Nostalgia on Merdeka Day at Fraser's Hills...

 For a change of air, and also to meet up with a friend, we drove up to Fraser's Hills on Merdeka Day. We were greeted by a late evening shower and cool crisp air after that. Hunger crept in and so we went for an early dinner with a friend...

 We went to Mr. Leong's restaurant called (a literale translation from Chinese) " Eating Shop". No one can miss it as it is the first shop as you arrive at Fraser's Hills.

 The cahirs are still the original ones but generally, everything seems to be crumbling...I came here quite often in my youth with my friends. We used to take our motorbikes up the hills on holidays and it was a real thrill....

The old clock is still ticking...

 Lattice works on the wall are still conserved...otherwise the shop had almost lost its original Hainanese coffee shop allure...

A "Kung Fu" chair

 Fried rice - like old times

Egg Fu Yung

Vege grown by Mr. Leong: sweet potato leaves

A wild Renanthera orchid

At one of me favourite swimming spot, this magnificent Renanthera was seen flowering. The plant looked like a common straggly Thrixspermum and so was thought to be...until it flowers...

Another makan-makan...

A friend came visiting from Singapore and I decided to throw in a quick-fix dinner with whatever we had in our magic box - the fridge!

 We chose a more colourful theme for the table this time...it was in tandem with the festivities around us...

 Chose a simple local dish to start: prawns in spicy tumeric sauce with pineapple:
1/2 kilo of medium sized prawns, intact
1 medium-sized pineapple, diced
1 1/2 inch of fresh tumeric, pound with:
a pinch of course sea salt,
3 shallots
3 cloves of garlic
3 chillies (cili padi)
3 stalks of lemon grass, pounded at the base to release the oil
2 cups of water
milk from 2 coconuts

In a casserole, add in the water, 1/2 the coconut milk and all the pounded ingredients. When the mixture boils, add in the pineapple, season to taste. At this point, add a tsp of sugar to balance the whole mixture. When the pineapples are cooked, add in the remaining coconut milk and the prawns. Serve when the prawns are ready, in about 3 minutes of cooking time.

 Foie gras and champagne grapes: no cooking required. Just serve with toasted bread.

 From the frigo, braised wagyu with wild porcini or cèpes. 

 Salad with Comte cheese

Simple butter cake with orange sauce. Served with fresh raspberry.