Kolak Pisang (Homemade style) - Another Indonesian dish

What the heck is that? Some Viewers might be asking...:) It is actually called Kolak Fruit, it is super refreshing and delicious. It is another Indonesian Dish made of palm sugar and coconut milk.  This inside fruit consist of  sweet potato, banana, jack fruit, and other fruit (hehe, I've to ask my friend, because she's the one who made this delicious dish). Well, if you're living outside Indonesia, it is very hard to find this desert although it is very good after dinner snack or if you're hungry in between lunch, you know what I mean, right :)

According to Wikipedia.com, "Kolak or Kolek is an Indonesian dessert made with palm sugar and coconut milk, with pandanus leaf (P. amaryllifolius) for flavour. In some versions, mung beans are also used, and cooked till soft.Banana may be added to this base, the dish then being known as kolek pisang. Pumpkin, sweet potato, jackfruit, plantain and/or cassava, and sometimes pearl tapioca may also be added. It is served either hot (especially if freshly cooked) or cold. Kolak is popular during the holy month of Ramadan, and is usually served cold during Iftar."

It says you can served it cold or hot, it's true though, because I've try them both condition. But for 1st time eater, I would says you should eat it hot, because it gives you fresh feeling, rich flavor (because it hasn't mixed with ice or anything), and the fruit has more taste to it. However, if you can't finish it, you can always put it to the fridge. 

If you're really want to made this at home, I can give you some tips:

Ingrdients:

 2         Banana (Pisang)

                                                                  2         Cassava (Singkong)
                                                                  200 ml Coconut milk (Santan)
                                                                  3 tbsp  Palm sugar (Gula merah)
                                                                  200 ml Water (air)

Directions:

English:

1. Cut  banana and cassava into pieces. Boiled those ingredients in 200 ml water.

2. Pour in the coconut milk and the palm sugar. Stir until the sugar dissolved.

3. Simmer until the cassava tender and the sauce not to runny. Serve hot or cold.

(source: http://users.tpg.com.au/stanolin/recipes/kolakpisang.html)

I would says good luck trying (for you who want to made it), otherwise happy eating and of course happy holiday (because it's holiday season y'all). Oh ya...Happy Thank's Giving...My thank's giving meal blog coming up soon...Please wait...It will be sooo delicious and exciting....

One of the Best BABY BACK RIBS around town

Yummss...look at the picture. You can't get away with these stuff. Whether you're hungry, half-hungry, full-stomach, you will always have room for this Baby Back Ribs. Top with homestyle fries, the dish creates a perfection not only to your mouth, but also your stomach will thankful as well.

Well, this one is at Chili's around US. I've been to Chili's at different city, I would say they are pretty consistent with their cooking. I think this is one of the best food chain restaurant in US. Okay, let's talk about the food now. It advertised "We've always SMOKED our RIBS in-house. But now we're SLOW-SMOKING them over PECAN WOOD so they're fall-off-the-bone TENDER with a BOLD and SAVORY flavor that's impossible to resist." You got that right Chili's. I can't resist this dish. I can eat this anytime everytime, monday to another monday, morning to hmm another morning (in other word, it's 24-hr hehe); you give me this , I always yummyyy...

Yeah, that's how good it is. Eat here, you do not want to eat baby back rip anywhere else. You get a fine dining quality at Chinese food price. Ya know what I mean...hahaha... It smells good, taste great, and looks so delicious. The meat is so tender with Smokey flavor along with spicy sweet savory tangy sauce on top. Did you see the burn on the meat? Yeahh...that's right, it's gives you a bit crunchy taste on your mouth. 

Go now..what are you waiting for..check out the chili's around you...This Chili's that I went to is this address:

Cumming-Chili's

 874 Buford Rd 

Cumming, GA 30041-2716 

Ok..one thing to remember if you bring friend who do not like pork, "don't tell them it is a pork", tell them when it's finish...then you can say "see, pork is not that bad, right?" :) :) Enjoy guys

Shabu-shabu at Taipei Rstaurant

Welcome back guys!! It's winter here now. What could be better than eating shabu2 soup self-cook (in US, sometimes you called it Hot Pot) dishes, right?? Yeah, this shabu2 is at Taipei Restaurant in Duluth, GA. I would say this one is different than any other Chinese shabu2 around. This one is Taiwanese shabu2, not Chinese. You ought to try this one.

