Aman Central - A Lifestyle Beckons

For many of us, an occasional trip to Penang often means going into a city with all its glitzy malls, branded goods and chic restaurants.

Aman Central opened on the 1st of this month. H&M, Chi, Sakae Sushi, Padini Concept Stores, Nando's, Starbucks... with one opening of this new upmarket mall, a new lifestyle is emerging. Coffee above RM10 a cup, gym in a mall, hawker food in a posh environment, everything shiny, bright and inviting. Where once, Alor Setar used to be a city with a town kind of lifestyle, this will surely and subtly infuse a lifestyle of branded names.

You walk into the mall and you can feel the difference. Baskin Robbins at RM10 per scoop. We used to balk at such prices for ice-creams. Yet if you look at the traffic at the ice-cream parlour, you would think that the people don't seem to be batting any eyelids where the price is concerned. Expensive clothings are flying off their racks too. The economic slowdown doesn't seem to show yet.

But perhaps that lifestyle has always been there. It was just that there were no avenues for it to be gauged. I was admiring a pair of shoes which was almost RM400. There were at least 5 pairs hanging on the rack. A few days later, they were gone, replaced by another series. Maybe the opening of this mall is good for the local economy. It is too soon to tell but already hawker centres in the viccinity are undergoing their own facelifts.

Yet there are still little tell-tale signs of small town here. Patrons who seem lost in the vast multi-tiered parking lots. One pakcik even drove against the traffic coming down the multi-tiered carpark. Toilets are smelly and wet. It feels as if those using it don't quite know how to keep the floors dry mostly. But these will surely change.... hopefully.

The official opening will be held in November. Not all outlets are operational. Not all business space is occupied. It is almost a month down the road. Cars still jam up the place, albeit at specific times now. Some businesses are thriving but there are those which are struggling too. But whatever it is, this mall heralds something new to this town-like city.

Lunch on A Saturday...

Been meaning to do this for a couple of weeks but something always came up... or I forget.

Grilling our lunch! 8) I was given this mini electril grill by a friend but have not used it till now. So, this morning, we went to market and bought some stuff for lunch. Chicken, brinjal, pineapple, capsicum, long beans and okra. Kids did not like the brinjal, which meant that the adults had to finish them. Grilled pineapples are delicious though.

Salad... we're in a salad mode these days. This had a whole load if stuff in it, baby romaine, red and green coral , apple, pineapple, jackfruit, blueberry, strawberry, honey tomatoes, zucchini, walnut, raisins, a dash of maple syrup and some other stuff. Dressing was a mix of French dressing and Heinz Salad dressing. And we threw in the leftover from the grill - chicken and capsicum into it. It made good pre-dinner with some muesli fruit and nut cereal thrown in! 8) Have to eat more healthily. This morning I bumped into a friend who told me that she needs to go for a triple bypass. And she's only a few years older than me. 8(

Found the grill to be quite useful. Cleaning is easy as the oil and juices all flow into the container which can be easily washed. Not much 'splashing' of oil takes place too as the cover can be closed for quicker cooking. The plate itself just needs a few good wipes and it's clean. Good for small family meals, especially with my kids who are small eaters. Might do ribs if we are up to it one of these days.

Yoghurt... Smiles Frozen

A couple of years ago, I remember a yoghurt craze among some of my friends. But to have yoghurt back then meant making your own. It was quite easy, I remember. You just throw in your existing yoghurt culture into the milk, throw in some stuff - sugar, etc. And you have yogurt. You keep restocking by repeating the process over and over again.

These days, yoghurt has gone commercial. You get outlets specializing in yoghurts only and they are now served like ice-creams. They are not cheap, too! Even in Alor Setar there is now a yoghurt outlet called Smiles Frozen which is located in a row if shophouses fronting Lencongan Barat near Tesco Mergong.

It's a DIY yoghurt ice cream shop. You decide how much you want, from the yoghurt.... and there are a few flavours to choose from...

