Our annual pre-Christmas dinner with friends...

A forthnight ago, a few days before Christmas, we organized a dinner with friends chez moi, comme d'habitude...

The menu was inspired by some of my previous experience in France...

petite entrée 1

terrine de porc, sauce balsamique, pain grillé

pork terrine, balsamic reduction, toast

petite entrée 2

pomme de terre à la vapeur, beurre truffé

steamed potatoes, truffle-infused butter

petite entrée 3

fleur de courgette, frite

fried zucchini flower

petite entrée 4

crème de champignon d’automne, feuilletée

autumn mushroom cream on puff pastry

*     *     *     *     *

Soupe

soupe de fèves aux chips de bacon, garnie de ciboulette et crème fraiche, croûtons aux herbes de provence

broad bean soup with bacon chips, garnished with chives and sour cream, croutons flavoured with herbes de provence

*     *     *     *     *

entrée principale

poitrine de porc au vin blanc, legumes provençales, sauce aux pommes

pork belly in white wine, provencal vegetable stew, apple sauce

*     *     *     *     *

fromage

Brie, salade de tomates cerises et du jardin au vinaigrette

Brie, served with cherry tomato gems and garden salad, dressed in vinaigrette

*     *     *     *     *

dessert

fruit cake de noël, sirop d’orange, chantilly au parfum de fleur d’orangier

Christmas fruit cake, orange syrup, chantilly with orange flower blossom

*     *     *     *     *

sélection de thé exceptionnel,

chocolat

selection of exceptional teas,

chocolate

Unplanned meet up with the Sultan Tit

Today I chanced upon this very beautiful pair of Sultan Tit, Melanochlora sultanea at Fraser's Hills with my friend Pascal as we were doing our business photographing moths attracted to lights the night before. They were very brazen and came to us taking the moths from the bushes and grass...

The Sultan Tit is an umnistakable bird because of its bright canary yellow crest and the entire undersides contrasting with its gleaming blue-black plumes.

A recent (not so recent) art show in KL

Last year's art show at MARTRADE (couldn't make it this year)... and some of my pick...

A photo op with the artist...

and some friends...

Our first Nga Choi kai in Ipoh

I was in Ipoh recently for a short visit with my wife and we decided to go try something iconic of the Ipoh town cuisine - bean sprout chicken rice or in cantonese "Nga Choi Kai". Being unfamiliar with Ipoh and no guide, we went for the obvious: the shop with the most customers in the makan street of Ipoh where all the chicken rice shops are concentrated.

We got a very crammed table next to the walkway as we were quite late (after 8) and the shop was already running at full capacity. 

This is what we ordered...

The rice

the chicken

the bean sprout

the fish ball soup

ensemble of the whole dish

 We got a seat next to this counter - which was very warm and in constant danger of being knocked by the waiters' serving tray...

The restaurant from the road...

The verdict: 

Ignoring later that an Ipoh friend told me the best chicken rice is actually not inside the old town, this is how I felt: the dishes are way too salty and have too much MSG in it. Service was rapid but rather unsure for the customers as they practice their own codes when it comes to ordering, which was fine. I would say that it is not something which will make someone (at least me) drive all the way from KL to Ipoh just for this...

View from Ulu Kali

I recently went up to Gunung Ulu kali for a quick survey of the area for butterfly fauna - relatively poor BUT the most spectacular thing up there was the rolling clouds below...

 A beautiful Nepenthes growing on exposed wall...