Photoblog: Puerto Nuevo, Baja California, Mexico

(Click on the image above to view the complete photoset of 9 pictures) Previously on Rasa Malaysia, you've been tempted by the red and succulent Puerto Nuevo lobsters, now let's take a virtual journey through Puerto Nuevo, Baja California. Click here to view the photoset of this quaint little village by the Pacific coastline; I promise it's more interesting than the image above. *wink* If you missed out my post regarding eating the best lobsters in Mexico, view the pictures here and read my dining guide here. Happy New Year! Continue Reading "Photoblog: Puerto Nuevo, Baja California, Mexico"

Photoblog: Food, Glorious Malaysian Food

Pictures speak louder than words--here are some snapshots of the glorious Malaysian dishes (more to come, I promise!). Click on the picture above to view the complete photoset. Enjoy! Continue Reading "Photoblog: Food, Glorious Malaysian Food"

The Great Wall of China (Jiankou Great Wall / 箭扣长城)

I came, I climbed, I conquered (despite multiple mishaps and bodily injuries*). I can't think of any words to describe The Great Wall of China. It's simply beyond words. I was utterly speechless when I reached the top. Speechless. Click on the picture above to take a virtual tour of one of the world's greatest ancient wonders. Enjoy! *I fell four times and injured myself. Continue Reading "The Great Wall of China (Jiankou Great Wall / 箭扣长城)"

Photoblog: Beijing

This is the last of my photoblog series for Beijing, China. With this set of 35 pictures, I will take you on a virtual tour to Beijing: the narrow alleys of hutong (胡同), on to Bell and Drum Towers (钟楼鼓楼), and then to The Temple of Heaven (天坛). Buckle your seat belt and let's go. Related Posts: Photoblog: Beijing, Part I Photoblog: Beijing, Part 2 - Food Note: I secretly think my cover picture looks like a postcard, hehe. ;) Continue Reading "Photoblog: Beijing"

Photoblog: Beijing, Part 2 - Food

I had a great time in Beijing this time and here are a small subset of the scrumptious foods I had while I was there. I went back to Paper again (this time to my disappointment as the set dinner was almost the same with only a few new dishes and the portion had gotten smaller), sampled some fantastic regional cuisines such as Sichuan, Guizhou (贵州菜) and Dalian (大连菜). The highlight of the trip was a very fancy dinner at Green Tea House (紫云轩). Unfortunately, I wasn't allowed to capture any pictures there. All I can say is WOW as I was floored by the decor and ambience, plus the food was actually pretty good despite a fusion (I don't even like fusion food) menu. The presentation and the plating of the food were a real-eye opener--think a plate of jiaozi served with a tree trunk, beer served in a giant bowl, and an unknown plant that is at least 2 feet tall--all as the centerpiece of the food ordered. It was a totally new dining experience and I would recommend you to check it out if you are in Beijing. Green T. House No. 6 Gongti Xi Lu Chaoyang Beijing 100027 PR China Tel: + 86 10 6552-8310/8311 Fax: + 86 10 6553-8750 reservations@green-t-house.com Hours: 11:30am – 3:00 pm; 6:00pm - midnight Feast your eyes with the food pictures and let me know which dish looks the best to you. I looooved the steamed turbot and wok-tossed chicken. ;) Related Posts: Photoblog: Beijing - People Eating Beijing: Paper Eating Beijing: Hooked on Heat Continue Reading "Photoblog: Beijing, Part 2 - Food"

Photoblog: Beijing, Part I

I know you are probably more interested in the foods I had in Beijing, but I wanted to share some people photography I took in Beijing first. I love shooting photos of local people when I travel--be it an old man sitting by a narrow alley in hutong, local vendors busy with their daily lives, or a dog whose home is Beijing--these are the kind of shots that would always remind me of what is real of the place I went to. Click here to view the set. About the foods I devoured savored in Beijing, I have lots to share but you will have to check back later. ;) Have a great weekend! Continue Reading "Photoblog: Beijing, Part I"

Eating Beijing: Hooked on Heat

Cold tofu drenched in red hot chili pepper oil; I could feel the heat just as soon as I had the first bite. A plateful of even more red hot chili pepper with some hidden fried chicken bits. Alluringly tongue-numbing and lips-tingling, my body was working up a sweat. This dish was blatantly addictive and downright incendiary. Finishing off my cold night with a heap of shrimp tossed with preserved vegetables and peanuts. My gastronomic way of staying warm, ala Sichuan style. P.S.: Meena of Hooked on Heat...my title was inspired by your beautiful blog. Continue Reading "Eating Beijing: Hooked on Heat"

Photoblog: Random Eats

Here are some random food pictures snapped in the last 36 hours... Vegetarian Bak Kut Teh with beancurd sticks, mushrooms and fried tofu. Surprisingly light and delicious. Yau Char Kwai, perfect for that bowl of steaming Bak Kut Teh. My beloved Shanghai Xiao Long Bao at my favorite Shanghainese restaurant Shanghai's Ding in Queensbay, Penang. Juicylicious. Little glutinuous rice balls coated with ground peanut and sugar; a dessert I can't do without whenever I am home. I can never get tired of these little cups filled with shredded jicama and other yummy bits. A Penang Nyonya specialty. My recipe is here. A rempah (spice) hard-tailed mackerel found at a rice stall. My mother made killer rempah fish--another Penang Nyonya specialty. Stir-fried noodles with oysters. Yum. Dried cuttlefish are flattened, grilled over charcoal fire, and serve with a special chili sauce. A great afternoon snack. Malay Laksa found at Tanjung Bungah's roadside stall. I love the hard-boiled egg, which is inherently absent from Chinese laksa. Goodbye Malaysia...next stop is Beijing for a week before returning to the OC (Irvine, Orange County). Continue Reading "Photoblog: Random Eats"