...right down to the types and amount of topping you want. And there're plenty to choose from.

But remember, you pay based on the weight. At Smiles Frozen it's RM0.49 per 10g. Two cups like this can easily set you back RM35 or more!

This is from another yoghurt outlet... Tutti Frutti. There is one in Jitra, at the Jitra Mall. Tutti Frutti is slightly pricier, 10g at RM0.53.

I am not a yoghurt fan but I found that I can actually get used to it, mainly because of the toppings. I also feel the yoghurt from Tutti Frutti is creamier. I have also found out that the types of toppings differ outlet to outlet even for the same franchise. So in some outlets, you might find only only sweet and processed stuff which means that the health benefits of the yoghurt are negated by the toppings. LOL!I like the choices of toppings available at Smiles in AS - sunflower seeds and other nuts. They seem to go well with yoghurt. Can be lunch.

Our tastes and preferences can change with times... today it's yoghurt, yesterday it was bubble tea, who knows what tomorrow will bring....

When snatch theft hits close....

This afternoon, a bunch of us had a get together at a friend's place for an iPad session. The group was made up of senior citizens and our hostess had thrown in lunch for us as well. We had a fun time... I played teacher. And one of them had just gotten her new iPad too. She was so happy to be able to watch movies on it. It was nice to be able to get together after quite a while....

At around 3 p.m., because the sky was showing signs of rain, we decided to make move. We were all quite happy and pleased. I thought all of us had gotten into our cars and left. A motorbike passed us but none of us really took notice of it. Then just as I was sitting down, a call came from the friend who had just gotten her new iPad. Two guys on the bike and gone one round and when they saw my friend still getting into the car, one of them snatched her chain as well as her iPad. I rushed over and both of us went round the taman. I thought I saw the two culprits on the bike but I lost them because I had to turn my car around to follow them.

Our leaders talk about our achievements. Yet in this one area of security, they've failed to ensure that. When I first came to Alor Setar, one of the things that impressed me about the place was how safe everything seemed. You could leave your car keys in the ignition and be rest assured that it will still be there. The locals used to tell me with pride that it's because the people here were honest and God fearing. Those days are long gone. I find myself contemplating getting a dog and securing my perimeter with CCTV. Friends have been telling me the regular break ins which have been taking place.

I feel bad for my friend. I'm indignant that the police are not seen around so much any more. What you can see though is their spanking new police headquarters rising above the city skyline. And you know what, when traffic lights break down, they cordon off one road and cause great inconvenience to motorists. Mr. Policeman will be at the traffic light, sitting on the barrier or leaning on something, and watching the traffic placidly. I wonder whether this is their new SOP, to divert traffic with barriers when traffic lights at crossroads break down.

We seldom see police presence on Thursday evenings when Mat Rempit wannabes fill their road with their dangerous riding as well as big number. I don't go out much in the evenings these days and I don't know whether it's still a permanent fixture on certain roads in Alor Setar on Thursdays. Instead, like a friend said, you'll find police holding road blocks at busy roads after office hours where vehicles have to make a beeline at busy roads. Some people are beginning to wonder why this and not during those happy rempit hours.... when so much nuisance is caused.

But today, I am infuriated by the thuggish act. It makes me look around for reasons for it. My friend is a tough lady and used to be in the force. Even ex-service personnels are not safe from such threats. I hope these criminals get what they deserve. May they die a thousand painful deaths.... really geram.

Noodle House

The menu says the name of the shop is Noodle House. It occupies 2 shop lots. In one of the lots, a banner with the words Ho Chiak Restaurant hangs. I think at night this restaurant takes over. This makan place is located at the Pusat Perdagangan Tuanku Hamimah.

If you come from Lencongan Barat, it faces Tesco Mergong diagonally, located right at the junction to Taman Rakyat. Noodle House faces the housing estate. It's located beside a hair salon, with a lane separating them.

