Introducing: Mikimiki

Mikimiki [mee' kee mee' kee] Hawaiian: Quick, Alert, Active;

He followed us home from Hawaii last November 2008 and after becoming comfortable in Malaysia he has decided it is time to go out and explore his surroundings. You may see him on the street somewhere having dinner or sitting at a table at Old Town enjoy an Ice Blended Hazelnut Coffee or just hanging out at some hawker place for awhile. He said he will try to photograph where ever he goes and let you the reader see if you recognize the place. However, since he loves to be the center of attention, do not be surprised if he is always in focused and the background is not, he really does not like to share his photos with anything or anyone – sort of vain.

Mikimiki first day oout, he was having some beef noodles, roast pork with rice and old cucumber soup. He was somewhere in Old Greentown, a little Chinese Cafe.

David's Diner - Ipoh

Last night my wife, her father, niece and I went to David’s Diner located across from Greentown in Ipoh at B-G-1 Ground floor, Greentown Square. It is a small, friendly shop owned by a couple: one Malaysian and the other is an American: Dev Nathan and his wife: Dee Jay. The owners are successful in bringing quality service to their restaurant. Everyone there is very polite and always with a smile.

As for the food, this is my wife’s and I second trip to the place and I will state this second visit was excellent. The first visit there was very nice as well on February 13^th, however there was a small problem with one dish I ordered (I will not mention it here as I assume the problem was more due to being new then carelessness) however, it was quickly remedied and everything ended very well.

The cuisine is more or less American (about as American you can get here in Ipoh and stay cost effective) and is designed to reach a broad spectrum in tastes. The cheeseburger I ordered was very good, I would say the second best in Ipoh, the first would still have to go to Maria’s which truly puts out a very tasty all beef hamburger with very strong chuck flavor. David’s Diner did do an excellent job though, the patty was homemade (cannot stand prefab burgers), and well garnished, it could stand to have a bit more chuck flavor and also be a little larger in scale. I also ordered the Mexican burrito while my wife ordered the Chicken Quesadilla. Both were extremely good in their own right. Tex-Mex food (that is what the above would be called) is a common theme in the US and only a handful of places I have been to can really make the above really stand out. Years ago I also ran a Tex-Mex place in Malaysia and while we did make everything very authentic, it was extremely time consuming and costly (we made our own tortillas, chili powder, sauces, etc.) If you want to try Tex-Mex that is very good (I would even say the best) and flavorful, then I would tell you David’s Diner is the place to go. Also if you want a tasty burger you will not go wrong at David’s either.

Oh and by the way Dee Jay makes the best damn oatmeal cooking and chocolate chip cookies I have “ever” had in Malaysia!!! Stop by and pick up a dozen or two.

Guest Blogger: Food Road Trip to Penang

The below is from my wife who went with her father this past week to Penang for Crabs and Shrimp only to find out they were closed, see what she had to say:

So last week, my father and I decided to take a trip down to Penang for some seafood at this quaint little place by the sea. The name of the restaurant is Sea Pearl Lagoon Cafe and they're down by Tanjung Tokong. You won't find it unless you know where to look as it's inside a Chinese village that is inside a Malay kampung! They serve the most scrumpdelicious salt baked Ming Ha prawns and the most roe filled crabs I've ever seen before. The crabs have more eggs in them than meat. The way they're salt baked, you can really taste the aroma of the crab meat and eggs. There is no where else I would rather have my seafood than at this little restaurant that has been around for decades. And for 1kg of prawns and 1kg of crabs, I usually pay less than RM 100.



