CRIZ BON APPETITE

When you think about convenience, Pacific West’s products would be the first brand which come into your mind. Pacific West has become a caring household seafood brand name throughout the Asia Pacific Region, Europe, South Africa, New Zealand and the Middle East. In conjunction with the holy month of Ramadan as well as the celebration of Hari Raya Aidil Fitri, the company has launched a “Taste-At-Home” Contest, where you could share your creative Ramadan recipes and stand a chance to win some attractive prizes. The contest would be ongoing from 1 May 2020 until 15 June 2020. Hurry up to submit your entries. Terms and conditions apply.

Just follow the easy steps below and you are on your way to your eligibility for the contest.

With Ramadan as the stated theme, all my creations are of curry based, with herbs and spices packed fresh ingredients to make Sahur, Iftar as well as your festive celebration simple, easy to pep up with some slight twists to impress your family members and guests, with recipes included below too.

Pacific West’s products have always been great for convenience to pep up dishes within the shortest time, especially during the holy month of Ramadan, where Muslims would break fast during Sahur and Iftar~ Here a great dish idea – THAI-STYLE SWEET CHILI FISH COCKTAILS WITH CHOO CHEE CURRY~ 🙂

Pacific West’s products are simple to cook, especially when you have some guests around~ It’s as easy as taking them out from the freezer and right into your frying pan~ However, I would always like to impress my guests with something local, right from Penang~ Thus, here’s my tweaked version of BELACAN PANKO COATED SQUID STRIPS WITH SWEET SAMBAL TUMIS DIP~ They could be rather addictive too~ 🙂

As a Penangite, I always appreciate the Nyonya/Peranakan heritage by trying to keep its cuisine alive~ However, time has changed and everyone barely has much time in the kitchen~ Thus, I’ve created something fast and tasty with one of Pacific West’s convenient products~ Now I wished I had cooked more~ 😛 Here’s my TEMPURA PRAWNS IN NYONYA-STYLE CREAMY CURRY WITH WILD BETEL LEAVES~ 🙂

Do check out the latest products by Pacific West at your nearest supermarkets.

#TasteAtHome #PacificWest #PacificWestMY

Housed along a street full of entertainment outlets in a beautiful colonial architectural building, History Bistroz, is another participating outlet in the Potatoes USA’s U.S. Fries Fiesta 2019 campaign from 17 June until 21 July 2019. Do enjoy their English-style bar with occasional beverage promotions and at the same time savor their generous portions of snacks and meals.

The outlet would be promoting 3 dishes, namely U.S. Crisscut Fries Special, Mixed U.S. Fries Platter and U.S. Fries with Special Chicken Burger.

The U.S. Crisscut Fries Special (RM10nett) had some salsa with melted cheese, served with pickled jalapeno. It was simple yet refreshing.

The Mixed U.S. Fries Platter (RM14nett) consisted of 3 different types of fries and the dish came with some salsa dipping sauce.

The U.S. Fries with Special Chicken Burger (RM18nett) had a big chunk of batter-fried chicken and it came with loads of mixed fries as well.

There will also be a Facebook Contest where the public can win dining vouchers on a weekly basis with a grand prize of an iPad at the end of contest. All they need to do is to order any US Fries Fiesta dish from any of the participating outlets and post a creative caption and photo of the U.S Potatoes dish with #MYPotatoesUSA, plus “Check In” to the participating outlet. Terms and conditions apply.

Please refer to the 20 participating outlets for Penang and Ipoh as below:

Name: HISTORY BISTROZ
Address: 36 & 38, Jalan Lau Ek Ching, Kampung Jawa, 30300 Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia.
Contact: +6016-557 3688
GPS: 4.599242, 101.085733
Business Hours: 4.00pm-1.00am (Fri & Sat 3.00pm-2.00am, Sun 3.00pm-1.00am)

When it comes to creativity, 9‘S Grill & Café in Ipoh, Perak, topped many others in the ongoing U.S. Fries Fiesta 2019 campaign by Potatoes USA, which would be running from 17 June to 21 July 2019. The outlet does serve some high-end dishes such as the Matsuzaka Beef, considered as the most expensive beef out of all types of beef amongst the locals in Japan, even overshadowing the taste of many other beef types with its divine melt-in-the-mouth sensation and sweet aftertaste. However, the outlet does also cater some wallet-friendly dishes for families.