This is their claypot yam and fish noodles. The noodles and claypot of fish, yam and other stuff come separately. On the far end is the noodles minus the gravy. For a yam fan like me, I find this quite nice.

Mee suah in sharks fin.. I should think it's pseudo sharksfin. What makes this nice is the texture of the soup and not so much of the sharksfin. I think they should just do away with the sharksfin so that those who are steering clear of sharksfin can enjoy it without any pangs of guilt. Sharksfin is actually overhyped. On its own, it's tasteless really. I actually like mee suah a lot.

Steamed seafood tua-pan kwayteow. It is steamed with pickled vegetables and lots of ginger and some green chilli. It's light and nice. And oh yes! There's an egg somewhere under the soup too. The pickled vegetables give this a very appetizing taste.

The big fat mee, fried in black sauce. This kind of me is quite common in KL but not so up here.

Going by the number of chairs and tables which were arranged outside the shop, I think the place is quite popular. Friend said that they used to operate from Lot 7 near PMC in the mornings before moving here. I am told that their other noodle choices are nice too. I shall probably be going back there again since I liked what I tried today.

Mysore Curry House

One more food post.... 8)

I noticed this place while renovation was ongoing end of last year. Wanted to go when they opened but with school term starting and Chinese New Year just around the corner, we just couldn't find the time. But today, after all the celebrations and the tiredness which is still hanging around, dinner was here. The place is located along Jalan Pegawai, in two of the 'not-so-new-now'shop houses.

It was empty when we arrived. I guess maybe due to one festivity just winding down and school starting, everyone is trying to get into the normal routine. So eating outlets are not so busy.

Environment Idaman and Rubbish

On 1st September, the Federal Government signed an agreement with appointed companies for solid waste management. While the agreement was only recently signed, those of us who reside up north here have been seeing the Environment Idaman trucks at work for quite a while and many would probably agree with me that rubbish collection didn't get any better under them. In some places, it got worse. One gets the impression that they seem to be constantly running short of garbage trucks.

Anyway, there was a 'big-do' of a launch regarding this waste management thing recently. And since then, it has been interesting to see how the company has gone round 'distributing' the 120 litre rubbish bins which is supposed to cost RM120. From one FB post I learned that a friend who happened to see the truck distributing the bins went back home and photocopied the necessary documents rushed back to the truck to get the free bins. Then we heard no more about it. The posters which were hung up during the launch (which asked the residents to be 'sabaq') went missing soon after the launch.... 

Then suddenly, yesterday evening, my kind neighbour gave me a set of forms and told me to go to the same field to queue up for the bins. It was already almost 8.00 p.m. But I went anyway because my neighbour was so kind as to to tell me. I got there and they told me they had no more to give out for the day. But when I peered into the back of the truck, there were still some bins... (maybe those were malfunctioned bins... I don't know). Anyway, they told me to leave the forms with them. They told me to go again the next day to 'claim' my bin. I told them that the report and poster stated that they are supposed to send the bins to the people. And guess what? One said that might pose a problem since they actually do not know who has been given and not...  Anyway, I was told that the truck will be there from 11.00 a.m. till evening today. I passed by the place twice today and guess what??? No truck!!!! 

So how accountable is this whole thing? I guess we will know in 4 years; since the distribution of the bins alone is supposed to take 4 years. Like the flood relief money, and the recent RM100 aid for school students; implementation of programmes which involve money always seem to reek loopholes. 

Take a look at this sign to inform the residents of the collection times. It is so small that you need an eagle's eyes to notice it. Back home ( in Perak) I noticed signs (very easy to read ones) informing the rubbish collection times being put up a year or two back. Mom tells me they are regular and quite punctual.

For these... You actually have to stop your car (or bike) and get down, peer up to read these!!! And guess what? They are printed on papers!!! How long do you think they will last before the sun bleaches the paper white or the rain breaks down the paper? Rain water flows freely through the slots.... Action speaks louder than words. Is Environment Idaman serious about creating an environment which we idam for? Or will it be one that is filled with bad dreams?

