Now I like Ginger Flowers!

So good things come to those who wait.

I discovered that if you put ginger flowers with a cocktail called Haliatini it is magically transformed into a perfect combination.

 A Haliatini is Brass Lion Singapore Dry Gin, Cointreau, Homemade Halia Essence (a secret ginger syrup) & hydrated Pink Ginger Flower. (the bitterness it brings to the drink is stunning) and when that is teamed with a spicy dish WAM and WOW

A friend from Tamworth recommended being foodies that Sandy and I needed to try this restaurant called Violet Oon. 

WOW what fabulous food it was.

So teamed with a Sambal Eggplant Nyonya - Wedges of fried eggplant topped with a spicy & sour sambal sauce

It's a marriage of food heaven and cocktail heaven.

2020 is The Year of The Rat

The decoration for Chinese New Year are everywhere and today the Hotel started to decorate one of its outdoor spaces.

 By night the white trees all light up red

The rat meaning also indicates wealth, abundance, and fertility, similar to the rabbits meaning. 

Interesting internet reading on the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac, I'm born in 1963 and here is a bit of what it says!!

Rabbits are earnest with everything they do; they just ask that others treat them the same way. 

Yep that's true do go on.

Personality and characteristics.

 To outsiders, the Rabbit’s kindness may make them seem soft and weak. In truth, the Rabbit’s quiet personality hides their confidence and strength. They are steadily moving towards their goal, no matter what negativity the others give them.

Hmmm not sure I would totally agree "quiet personality"

With their good reasoning skills and attention to detail, they make great scholars. They are socializers with an attractive aura. However, they find it hard to open up to others and often turn to escapism.

Hmmm love a bit of fantasy to escape too!

A plain and routine life is not their style.

Soooooo true.

 Though conservative and careful in their actions, they need surprises every so often to spice things up. 

Yep bring on the surprises and some spice!

1963 Rabbits had financial hardships during youth, but are able to turn unfortunate events around. During the elderly years, money must be spent to preserve longevity.

So I'd better save some pennies for a nursing home to help 

"preserve longevity" can it be over looking the ocean?

It's amazing what you google when you have 6 hours layover in Sydney because the flight out of Singapore was late to land and we missed our connection by 20 mins .... a wee tad pisses off but now it's only 9 mins till the bar opens at the lounge so life's not too bad.

Goodbye Hotel Jen

Sitting and enjoying the borrowed landscape view from our room onto a beautiful garden on the roof top of the next building 13 floor up over Orchard Road, the view from here makes you feel that you are on the ground.

But stand up and  re position where you are you can see Orchard Road way below.

View out the other direction onto Orchard Road from our room at Hotel Jen and what a view from the desk as I do my blogging.

11th Jan our 3rd and last Malaysian Cooking Class

This is our last port and we took a cooking class with Sara in 

Kuala Lumpur at 

The Malaysian Kitchen Cooking Class.

In the berbs, herb garden in the shadows of the high-rises.

Picking herbs with Sara before we cook.

More "ANT" flowers!!!

Sara's Beauty out shines the food here, and the dishes were STUNNING

WOW What a beautiful lady

Felt like I was on a film set for Miss Saigon

 Here is a traditional home so no shoes, this is a challenge for us Australians who always where shoes in the kitchen so Sara is happy as long as they are new. We have carried a new pair of shoes each all around the world for this our last cooking class,
now that’s dedication to the craft!

  

Sadly I have to leave the blog here as we only have a few hours left to take in Singapore prior to flying out tonight at 
7pm 14th Jan 2020.

I may get some time at the airport later to post some of what we cooked with Sara.

So for now I will leave this section of the blog with

 Miss Saigon. 

And sorry Sara, the Ginger flower buds still taste like ants.

Everyone is getting ready Chinese New Year

The streets are adorned with red lantern which were for sale everywhere this morning at the markets.

Kaboom! BBQ Curry

Found a local shop for some much needed water and Twisties.

Yes Twisties, made in Malaysia AND WILL rock your socks off.

They sure live up to the Kaboom!.

And here is were to get them when next we are in Penang!!

 And this is the guy to look for the "supplier"

We also found some Penang Native Nutmeg Candy also only made in Malaysia, yum and what a unique sweet!! Have some in the suit case for my friends and blog watches back home.

Time to check out Georgetown

After the class Chef Samuel dropped us back to the city close to the port of Pulau Lumut.

With its rustic buildings from times past lining to bay

Time to take in some of the sights that this beautiful historical city has to offer.

The Chinese sector was just stunning with the sights and the smell of inscents wafting heavily in the humid air.

These sticks are man sized, 

WOW how big are the matches here! 

The decorations on the temple doors ....  JUST Stunning.

Everywhere they are getting ready for  Chinese New Year

Chef Samuel's Ngo Hiang Loh Bak

- Nonya Five-Spice Pork Roll. Our final dish of the day was just soooooooo scrummy tofu skin wrapped pork roll. 

Chef Samuel's Penang Hokkien Mee

 - Prawn Bisque Noodle and where else would one want to learn this dish but here on the beautiful island of Penang with its gorgeous old buildings.

As well as the local corner store where you do the washing up on the street.

Here was a new ingredient that us dry country kids have not had the chance to see or use, the ginger flower bud.

Now from a ... well, from my taste point of view its in the

 REAL “bitter” range.

This, as Chef Samuel explained on his trusty white board is needed for the 5 components for Malaysian food balance and apparently the Malay love it!

OK so for my taste buds I would describe it in the citric acid realm, or if as a kid your grandmother was to put out a sweet cake on the bench and the ants had discovered it before you and when you sneaked a bite without grandma noticing, you take that said bite and the flavour of the ants sends a very bitter taste into your mouth that lasts for several minute…. Well it’s just like that!!!!!

 But somehow in this noodle soup it all works, its a food miracle and one I’m please I’ve had the chance to try in a local’s home.

Chef Samuel's Chicken Rendang

– Malaysian Spiced Dry Chicken Curry was quite different to Chef Pia’s quick precooked meat version yesterday. 

Today it was with very fresh chicken from the markets.

Slow cooked in an earthenware pot and well worth the time and process to do so. Today we started this dish as the 1st once we got back to the apartment, buy if you could leave it over night it would develop even more flavour 

Thanks Samuel for helping with my rendang, its hard to be both photographer, note taker and Sous Chef!

Some dishes like a quick noodle stir-fry are great and fresh straight from the street venders wok.

But for me, a rendang that needs time to develop the flavours and be slow cook is the dish i would choose. 

So, Winner Winner Chicken Rendang Dinner.