This outlet would be promoting 2 dishes, namely Deep-Fried U.S. Criss Cut with Pandan Cream & Palm Sugar served with Gula Melaka Ice Cream and Salted Duck Egg U.S. Fried Potato Rounds with Smoked Duck Breast & Salad in Popiah Skin Bowl.

Who would have expected potatoes to be served as part of a dessert? The Deep-Fried U.S. Criss Cut with Pandan Cream & Palm Sugar served with Gula Melaka Ice Cream (RM15+) was superb as it was like having an ice-shaven chendol with bits of crunchy bites, minus the intense flavor of coconut cream.

The Salted Duck Egg U.S. Fried Potato Rounds with Smoked Duck Breast & Salad in Popiah Skin Bowl (RM18+) was something out of the world as the dish had distinctive flavors from the added salted egg yolks, beef bacon, curry leaves as well as some hidden spicy hot chili paddy. I won’t mind having some hot steaming rice to go with the dish, if possible.

There will also be a Facebook Contest where the public can win dining vouchers on a weekly basis with a grand prize of an iPad at the end of contest. All they need to do is to order any US Fries Fiesta dish from any of the participating outlets and post a creative caption and photo of the U.S Potatoes dish with #MYPotatoesUSA, plus “Check In” to the participating outlet. Terms and conditions apply.

Please refer to the 20 participating outlets for Penang and Ipoh as below:

Name: 9’S GRILL & CAFÉ
Address: No. 28 & 30, Jalan Medan Ipoh 4, Bandar Baru Medan, 31400 Ipoh, Malaysia.
Contact: +605-547 3868
GPS: 4.617630, 101.120004
Business Hours: 5.00pm-12.00am (Closed on Tuesdays)

Rooftop Restaurant and Bar is another one of the participants in the Potatoes USA’s ongoing U.S. Fries Fiesta campaign, happening from 17 June to 21 July 2019 in Ipoh, Perak. The spacious outlet is equipped with pool tables, electronic dart boards, sports news on many scattered flat screens, and live band during weekends to keep you and your companies entertained throughout your presence there. It’s a great venue to chill out and release some stress.

The café would be promoting 3 dishes, namely U.S. Hash Brown Cheese Burger, U.S. Popcorn Hash Brown and U.S. Loaded Waffle Fries.

If you are a big eater, their U.S. Hash Brown Cheese Burger (Homemade beef patty only – RM28+) would suit you well. It was one of those legitimately tasty burgers which have moist yet tasty beef patties. Of course, there would be a big piece of hash brown and curly fries for the bulk to fill up your appetite.

The U.S. Popcorn Hash Brown (RM13+) was nothing to shout about but then accompanied by the tasty cheese dip, they could be deliciously blasted bombs in the mouth.

The portion for the U.S. Loaded Waffle Fries (RM25+) was huge and with the dressed salsa and creesy sauce, who could stop munching over bottles of beer?

There will also be a Facebook Contest where the public can win dining vouchers on a weekly basis with a grand prize of an iPad at the end of contest. All they need to do is to order any US Fries Fiesta dish from any of the participating outlets and post a creative caption and photo of the U.S Potatoes dish with #MYPotatoesUSA, plus “Check In” to the participating outlet. Terms and conditions apply.

