seriously though, it’s not easy for me to select a favourite food because I can no longer eat most of the food that I like due to my sensitive tummy. Chocolates, ice-cream, certain fruits, nasi lemak…I can no longer indulge in them as often as I would like to unless I want to skip work the next day…*wink*

So I suppose I’ll settle with a current favourite that looks like it’s here to stay:

Tau foo fa!

Now, how many of you guessed I would pick that?

This is what I found about tau foo fa from Wikipedia:

Dòuf�?huā (Chinese: �?�?��?�, literally “bean curd flower”), also called Dòuhuā (�?�?�) or dòuf�?n�?o (�?�?��?�), is an extra soft form of doufu (tofu) that is used in both desserts and salty dishes. It slightly resembles a custard.

In Taiwan, douhua is served with toppings like cooked peanuts, azuki beans, cooked oatmeal, tapioca, mung beans and a syrup flavored with ginger or almond. During the summer, douhua is served with crushed ice; in the winter, it is served warm.

In Hong Kong it is known as bean curd dessert, or by the name dau fu fa (�?�?��?�) in Cantonese. There, it can be served with ginger or syrup, and sometimes as a mixture with black sesame paste, and sometimes also with coconut milk. Traditionally it is made with wooden bucket, which is sold as dau fu fa in wooden bucket (�?�桶�?�?��?�). Dau fu fa is also sold as packed cold dessert at supermarkets.

In northern China, douhua is often eaten with soy sauce, thus making a salty flavour.

Douhua is also served as a sweet dessert in Singapore and Malaysia. In those countries it is more commonly known by its names tow huay or tau huay in Southern Min Chinese, or by the name in Cantonese. It is usually served either with a clear sweet syrup alone, with Ginkgo seeds suspended in the syrup, or in a sugar syrup infused with pandan. In Japan, this style of douhua is known as “annin dofu.”

In the Philippines it is known as taho and sold by hawkers in the mornings. It is served warm with a dark brown syrup and sago or tapioca balls.

Personally, I love tau foo fa coz it’s so versatile. It’s lovely taken hot or cold, plain, with ginger syrup, gula melaka (palm sugar) syrup or with soyabean (tau cheong). You can eat it with barley seeds (see top right pic), with mango puree (see left pic) or with lots of different toppings like the one served in Vietnam Kitchen @ 1U (see bottom right pic).

I can never resist a bowl of tau foo fa. Unlike most of my favs, this one doesn’t give me a tummy ache, and one bowl is always just nice…it never fills you up completely and it leaves you kinda wanting abit more.

Among all the tau foo fa stalls that I’ve tried so far, I still think Funny Mountain @ Ipoh is one of the best. It’s not cheap coz the portion is really little (like half a plastic bowl!), but it has that silky smooth texture that drives me nuts everytime I eat it.

And now that you’ve read about my current favourite food, do you feel like eating a bowl? Well, luckily for you, tau foo fa is pretty easy to find. It’s usually sold along the roadside together with soyabean milk, and here are some of the places you can go to enjoy a bowl:

1. There are two tau foo fa shops near TMC @ Lucky Garden. One opens in the morning till about 7pm and is usually located in front of TMC (though recently, I’ve spotted them near Nam Chuan coffeeshop to avoid being detected by DBKL). The other opens at night behind TMC. I never go for the shop that opens at night though coz I once spotted a cockroach making it’s way across the countertop. The tau foo fa from the morning shop is nice and firm, very much like tofu.
2. The Soya Shop @ Hartamas Shopping Centre (ground floor) and Ikano (basement). Their tau foo fa is not as firm as the above shop, and I like the syrup.
3. Ipoh Old Town @ Lucky Garden (next to Nam Chun coffeeshop). Pretty good, but it’s expensive!
4. There’s a stall in a small alley next to Guardian at the junction of Lebuh Ampang and Jalan Tun Perak. The tau foo fa is really cheap (RM1.10 if I remember correctly, and big portions too!) and has a soft, wobbly texture. Lovely when eaten hot together with the soyabean milk. The sugar syrup is just so-so.
5. Funny Mountain (49 Jalan Theatre, 016-595 0369/012-516 1607) @ Ipoh…what can I say? Smooth and silky…it just slides down your throat! Be prepared to queue though!