But sad to say, when we arrived, they weren't open. Imagine our disappointment having travelled close to 2 hours from Ipoh and finding out they were closed. So we took some pictures of the place for the blog but for pictures of the FOOD, check out this link that I found on Google:
Regina Travel Food Paradise

So we ended going to another old haunt of ours when we used to live in Penang. Song River on Gurney Drive is a little corner shop that serves bak kut teh during the morning and lunch hours. My husband and I used to wish the week to go by faster just so we can have our breakfast at this place during the weekends when we didn't have to work! The bak kut teh is good, I would say, but the dish that draws us in again and again, is the fried beancurd specialty they serve there. The beancurds are served with a side of cilantro and green onion dip and are just absolutely fantastic. The slightly crunchy texture on the outside of the beancurd and the soft melt in your mouth tofu in the center and dipped in the green onion mixture is indescribable. My pictures don't do justice to it. As for the bak kut teh, I thought it was a bit too peppery this time and the pork was tougher. I think Sun Lee and Sun Tong Chew in Ipoh are better.


Anyway hope next time you're in Penang, you can check out the seafood place. There's even a number you can call if you think you'll be unlucky like me and get there to find out they're closed!

Rain, Rain Let it Rain.

Ahh rainy days, how I do love them so much and today was a great day since it rained all day long. Woke up in the morning on this lazy Sunday (all Sundays should be lazy days) and went to go see a new dentist at 12:30 P.M., unfortunately he was on his way to Penang for a Dental conference and will only be ready for me tomorrow morning (well I suppose this morning since it is already 1:30 A.M. Monday here.) So my wife and I had lunch near his office, we had roasted pork and chicken, very, very good. I had to order a second dish of the pork, I will be going back there again, sorry I do not know the name of the place, I’ll ask my wife later where we were at. Anyway, while eating it started to pour down hard and cooled the place off. Went back home and just sat around watching the rain, played with my electric guitars and searched the net. Finally put together our T.V. cabinet and listened to some classic rock. Malaysia is a beautiful place with all the greenery and mountains, but, it is a very hot and humid place and when it rains it is perfect. I actually wish it would rain at least 2-3 days a week and for the entire day, sort of like being in the North-West of the U.S.

Well that is my post for the day, boring, yes I know, as I said Sundays are meant to be lazy days.

Malaysia Businesses No Names

I suppose in Malaysia many businesses do not have names, I find this very strange, because when I drive by their companies I see sign boards with a name on it but when I call them on the telephone and someone answers they just say “hello”. This has been going on for the better part of 10 years now and happens most of the times. Course this seems to only happened to small and medium size places.

I have called restaurants, paint stores, hardware stores, hand phone stores, computer stores, furniture stores, even a doctor’s office and even cold storage in Ipoh. Even when I call back the second or third time it is the same thing: “hello”. Now I can expect one or two people to make a mistake but to happen each time I call back. Is it just laziness to mouth a few extra words, is it just plain out right unprofessionalism or is it some sort of cultural thing. When a customer calls a company they want to know they dialed the right number. I have even started trying to act like them when I do it; here is an example of a call the other day:

“Phone rings “
Store: Hello
Me: Hello
Store: silent
Me: silent
Store: Hello
Me: yes, hello
Store: umm yes?
Me: hi
Store: yes, you want something?
Me: I am trying to call cold storage
Store: yah, this is
Me: this is what?
Store: This is cold storage
Me: why didn’t you answer the phone like that instead of saying just hello?
Store: oh like that?
Me: yes!!! Exactly “LIKE THAT!” How else would it be “LIKE”?
Store: oh sorry la…

Malaysian Movie theaters, I paid to watch the movie not you!

What the hell is it with people who go to the movies and cannot do without their cell phones for two hours??? You’re going to watch a movie with hundreds of other people who want to watch the movie and not hear someone talk on their phone or see them texting messages to someone. Is their time so precious that they cannot afford to give up their phone for two little hours? I know some people may say that what is the problem if it is on silent mode and we are just texting, well the problem is the light from the phone’s screen is very distracting and it glares in a very dark room.

Some of people may say we need it in case of an emergency, I say come on now, are you really trying to say that there are about 20-30 people in “one” cinema room that are all expecting an emergency phone call, if yes, then don’t go to the show. Look we made it all those years before the early 1990’s without cell phones, I am sure we can go just two hours without it now, if not then they have no right to go to the show, yes that is correct “no right” at all, they forfeit their right the minute they decide to disturb everyone else in the room who has paid the same amount as they had paid. Otherwise they should pay for ticket of the person sitting next to them whom they are disturbing.