Okay, for you guys, who new, to this shabu2 thing; basically shabu2 is a kind of dish that you cook your self. Off course they provide you raw meat and vegetables (you can choose seafood or beef, pork, or chicken), Then they give you broth (usually you can choose what type of broth: chicken, beef, seafood) and if you want spicy or regular. After that, you have to mix your own sauce, they usually give you lots of choice kind sauce at a different table or bar. You mix your own sauce. For example: I like to mix soy sauce with garlic, white vinegar, hot sauce, small cut of céleri, cayenne pepper, and a little bit of Hoisin Sauce. Ohh...just typing those words made me drool already. Then you put everything into the boiling broth and eat. We usually eat with white rice on the side. It's optional, becase they sometimes gives you somekind of glass noodle on the vegertable plate.

The food at this restaurant I said is very fresh, delicate, nice thin cut of meat, and delicious. I order beef and seafood (fish, shrimp, scallop)...yummsss...I would say the soup is very delicious...I can tell that it's does not have as many if not MSG like any other shabu2 around. I think it's because it's a Taiwanese food. Well basically, I cook the vegetables 1st (corn, cabbage, mushroom, meatball, tofu, etc), then I grab it using the hole stick net to grab all the stuff without the soup, then eat it, then I put the meat, wait until it's done, then dip it on the sauce I made, then eat it with rice. So refreshing....I can eat this anytime anywhere yo.

Ok, the Taipei Restaurant at Duluth is at the corner shopping center beside that quik trip on Buford Hwy. I would say the Restaurant is clean, comfortable, and very convenient. They also have a regular menu order, beside this shabu2. I will review those next time y'all, when I come back there. Anyway, here is the complete address if you want to try:

Taipei Restaurant

3940 Buford Hwy NW
Duluth, GA 30096

Please remember they close at 10 pm week day and 11 pm weekend, so don't go there too late guys (sorry for you guys who get out work late nite), but order the food, sit down, relax, enjoy the tea before and after eat, what could be better than that?? It's heaven on earth...so...please do enjoy....see you guys next time. 

Note: I put different text, so you guys won't be too bored reading :)

Spicy, Sweet, & Sour Fish at Bo Bo Garden

Okay, this one is a fish if you can't see it clearly. It is flour fried fish with sweet, sour, and spicy sauce. Yummss...yummss...yummy... Just look at the picture (especially the sauce). It is deep, rich, and look very tasty. I don't think this one is on the restaurant menu. Well, when I went to the Restaurant, I ask them to make me a special fish with the sauce that I want. So, there it is...so if you want to order, probably you can spell out the title above or just show this picture to them (well if you've internet access at the restaurant ... :) )

I must say the fish is very crispy yet tender with extravaganza great smell aroma, even you can smell it at 50 feet away. I mean look at the picture, the brown sauce with lots of colorful spice and small bites green onion on a white plate create not only a perfection dish, but also it creates a fine dining menu experience. The difference is, hehe, it is a chinese food, it cost only around $10, while fine dining may be cost at least $30, even Japanese restaurant (with this portion of fish) probably around $22...haha...Yeah, $22  - $10 (fish cost), you can buy starbucks after wards for $4, and on the way home buy ice cream at supermarket for $2.50, large chips for $2.99, and 1 liter soda for $1, and still left $1.50 to go into your savings account...hahaha...It's like Geico insurance always says..."$15 minutes save you $50 or more on car insurance"

Anyway, if you want to try this fish, come to this restaurant in Atlanta, GA. Here is the full address:

Bo Bo Garden

5181 Buford Hwy NE

Atlanta, GA 30340


One thing I just want you to make sure, is to order some hot Chinese tea such as jasmine tea, because that food looks like can add sizes to your pants or shirt...you know, the tea help to reduce those a little bit... Enjoy guys...

Home Made Asinan Buah - Spicy Sweet Sour Flavor

Hello Food Lover, how are ya? Yeah, it's been a long time, I haven't blog you a new food...

