Sunday, March 19, 2006
Dinner at 8
Things seem very out of place today.
First, my friend unknowingly "drowned" the sparkler fireworks which was needed for an object lesson during a No Apologies workshop my colleague amd I were conducting for the youth of SS Gospel Centre. My mistake for putting it into the empty water spray bottle.
Second, after the workshop, I asked a friend out for dinner but she had a prior arrangement.
Third, I had a RM8.70 Penang Nasi Kandar for dinner, which I thought the pricing was quite high. I don't recall having to pay separately for small rice (RM0.50), mutton (RM5.00), and vegetable (RM1.50). I thought they would be counted as one plate, priced about RM5.00 only. Guess they have either changed their pricing practice to be like that of banana leaf rice, or I still haven't forgotten about the cheaper food in Ipoh (used to have same items for only RM3.80!). Come to think of it, having banana leaf rice would be better because the rice and vegetables are refillable, and without limit.The teh tarik was RM1.20.
Soon after dinner, as I parked outside my house, I received an SMS from an aunty saying, "Dinner at 8..." to which I wondered why she sent me the message. Then it dawned on me that I had forgotten all about my cousin-sister's "farewell" dinner. She was selected for National Service at Kem Juara, Serian, in Sarawak. She's so blessed whereas I can only hope to pay my own way to kiss the ground in East Malaysia when I climb Mount Kinabalu one day...
Just an update on food: I found out yesterday afternoon (Friday 17 March 2006 about 3pm) that Ayamas has stopped production of their pre-packed frozen satay due to poor demand. According to the Ayamas staff I met, with enough request from consumers, they just might resume production... So, I suppose you would know what to do if you're interested to try it...
Wednesday, March 08, 2006
Carnivor
Last Friday (03 March 2006), I decided to try Mr Ho's Fine Foods at Midvalley Megamall. Since it's my first time dining there, a well dressed Indian man who greeted me (I'll assume he's a staff if not a supervisor or even manager) recommended that I try their sizeable portion of pork which comes with a sausage and vegetables (hint: the menu item was forgetable). He asked if I drank beer which I said I do but not that day. He explained they had a set which comes with imported German beer.
Since I preferred not to have beer, he asked if I would prefer Italian coffee or some organic tea. I thought I'd better go with tea but decided on coffee because "Italian" sounded appealing than "organic". The fact that both were refillable made my choice over other options easier.
The coffee came first and I had it black with 10g of sugar. Since it was refillable, I got up help myself to another cup but wasn't sure which pot had coffee or tea. A young waiter was quick to serve me and tell me that hhe'll refill for me. All I had to do was ask. He asked if I wanted "mill". I was puzzled so I asked him to repeat. He did. It was after a few more mentions before I realized "mill" was "milk".
While I had my second cup, my main order came. I was not impressed with the portion. No doubt the sausage was longer and larger than the usual but it had a bit of sourish taste. I hope it wasn't bad. The vegetable and mashed potato was ok.
After I ate my dinner and drank my second cup, I refilled one last time. I looked through the menu to discover they had a mixed grill which cost 50% more but it would probably have been a better choice because I get to sample a variety of their meats.
Before I ordered, I had thought of bringing a friend at the next visit. But after the disappointment, I doubt I'd be back. Even if the mixed grill may continue to be a lure for the carnivor in me.
Total spent: about RM22 for the main course, RM7 for coffee and RM4 for taxes :(
By the way, the Khandarr Roaster experience at Ayamas the week before was better. And cheaper by more than half. But was still disappointing. I assume the original roaster may have dropped in quality, taste-wise. The meat's tenderness and juicy-ness seem to remain about the same, based on my decade-old encounter.
However, I would recommend that you try Ayamas' satay, available only at their stores or certain supermarkets. Not bad for pre-packed frozen foods. They come in packs of 25 or 100 sticks. The larger pack costs less per stick, at about 35 sen each.