Then there are those who love to talk during the show to their friend or loved one, I do not know if they are translating the movie or if they are reading subtitles and just do not care if they are speaking aloud.

As for bringing their children to the movies, if it is not a movie for little kids and they are not old enough to sit still for two hours then be considerate to the rest of the people watching the movie and leave them at home, if they cannot afford a baby sitter and there is no one to watch them then don’t go to the show that night and see an the movie. For those that have slightly older children and they start asking questions about the movie, well ok answer them but tell them to whisper and teach them to do that and if they don’t then punish them. Also who brings a baby to a theater, however, if they do insist on doing so, then the moment the baby starts to cry, don’t sit there and hope for it to calm down, get up, go outside into the hall so the baby does not ruin it for everyone else, we may all like babies but it is not “our” baby and we are not the ones who should be considerate and understanding. We all need to learn a little Social Responsibility.

If it sounds like I am being hard on Malaysia above, well you are absolutely right I am and deservingly so, I have been to the movies in the US, Moscow – Russian, Almaty – Kazakhstan and many other places and cities, but it is “only” Malaysia, and Malaysia alone where the above not only happens but happens just about every single time we go to the movies.

Oh and by the way, if you just so happen to be one of those people and you notice a tall white American man turning around and watching you instead of the movie and does not turn back towards the movie but just keeps on watching you, well that will most likely be me and I will continue to stare at you even once you are done, why shouldn’t I, obviously you think you are more interesting than the movie and since you already ruined it for me I might as watch you for the two hours --- and yes I have done exactly that in movie theaters in Malaysia before.

So, anyone want to go to the movies?

Grilled Porterhouse Steaks - the very best

Tonight I cooked three wonderful Porterhouse steaks for my wife, our friend Meg and myself and of course our little family kid: Panda our trusted meat loving, cheese adoring, warm furry, playful, always barking at the doorbell friend in deed watch dog.

As you can see for yourself, she also loved her steak, well really it was the bone that was left over from the steak.

Please go to my recipe blog: Foods From Home on how to grill a porterhouse steak.

Remodeling: Living Room

Today we decided to remodel our living room, well actually the TV area so here we go again with a nice little mess. Here are some pictures of it from the start of it yesterday up to today.

Some of these photos are "really" bad since they were taken on a camera phone, some are good.

Dismantling the built in TV center:


The wall behind:
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Preparing the wall for electrical work, we put up the plastic to cut down on all the dust when cutting into the concrete wall for the wiring:

This is our electrician, we have used him for the past two years and he is the only one we will ever use. This man and his colleague are the very best, professional, nice always on time and they really clean up after they are done, also they are very reasonably priced, if you need an electrician give him a call (you can message us on here and we will give you his contact number.)

First Recipe is up and loaded on my other blog: Food From Home, I hope you will stop by and take a look. I am sure the posting there will get better as I post more and become more experience with it the layouts.

The dinner that I made the roast for was for my wife and I and a few of our good friends last Sunday night February 15, 2009. It turned out very nice and the roast was excellent, we also had dill mashed potatoes and store bought Sara Lee chocolate cake. My wife however made Pandan to fu fa which everyone said was great. So the night went off very well with no untold events. A quick thank you to all who came and took part in our home and meals.

Malaysia's Outdated Power Company

Never had I faced so many problems concerning electricity in any other country that I had lived in before as I experience here in Malaysia and I have lived in several very small and remotes towns in the US, I have lived in Almaty, Kazakhstan (part of the old USSR) which by all practical means was near a third world country, where the city itself did not have enough money to pay for the public electricity and the power company would shut power off on the streets at Midnight in certain areas, where roads where deplorable and telephone service poor at best. I have lived in Moscow, Russia and St. Petersburg, Russia. I have been in many other areas as well: Amsterdam, Germany, etc and none has had the power problems as what I have faced here in Malaysia. In Ipoh when years ago we lived at my father in law’s house at least once a month if not more the power would go out, either on our street, block or house alone. We would wait anywhere from one to three hours for the power to be restored. One particular month this happened almost on a daily basis for about a week and a half.

