Chapter 148 – 24 hours in Pulau Ketam (Crab Island), Klang

One does not need to travel far to enjoy the serenity and tranquility of life when you just have 24 hours since some of the hours are spent on doing house chores, meeting friends, visiting parents at home and etc. 

Tucked in a corner of Klang where you need to commute using boat, Pulau Ketam could be a place where you can leave your stress behind and enjoy the simple life there. Children were running and playing along the two main streets, old folks were enjoying their authentic breakfast in some kopitiams while talking to friends in Hokkien dialect were the common sights in Pulau Ketam. Not forgetting, seeing tourists alike who tried their level best to adapt the simple life of Pulau Ketam via cycling.

Oh, have I ever mentioned that the locals sell very good fried ice cream? Or maybe the weather there was pretty hot? I had 3 fried ice creams from chocolate to vanilla and yam flavor, in just less than 24 hours. #ohoh

Fried Ice Cream (Yam Flavor)

The people in Pulau Ketam are friendly, provided that if you can speak in Hokkien and Mandarin. They are a bunch of nice people and I must say that they are proud with their own local delicacies. So, what can you do if you are in Pulau Ketam in less than 24 hours?

1.       Take on a boat ride and visit Fish Farm

Thanks to our friend’s relatives who are willing to bring us out on a boat ride. Instead of hopping on a big fisherman boat, we went on a modern sampan. Call us adventurous people as we did not put on the safety jacket and sailed straight to the middle of the sea where most of us do not know how to swim. Nevertheless, we enjoyed the experience where our faces were slapped with strong winds and our hairs were all messed up. #checkoutmyinstagramforthevideo

As soon as we arrived, we were feasted with different species of fishes and how the fishes were being fed. The end result of visiting the fish farm was just so-so but the experience of hopping on a modern sampan meant the most. 

2.       Walk around in the village…. It is not that big after all

Behaving like locals who have resided there for years, we strolled around and even visited some of our friends’ relatives. We went to the temples, saw one large snake and visited a large ice cubes factory though we couldn’t find any ice cubes. Instead of walking, many would have chosen to ride on a bicycle. Lady luck was with me that my friend’s relative decided to give me a ride using her motorized bicycle; all I need to do was just to enjoy the scenery.

3.       Eat, eat and eat

I am so embarrassed to say this but guess what; in less than 24 hours in Pulau Ketam, I gained 3kg. Yes, you see this right, 3kg, thanks to the continuous eating from the moment we stepped on this island till we bid farewell to this place. 

You wouldn’t be able to imagine the amount of food that I stuffed my tummy with; let me share with you what I had!

Fried Lala- Chien (RM10 for a plate)

Fried Oh-Chien (RM15 for a plate)

Fried Char Kuey Teow 

Verdict: Klang Char Kuey Teow tastes way better than Pulau Ketam.

Pork Porridge (RM7.00)

Verdict: Must-try; very rich in flavor!

Claypot Ray Fish

Stir-Fry Spinach with Century Eggs

Fried Soft Shell Prawns in Thai Sauce

Verdict: Must-try; its a kind of rare dish as usually, we don't come across soft shell prawns. 

One word: delicious!

Steamed Tomyam Fish

Verdict: I am kind of spoiled but I prefer the fresh fish in Sabah. 

Chicken burger

Verdict: Must-try!! The chicken patty was fried first before it got grilled and enveloped with egg. Somehow, it gives you the similar taste as Mc Chicken.

Chai Bao (Vegetarian Bao) - RM 1.00

This is the name of this cute bao given by the locals. I enjoyed eating it as the skin itself gives the chewy texture and the abundance amount of sengkuang plus carrot.

Mixed Rice (RM 6.00)

In Pulau Ketam, you can either opt for mixed rice or nasi lemak for your breakfast. This mixed rice comes with mini prawns, char siew, eggs, anchovies and their homemade sambal.

Nasi Lemak Pulau Ketam

Verdict: What so special about their nasi lemak is the sambal plus it comes with prawns.

Fried Prawn Fritters

Fried Yam with Cream Cracker

Verdict: I don't fancy yam but this simple kuih is enough to appease me.

Seaweed Soup with Fish Balls

Stir-Fry Chives

Steamed Fish

Kam Heong Crabs

Fuihhh…. the list is so long; not forgetting, I had “7 Geh” too. According to the local, 7 Geh is made from porridge and rice flour; it is only available in Pulau Ketam. Taste wise, I find it quite similar with Chi Hun Keng (Fried Tapioca Noodle). The difference is the gravy and sauce.

