Deedat Birthday Bath :)

10.02.2011 @ home brunei, deedat with his father, after bath not yet pakai baju, playing with his beloved tooth brush! :) ready for his 1 year old cake & dinner. Happy 1 Year Old my boy. Mummy Love U!

Eat All You Can Mexican Food - Brunei.

20.04.2011 @ Grazie Mauri Italian Restaurant, Gadong, Brunei. Mexican Food promotion Eat All You Can at just $14.00 per person. Very interesting as we have never really have a good Mexican food before. so we give it a go. It was our very first time here at Grazie Mauri Italian Restaurant, a cozy restaurant, located at the venue used to be a japanese restaurant SUSHI TEI.

We were at the restaurant dinner time, place was half full of diners, loud noise and laughters. I like the friendly waiter & waitresses. So we had Eat All You can for 2 persons, my hubby ordered the Tacos, Nachos, Platano Frito, chili Con Carne, Burritos, Guacamole & Quesadillas for a start. Thought all in a small portion, but its quite a large one. so its enough for us as we thought we could order more after this around. The food was good, I love especially the homemade Nachos chips. they are real good, i don't mind to eat that alone by myself... :) . However, we eat them all, no wastage too. but....oppss...couldn't go for 2nd round anymore and get some desserts but we are so fulled. overall good experience and good food. There are plenty of food to try other than the promotion items like the famous pasta and pizza. so who haven't heard about this place or the food, go and try yourself. I am sure the food and service will satisfy you and your family.

we have a wonderful dinner.

Address : Unit 3, Block A, Abdul Razak Complex, Gadong. (previously Sushi Tei’s)
Tel: 2447471
Open daily : 10am - 10pm

Tabebuia Rosea Blossom, Brunei

20.04.2011 @ Armada Executive Housing Rimba, Kg. Rimba, Brunei. Now.....who says only Japan & Korea have blossoms during spring?! In Brunei or Malaysia have too! I'm sure many of us very familiar with this beautiful cherry blossoms alike plants all over highway, housing areas or some commercial area. Yes this is the tropical version of Cherry tree, it is the " Tabebuia Rosea ".

This tree only blooms once a year. love this tree when it blooms, waiting all the leaf to fall and there we have it, a beautiful cherry blossom tree alike. I am very lucky to see this everyday just right in front of our apartment master bedroom window & another tree just near our guestroom . this tree planted around the housing area where we stayed. now it is the blossom season ( spring time now in other 4 seasons countries ), all trees are about to fully blooms. can't get my camera off the tree everytime i see them. so charming and beautiful.

The blossom comes in various color, but here we only have the pink one. there are yellow, purple and white color. White color can be found along jalan Istana high way, and pink ones just along the high way to the Airport...how beautiful when all blooms. can't wait to see them all in colors.

Chicken Belado with Petai

INGREDIENTS
Half a chicken ( without wing & thigh )
Handful of fresh Indonesia Petai
5 pcs candlenuts
salt
sugar
chicken stock granules
water

MARINADE CHICKEN
salt
coarse pepper

SPICES
5 garlic
4 shallot
4 fresh eye bird chili
2 chili padi

METHOD OF COOKING
* clean chicken and cut into thumb size pcs and marinade with salt & pepper.
* pound candle nuts and put aside.
* clean all spices & chop all spices finely with a blender, put aside.
* Heat wok with oil, deepfried chicken till golden brown / cooked, dish up & drain, keep aside.
* Heat wok with 5tbsp sunflower oil, put in blended spices stir till aromatic & add in pound candlenuts, mix wel, add some water about 3-4 tbsp of water, add in salt, sugar and chicken stock granules to taste.
* After all spices become aromatic and mix well, add in cooked chicken and petai stir and mix well. taste again and add some salt, sugar & chicken stock granules to taste for the last time. dish up and serve hot with rice.

Happy Cooking!!

Thai Pandan Chicken

INGREDIENTS
Half a chicken
few pcs of Pandan Leaf
tooth pick( bamboo stick )
oil for deep-frying

MARINADE:
4 garlic finely chopped
thumb size ginger, finely chopped
salt & pepper dash
chicken powder dash
1tbsp dark soya sauce
2tbsp oyster sauce
1tbsp coriander seed/powder
dash of fish sauce
1tsp pandan paste
40g coconut milk

METHOD
* clean chicken, cut into pcs with bones.
* mixed chicken with marinade for 3 hours.
* Wrap chicken pieces with pandan leaf and secure with bamboo stick/tooth pick.
* Heat up oil for deep-frying. Make sure deep-frying chicken with high heat. Once oil is hot enough, reduce heat to medium. Use tongs to place the chicken in the oil. If the oil splatters or "pops", try reducing the heat or adding a little sea salt to the oil. deep-fried till golden brown, dish and drain. served hot with rice.

Happy Cooking!!

Pan-fried Mackerel with Sambal

INGREDIENTS:
3 pcs cut Mackerel / Ikan Tenggiri
some fresh baby lettuce or any veg of your own desire.