And in Hong Kong:
6. The Sweet Dynasty (Ground floor, 88 Canton Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, 2199 7799). Famous for their tau foo fa that’s served in a small wooden barrel.
7. Mun Kei Tim Pan (4th and 10th floor of Langham Place, Mongkok)…ever tried tau foo fa with mango puree? An unlikely but absolutely delish combination!

And in Singapore:
8. Jollibean franchise @ Funan (ground floor) and Paragon (basement).
9. Pinle franchise @ Suntec City next to Tony Romas (and Vivocity as well, if I remember correctly).

Now my appetite’s all worked up!

***Start Copy***

Proposition: What is your favorite food in your state or country?

Requirements: Find some info about the food and show delicious pictures of it.

Quantity: FIVE PEOPLE.

Tag mode: You leave their blog and post link and add to the list below.

Mybabybay loves Asam Laksa from Penang, Malaysia
JustMyThoughts loves Penang Char Koay Teow
My Lil Venture loves Laksa Sarawak
Monterssorimum loves Teluk Intan Chee Cheong Fun
Chinnee loves Melaka Wan Tan Mee
PeimunLeah loves Hakka Lei Cha
Hui Sia
Jonamum
Karen loves Pan Mee
Something about Lai loves Crispy duck skin from China
Simple American loves Cheese Enchiladas
Nicole Tan loves Char Tau Kueh
Velverse loves Otak-otak
Kenny Ng loves Jawa Mee
Fatty Poh loves Nasi Dagang Kelantan
wmw loves Kuih Tutu
Lyrical Lemongrass loves Asam Boi
Pinkelle loves Mee Siput and Keropok Lekor
Soo Yin loves Tau Foo Fa

And I tag:
1. M @ Pitter-Potter
2. Geekchic
3. Carrot
4. Mei
5. Lynn

with the usual caveat to ignore me if you don’t do memes!

My attempt to bake the above failed miserably last week. Why? Well, my oven temperature has been all wonky for quite some time, but for some reason, I optimistically thought that I might just get a lucky break this time around.

Right.

So although I baked the brownies at the recommended temperature, the whole tray came out burnt at the top, bottom and sides. And not burnt burnt as in 1st degree…oh no, it was burnt to a crisp, charred, hangus…

Naturally, it didn’t taste all too good and wasn’t at all photogenic, hence the lack of an update post after my baking attempt. M even called them ‘naked brownies’ coz I had to cut off the top, bottom and sides…

Undeterred, I decided to retry the recipe at my mum’s place this afternoon. Not surprisingly, it was perfect, as you would expect from Pierre Hermé’s recipes. It seemed a little weird not to cream the butter and sugar together, and my hands literally itched to sieve the flour, but everything went a-ok. 22 minutes in the oven and the brownies came out with a crinkly, dry top but was nice and moist inside.

And just in time for my dad’s teatime snack…

Ingredients:

1. 5 ounces (145 grams) bittersweet chocolate, preferably Valrhona Caraibe, finely chopped
2. 2-1/4 sticks (9 ounces; 260 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3. 4 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
4. 1-1/4 cups (250 grams) sugar
5. 1 cup (140 grams) all-purpose flour
6. 1-1/4 cups (5 ounces; 145 grams) pecans or walnuts, lightly toasted and very coarsely chopped (keep the pieces large)

Instructions:

1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Butter a 9 x 12-inch (24 x 30-cm) baking pan, fit the bottom with a piece of parchment paper, butter the paper, and then dust the inside of the pan with flour; tap out the excess and set the pan aside.
2. Melt the chocolate in a bowl over �?? not touching �?? simmering water or in the microwave oven. Remove the chocolate from the heat and leave it on the counter to cool slightly. The chocolate should be warm to the touch (no more than 115°F (45°C), as measured on an instant-read thermometer when you mix it with the other ingredients.
3. Working in a bowl with a flexible rubber spatula (or in a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment), beat the butter until it is smooth and creamy but not airy. Stir in the chocolate. Gradually add the eggs, then add the sugar, followed by the flour and nuts, stirring only until each ingredient is incorporated. (If the mixture separates when you add the eggs, use a whisk to blend the batter and continue with the whisk when you add the sugar; go back to the spatula or paddle for the flour and nuts.) This is not a batter to be beaten or aerated.
4. Scrape the batter into the pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake for 19 to 22 minutes; at this point, the top of the cake will be dry, but a knife inserted in the center will come out wet. Transfer the pan to a cooling rack and allow the brownies to cool for 20 to 30 minutes.
5. Run a blunt knife around the edges of the pan and unmold the brownies; remove the parchment paper and turn the brownies over to cool to room temperature right side up. When you are ready to serve, cut the brownies into 18 pieces.