Well this is our current environment idaman... The bins which they placed at 'strategic' locations have never failed to attract rubbish of all kinds.... and pests too, might I add. See the toilet bowl??? And right around the time they started these strategic bins, rubbish collection also deteriorated... so I guess our idaman now would be hopefully, a really organized and accountable rubbish collection system to hit off. It used to be so much better when the Majlis was doing it years ago. Privatization where this is concerned has not brought better service, and we have the Federal Government to thank. 8(

The one improvement that I saw in the last one month is Environment Idaman workers digging the drains... but not the ones near my house. Years ago, the drains would be cleared quite regularly. These days, to catch people clearing them is a bonus!!! After the flood last year, I dug the drain outside my house and came up with a few wheelbarrows of sand, rocks and soil.... goes to show how poor the maintenance has been.

Anyway, maybe 4 years from now, when this post is revisited, things might have improved by leaps and bounds. Or if it further deteriorates, then we can always point finger to the holders of the concession... UEM, Metacorp among the main partners... companies seen to have major cables.

Of Tong Sampah and Big Do(s)

Even tong sampah (waste bins) can become a crowd puller. But in the end, I think not many people stayed to listen or whether at all any speeches were given. I didn't stay.... not interested to listen to more crap.

I actually read about this freebie of a tong sampah a couple of months back and when I saw this poster yesterday, it triggered a search for that article dated Sept 23rd, 2011. Let me just quote some of the content here... So, all of us can expect to receive this 120 litre bins by Sept 2012, according to the article. 

All households in the peninsula except in Penang, Selangor and Perak will be provided with a 120-litre garbage bin starting next month to separate their recyclable waste.
The exercise, which is expected to take four years, will start in Kuala Lumpur, Malacca, Johor Baru, Seremban, Alor Setar, Kangar and Kuantan. Households in these places will receive the bins by September next year.
Distribution of the bins to all the major cities would begin by the end of next month, followed by other areas, said Solid Waste Management andPublic Cleansing Corporation CEO Datuk Zaini Nor.
“The initiative is aimed to better manage waste produced by households as well as raise awareness on the importance of recycling,” he said.
Zaini said the 120-litre bin would be for daily organic waste, while recycl-able items should be placed in another bag.

I was told by a neighbour that we had to get a form (I assume from the tents at the ceramah). We had to bring our IC it seems. But in the end, she got a copy for us and told me that there wasn't anyone there manning the form counter. Everyone was just taking the forms themselves and many left soon after. Food was also provided amidst the muddy fields. There was a heavy shower yesterday night. But the posters say the bins will be delivered to our houses, which makes me wonder whether the form thing was a ploy to get us to the tents...

I was a little surprised as there had been a flurry of activities around the housing area the last few days. Ever since the the private contractor took over the waste management as well as the upkeep of the place, I have noticed a drop in service. Rubbish collection used to be very efficient. It's not so now. Instead they tried to create all these 'central rubbish bins' around the housing estate which have become mini dumps. I feel sorry for those whose houses are near those bins. I know I would be most annoyed and may perhaps even take things into my hands and pull those bins away to another further location from my house... but fortunately I have been spared of that. The bins are a source of of eye sore and pest attractions. But these last few days, service was somehow different. Now I know the reason... sprucing for VIPs.

So for the next few days, the area will be nice and clean... These days, when I see such activities of benevolence, a few things cross my mind.

First and foremost will always be, who gets the contract to supply the bins? They are supposed to cost RM120 per bin. Are the bins obtained at the best price so that the savings can be passed back to the people? This coming after all these slew of news about the exorbitant sums that we seem to be paying for submarines, fighter jets, sugar prices which seems to be going northwards after it was given to a certain connected figure to the politicians, extension of toll concession under the guise that there will be less raises in the future... and the way that our leaders don't seem able to put us on par with the countries that started off from the same block as us... Taiwan, Korea, Singapore.. and those behind our block are fast catching up.