Please refer to the 20 participating outlets for Penang and Ipoh as below:

Name: ROOFTOP RESTAURANT AND BAR
Address: No. 2 & 2A, Jalan Medan Ipoh 9, Bandar Baru Medan, 31400 Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia.
Contact: +6016-238 3688
GPS: 4.615295, 101.122672
Business Hours: 4.00pm-1.00am (Fri & Sat until 2.00am)

The Potatoes USA has kicked off its U.S. Fries Fiesta campaign from 17 June to 21 July 2019 in Penang with 15 participating outlets and for the first time in Ipoh, Perak, with 5 participating outlets. The outlets would be using various U.S. fries varieties to pep up creative, unique and tantalizing dishes to bring some excitements to fries enthusiasts. One of the participating outlets in Ipoh is the Lazy Chef, a cafe serving amazing brunch, delicious teatime dessert treats and freshly grounded coffee.

The café would be promoting 3 dishes, namely U.S. Waffle Fries, U.S. Hashy and Ocean on U.S. Hash Brown.

The U.S. Waffle Fries (RM15nett) might look rather simple but yet the dish was packed with flavorful bites from the added crunchy beef bacon plus lots of grated parmesan cheese. No dipping sauce was provided but then you could always grab a bottle of mustard to pep up some pungent flavors.

On the other hand, the U.S. Hashy (RM23nett) was delicious, especially when combining the oozing egg yolk from the sunny side up, accompanied by the crunchy beef bacon. I won’t mind having this dish for breakfast.

The Ocean on U.S. Hash Brown (RM28nett) remained as everyone’s favorite as the whole concoction was taste-perfect for just any meal. It had a slice of crunchy fried hash brown as the base, topped with some tartar sauce, fish fritter, smoked salmon and artfully dressed with some gherkins, capers, cherry tomatoes and some micro greens. We almost licked the plate clean~ Haha!

There will also be a Facebook Contest where the public can win dining vouchers on a weekly basis with a grand prize of an iPad at the end of contest. All they need to do is to order any US Fries Fiesta dish from any of the participating outlets and post a creative caption and photo of the U.S Potatoes dish with #MYPotatoesUSA, plus “Check In” to the participating outlet. Terms and conditions apply.

Please refer to the 20 participating outlets for Penang and Ipoh as below:

Name: LAZY CHEF
Address: C-G-8, Jalan Sultan Iskandar Shah, 30000 Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia.
Contact: +6012-564 0831
GPS: 4.593068, 101.089460
Business Hours: 10.00am-7.00pm (Closed on Wednesdays)

Pacific West is no longer a new name in the F&B industry as well as in many households throughout the Asia Pacific Region, Europe, South Africa, New Zealand and the Middle East. Since its inception in Australia in 1995, Pacific West has evolved over time to become a caring household seafood brand name which exudes friendliness and warmth. It evokes a vibrant calibration that gels well with the cosmopolitan lifestyle of the people who enjoy good food and good health.

In conjunction with new improved Cheezy Fish Fillets launched, Pacific West is in collaboration with Holiday Tours & Travel Sdn. Bhd. (Penang Office) to bring you the ‘Win Your Dream Holiday’ contest from 15th November 2017 until 15th January 2018. Stand a chance to experience the riverside capital of Western Australia, Perth (4D3N for 2 pax) or the famed island of the gods, Bali (4D3N for 2 pax) by purchasing a minimum of any one (1) Pacific West product in one receipt from any of the participating outlet in Malaysia within the contest period stated above. Joining the contest is easy as you could either fill up a form available at the outlets and send via Pos Malaysia or Whatsapp to +6013-601 9224 with all the necessary details stated in the poster below.

Pacific West Products can be real versatile if you just put on your thinking cap and think out-of-the-box or you could merely just fry them and enjoy with your family members and friends, especially during this coming festive seasons. Let’s me show you some simple preparations which you could use to impress your family members or guests. I’ll be using the newly formulated Cheezy Fish Fillets, natural white flaky fish fillet, topped with a mixture of premium Mozarella and Nacho cheese and coated with a crispy Japanese breadcrumbs, thus giving the product a unique aroma and taste for consumers.