Keeping: The brownies can be wrapped airtight and kept at room temperature for 2 days or frozen for up to 1 month.

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We had dinner plans with K&SY, and they came over to our apartment at 6.30pm to find me and M bleary and blurry from the short nap that we’d taken after our shopping spree. SY had suggested going to Elcerdo for dinner earlier, and since it was just the five of us, we decided to go together in one car.

Before I continue, I’d better clarify that Elcerdo is non-halal and serves pork…sorry ya, no offense to any Muslim readers.

The restaurant is located at Changkat Bukit Bintang (next to Frangipani), and has a few parking lots right in front of the entrance. We were lucky to get a spot right in front as it was starting to rain by the time we arrived. The interior is nice and spacious, though not really conducive for photo-taking as it’s pretty dim. What was interesting was that the decorations around the restaurants were all porcine-inclined. Little piggies, big piggies, piggy photos everywhere!

SY had already pre-ordered a roast piggy to share, so we didn’t have to worry about ordering mains for ourselves. We had help from friendly Andreas with regards to the rest of the meal. He suggested a mixed plate of chorizo and cold cuts for starters, a plate of mango ribs and soft ribs (marinated with rum, if I remember correctly!) plus a pan of pork & seafood paella to share. Mmmm…despite having a chicken & mushroom pie less than 2 hours ago, I was already licking my lips in anticipation of a good dinner!

While waiting for the starter, we were each served a small cup of hot creamy soup with some chewy pork bits in it. I couldn’t figure out what soup it was…K guessed Cauliflower.

The starter soon arrived…boy, did it look good! In addition to the chorizo, we also had pata negra ham with honey melon. I have to confess that I’ve never tried pata negra or chorizo before…it looked too raw for my liking. But looking at hubby and M digging in, I ventured to try a piece and it was good! Especially with the melon…

The mango and soft ribs soon followed and was greeted with ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’. I personally preferred the mango ribs to the other one. It was very very tasty, and cooked to perfection. The meat was tender and not overly dry like the way some restaurants tend to overcook ribs, and it tasted lovely even without the dressing that came together with the dish.

The *star* of the night was the next dish…the roast suckling pig! Practically every table ordered this, and after tasting it, I could see why! The roast pig also came with a serving of potatoes and salad (yes, we were very much in need of some veg after all the meat!).

Digressing slightly…not long after we were seated at our table, we noticed a big wooden bucket in the middle of the restaurant. SY and Andreas refused to disclose what the bucket was for, telling us that we will know in good time. Well, when the suckling piggy arrived (flown in all the way from Denmark!), Andreas came over with a white dinner plate in his hands. He proceeded to explain that it was tradition to use the plate to chop the piggy into smaller pieces to show how soft and tender the meat was. After cutting, the plate would be smashed into small pieces for good luck by throwing it onto a rock in the wooden bucket! After showing us once how to chop the meat with the plate, he asked which of us needed luck…haha…my hand shot up high in the air… …so I had the honor of making another two chops (unbelievable, but the piggy was really soft enough to be chopped using a plate!!) AND smashing the plate!

Tastewise…it’s piggy heaven for me. The skin is nice and crispy without being too hard (*coughdeutschesgasthauscough*) and the meat is truly melt-in-your-mouth. Best eaten using your hands caveman-style, this dish!

By the time the seafood and pork paella arrived, we were already feeling the effects of stuffing ourselves with meat, meat and more meat and had to take a time-out before continuing! We each had a small portion of the paella and soldiered on to finish at least 80% of the dish. The prawns that came with the paella was superbly fresh. I found the rice to be a little bit on the wet side, though it was still tasty nevertheless.