Other terms of usage of the 'free' bins include a police report if they are lost. And we have to buy new ones if old the one goes missing. I can already imagine unscrupulous people going round carting these bins away since it is also stated that rubbish will not be collected if they are not placed in these bins. Crime rate has been on the rise despite the government telling us that they are taking in more police.... police presence is another issue. And the bins cannot be tied to the fence or any other structures. I guess for house owners will have to get people to build structures to contain these units.... more money spent. *sigh*

Waste management... personally, I try to do my part for my environment. I keep aside almost everything that can be recycled for the lorries or vans that come periodically to collect. Most of my vegetable and fruit peelings are buried for compost. Our family generates very little rubbish these days. But that comes about because I want to do it. I feel it is important and the incentive of being paid; selling them to the recycling vans/lorries. Many of my students who live in the kampung say they don't recycle because there is no such facility. So for convenience sake, some of them just throw their rubbish into the river behind their houses... or just dump it into the big bin beside the road.

Waste... free bins.... these days, politicians want to be seen as giving something to the people. But they keep forgetting that it's their performance and lifestyle that give us some things to wonder about. In this connected world, when they flaunt their wealth and live beyond their means and then claim that they got there mainly through their abilities, you get questions put into our minds. You wonder too why all the PM's children are millionaires (or perhaps even billionaires??), or how before they even hit 30, they have made it. Or how a penny-stock company stirs up a price tsunami when a 28-year-old whose father is the PM gets appointed to its board??? One should wonder... Waste bins.. they stir up thoughts like this...

Now to wait for the bins to get delivered.... in four years, if someone wants to do a research for a postgrad, a study into whether all the households get the bins might make an interesting study... Accountability has gone into hiding for too long cos those who manipulates it know that Religion and Race can be counted on to create havoc and make things murky in our minds.

Viet Cafe Revisited

They have moved! Have blogged about their old place here.

And this is their new premise, located at the block of shophouses next to TESCO Mergong. It's dining gone boutique. The new place also offers alfresco dining. There're a few tables outside, still within the building premise itself, just beside the corridor. In Alor Setar, the City Council very often seems to selectively go after outlets who put tables on the corridor while just beside the block of new shops, many hawker stalls have set up business on the pavements. They are an eyesore and I wonder how the authorities don't make these operators operate from hawker centres with clean water supply. One wonders about hygiene at such roadside stalls.

We took a drive around the new blocks of shops after dinner and discovered that there are quite a few restaurants at that locality, including a steamboat and barbecue outlet that had just opened that very same day. This seems a nice new place for a dining experience of another sort in Alor Setar. There're also the hawker food stalls to dive into too.

New premise with new menus... well, they seem to have just added the Oriental Seafood Menu.

Finger food... fried spring rolls with its own sauce. I used to order this at their old premise whenever I went.

The non-fried version. It will probably taste a bit 'bland' to those used to strong flavours. But if you take time to savour the natural flavours of the vegetables used, it's actually quite nice.

Cafe-type of food... one dish meal, Asian style. This is Other Half's order of Indonesian Fried Rice. Notice the curry leaves? They give the rice this pungent smell. This makes a nice meal on its own.

I ordered their Garlic, Onion, Fish Rice. It was spicy enough to make me reach out for tissue papers. Fried with onions, dried prawns (plenty of it), onions, lemon grass and chillies, it's enough to make one sweat a bit. But it's tasty. The sauce goes very well with the non-fried spring rolls. 8)

We ordered this, the Four Seasons Beans from their Oriental Seafood Menu just for the fun of it. It's quite nice, with minced meat, garlic, mushrooms and dried prawns (??). Food is quite nice but be prepared to wait a bit if there is a crowd as they seemed understaff at the moment. Renovation is still ongoing as this restaurant. It seems they will be catering for meetings at the hotel which will be opening soon too. The restaurant is part of the hotel set-up, I think.

