Food Review: Claypot Crab Noodles, Restoran Different Taste, Ipoh

Just look at that - SLURP!!!

When one talks about claypot crab and glass noodles in Ipoh, the name Restoran Rasa Lain will inevitably comes to mind. This restaurant has been going strong for years, its fame having been elevated beyond the shores of sleepy Bercham since appearing in the foodie program Taste with Jason (Ah Xian) a few years ago. 

Braised Chicken with Soy Sauce and Tong Kwai

There are some recipes that you fell in love with instantly.  These recipes use simple, everyday ingredients, are so incredibly easy to cook, smell awesome and taste amazing.  Oh, it's good for adults and kids alike.  Ticks every box doesn't it!  

This Braised Chicken recipe is one of them.  It is firmly entrenched in my personal list of Top Five Ultimate Fuss Free recipes.  One of the ladies in my bible study group taught me how to cook this ridiculously easy and appetizing dish.  This is one of those precious, failproof recipes that any noob cook can pull off.  It reminds me of a simple soy sauce chicken dish that my mum used to cook when we were kids, and one that I have cooked countless times during my Uni days especially when I was homesick.  Yes, this is definitely one of those recipes one would collect for a child leaving abroad for studies and need some simple homecook recipes to survive.  

In short, this recipe is a keeper.

Braised Chicken with Soy Sauce and Tong Kwai
Serves 3-4

Ingredient

• 3 whole chicken legs, skin on
• 5g tong kwai (about 3 large slices)
• 1/3 cup of good quality soy sauce (I swear by Orchid brand premium soy sauce from Ipoh, available in most supermarkets.  If unavailable, I recommend Poh Poh light soy sauce)
• 1 cup water
• 1 tbspn Chinese cooking wine
• 45g rock sugar (about the size of a ping pong ball)

Method

1. Prepare a wide saucepan that can fit three chicken legs in one layer side by side.
2. Put the slices of tong kwai at the bottom of the pan, followed by the chicken legs, skin down.  Arrange in a single layer.
3. Add in all the other ingredients.  The liquid should cover almost the entire surface of the meat. 
4. Cover and bring to a boil.  Turn down to a gentle simmer for 15minutes before turning to the other side and braise for another 10-15minutes.
5. Switch off the fire and let it cool, covered for at least 1 hour so the sauce will gradually thicken.
6. Remove the meat and chop into bite size pieces, garnish with coriander or spring onion and serve together with the sauce.

My family loves this dish so much that we always have a whole leg to each person, served chopped ontop of a mound of steam rice and flooded with the sauce.  SO GUUUUUUD!

Note: If you or a family member is not a fan of Chinese herbs/tong kwai, feel free to omit it.  The dish will still turn out tasty, akin to a simple version of Si Yau Kai. Check out THIS LINK for a true blue Si Yau Kai recipe.

Kimchi back-to-back: Recipe 2 Creamy Kimchi Pasta

This fusion dish of Korean and Italian influence was very popular during the height of the hallyu wave.  I even read on some food blogs that this is one of the most popular dish in Osaka, Japan several years ago.

Kimchi back-to-back: Recipe 1 Kimchi Fried Rice

These days we watched Korean dramas and dine on Korean banchan and steaming bowls of kimchi stews.  We learned a smattering of Korean sentences and buy kimchi instant noodles from our supermarkets. 

One Pot Meals Part 3 - Salmon and Edamame Fried Rice

 

 

This recipe came about during one of my conversations with another busy mom when she mentioned she used salmon flakes to cook fried rice.  

Feature: Best Value Meals under RM15 in Ara Damansara

Since we are on the theme of cheap/value eats, I recently wrote this article for Hungrygowhere Malaysia featuring some of the best budget meals right in my own backyard of Ara Damansara township. 

Food Review: Restoran Yok Kee, Kampung Subang

This is one of those food places that I would put under the "cheap, good and no ambience" category.  Don't we all need to find more of such places especially during these austerity times.   

One Pot Meals Part 2 - One Pot All Rice Cooker Chicken Rice

Both hubby and I love a good meal of claypot chicken rice, but I have been resisting buying a claypot - no, I'm not adding another bulky cookware to my mountain of cookware accumulated over the years.

One Pot Meals Part 1 - One Pot Pasta

We all love one pot meals – one where you can just throw all the ingredients in, press a button and voila! A complete hot meal is waiting for you. 

Thai Chicken with Fresh Herbs and Coconut Milk

This recipe was one of those random newspaper cutouts that I've been keeping for ages.  I'm so glad I finally came round to cooking it because the flavours are just amazing.  Well, to start with, you really can't go wrong with the combination of lime, lemongrass and coriander. 

Kitchen Life Hack - Deep Fried Anchovies and Nasi Lemak Kukus

My son has been on this "I could eat nasi lemak everyday" phase for the last few months.  So as a good mother, I promised him I would cook nasi lemak a little more frequently. 

Ginger Sesame Pork Chops

During my confinement month, one of my cell ladies cooked this delicious dish of Sesame and Ginger Pork Chops for me. 

Homemade Salt and Pepper seasoning, and Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings

This recipe has been on my to-do list for ages, and I'm so glad I finally came round to making it just in time for CNY this year. 

Korean Lemon Pork

One of our Korean friends taught me this wonderfully appetizing dish. 

Hokkien Mee KL Style

This article was first published on Hungrygowhere Malaysia HERE

Another old school favourite of Malaysians is Hokkien Mee. Not to be confused with the Penang version of Prawn Mee, this Hokkien Mee is like a black sauce version of Yee Mee, ubiquitously found at all chinese tai-chows in the country. 

Wood Ear Fungus Omelette

A good friend cooked this for me during my confinement recently.  It is a very simple and tasty dish, totally comforting.  

Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup - The Shortcut Way

My family loves to eat Vietnamese beef noodles.  In fact, we are big fans of Vietnamese food.  Read about our two trips to HCM and the delicious food we had.  

A weekend in HCM Part 1

A weekend in HCM Part 2

Nasi Lemak - The Full Glory

We Malaysians love a good plate of nasi lemak.  Steaming hot santan rice, crispy fried ikan bilis, salted roasted peanuts, lots of chilled cucumber slices, a good dollop of sweet oniony sambal and a beautiful piece of golden fried chicken.  YUMM!  That's my benchmark of a good nasi lemak.      

Chicken and Feta Cheese Burger Patties

This recipe came about purely because I wanted to finish up some leftover feta cheese and my son has been asking for burgers of late.  So I thought, why not make some burger patties using the feta?

Pasta Puttanesca

My first taste of this classic Italian pasta sauce was at Café Buongiorno in Norwood, Adelaide.