MARINADE:
1 tbsp tamarind juice
sprinkle a little salt

SAMBAL INGREDIENTS:
3 whole shallot
2 whole garlic
2 bird eye chili, cut into pcs.
4 chili padi
1 tbsp belachan
salt & sugar to taste

METHOD
* clean mackerel and marinade for 1 hour. put aside.
* Heat wok, add 2 tbsp cooking oil, let the oil heat and add in all sambal ingredients except for salt & sugar, stir till slightly cooked and dish up, transfer to a blender / chopper or you can do the traditional pounding even taste better!.
* Blend all cooked sambal ingredients into a high speed until finely mixed and become thick a texture, add in salt & sugar to taste. put aside and it is ready to served.
* Heat a non-stick pan, pour 2 tbsp of cooking oil into the pan. when oil is hot, put in mackerel to brown on one side till 80% cooked and turn the other side to cook through. when its all cooked, dish up and served with baby lettuce at the side. served hot with sambal & rice.

Happy Cooking!

Steamed Black Bean Chicken

INGREDIENTS
2 pcs of chicken legs cut into serving pcs / used chicken boneless/ breast.
1 big & long bird eye chilis, chopped
5 garlic, chopped
thumb size ginger, finely shred & chopped
2 tbsp fermented black bean, soaked and put aside.
chopped spring onion garnishing

SEASONING
1 tbsp light soya sauce
2 tbsp oyster sauce
dash of chicken stock
1 tbsp shaoxing wine - optional
2 tbsp corn flour
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp sesame oil
salt & pepper to taste
water


METHOD
* combine all ingredients and seasoning together in a semi deep plate, marinate for 30 minutes or 1 hour.
* I recommend not to use any deep soup bowl chinaware for steaming, as this will takes time for the meat to cook through the center. a stainless steel plate to steamed is recommended.
* steamed at high heat for 25 minutes or until the chicken cooked throughly inside out. sprinkle with chopped chili & spring onion. served hot with rice.

Happy Cooking!

Mango Chicken Chop

INGREDIENTS
2 pcs boneless chicken or chicken breast
half or whole butterhead or iceberg lettuce
1 whole sweet mango

MARINADE
dash of light soya sauce
dash of chicken stock
salt
pepper
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 egg white
1 tbsp thyme

MANGO SAUCE
5 tbsp concentrated mango syrup
dish of light soya sauce
salt
water


METHOD
* Rinse the chicken and pat-dry, season with marinade, mix well for 30 minutes or sso. keep aside.
* To make sauce, mix the sauce ingredients well combined, you can cook over a low heat until slightly thickened. remove and leave aside. For me, i prefer to serve it just the way it is, i don't heat my sauce. lastly, chopped fresh whole mango into small cubes, keep aside for garnishing.
* coat the marinated chicken with another 2 tbsp of corn flour, deep-fry into hot oil until cooked and golden brown. removed and drain well, on the chopping board, chop chicken into pcs.
* shred lettuce place in the center of the platter, sprinkle some mango cubes around the lettuce, place the chicken chopped on top of lettuce, Pour the cooked mango sauce to the chicken chop and sprinkle the remaining mango cube on top.

Happy Cooking!!

Butter Prawns

INGREDIENTS
1 portion of Medium size Prawns trimmed, slit back remain shells
handful Curry leaves
4 big eggs yolks
5tbsp salted butter

CHOPPED INGREDIENTS
4 garlic finely chopped
chili padi chopped

SEASONING
Salt & sugar to taste
Dash of chicken stock powder


METHOD
* Heat up oil for deep-frying prawns until cooked & fragrance. Dish & drain.
* Combine egg yolks, slightly bitten & put aside.
* Heat up wok, melt butter with low heat but hot, slowly pour in bitten egg yolk from a meter high, while other hand keep stirring until the mixture form into very fine shreds. Add in curry leaves, chili padi, seasoning and mixed well.
* Put in Prawns and mixed well, Dish up and drain off the excess oil.

Happy Cooking!!

Crispy Taufu Pok Balls

INGREDIENTS
1pkt taufu pok
2pcs white taufu/beancurd

STUFFING INGREDIENTS
fresh prawns finely chopped
carrots finely chopped into very small pcs
fresh mushroom finely choppped into very small pcs
pasley/corriander leaf finely chopped
3 garlic finely chopped
1 eggs

SEASONING
Salt & Pepper
chicken stock
light soya sauce
oyster sauce
3 tbsp corn flour

METHOD
* Mashed 2pcs white taufu with hand and mix well with all the stuffing ingredients and add in seasoning & egg to mix well, keep aside.
* clean taufu pok from the outside.
* Poke a hole in the center of taufu pok and turn taufu pok skin inside out. Once all done, start the stuffing, make sure all stuffing are equally firm & round.
* heat the wok, add oil in high heat for deep-frying.
* when oil is hot, put in stuffed taufu pok one at a time.
* deepfried until golden brown, dish & drain and served with Thai chili sauce/homemade or ketchup as your own liking.

Happy cooking!! :)

Crispy Prawn Fritters

BATTER INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup Plain Flour
1/2 cup Corn Starch/Flour
1/4tsp baking soda
Water
Cooking oil for deepfrying.

MARINATE PRAWNS
Dash of pepper and salt
2tbsp corn starch ( optional )
* marinate for 30minutes

METHOD
*Clean fresh prawns, remove prawn heads, shells and leave the tails attach.
*To marinate, dash with salt and white pepper, corn starch let it marinate for 30 minutes.
*To make the batter, in a clean bowl, mix flours together, slowly add in water stir with a balloon whisk until a thick batter.  If the batter become too watery, add corn flour and plain flour to thicken.
*Heat wok, add in 5 cups of cooking oil, medium fire.  Dip in marinated prawns, deep-fried in hot oil till golden brown, dish up.
*Served hot with thai chili sauce.