Meidi-ya Supermarket and beyond at Liang Court

I went to this supermarket and it is a exquisite place to go to when you want to experiment with cooking exotic dishes. Besides offering mostly Japanese products, it also offers other ethnic products like Thai and Mexican. There is also a takeaway section where you can get ready-cooked Japanese rice and pasta dishes. There is a Kyoto food counter too.

I found 'precious secrets' in the spice and dressing sections like ground sage, lemon and pepper seasoning and tahini dressing. I also found shortcut mixes like Thai green curry and Mexican burrito seasoning. This is a gourmet cook's paradise!

Outside the supermarket are small Japanese eating outlets. Go to B1 to access all these delightful covens! I did. Each one is devoted to different types of Japanese staples like don(rice), udon(thick noodles) and sushi. I ate Tonkatsu Don($12) while my dad ate Chicken Teriyaki Don($11). Each comes with a cup of Chinese tea and a bowl of coleslaw and potato salad.

The salad is delicious and the main dish tastes very authentic. The Tonkatsu is a little tough though. I did like the fact that there is a lot of egg and the rice is fluffy. I finished every bit of it. The chicken looks tempting with its perfectly grilled slices that have black edges.

Hidden Health Secrets of Lemons

The two biggest are lemons’ strong antibacterial, antiviral, and immune-boosting powers and their use as a weight loss aid because lemon juice is a digestive aid and liver cleanser. Here are some others:

- With your finger or a cotton ball, apply fresh lemon juice on acne and leave it overnight. Wash with water the following morning. There may be an uncomfortable sensation of burning at first, but it will soon disappear.

- Lemon balm has a calming effect and therefore may be able to help remove fatigue, exhaustion, dizziness, anxiety, nervousness, and tension. It is also believed that inhaling lemon oil helps in increasing concentration and alertness. It can therefore be used as a room freshener in offices to increase the efficiency of the employees.

- Add the juice of 1 lemon to a cup of hot water with honey and drink at once, then every 2 hours until the fever or chill subsides.

- At the first indication of a cold – a runny nose or sore throat –try to give your body as much immune-boosting vitamin C as you can so that the virus is eliminated before it gets a chance to take hold. Drink the freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon in a glass of lukewarm water every 2 hours.

If you have a sore throat, add the juice of 1 lemon and 1 teaspoon (5ml) of sea salt to 1 cup (250ml) lukewarm water. Gargle three times a day for 1 minute to diminish the burning sensation. If it’s a case of tonsillitis, gargle every 2 hours for at least 30 seconds with the freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon. Tilt the head back to allow the antibacterial and antiviral properties of the juice to flow into the back of the throat. You can swallow the juice when you have finished gargling thereby benefiting from an immune-boosting vitamin C shot.

- If you suffer from skin infection such as eczema, a lemon wrap may offer relief. Add 8 drops of lemon essential oil to 1 cup (250ml) lukewarm water and 1 tablespoon (15ml) of liquid honey. Honey also has anti-inflammatory effect and strengthens the healing power of lemon.

Soak a linen cloth in the liquid, squeeze out the excess, and gently place the cloth on the affected area for 15 minutes, 2 to 3 times a day. Not only will this ease the infection, it will counter the overwhelming urge to scratch.

- Explorers also use lemon for protection against many infections of the tropics. A small amount of lemon juice will quench thirst more effectively than many times the amount of water. Experienced travelers declare that when they add lemon juice to ordinary drinking water, in various localities, it acts as an antiseptic and prevents illness due to allergy to different water supplies.

Lemon oil also seems to be able to stimulate brain activity so whenever you feel tired for no reason or are finding it hard to focus or concentrate, drink a glass of lemon water every few hours.

- Lemons can help freshen breath that has gone sour after consuming certain spices, alcohol, cigarettes, or that is caused by insufficient salivation. To keep breath fresh, thoroughly rinse your mouth several times a day with the freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon in a glass of lukewarm water. Chewing on a lemon slice after every meal will also help.

- Garlic and onions have been shown to be effective in the fight against hypertension, and they combine well with the healing power of lemon. Add 3 crushed garlic cloves and 1 chopped onion to 1 quart or cold skimmed or low fat milk or soy milk. Slowly bring to the boil and let it stand for 5 minutes. Pour through a sieve and chill. Add the freshly squeezed juice of 3 lemons and sip throughout the day.

If you suffer from high cholesterol, don’t forget that the pectin power in lemons along with its other metabolism and circulation boosting nutrients can help lower cholesterol.

- Lemon juice has a powerful alkaline effect in the body and is therefore a natural agent against excess acid, which is in part responsible for rheumatism. Drink the freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon in a glass of lukewarm water 3 times a day and if you experience severe pain add the juice of 2 lemons 3 times a day.

- Drink the juice of 1 freshly squeezed lemon in a glass of lukewarm water after each meal. The lemon acid will stimulate the production of stomach acid and the activity of stomach muscles.

http://www.beliefnet.com/Health/Physical-Health/Hidden-Health-Secrets-of-Lemons

A simple dinner; back to familiar dishes

I decided to cook pasta, since I had a good review for it the last time I cooked it. Cream-based sauce is more delicious but tomato-based sauce is more healthy. I used penne as my choice of pasta and Prego's Mushroom Sauce.