Bak Kut Teh

Bak kut teh... it's just a soup dish cooked with herbs, a potpourri of everything edible from an animal. Bak refers to pork. There is chick-kut-teh too, obviously a chicken based soup. Of course you can have duck-kut-teh.... The 'teh' is supposed to be good....

Anyway, this is one of our favourite bak-kut-teh haunts. It's located at Lot 7 (I always get confused with its name even after so many years here), just beside Putra Medical Centre. We come here quite often as this is one of the places that our lil one likes a lot, usually after our swim. This hawker centre was one of the most popular ones in Alor Setar when we first arrived more than a decade ago. Then it went on a slide. But after the Putra Medical Centre, adjacent to it was extended and went through a facelift, the area has become busy again. It seems to have found another lease of life. And this hawker centre too.

What's so special about this bak-kut-teh? I guess the soup. For any bak-kut-teh to be nice, the soup (or the 'teh') must be nice. There are few other bak-kut-teh stalls around Alor Setar but this is one of the better ones. There is another one which is quite nice at Pekan Simpang Kuala. There are the yu-tiao and lightly scalded vegetables with meat floss and its sauce. But you only have 2 choices of vegetables.

The stall is rather popular. If one goes slightly later in the evening on a weekend, one might have to wait for quite some time to be served.

Apart from the bak-kut-teh, there is also this chee-cheong-fun. It's nothing as nice as the ones you get in Penang but again, this is one of those places you can get such kind of chee-cheong-fun in the evenings.

Mango... And Another Chapter Coming to a Close

Time flies....

Have gone to this place a couple of times but always forgot my camera. This was a planned dinner, to mark the end of another chapter of.... I don't quite know how to call it. It's been almost 7 years. I started my own home tuition for my boy when he entered secondary school. Along the way, other kids wandered in. Two left soon after Form 5 but two came in when I started my MUET for him. In between some other kids also wandered into my life. It's been an up and down ride, sometimes like the roller coaster, other times like the old steam train chugging along.

I learned a lot myself, at both professional and personal levels. It's been a humbling experience also, a time of gains and losses. There are fond memories, and not so fond ones as well; some opened my eyes and some forced me to shut them too.

In a way I was glad for this dinner. They are grown up and turning into nice young adults, with promise. I will miss the time with them but I'll also be glad for the extra time that I can have for myself. There is a time for everything. And the time to move on has come.

Mango was the choice cos 3 have not tried it. We sat out in the open. But as dusk approached, I realized that there were many birds in the air. One has to be careful about 'bombs' from them. LOL! But sitting out in the open air with the cool evening breeze is nice.

This is their prawn salad and I've ordered it each time I go to Mango. I like this one but I think the waitress seemed not to notice that there were six of us in our group cos there were only 5 prawns. Good thing I am watching my food. There is no menu. You have to ask the waitress what is available. BTW, the one of the waitresses has a very interesting dressing code.... she was in this sexy black outfit while we were there. The other time I was there she had on this white revealing dress. Dressing to kill? I don't know.

Kheng som, Thai sweet sour (asam pedas) fish which is very hot. Those white strips are palm shoots. My tongue felt on fire after each bite. The fish was very sweet though. I think the only person who is very at home with all the spicy food was Joyce. We ordered their otak-otak too and that seemed to go down well with her too. 8)

I think this is one of their signature dishes, mango chicken. Unlike my first visit when drinks came in plastic cups, we can now order in a jug. I ordered 2, kiwi and soursop. I think the former tasted better. Their deep fried squids were so-so only.

The years have gone by so quickly. From kids to young adults. Changing phases. I have more gray hair now. In just a short time, they'll be spreading their wings, perhaps far and wide. I don't know. I am glad for the time that I've been privileged to spend with them. Life is better with the experience, with its ups and downs, joy and disappointments.