In Bangsar, this too would happen at least one a month during the daytime. Power would go out and there would be no real reason ever given as to what was going on. From one to three hours would go by before the power would be restored. Now many years later in Ipoh again in our area this still happens. For the last three days the power has been going off and on from one to two times a day for a few minutes and then today the power went out around 11:00AM only to come back on around 1:30 PM. Then without fail the power went off again around 3:02PM and we waited and waited again for the power to come on which it did finally around 6:50PM. This is not the first time, at least once a month if not more the power will go off from a few minutes to about 30 minutes.

My question to the above is and always has been WHY??? This is 2009, Malaysia claims to be almost fully developed yet time and time and time again we all witness these little events that clearly shows Malaysia (while the will may be there) is not anywhere near really being “fully developed” . Most countries and towns in the developed world have overcome such archaic and backward problems as power outages (without natural storms causing them) more than 20 years ago. They know very well the type of equipment needed to run the grid well enough to protect the public from these events; they know how to plan for future development and an ever growing population. Then again this is the same country that claims it offers true broadband service to its people when really it is much much farther behind then, well, then almost any country that offers internet to its people. This is the same country that has a major company like Astro offering third rate television programs that shut off anytime there is even a sneeze of a rain storm coming around.

I am not trying to complain too much, I just want basic services is all, I just want and expect my electricity to be one when I want it, I expect my internet )that I pay more in USD then I do in the states while receiving far far less speed than I do in the US) to work when I want it and I expect my Cable television to work when I want to watch it, is that really expecting too much, after all they always demand payment without fail or delay and never ever prorate the bill due to loss of service. Oh and by the way, a few years ago we lived in Kuala Lumpur near the King’s palace; we were told we are on the same grid as the palace and therefore would hardly ever have a power outage. (This was told to us by our landlord.) You know what, he was correct, in the year we were living there, we only had one power outage and it only lasted around 20 minutes, now why can they manage it there but not elsewhere?

-----Update February 11, 2009 5:55AM------

AGAIN!!!!!! Yes again, just now the power went out for a total of 12 minutes, what in the world is wrong with these people...are their heads really so far up their &@* that they have no idea what they are doing? Yesterday we were told it was a "bad cable", well didn't they know that the first few hours the power was out, or what about the second outage, or believe it or not the third one that happened around 8:50PM for about one minute or the fourth one just now??? This company really is a joke of all joke companies, but then that is what you have in a country that believes in total monopolies: Tenaga N. Telekom, Astro, Streamyx. The 3 Cell companies: Digi, Maxis and Celcom. I am sure there will be more outages today or this week, let's count how many we get and if you have had some, go ahead and post it on here, let's see how many we can rack up in a month, maybe we can start a pool on it.

Malaysian Cars: are you kidding?

Have any of you here in Malaysia ever heard the newspapers saying you should buy Malaysian cars or heard the government talk about how well produced the Malaysian cars are to other car manufacturers of the world? Well, just so you know it is not only a few Malaysians who think the above is a joke, so to do a lot of other people from other countries, in fact both Proton and Perodua have made it overseas in sales and are laughed at, just take a look at the link below:

A Criticism on Malaysian Car Manufacturers

I have been saying for years there is no way you could even give me a Malaysian car for free, I think they are some of the worst cars ever made and even more to the point some of the worst managed companies around. When the Waja first came out here in Malaysia, you had to wait several months for the car and you only had 2-3 colors to choose from I think, while in the UK, you could get the car within a few weeks, you could test drive the car (you were not allowed to test drive the car at most places in Malaysia we looked at) and you had more color choices to choose from and it was several thousand US Dollars cheaper there then here in Malaysia. However, for those of you who stand behind Malaysian cars and do not like what I have wrote above, do remember "we all are entitled" to our "own" beliefs, and this is simply my choice and I have every right to give my opinion on what I like and do not like, but do not feel too bad, I also feel the same disrespect towards most America cars in general (you'll never see me owning a ford.) I really only like Japanese and European cars too be honest.