                     

7 Geh

All in all, we had fun in Pulau Ketam. What I love about Pulau Ketam is no other than the neighborhood and kampung spirit among the locals; they know every single one who lives there and  security is the least concern in this area. They are not worried of theft at all!

Such a peaceful life!

However, one thing that I dislike is the hygiene of this place; apparently, all poop you expelled goes directly to the “pulau” and that’s why the water is never in blue or green color. And you will notice that the plants by the river are extremely green and healthy, probably thanks to the poops that man has contributed.

Regards,

Foodiestravel

Chapter 139 - Hai Choong Vee Restaurant @ Pandamaran Klang

Thanks to Chinese New Year, I am unable to pull a brake from pampering my stomach. Recently, we went all the way to Pandamaran Klang to have our dinner at Hai Choong Vee Restaurant. It's been a while since we went there and we miss their curry so badly.

Knowing that people nowadays like to have early dinner, we were there by 630pm. We were kind of surprised to see most of the tables were already occupied, leaving only one table which fit us comfortably. Those who came after us had to wait for the tables.

Sweet and Sour Pork - RM 20.00

In Chinese, we called it "Goh Lok Yok" - My mum hardly cook this dish coz it's not easy to cook one that is really, really nice. We like this dish because it is the dish that we always opt for when we were young and our love towards this dish is still very strong indeed. Strong aroma smell and crispy pork was enough to tempt us. With the colorful vegetables on this plate, a young kid will not say no to this dish.

Pork in Marmite Sauce - RM 15.00

This dish is awesome! No gravy needed as the pork is well enveloped with marmite sauce. The taste is just nice to fit the palate of many.

 Stir Fry Sweet Potato Leaves - RM 10.00

When you have too much of meat, it is always good to have a plate of vegetables so that you do not feel bad for having much proteins for your dinner.

Steamed fish (signature) - RM 33.00

Oh, this is so delicious! We were contemplating whether to order curry fish or steamed fish - from this photo, you would know that steamed fish got the most votes among all. The chili paste on the fish is enough to make your taste buds crave for more, making all of us to order another bowl of rice.

With these 4 dishes, it is just nice to satisfy the stomach of 6 people on that night and that costs us RM 110.65 including a packet of fried rice (takeaway)! What a deal. The next round, I will be sure to order their curry fish and not get distracted by other dishes *cross fingers**

Ambient: 3/5
Price: Reasonable
Food: Non-halal
Service: 3/5

Hai Choong Vee Restaurant

No. 28, Jalan Cengkeh,

Off Kim Chuan, Pandamaran Klang.

Regards,

Foodiestravel 

Chapter 137 - FIRST Mongolian-flavored seafood feast by Comot-Comot Seafood

Happy birthday guys!

It's the 7th day of Chinese New Year and it's another reason where we call for celebration. I was pretty honored the last time where I got the opportunity to try Mongolian-flavored seafood feast and that got me to get a bottle of the sauce. In this Chinese New Year, I took the opportunity to fire up my prawns with this sauce and holla, my family agree that it tasted good.

Will you be my guest? :)

This Mongolian sauce was created by Chef Sabri together with Comot-Comot Seafood, the first seafood delivery to one's doorstep. 

The idea to cook my own seafood was inspired from Comot-Comot Seafood. Take a look at this - the sauce goes well with any kind(s) of seafood from crab, clam, green mussel, king prawns, giant scallop, octopus, lobster and many others. By just looking at this, I got inspired here.

Perhaps, you should also try this sauce. It is available from RM 18.00 onwards. If you are still in the Chinese New Year mood, you can call Comot-Comot Seafood at 010-257 0797 and get them to deliver a seafood feast at your home.

Besides Mongolian sauce, there are spicy sauce and butter cream sauce. I like all of them.

The biggest yee sang I ever had

When I check their Instagram, they are now offering a Chinese New Year Family Set at RM 318.00 for 10 pax from 9 February 2018 to 9 March 2018. So, grab this chance and have a seafood feast today before the promotion ends.

After all, let's "siu ha ha" in this Chinese New Year!

Regards,
Foodiestravel

Chapter 124 - Top 8 MUST- EAT local food in Okinawa, Japan

Deng! The draft of this post got deleted out of nowhere and now, I have to pen it down again. Aiks! Lesson learnt is to draft the post on Microsoft Word instead of writing it online to ensure that the post is there.. Speaking about it now makes me feel like tearing...Why la....

Let me chill my inner soul first with ice cream..But again, I have been typing it for an hour ago and now it's gone..