Grill & Shabu Shabu Restaurant

New eatery in town, the first of its kind in town, they claim. Steamboat and grill, eat all you can. Boil and grill all you want. Shabu shabu in Japanese is supposed to mean hotpot.... in this language - steamboat. This restaurant and Red Thai Village Restaurant at Jalan Stadium have the same owner.

This is the restaurant. It is located near Tesco. Can't miss it cos it's just next to the main road. And it's signboard is really colourful.

But their flyer says it's 'nearly' Tesco. English is atrocious these days and many ads contain silly and funny errors. Anyway, they have a promotion on now.... 4 get 1 free. There is also a special rate for student and senior citizens, for lunch I think. You need to show your IC.

The place was just filling up as we arrived. You have to pay first before you eat, like Seoul Garden. Actually it's whole concept is a bit like Seoul Garden's. They cannot accept payment by credit card yet. The girl at the counter says they'll have it soon.

The first impression was good. They have a conveyor belt system like that you find in Sakae Sushi and Sushi King. They actually tried to separate the different types of food; vegetables, seafood, meat, noodles.... But as the restaurant got busier and plates got emptied from the conveyor belt, the food all got mixed up. They should just let them all be mixed up.

Now the food.... The desserts were okay but who would want to eat curry puffs for dinner? .... well my boy did. I think he took many pieces! LOL! My kids liked the small cups of desserts which they could top up with ice creams. Drink selection is okay but we feel the ice box can easily be 'contaminated' by all the hands that dig in.

There's also a cooked food section. There weren't many choices but the braised duck wasn't too bad.

Where boiling food was concerned, you have four choices of stock. But the disappointment is in the types of food. Most were processed stuff.... They had prawns and scallops but those came out far and few. We were fortunate that we were seated near the opening where they dished out the food. We managed to hijack 8 scallops in total. 8) So it looks like seating position is very important because of that. Same goes for the prawns but we didn't take many of that cos my kids aren't such great fans of 'em.

There was a dessert bar... they had kiwi though you don't get to see many of them.

Also, we noticed that the food on the conveyor belt is not cold. How fast does food turn bad with all the steam that heats up the room, I wonder?

The place is still new but I notice that they didn't really clean our table well. Grilling food means oil get splattered everywhere. And I could see splatters of oil on the wall of the conveyor. Also, the place looked a little dusty. Maybe it's still new. They've just opened a couple of days.

As for returning there? I am not sure. I might, if friends want to go. But if you want to try this place, now is still a good time. The utensils are still new. And they are probably making an effort to give better service. It will probably do okay for now since it's still a novelty.

But it's nice to have a different sort of makan place up here in Alor Setar.

Dinner break...

... at the start of the week, on Monday night. Joseph and Sze Mum cooked this meal for us. Beef, mutton, huge prawns, boiled potatoes with sour cream and bacon bits.

Ah! All of us enjoyed this meal. Incidentally, this is baby Julia's first trip to Alor Setar, her full moon (1st month) celebration!!!

The cooks, busy at the stoves (and oven)! 8) This is real 'kerjasama'. Share and share alike and we also get to share their shared kerjasama. Supeeeeer dupeeeeer good for us. LOL!

Red velvet cupcakes. I am told that this is an old craze that has been given a new lease of life. Karyn was finishing one batch as we were about to leave. But we got a few to try the next day! 8) Savoury and sweet in one bite.

Dinner at the start of the week... something which we seldom do. Nice change, though! 8) And something to drool over in time to come.

Naik dan Naik Lagi

In Dec 2009 1kg of sugar was RM1.45. Robert Kuok exited the sugar business in Malaysia in Oct that same year. Entered Syed Bukhari as the new sugar king. In December 2010 sugar rose to RM2.10 per kg. In the span of 12 months sugar went up by 65 sen after it changed hands, cos the government said it was reducing subsidies.