To heat the sauce straight from the bottle without adding any ingredients is too 'cheapo' for me. I always add my own ingredients to "spice up" the sauce. I added minced chicken and chicken chipolata, green pepper, Japanese cucumber, dried thyme and button mushroom. The only thing is that I could have added more water to it. I cooked too much pasta though such that there was more of it in proportion to the sauce. I also added 2 dried bay leaves to the water while boiling it, to give the pasta more flavour. My pasta dish got a good review again. It looks as if it can be one of my signature dishes.

I boiled tang yuan for the second time. It did not turn out well in comparison. I think I over-boiled it. The filling in the balls fell into the soup and the balls became starchy. Also, despite having added 2 pandan leaves and sugar syrup, the water was not sweet at all. I had added only 1 leaf the first time, and it was sweet and fragrant. Hmm. I should not heated it again so as to make it hot. Oh well.

I tried to make kani tempura. It was more successful this time. However, I did not steam the kani beforehand, as I had done the previous time. I made sushi again, this time with ham as the main ingredient. I used less rice. It was a vast improvement but I need to practise the rolling part. I had problems with it even though I used the bamboo mat. I had to use two sheets of nori too.

New Year visiting to Vincent's house.

Assorted Dim Sum from Teck Kee: Baked Char Siew Puff, Spring Roll, Egg Tart and Yam Puff. I found the Spring Roll made with too thick a wrapper but enjoyed the Yam Puff.




His array of goodies: I enjoyed the Almond Pistachio Cookies.

Delifrance's set lunch at $7.90

I took the cheaper option. The other one costs $11.90. Since it was Thursday, I could choose either Aglio Olio or Grilled Chicken Chop with Mushroom Sauce. I chose the latter. The dessert was Black Forest Cake and I chose tea as my drink.


Cream of Mushroom: the soup was fragrant and delicious, but the garlic bread which came as a side was a tad too salty and buttery.





Grilled Chicken Chop with Mushroom Sauce: the broccoli was moist and the chicken was grilled perfectly till brown at the edges. The sauce made it taste exquisite.

Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao

Xiao Long Bao: the signature dish. It is Shanghai's national dish and the succulent meat filling is soaked in a broth. The soft skin holds these two within. One must be careful when eating it, as the broth will spew out upon biting it. It was so good that we ordered 2 portions.



Crispy Eel as a cold dish: it felt hard but had a crispy texture. Unfortunately, it tasted fishy. The eel wasn't fresh. I had to eat it with the ginger to mask the taste. No wonder lots of it was given!





Beef with Asparagus: the beef was tender. :) That's the most important component.








Kong Pao Chicken: it tasted sweet and not spicy at all despite the dried chillies. I reckon sweet onions had been used in the dish?







Glutinous Rice in Sweet Wine: tried the rice pieces, and they were soft and chewy. :)






Glutinous Rice Balls in Ginger Soup: the soup tasted rather strange; it didn't have that authentic ginger taste.

A meal at Mouth Restaurant on the eve of Chap Goh Mei

It was a good meal. Though it cost $65 due to the occasion, the choice of dishes and the expensive rental fee faced by the restaurant, the food was very tasty.

We had Fish Maw and Crabmeat Soup at $14, followed by Barbecued Combination at $20 and then Kailan with Mushroom at $16. These were eaten with rice. The second and third dishes are more outstanding though.

The platter the meats came in was in the shape of a flower with four divisions to hold the different combinations. The combination was made up of jellyfish as a cold item, smoked duck with spring onion and shredded raw lettuce as garnishings, barbecued pork and soya sauce chicken. It was my first time eating smoked duck and it tastes just like honey baked ham. I love it! The barbecued pork was juicy and meaty, with no burnt edges, and the chicken was good too. The vegetable dish included bamboo pithe too. I like its texture and the whole dish was excellently done. Even my dad had a contented smile on his face, one so rare nowadays.

Our meals onboard the Legend of the Sea

Gado-gado: the healthier version with less sauce but as a result, not really authentic.








Porridge with condiments: a simple dish but so delicious! Who says Western dining rooms can't produce such Asian gems?








Yu Sheng: with prawns and a generous amount of salmon. The more luxurious version.






Accompaniments to the yu sheng: sweet plum, oil and 'pok chui'









Cantonese Roast Duck








Linguine with Truffle Mushroom in Cream Sauce: superb for such a simple dish.





Baked 'Nian Gao': kind of tough but eaten with the choc shavings which had melted due to the exposure, was delicious.








Different types of bread accompanied by a spicy hummus spread.






Parmesan-crusted Catfish Fillets: no smell and a crispy crust. Makes a complete meal with the potatoes and peas.






Warm Almond Cake: so fragrant and crusty at the edges.









Sugar-free Strawberry Mousse: tastes good despite the lack of sugar, smooth texture







Warm Choc Cake: goes so well with the ice-cream and the choc sauce makes it an indulgence.





Sweet Corn Pancakes: soft and fluffy. Healthy serving of grilled vegetable strips, making this a filling course.








Sweet and Sour Tempura Fish Fillets: crispy batter and coupled with the stir-fried vegetables Chinese-style, makes the course very Asian.






Frozen Banana Souffle: more for fans of the fruit but looks good in terms of presentation.






Key Lime Pie: the lime taste is definitely present but the dessert is not sour. The berry sauce is sweet and the marriage of both these tastes is perfect!