You can check out the recipe below:

Other products usages might be as shown below:

Product: Pacific West Oven Baked Fish Fillets
Item Created: Cheezy Oven Baked Fish Puff

Product: Pacific West Calamari Rings
Item Created: Deep Fried Calamari Ring with Thai Style Mango Pomelo Salad on Cheezy Toast

Product: Pacific West Cheezy Fish Fillets/Pacific West Tempura Fish/etc
Item Created: Deep Fried Cheezy Fish Fillets with Wasabi Mayo on Greens with Sesame Dressing

#PacificWestMy #PWDreamHoliday

Malaysia’s all-time favorite Halal certified Japanese restaurant, Sushi King from nationwide, would be promoting its “Japanese Curry with a Kick” from 1 April 2017 until 30 June 2017. Sushi King is introducing an exclusive Japanese curry menu with added punchy ‘kick’ to suit the local taste buds and spicy enough to fire up any Malaysian’s savory palate. The special menu would be available for a limited time in which various authentic Japanese fare would be merged with a spicy twist and mouthwatering flavors for those adventurous foodies who love to have “spicier” moments in their lives. Do click on the poster below to enlarge for a better view.

To start off the new introductions, let’s personalize your order. Diners can choose any of the 3 options available for the curry rice, namely Chicken Katsu (deep fried chicken), Seafood Fry (deep fried prawns & fish) or Yakiniku (pan fried beef slices), followed by your choice of spiciness pairing level such as Curry, Tomato Curry and Spicy Curry. Please be warned that even the toughest and most seasoned ‘fiery-food-lover’ do find the Spicy Curry to be such a challenge without triggering the gustatory hyperhidrosis of profuse sweating~ Haha~ 🙂

Summarized Steps:
Step 1: Choose One (1) Main Curry Rice (Chicken Katsu, Seafood Fry or Yakiniku)
Step 2: Choose One (1) Spiciness Level (Curry, Tomato Curry or Spicy Curry)
Step 3: Wait for your personalized dish to arrive

We were then served with the hot plate style Grilled Cheese Curry (RM13.90++), a heat infused version of the Chicken Katsu Curry Rice as above but with an additional piece of melted cheese. The combination was tasty, giving that extra umami flavor into the dish.

The next dish which was the Curry Kiryu Udon (RM13.90++) was quite an interesting dish as it’s hardly available outside of Kiryu City, Gunma Prefecture, Japan. The famous smooth textured flat and wide noodles complemented well with the mildly spiced up curry broth, topped with tempura prawn, kani sticks and a few chopped stalks of spring onions. In fact, I felt in love with the dish at first bite~ 😛

Next on the list was the Agedashi Beef Curry (RM18.90). The dish came with a set of deliciously pepped up fried bean curd, pan fried beef, Shimeji mushrooms and cheese in a nicely spiced up curry base, served with a bowl of steamed Japanese rice, miso soup and chawanmushi. It was indeed a heavenly combination. However, it would be great if the kitchen would have the option for chicken for those non beef consumers.

Sushi King did also introduce 4 other curry based sushi in this promotion, namely Aburi Curry Tamago (flame grilled egg with cheese and curry mayonnaise – RM3.00++), Curry Tori Katsu Gunkan (deep fried chicken with curry mayonnaise – RM4.00++), Curryfornia Roll (crabstick, cucumber, egg and flying fish roe, served with curry piri-piri sauce – RM5.00++) and Curry Ebi Fry Nigiri (deep fried prawn with curry mayonnaise – RM6.00++). I really could not decide which one out of the 4 items served were the best as each item has their unique flavors.

We were also introduced to two new desserts in Sushi King, which were the Matcha Ice Cream Doughnut (RM4.90++) and Vanilla Ice Cream Doughnut (RM4.90++). Both were simply refreshing after a hefty meal of curried meals.

MOTHERS’ DAY GIVEAWAY!