Ok, Asinan buah is combination of slice fruit bowl from Asia. The soup is spicy, sweet, and sour flavor mixed into one. It's like real life you know, sometimes spicy, then sour, off course finally sweet. :) Just have to remember the sweet usually comes the last after the spicy and sour is finished. The same when you are eating this "Asinan Buah;" the sweet taste come at the very last. 

Basically you can put any sliced fruit inside the bowl. Usually it comes with pineapple, sweet potato sliced, cucumber sliced, sliced of bengkoang, salak fruit, jambu fruit, and kedondong. Sorry, some of the fruit is native asian natural fruit (Hard to find in English). When you start eating this "Asinan Buah" you will never stop eating until you finish. This what happened to me, I plan to split into two days. However, as I begin eating; well, I said "one more bite, " "then another," "well another one, " until what's left is the soup...hahaha...That feels so good even after "the eating taste" on your mouth. You know sometimes the taste of your mouth after eating can be "not comfortable", but this one gives you fresh taste, mouth watering, and feels want more.

"Asinan Buah" definitely one of dish you need to try if you're travelling around Asia, or if you can't, may be China Town good enough...:) Just make sure you come in to a restaurant in ChinaTown with ratings 90 or above...hahaha...you know what I mean...

Lemper - Indonesian Chicken Sticky Rice

Lemper is an Indonesian Chicken Sticky Rice. Yeah, it looks kind of nasty, but it's actually very delicious. It is made of sticky rice with a very fine chicken, and then wrap like an egg roll; It's usually cover with banana leaf. This food is very popular in Indonesia country. It's like hot dog in US. However, to get a fine lemper in US is very hard. It needs a perfect moist inside, with perfect stickiness (you don't want to sticky, because it will look like a glue), and a very fresh chicken inside. 

You need to passionate and gently steam the rice. Also, you need to cook the chicken with delicate and special ingredients to make the unique aroma. Then you roll it in the banana leaf, to make like an egg roll. Well you know, I just know the theory, never try to make one myself. But if you have a chance to visit Indonesia someday, you have to try it.

Lemper usually eat as a snack or sometimes serve as an appetizer before you eat. Or may be it can be a late night snack at home when you hungry, when you couldn't sleep at night (hehe you know how hard to find a a great snack at night time). This one may be can make a perfect companion for your night snack.

This one is my friend made for me here in the US. But if you're really interested, I mean really interested, I probably can ask my friend to make it for you (off course you need to deal with them about the fee hehe)...Nothing free anymore in this world you know...Oh yeah, there is still one thing still free in this world... It is GOOGLE...:) But that's after you pay for a computer, electricity, and internet connection..haha...Enjoy, guys...

Beet Gazpacho Soup at Mediterra Princeton New Jersey

Yeah, it's the weekend guys. I feel good today, that's why I gave you a fine dining menu today. This one is Beet Gazpacho Soup with a bit of olive oil at Mediterra Restaurant on Princeton University New Jersey. I would say this one is best Gazpacho ever on anywhere in the US. For you who don't know Gazpacho or never try one; According to Wikipedia.com, Gazpacho is "cold Spanish tomato-based raw vegetable soup, originating in the southern region of Andalusia." It taste very fresh, feels like lots of vitamins, and savvy-delicious flavor.

This one is actually "soup of day" choice of pick of 3 course menu. I have to say that the appetizer takes it all. The soup is presented with a slice of bread, a little drip of olive oil, and with a tiny chop of green onion on top. I mean look at those, it's a good looking soup, well presented, and great flavor. Oh yeah, the big bowl also adds a prestige of the soup, it makes the soup looks extravaganza and precious in the middle of the bowl. It's like a diamond in the middle of the ring (haha, you know what I mean, ladies)...

Okay, if you happen to be at Princeton University, here is the address of the restaurant:

Mediterra

29 Hulfish Street

Princeton, New Jersey 08542

The cost per-person is about $39 - $45 includes appetizer, entrée, and desert...Hey if you're on vacations, who cares about the money right...Just charge it, worry to pay it later...:)