Photoblog: Kuala Lumpur/KL, Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur--intimately and commonly known as KL by locals--continues to hold a special place in my heart. For more than 3 years, KL was my home away from home when I attended college there. Today, it remains one of my favorite cities in the world. Walk down the streets of downtown KL brought back a ton of sweet memories: my favorite food stalls, hang out hotspots, shopping outlets, and other old haunts. Through my camera lense, I present you KL, the Garden City of Lights. Continue Reading "Photoblog: Kuala Lumpur/KL, Malaysia"

Photoblog: Petaling Street and Jalan Alor, KL

Hawker food/street food is a big part of Malaysian culture and can be found anywhere in the country. If you are a foreign tourist to KL, don't miss out Petaling Street and Jalan Alor. A tad touristy, the foods are delectable nonetheless. Here are some pictures snapped at Jalan Alor and Petaling Street during my whirlwind 36 hours in KL. Mangosteen--the queen of all fruits--has a milky color flesh which is sweet with just the right tint of sourness. A friendly street vendor with his hot wok. His stir-fried Hokkien Mee is cooked with lots of wok hei (the breath of wok). A very colorful and festive open-air restaurant at Petaling Street. Another street vendor watching over his Portuguese baked fish wrapped with aluminum foil. Claypot chicken rice. This is how the the real stuff are done--with two electric fans fanning the charcoal flame. View the complete set and take a virtual tour of the food scenes in KL...enjoy! Related Post: 36 Hours in KL Continue Reading "Photoblog: Petaling Street and Jalan Alor, KL"

Photo Blog: My Favorite Shellfish

Every time when I go home to Penang, I like to spend my mornings going to local wet markets in search of fresh shellfish. Being an island, Penang is blessed with abundant supply of various kinds of shellfish and here are my favorites. Kepah. They are very similar to Manila Clams, but their shells are smooth with glossy tint of colors. They are also heavy. Siput, my childhood favorite. I used to dig these beautiful Siput on the beaches in Batu Ferringhi. Unfortunately, they are hard to find these days. Lala is a kind of soft-shell clam; the flesh is very tender and juicy. They are best stir-fried with soy sauce, shredded ginger, red chilies, and scallions. Eating Balitong requires training and skills. Suck the tail and the head alternatively to extract the flesh. They are absolutely delectable and here is the proof. Razor clams. There is another variety where the shell is straight, thin, and long. Cockles. They are a must in classic Penang hawker food dishes such as Char Koay Teow or Penang Curry Mee. Spikey snail (螺). They are uncommon but the flesh has a crunchy texture and tastes sweet. So, which is your favorite? Note: I would love to learn more about the types of shellfish found in your location. Do drop me an email, a picture or two, if you would like to share. Related Post: Stir-fried Savory Clams Recipe Continue Reading "Photo Blog: My Favorite Shellfish"

Photo Blog: Penang Hawker Food - Part II

Austin from Real Thai and Marc from Mental Masala are both heading out to Penang soon so I've decided to write this follow up post to Photo Blog: Penang Hawker Food to help them eat well in Penang. Start drooling now...here comes more food pictures! Popiah from Padang Brown Hawker Center. Filled with jacama (yambean), diced beancurb, crab meat and wrapped in fresh spring roll skin, Padang Brown Popiah is the BEST Popiah in Penang. Curry-flavored clams from New Lane Hawker Joint. Char Siew or Chinese barbecued pork. Char Siew is usually served with rice and can be found at Chicken Rice stalls. Loh Bak. These pork rolls are wrapped in beancurd skin and deep fried to perfection. Taiwan has a similar dish called Chicken Rolls. Curry Mee. Muar Chee or Glutinous Rice Balls coated with ground peanuts and sugar. I simply love these! Real Roti Canai; not the frozen ones I get here in the States. Nasi Lemak with Sambal Ikan Bilis (anchovies) and a sliced of hard-boiled egg. Grilled Chicken Wings. Penang Sar Ho Fun. A Cantonese-style fried noodle dish. Penang Ice Kacang. Ju Hu Eng Chai or Cuttlefish Salad. Delicious! Cheh Hu or Chinese-style Rojak. It's very tasty and best as an afternoon snack. Cendol. A must try dessert. Wonton Mee. Yong Tow Food. Various kinds of fish balls / stuffed fish paste served in a savory broth. Fish balls in Malaysia are fresh, succulent, and bouncy. And they are not all as there are a lot more to savor in Penang. In my honest opinion, not many places tops Penang when it comes to food. Penang is simply the best place for street food and Time Asia thinks so too. My previous posts about Penang, its foods, and its hawkers: - Photo Blog: Penang Hawker Food - Eating Penang: A Quick Snapshot - Eating Penang: Nyonya Kuih - Photo Essay: Introducing Penang Hawkers Continue Reading "Photo Blog: Penang Hawker Food - Part II"

Photo Blog: Penang Hawker Food

I'll write a complete food guide soon. For now, here are some of the most famous hawker delicacies in Penang. Hainanese Chicken Rice served with fresh cucumber and chili sauce. Apong Manis or simply known as Apong. Apong Balik. Assam Laksa. Roasted Chestnuts. Locally, they are known as Lat Chee. Hot food, curries, and home-cooked dishes served at a Chinese Economy Rice stall. Nasi Kandar at an Indian restaurant. Curries and fried foods at a Nasi Kandar restaurant. Nasi Kandar at an Indian Restaurant. Char Kway Teow or stir-fried flat noodles with prawns, cockles and eggs with soy sauce. Fish Ball Soup. Chee Cheong Fun. Grilled Stingray. Oh Chien or Fried Omelette with Oysters. Claypot Rice.