Since Mothers’ Day would be here on 14 May 2017, why not celebrate this eventful day with your loving mother by trying to win yourself some Sushi King cash vouchers? The steps are rather simple as below. Good luck to all~ 🙂

Step 1: LEAVE a short comment in this blog post. (Eg. Nice giveaway, Great place for family gathering, etc.)
Step 2: Go to SUSHI KING FACEBOOK CONTEST, LIKE, SHARE the post and TAG 3 friends. Please end with the hashtag #MySKCurry (Eg. Name 1, Name 2, Name 3 #MySKCurry)
Step 3: COMMENT on my FACEBOOK POST in not more than 20 words after the next sentence, “I want to win some Sushi King cash vouchers to celebrate Mothers’ Day as my Mum …” and end the sentence with the hashtag #MySKCurry (Eg. I want to win some Sushi King cash vouchers to celebrate Mothers’ Day as my Mum is the greatest in this world. #MySKCurry)

Terms & Conditions:
1. This giveaway is only valid for those residing in Malaysia only.
2. Contest period ends at 12.00pm, 22 April 2017
3. The participant will be disqualified if failed to comply to any of the abovementioned step
4. Each participant can only win ONE (1) prize.
5. Winners will be tagged on the Facebook giveaway post by 12.00pm, 23 April 2017. The most creative comments will win prizes as stated below.
6. The organizer’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entertained

Prizes:
– Grand Prize: RM100 x 1
– 2nd Prize: RM50 x 1
– Consolation Prize: RM30 x 1

Overall, I’m so happy that finally Sushi King has finally introduced spicier dishes into their menu, though it’s just for a short period of time. I’m sure Malaysians, who are used to various spicy dishes in their daily meals would be pleased with the many options available. The Kiryu Udon is not something that is common in this region and Sushi King made it possible for us to try it out. It was indeed a great experience for all of us.

The Sushi King @ Gurney Plaza is located at level 2 of the new wing. Just use the escalator up to level 2 and you can see the outlet on the right.

Name: Sushi King @ Gurney Plaza
Address: Lot No. Lot 170-02-58, Plaza Gurney, Persiaran Gurney, 10250 Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: +604-227 5285
Business Hours: 10.00am-10.00pm
GPS: 5.437096, 100.309867

RATING:
Ambience: 7/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 classy)
Food Choices: 8/10 (1-4 limited, 5-7 average, 8-10 many choices)
Taste: 8/10 (1-4 tasteless, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)
Pricing: 7/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 expensive)
Service: 9/10 (1-4 bad, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)

About Sushi King: Sushi Kin Sdn Bhd was established in 1995, introducing sushi on the kaiten (conveyor belt) to Malaysia through its well-known brand, Sushi King. This chain of restaurants serves quality sushi and other Japanese cuisine at affordable prices in a warm and friendly environment. What sets Sushi King apart is the personal touch of serving freshly made sushi on the kaiten for customers to pick up and enjoy. From a single outlet in Kuala Lumpur, Sushi King has expanded to 100 outlets and counting throughout the Klang Valley and even covering nearly every state across the nation, making it the largest Japanese kaiten concept chain of restaurants in Malaysia. Sushi Kin Sdn Bhd is a member of the Texchem Group of Companies, being one of over thirty-five subsidiaries under Texchem Resources Bhd (Texchem), a Malaysia-based multinational, listed on the main board of Bursa Malaysia. Texchem has four core business divisions – Restaurant Division, Industrial Division, Food Division and Polymer Engineering Division.

The 13th Penang International Salon Gastronomique or commonly known as the “Battle of the Chefs (BOTC)” is currently held at Straits Quay Penang from 3rd June 2011 until 5th June 2011. Ever since the inaugural event was held in July 1988 at the Shangri-La Hotel, Penang with only 60 chefs from major hotels in Penang, today it had attracted more than 750 participants from over 20 countries. Organized by the Malaysian Association of Hotels Penang chapter (MAH) and the Chef Association of Malaysia Penang chapter, this event has seen more and more promising talents walk away with many prestigious awards. The event was officiated by Tuan Haji Abdul Malik Kassim, Penang State Executive Councillor, in charge of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Committee, on behalf of the Chief Minister, YB Mr. Lim Guan Eng. The organizing of the event is led by Chef William Thong, Organizing Chairman for BOTC 2011, who is also the Executive Chef of Holiday Inn Resort Penang and Chef Marco Battistotti, Organizing Chairman for the 1st MAH Penang Chapter Hospitality Challenge 2011.

