16 Eat Out : Ji De Lai San Ding (JDLSD Seafood Restaurant)

On the second day of Chinese New Year, we had an amazing dinner at a seafood restaurant nearby, alfresco with fingers crossed that gloomy skies and windy conditions were not a sign of rain. It wasn't, bless us.

What excited me about this meal was the pig stomach dish, a specialty of Ji De Lai San Ding (JDLSD Seafood Restaurant). Yummy? It was good or should I say an acquired taste? I like it because it was oh-so-interesting. The stomach or hog maw was stuffed with a whole black chicken filled with ingredients like dried mushrooms, dried scallops and lotus seed. It is a nutritious soup dish.

Hog Maw stuffed with Black Chicken Soup

Hog Maw stuffed with Black Chicken

A short clip of it being cut up:

The rest of the dishes are common but no less delicious. I enjoyed the sweet, sticky pork ribs the most (no picture because it was served late) ; addictive, finger-licking stuff.

Vegetables, Tofu and Hog Maw

The restaurant and its surroundings - a laid-back, old style ambiance.

Ji De Lai San Ding (JDLSD Seafood Stall)

Neighbouring Food Stalls at Taman Hijau 3

Ji De Lai San Ding (JDLSD Seafood Stall)
Address: 14-24, Taman Hijau 3, Taman Green Lane, Jelutong, 11600 Penang.

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The next morning, we had breakfast at Maxim, an extremely popular dim sum restaurant. It was crowded but fast moving so we got our table within minutes. The eatery runs on a self-service concept where you go to the counter, select the food you want and bring it back to the table yourself.

Dim Sum at Maxim

 Restoran Maxim spreads across several shop lots to cater for their huge breakfast crowd.

Restoran Maxim, Penang

I really like this place. The food is delicious!

Maxim Dim Sum Restaurant
Address: Bangunan Lip Sin 2-G-11 & 12, Lebuh Pekaka 1, Taman Pekaka, 11700 Gelugor, Penang.
Hours: 6AM–2PM
Telephone: +6 04 - 656 0915

Is that the end of my festive feasting? ... NoooOo. Wait 'til you read my next post.

15 The Love Is Big In February

Happy Valentine's Day! 💕

There was Chap Goh Mei aka Chinese Valentine's Day last Saturday and then there's today, February 14th, which is celebrated worldwide. It is a day for love and romance. For me, the celebration includes everyone I cherish in my heart - spouse, family, friends online and offline, and even you who's reading this.

Anyway, Chap Goh Mei which falls on the 15th day of Chinese New Year marks the last day of the festival. Traditionally, we eat a sweet dessert called Bubur Cha Cha or Pengat on this day. I do not know why exactly. All I can guess is that it could be wishes for a sweet year ahead for all of us. It is also said that Cha Cha is taken to mean Che Che which means abundance in Hokkien.

This year I attempted a simplified version of Pengat. Yams were sold out so I made the decision not to stick to the recipe. I got myself some honey sweet potatoes instead - just one variety.

I also made my own tapioca starch jellies this year. Tapioca jellies are really easy to make; only tapioca starch and hot water is needed! This, I have to say was a fun affair. I totally loved how the tapioca flour flowed through my hands and spread across my cutting board like molten lava when I added a little too much hot water in it.  Rolling the dough out to cut shapes out of it was the tricky part for me. I used a cookie cutter. The dough wasn't what I was used to but I got the hang of it soon enough.

And produced this pretty version of a sweet dessert.

Pengat with Handmade Tapioca Jellies

I am mighty pleased with it and will probably make it again. 💓 That said, I have yet to decide what to cook for tonight's romantic dinner..am I late? Will I be rushing it? We'll see.

With that, I leave you with warm wishes of love and happiness for the day.

15 My Chinese New Year

'Tis the season for feasting, they say. The term 'Eat and Be Merry ' applies to many families during Chinese New Year. We really eat and do it non-stop!

This year we had our reunion dinner at Copthorne Hotel, Penang. The atmosphere was lively with cheerful chatter from every table. Service was good too and the food was delicious. They had someone dress up as the God of Prosperity to go around the hall stopping at each table to give out ang pao packets filled with a chocolate coin and lucky numbers for 4D.

Our reunion dinner:

Reunion Dinner (Yee Sang, Prawns, Broccoli with Fatt Choy, Fish, Lotus Rice and the Dessert

Early next morning, MIL made her signature herbal chicken soup to go with mee sua aka longevity noodles. It is our first meal of the new year. Live long and prosper - that's what this signifies.

Herbal Kampung Chicken Soup

Mee Sua aka Longevity Noodles with Boiled Egg and Herbal Chicken Soup

Then, we headed out to see the lion dance. This is said to bring good luck.

Lion Dance

The first day of the Rooster year was spent welcoming visiting relatives and exchanging ang paos. When it comes to giving or receiving ang pao from MIL (in our family at least), we would bow or kneel and wish her well.

Bow, Wish Your Parents Well, Accept

These are the CNY cookies served to the guests. It made our lunch too. I think we ate half of it!

CNY Cookies

In the evening, it was a steamboat dinner.

Steamboat Dinner

And that's just the first day of the Rooster year. Let me tell you about my second day...in another post. Lol.

20 Dendrobium Orchid Blooms

The last time these orchids bloomed was in 2015. It's been a long wait for me and it had to happen over the Lunar New Year holidays when I was away.

Dendrobium Sonia Orchid

I think these are called Dendrobium Sonia . Please don't take my word for it. I am relying on Google Images to identify this!

At first, one petal stuck out. Just so you know, it takes ages for orchid flowers to bloom and once it does, it stays for awhile too.

Orchids - One Petal Sticks Out

The first to open up and what I saw last before I went away for a week-long holiday.

Orchids

This greeted me when I returned home.

Dendrobium Sonia Orchid

You know what else is great about orchids? They're tough! I can go on week-long holidays without worrying about them. It doesn't require daily watering.

Have you seen my other orchids? I think I have a thing for purple flowers. You may see it in my previous post - here .