The delicious yet tempting local dishes in Okinawa really keep me going. At this point, I want to just take a break from writing and call it off a night but these food are stopping me from doing so. Guess that I really need to share the goodness of local food of Okinawa before heading off to my bed.

Anyway, Okinawa is one of the must-visit places to go especially for the reason to indulge the authentic dishes which is enough to win your heart after the visit to Shurijo Castle Park, Okinawa.

Japan, you have really won our heart and soul!

1. Blue Seal Okinawan Ice Cream

Riding on its tagline "Born in America, Raised in Okinawa", this ice cream has won the heart of many. You can't say that you have visited Okinawa if you do not try this. Truth to be told, I literally had 6 cups in merely 7 hours, trying different flavors from Okinawan Salt Cookies to Beni-Imo, Vanilla, Blue Wave and etc. Among all, I prefer Okinawan Salt Cookies. 

2. Fresh seafood at Makishi Public Market, Okinawa

The aunty-ness in me spelt it out! Who would visit a wet market when they go to Japan?! Well, I was one of them. Indeed, the visit to Makishi Public Market was an eye-opening experience. The market was so clean and everything was arranged in an orderly manner. You could leisurely stroll along while having your eyes to hunt for unique yet rare seafood amidst people mumbling to you using Japanese language, probably wanting you to buy from them.

Look at them! They are so-so fresh! At one point, I was hoping that there would many people who joined me in this trip so that we could sample more Okinawan local dishes. Unfortunately, there were only two of us so we had to be selective on what need to be ordered.

3. Goya Champuru

In Japan, "champuru" means mixing everything together. Being one of the most iconic champuru dishes in Okinawa, one must not miss the Goya Champuru. Regardless if you favor bittergourd or not, I reckon you to try this when you are there. The bittergourd were freshly sliced in an evenly size, then being stir-fried with eggs plus slices of pork, allowing you to reminisce the days when your grandma fired up the wok to cook this comforting dish to the family.

4. Pufferfish

Did you know what pufferfish is?

Well, it is one of a poisonous fish species and one need to have the skills and tactics to cook it right. The chefs must know how to remove the toxins therefore, chefs with usually 3 years experience and above are only allowed to handle pufferfish. Since it is so rare to get in Malaysia, of course I give it a try, knowing that the chefs would use his master skills to fire up some good pufferfish dishes.

The first dish (above) was a soup-based and second dish (below) was a stir-fried based. Regardless the method of cooking, the texture of the pufferfish was slightly hard. I found it hard to even bite and chew it. However, I guess that one must give it as an exception to try it at least once in a lifetime especially when you are in Okinawa.

5. Sea urchin

                               

Initially, I was kind of hesitated to try this - it did not appeal to me but thanks to my adventurous partner, we decided to just order one. I took a few small bites and all I could relate to was that I consumed much proteins that day. It's all about proteins.

6. Umi Budo (Sea Grapes)

In Japan, this is known as Umi-Budo but for easy understanding, it is known as sea grapes. From its appearance, it may not look spectacular with mini balls hanging on it. However, when you dip them into a bowl of vinegar, you would certainly like it . A minute when you chew the sea grapes, the freshness of these sea grapes would burst and that is when the sweetness lingers in your mouth.

7. Sazae (known as Turban Shell)

This looks interesting to me! They were huge in size and most of the stalls had these as the display at their area. Sazae or known as Turban Shell caught my attention and immediately, I wanted to order it. Giving my 100% trust to the owner, she had the liberty to fire up the dishes as how she wanted to.  She made a good choice after all!

The first dish (above) was purely sashimi style and this gave you the chance to taste the freshness of sazae while second dish (below) was stir-fried sazae. Texture for these two methods of cooking was different and I had a hard time to choose which is my favorite one. So, I recommend both.

8. Peanut-flavored tofu

In Japan, you may see "Jimami-Tofu" in the menu which means Peanut-Flavored Tofu. Don't be surprised when the tofu served to you is in white color because they are meant to be in this way. However, the texture of Peanut-Flavored Tofu is denser compared to the usual tofu that we have in Malaysia. Somewhat, I believe this tofu is mixed with potato starch. Peanut-flavored tofu can be eaten on its own or you can top it off with brown sugar syrup, just like what I did.

Overall, there are many other dishes that I would love to post here such as Andagi, Rafute, Okinawan Soba Noodles and etc. However, these dishes are not up to my expectation hence, I do not even bother penning it down.

Giving me another chance, I would definitely want to go to Okinawa again. This time, I will make sure that I spend more days instead of just 7 hours. Perhaps, I can consider this place as my honeymoon? *nudge boyfie*

Regards,

Foodiestravel