There are many awards up for grab by the hotels, associations, organizations, institutions or competitors such as the most prestigious Penang Governor’s Challenge Trophy, Nestle Overall Best Chef Award, Most Outstanding Patissier, Most Outstanding Apprentice and more.

There were all together 3 sites for the competition participants to show off their culinary skills. There were over hundreds of dishes prepared on the first day and I would share with you some of those rather nicely presented ones here.

As for the exhibition sections, there were many categories to be challenged. Firstly, there were sections on Bread Showpiece, Dummy Wedding Cake, Chocolate Work, Butter Sculpture, Roselle Supreme Dress The Cake (2-tier) as well as Fruit & Vegetable Carving (Theme: Fairy Tale). Let’s have a peep at those attractive ones here.

It was also a privilege to be invited by Mr. Thomas See, PR Manager/Exhibition Booth Liaison, BOTC 2011, to be one of the judges for their Modern Western Cuisine Restaurant (3 chefs, 1 waiter & 1 bartender) Competition. There were 4 tables and each table was handled by a different hotel/institution. I had the opportunity to try out the Renaissance Melaka Hotel’s fine Western course dinner by judging them on presentation, taste, ingenuity and innovation. We were first served with Malacca Moon Rise, a mocktail with a concoction of orange juice, pineapple juice and grenadine, blended with ice cubes and served with cincau (herbal jelly), There was not much of a distinctive flavor here as the beverage tasted just like a normal glass of mixed fruit juice. It lacked that little touch of sourness to boost up the appetite on any meal. The starter was the Cold Medley, with Tuna on Cauliflower Mousse, Beetroot with Roasted Pumpkin Salad and Duck Broccoli Stack. This dish was rather unique as the cauliflower mousse was wonderfully prepared and the broccoli stack was just right with some mild seasoning. Unfortunately, the beetroot lacked in flavor although the combination was truly special. The Ocean Consomme was just right without the overpowering fishy taste. It had a crispy deep fried prawn with saffron with a hint of mild turmeric being used in the broth. The Chicken Roulade which had spinach and goat cheese (feta cheese) stuffed within a chicken fillet, actually blended in real well with the fruity persimmon reduction. Somehow, the chef did not provide the moist within the dish and a bit too much of herbs were used on the outer later. I wondered if they are aware that a bit of pumpkin paste added in would solve the problem of dryness. The next dish had lots of praises as the Rosemary Lamb served with garlic lemon vegetables was almost perfect if not for the slightly undercooked vegetables. The baby lamb racks had the texture, tenderness and taste just right for everyone. The Classic Chocolate Fondant with Crème Anglaise tasted great. If not for the malfunction of the oven, the chocolate fondant would be in a better shape rather than in a big clump. The crème anglaise would blend in better if it was not as concentrated as served. Overall, it was a pleasant dinner for all of us judges. Due to the problem with the Chicken Roulade, the hotel only secured a Diploma. The rest of the 3 competitors, namely Thailand Culinary Academy (Table 1), Sandy Bay Beach Resort (Table 2) and Eastin Hotel (Table 4) all secured Silver medals.

There would be many stalls, scattered at the Straits Quay entrance, on the lower level as well as within the inside and outside of the conference hall for you to patronize. Some of them would be selling items while others would be given out free food samples.

For your information, those who had not heard of Foodsion, a bilingual food and lifestyle magazine, you can now get a set of 5 recent issues, 5 mini recipe books, Heritage Coffee 10% discount cards, Raiya toothpaste, Penang White Coffee and Nyonya fish curry paste, all in a recycle bag for just RM25. Normal price is RM12 per book.