Bak Kut Teh

Oh what an early afternoon we had today, we met up with a couple of our very good friends and enjoyed a lunch that was extremely good. However, one of our friends enjoyed the lunch far more than we had all expected, fortunately we did manage to catch it on video, take a quick look.

Gary Moore: Still Got the Blues

This is a FANTASTIC song by the one and only Gary Moore, one of the world's most gifted guitarist.

Mojito Mohito Banderas

I wanted to share with you one of our little family members, we were very worried over the last couple of weeks about him. He was very lethargic and was not acting like his normal self. After a few trips to the Vets. he was none for the better. However my wife thought maybe he is diabetic and so she changed his diet according to a few websites and within a few days he started to come around and became his normal self. We changed his diet from dried food to canned food, personally we think he missed the canned food from the states and just acted that way in order to make us change his food LOL. But seriously, cats can be diabetic and the dried food for them really is not good for them all the time I guess.

Another CNY Dinner

Last night several of us met up at Pusing Public Seafood Restaurant in Ipoh for a CNY dinner arranged by a very good friend of ours Jeri. The food was outstanding but more so was the people that were there that made the event very nice.

Food of the Past Week

This past week my wife and I went to several places to eat. The first place, I do not really remember the name right now but once I do I will paste it up here. Anyway the food was very nice and tasty.

The Dry Curry Noodles with Roast Pork was very good, not enough pork though. The Curry Noodles was very good, made me want to come back for more. It was so crowded though, course this was the second day of CNY and not many other places were open for lunch.

Later on we went to Tong Shui Kai for Chili Crabs. All “I can say is WOW, they were the best. I know a lot of people say they are expensive, but really, how much more expensive are they really, compared to other places? The chili crabs were prepared in an extremely tasty hot and sweet chili sauce and you can really taste the difference of this place compared to other places.

When I first came to Malaysia around November 1999 I had chili crabs and have been having them ever since in various places, this was the first time I ate here only because I never liked the way the stalls looked over there on Dessert Street. Dirty and crowded and I was very worried about how the food might be or even if it was safe to eat. Well 10 years later I decided to give it a try and WOW WOW WOW is all I can say. I will be going to this place at least once every two weeks for crabs for now on.

These are the crabs we ordered, sorry about photo quality; it was taken on an HTC TyTTN II Phone Camera.

We also ordered a plate of Balitong (or as my wife and I like to call them: Sucky Snails) and they were just as good.

The next day my Wife and I went back to the same street and ate at another place down the road,

We ordered the Beef Tripe Soup without the tripe, we had just beef, yet one piece of tripe did make it in the soup (Sorry we do not like tripe). This was so good that I had three bowls of it, two for me and I then finished my wife’s.

I was also ill that night, had caught a cold (COLD not FLU). Most people in Malaysia say they have flu when really they have a cold. So once and for all here is what a Common Cold is and what FLU is:

Common Cold: Usually coughing, running or stuffed up nose, maybe also a headache. The cold is usually located either in your chest or in your throat, can also have a sore throat as well. Lasts from 3-8 days.

FLU: Your entire body hurts, every joint in your body is very sore, you are extremely tired, cannot eat at all, feel like you might throw up (vomit), your both hot and cold, usually your body is cold and your head feels very hot, you have a high temperature, you feel as though you want to or are going to die. You have literally no strength and this lasts no more than about 24 hours and then you are back to normal, sometimes can last for two days.

There is a very big difference of the two, FLU can and does kill people every year, while a cold is just a common cold. Also many people will ask have you seen a doctor. This is very strange for an American to hear because we know there is no medicine and absolutely nothing a doctor can do for a common cold, doctors all over the west will just tell you to go home, take some aspirin and drink chicken soup. Whereas for the Flu you can go and get a flu shot before flu season so you will not catch one.