Assam Laksa with a Twist (Well Cook Gourmet)

Ever heard of "assam laksa goreng" (fried assam laksa)? I haven't till I read it here. I thought to myself, "how unique and innovative"; and since I stay in the same area there is no reason not to satisfy my curiosity.

And this is how it looked like. Loaded with generous servings of shredded chicken, cucumber, pineapple and shallots, and topped with natural taste enhancers such as torch flower (bunga kantan), mint leaves and a squeeze of lime, the dish was appetizing and well-flavoured. However, it reminded me of a spiced-up and more tangy version of mee goreng. I thought the absence of the two most important ingredients; chunks of fish meat and har koh (prawn paste) automatically disqualifies it from being called assam laksa, fried or otherwise.


The outlet also serves quite a decent version of popiah. The popiah was fat and juicy, and generously loaded with fillings. Although not the best that I have tasted (still prefer SS2 Sakura popiah), it was decent enough. However, I thought it is rather expensive at RM2.50 for one roll or RM4.50 for 2 rolls.

Restaurant Well Cook Gourmet
74, Jalan SS 14/2, Subang Jaya
(along the same road as the famous nasi lemak stall in the corner kopitiam)
Open from 12pm - 9pm

Other reviews:
masak-masak
KampungBoy Citygal

My Favourite Moist Chocolate Cake (No-bake)

Moist Chocolate Cake topped with dark chocolate fudge
Rich and luscious, moist yet fluffy; these are the words to describe my favourite chocolate cake. Not only mine, but my family's too. Best of all, the recipe is really simple and easy. It requires no baking, but is steamed instead. Therefore, it is also suitable for those who do not have an oven. And if you do not have a mixer, no worries. Just boil and stir. Too good to be true? Try it yourself and you shall see...

Recipe for Steamed Moist Chocolate Cake
A
1 cup evaporated milk
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup good quality cocoa powder
1 cup unsalted butter (250g)
¾ tsp instant coffee powder
B
3 large eggs (lightly beaten)
½ cup condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla extract (vanilla essence will do)
C
1 ¼ cup plain flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder

Mix A together and cook over low fire until sugar is completely melted. Stir constantly to prevent burned bottom. Set aside to cool.
Mix A and B together until well-blended.
Sift C together and add into the mixed liquid mixture. Mix well until there are no lumps of flour to be seen.
Pour into a greased 8" (and lined) round pan and steam over high heat for 45 minutes to an hour. Check for doneness by inserting a skewer into center of cake.
Cool in pan for 5 mins. Remove from pan carefully and let cool completely on rack.
Serve plain or with chocolate fudge. Cake is also suitable for frosting.
*Recipe courtesy of my SIL.

New Set Menu @ Celestial Court, Imperial Hotel KL

Recently, my friends and I found ourselves back at the opulent Celestial Court again to sample their newly introduced set menu, thanks to the invitation from FoodStreet. Named Ying, Yang and Jing respectively, each of the set menu came with a carefully selected set of 8 to 9 dishes. Pricing per pax starts from RM98++(Ying), RM128++(Yang) and RM158++(Jing) with a minimum of 6 pax. As there were only 4 of us that night, we were served with a selection of 5 dishes from all 3 of the set menus.


Braised Shredded Abalone with Dried Scallop and Roasted Duck Meat
Starting with Braised Shredded Abalone with Dried Scallop and Roasted Duck Meat (from the Ying menu), the thick soup was tasty albeit a tad salty for our liking with a somewhat strong medicinal aroma (although not in a bad way), probably from the chinese herbs used in creating this tummy-warming soup.


Roasted Baby Duckling
Next to arrive was the Roasted Baby Duckling (from the Ying menu). To be honest, as far as I could remember, that was my first time having baby duckling although to me, I would have said that it's roasted pigeon if I didn't know better.

Anyhow, the roasted duckling was exactly how it should be; glossy thin skin fried till delicately crispy, with juicy sweet flesh within. The melting tenderness of the fatty parts would surely be a delight to those who knew how to enjoy it.


Stir-fried Prawn Roasted Minced Garlic
Easily the most popular dish of the night was the Stir-fried Prawn Roasted Minced Garlic (from the Jing menu). Big fat de-shelled prawns tumbled with lots of fragrant roasted minced garlic. The jumbo-sized prawns were sweet and bouncy yet firm to bite, indicating the freshness of the seafood. A definite hit for us!


Braised Vermicelli with Seafood
The Braised Vermicelli with Seafood (from the Yang menu) was a delicious jumble of seafood tossed amongst noodles and leafy vegetables. This noodle dish was generous with the fresh assorted seafood, if just a tad salty.


Double Boiled Snow Fungus with Sea Coconut and Lotus Seed
The Double Boiled Snow Fungus with Sea Coconut and Lotus Seed (from the Jing menu) provided a sweet ending to our meal. Although served warm, the nutritious sweet soup was cooling and refreshing although we would have liked it more if it was a little bit less sweet.

It was a delight to see that the restaurant currently offers a 50% discount for senior citizens as I am pretty sure my parents would have enjoyed the menu under the luxurious ambience of Celestial Court. In addition, diners who ordered the set menu will also receive complimentary parking.

Celestial Court
Hotel Imperial Kuala Lumpur
Jalan Sultan Ismail
Phone 60 3 2717 9900