Ying and Niq’s Niche

Inspired by the popular Mee Udang Banjir from Taiping, I decided I must test my culinary imagination by preparing my very own Mee Udang or Prawn Noodle. I have not tried the actual Mee Udang Banjir and neither have I read any of the blogs out there. So this is my authentic Mee Udang, unbiased from thoughts to taste buds. Satisfies 2 big eaters or 3 small eaters. Yummy from first till last slurp!

Ingredients:

• Dried scallop (3 pieces)
• Dried cuttlefish (1” x 3”)
• Black bracket fungus/ Bok Ngee (palm size)
• Vegetable oil (2 tablespoons)
• Garlic (3 cloves)
• Onion (1 large)
• Ginger (size of 2 thumbnails)
• Prawn (6 large), separate the head
• Salt (1 teaspoon)
• Sugar (1/2 teaspoon)
• Oyster sauce (1 tablespoon)
• Plum Sauce (2 tablespoons)
• Tomato sauce (6 tablespoons)
• Corn flour (1 teaspoon), make solution with 2 tablespoon water
• Yellow noodle (450gm)
• Chinese celery and spring onion for garnishing

Method:

1. Soak dried scallop and dried cuttlefish in half a bowl of water for 2 hours.
2. Soak black bracket fungus in a separate bowl.
3. When black bracket fungus is soft, cut to shreds.
4. Heat oil in wok.
5. Stir fry garlic, onion and ginger. Remove garlic, onion and ginger when fragrant (not till brown).
6. Fry prawns with salt. Remove when prawns turn orange. Leave heads in wok.
7. Add scallop and cuttlefish to wok, together with water used for soaking.
8. Return garlic, onion and ginger to wok. Add bracket mushroom. Simmer for 15 minutes.
9. Meanwhile, add yellow noodles to salted boiling water, boil for 1 minute, then remove from water.
10. Add oyster sauce, plum sauce and tomato sauce to wok.
11. Add corn flour solution to thicken gravy.
12. Return prawns to gravy.
13. Dish prawn gravy to noodles. Add garnishing. Serve hot.

Mee Udang Mat Nik

The automotive industry is now livelier with the introduction of the new Ford Focus 2009 “Kinetic” in Malaysia. The Ford Focus is the car that I had always dream of driving. To own one you have to really struggle between logic and impulse.

The Ford Focus, fully imported from Philippines as Completely Built Unit (CBU), is still a worthy contender in the 1.8-2.0L sedan and hatchback segment due to its attractive features and pricing of under RM120,000 (OTR Price with Insurance: RM117,123.40 for 2.0L Sport, RM116,097.40 for 2.0L Ghia). Sadly, there is no sales and service support in Penang Island.

I had the pleasure of viewing the Kinetic in Taiping Sentral on 14-Mar-09. Sime Darby Auto Connexion is quite aggresive on the promotion. The Kinetic was also on display in Queensbay Mall when I was there on 22-Mar-09. There are changes made to the head lights, front grill and tail lights. I can’t commend on originality as I can see hues of Volvo and Mazda.

Well, so much for dreaming.

Ford Focus 2009 Kinetic

Ford Focus Kinetic 2009 Silver, Queensbay Mall

Ford Focus Kinetic 2009 Swept Back Headlamps

Penang was abloom with beautiful flowers of pink and white in recent weeks. Many took the opportunity to capture the beauty by taking photos with the trees in full bloom, dreaming of being in Japan. Now that most of the flowers, dubbed as Penang’s Sakura, have withered, there are still some perservering the rain. I found a few Tabebuia sp. trees near Bukit Jambul Indah still in full bloom. Managed to take a photo just before they fenced up the area.

Tabebuia at Bukit Jambul Indah

Finally had a chance to try Zi Wei Yuan Steamboat at Jalan Raja Uda, Butterworth, Penang. When you enter the restaurant, you will probably pick up 2 scents: One is of burning charcoal, and another is of fish soup. Yes, this is what Zi Wei Yuan is all about: fish soup base steamboat using charcoal fire. We ordered a RM30 set, added beehoon, fish balls, and pig stomach. The RM30 set, already with fish maw, fried fish head and vegetables, makes a sufficient meal for 2 persons. The soup is the best part. It is slightly sourish, creamy and obviously fishy. The sourish taste comes from sour plum, which makes you hungrier with each sip. The creamy texture is from yam. The fishy taste is from the fish maw, fried fish head, and fried preserved sole. The only other dish that I ate with fried preserved sole is “hakka moon zhu nyuk” or stew pork with bracket mushroom. For a more lavish meal, you may add abalone, sea cucumber and premium fish maw. If you are on a steamboat spree, do this one the last. Definitely the best steamboat I have tasted! Remember they close on Wednesdays. Call 012-452 4741 to avoid disappointment.

Below is a map from Penang Island to the restaurant. Click “View Larger Map” for directions.

View Larger Map

Sorry I don’t have any photos to post as we went there straight after work, and didn’t bring along a camera. You can visit YeinJee’s Asian Journal or Lingzie’s Tummy Treats for reviews and photos.

Sat, 28-Feb-09. This is our 2nd attempt at steamboat. Today, our target was still Zi Wei Yuan at Jalan Raja Uda, Butterworth, but traffic was hardly moving on the Penang bridge. So, we decided to try Town Steamboat Restaurant instead. This place is located along Jalan Macalister. The spread is pretty good. They have marinated beef, fish, and chicken for the grill - you can get banana leaf cuttings from the counter. For the steamboat, you can have chicken soup and tomyam and you can choose many varieties of fishball, seafood, vegetables, mushroom and noodles. They also serve dim sum. The most popular item seems to be the ice-cream - there was a long queue from the moment we arrived till we left. After gulping down those heaty stuff, the iced honey lime drink they serve was really quenching and refreshing. For RM19.90 per person, it was just another glutton’s paradise.

Steaming hot 3-in-1 boat (2 soups, 1 grill)

Koi pond near the rest rooms. Met a 'gwai-low' who joked with me, saying, "There is a steamboat in there too?!"

The hand wash area outside the rest rooms. Interesting waterfall concept.