But sugar isn't the only thing that has gone up. Everything is. Prices of butter will go up by 10-12% this coming May. Life is getting to be rather expensive even in Alor Setar. If you opt to buy just an egg or two from the sundry shop now, it costs up to 50 sen per egg. If you buy in tens, it's around 35-40 sen. And if you work really hard and search for good bargains, you might still be able to get a really big egg for around 36 sen. But you've got to know where to look for such eggs and you have to buy in bulk. Not everyone does that or is able to get friends to buy the same type of eggs. People in the 'can-afford-to-buy' bracket have way too many idiosyncrasies.

Prices of daily stuff is going up and up. Our ringgit may be strengthening but our purchasing power doesn't seem to be growing in tandem. Inflation is something that is very real for the man on the street. The funny thing is our economy is supposed to be doing well... but the more money we bring home don't seem to be bringing in very much more goodies for our families. We're working harder than before to bring in more dough... but more dough doesn't seem to give us more food, relatively speaking.

Weekend is the only time I go out for breakfast with my girl. A plate of fried mee/kwayteow, one small meat pau and one small bottle of soya (we share) cost approximately RM6. Used to be below RM5. It is costly to eat out now. Government and service taxes add on to the cost. It's cheaper to eat at the hawker stalls; more value for money.

Prices of things continue to rise.... and rise. Economy rice is also not that economy nowadays. Chak-fun with 3 choices ranges from RM4 - 5, depending on the type of dishes you take. It's worse at the Nasi Kandar shop. Nasi kandar is food for the rich now... which is just as well, I supposed since it brings with it all those rich man's health problems. One of the few good news is that RON95 is still stable at RM1.90 per litre, heavily subsidized. But that's one of those few places I see my taxes coming back to me. But we can never continue subsidizing.....

A bun from the cake shop is now no longer cheap. And it seems to be smaller. The cheap mee (pre-fried mee) that we used to buy from Jalan Putra and the market is now RM1.50; portions are smaller too. It used to be RM0.50 per packet and you could fill your stomach with it. If the prices remained, the size would shrink. Value for money is beginning to feel like distant dream.

Our strengthening ringgit....yup! No denial that electronic gadgets are getting cheaper. But those stuff don't feed the stomachs. The stuff that feeds our stomachs don't seem to be benefitting from the strengthening ringgit..... unless you are thinking of importing false eggs or melamine tainted products from China.

Ang Chau Mee Suah...

... Alor Setar. Some more quite nice one.

This restaurant is located in the vicinity of Putra Medical Centre, Jln Pintu Sepuluh thereabout, next to Gromex, the advert firm. Can't miss it cos the green Gromex signboard is so big. Restaurant Hao Xing Lai is just next to it.

The inside is simple but clean, comfortable because it is air-conditioned but because there is no dampeners, voices echo around a bit.

We had gone there earlier on the recommendation of one of our friends and found the food to be quite nice. So, I took a friend there again recently to try... a non-angchau-mee-suah friend to be exact. The ang-chau comes in this quaint little pots. It's just nice for 2 small bowls of mee suah.

Since there were only 2 of us, we couldn't order much. This is the mee suah after being doused with the ang-chau. Verdict, well, from my non-anghau-mee-suah friend... she would go again for it! It's actually quite nice though I miss the ang-chiu smell.

We also had this - eggplant in claypot. Actually this dish is good enough to eat just with plain white rice. It's tasty enough on its own.

We took one of their green veg too. Quite ordinary, this one. Portions are all standard... i.e. one size orders, I think. That means if you have a bigger group, you can actually order a few types of soups. 8) The proprietor is Cantonese, by the way.

There have a range of the more 'exotic' dishes like pork/mutton tripe soup. I've tried the former; the pepper version and it was quite soothing and nice. The owner told us that we need to call ahead for the mutton tripe soup. We'll probably try that one of these days. They have a whole range of those 'healthy' soups. Prices are reasonable... not exactly cheap but it's also not on the expensive side. Tis a nice discovery.... to be able to eat ang-chau mee suah anytime away from 'home'.