Despite feeling like a little piggy already, M & I were determined to have dessert…as she correctly puts it…there’s always room for dessert! We ordered the Werner’s Special and pancake with rum (and raisin?) to share. Andreas kindly helped us to divide the Werner’s Special into five champagne flutes…take a look at how good it looks…

And another picture coz I’m so totally in love with how great this dessert tastes…(and looks…with all the reds and pinks and whites, it reminds me of Valentine’s Day!)…

What’s in it? Well, the Werner’s Special is made up of chocolate mousse, fresh strawberries, mango purée, vanilla ice-cream and raspberry sherbet. This is a Must Try. The taste of one spoonful of slightly bitter chocolate, sweet strawberries and tart raspberries dissolving in your mouth can be described as absolutely heavenly. I polished off my own champagne flute, finished hubby’s leftover raspberry sherbet (he doesn’t like raspberries… ) AND K’s leftover chocolate mousse. I’m a glutton, yes I am!

And let’s not forget the pancake…

Served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream and some raspberry coulis, guess who polished this dessert off as well?

At the end of our two-and-a-half hour dinner, we were given a complimentary shot of vodka, martini, lime and god-knows-what-else in a salt-rimmed tequila shotglass. To burn off the calories, we were told… I hardly ever drink liquor, but after this fun-filled evening, even I couldn’t resist giving it a try! I gingerly took a sip…ahhh…good stuff…and proceeded to empty the shotglass and feel the liquor slowly burn it’s way down my throat to my tummy…

Our gluttony cost us a grand total of RM650 (including four tall glasses of beer), which, considering the quality of the food, wasn’t overly exorbitant. If you want to check this place out, do make a reservation first as the restaurant was packed! And I think you have to pre-order the roast suckling pig as well if you want to give it a taste…

Other blogger reviews:

1. Babe in the City

Elcerdo
Nose to tail eating
43 & 45 Changkat Bukit Bintang
50200 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03 21450511
Email: werner@elcerdokl.com
Website: http://elcerdokl.com/

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By the time we left, it was nearly 10pm, and still drizzling! Hubby originally planned to go back through Jalan Ampang/Medan Pasar, but guess what? It was completely and utterly flooded!

Photos obtained from Star Online

We backtracked to Jalan Tun Razak only to join the tail-end of a bad traffic jam…

Photos obtained from Star Online

and finally ended up going home by using Jalan Bukit Bintang.

It was a perfect end to the day. There’s nothing better than to share great food with friends (or family…I’m definitely bringing my parents here!), coupled with honest, heart-to-heart conversations with old friends whom you feel comfortable enough around to be yourself, plus lots of laughter, plus superb desserts!

So while I went to bed feeling like this…

…it was definitely worth it!

I found this at Bangsar Village recently…Korean Honey Citron Tea, or more commonly known as yuzu cha in Japanese.

It smells exactly like the Yuzu sorbet from Rakuzen that I absolutely love, and it has the same texture and stickiness as marmalade. To make the tea, all you need to do is to add hot water to 2-3 teaspoons of the thick gooey syrup and stir. The sticky parts (gosh, I really need to think of better culinary-type words! ) will dissolve, leaving behind the yuzu rind that you can eat when you finish the tea.

Tastewise: Sweet with a very slight bitter aftertaste that probably comes from the zest. It’s definitely a great pick-me-up when you have a sore throat thanks to the soothing honey.

If I’d discovered this when I was still in England, I would probably be drinking a hot cup of yuzu cha every day during those long cold winter nights…

FYI: I bought this at Village Grocer for about RM25.

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We met up with M, BY, LL & ES for dinner at Tony Romas @ The Curve on Sunday night. It was probably the only opportunity hubby had to go there to try the beef ribs as I’d resolutely refused to go…you know, I know why la. Oink.

Anyhoo, the company (as in the people, not the company company) was good (BY & LL just got back from Sipadan with lots of interesting stories), but the food was apparently not that great. The guys ordered the onion loaf which they said wasn’t really good. They commented that the beef ribs was pretty ok…huge portions and juicy. I’d ordered the South Miami fried shrimp which was lousy lousy lousy. The batter was so hard that it hurt my mouth just to bite through it, and the prawns were pretty tasteless. I took the opportunity to distribute it around the table…hehe… Instead of coleslaw, I’d asked for the butter rice…but it turns out that I should’ve taken my chances with the coleslaw coz the butter rice was sticky and looks like it came out from the bottom of the rice cooker. So unlike the fragrant butter rice we had at the Singapore outlet…

Well, doubt I’ll ever step foot back in there again. Give me Singapore’s Tony Romas anytime!

Luckily I’d already had two bowls of Funny Mountain tau foo fa earlier in the evening to fill my tummy!

Other reviews:
1. Letters From The Equator
2. Pitter-Potter