Braised Chicken with Walnut and Chestnut

Using the usual braised chicken recipe, I've included walnut and chestnut and it turned out just fine :D

A Noble Awakening

We arrived at the KL Convention Centre around 7.20pm and rushed to the ticketing counter to purchase The Awakening tickets. The lady at the counter showed me the available seats to choose from and I was pretty shocked to see that not much choices were left. If I'm not mistaken, the RM343 and RM248 seats were sold out that night.

The show only started at about 8.10pm and the Malaysian Disabled Group made special appearances at the beginning, middle and towards the end of the show. The Deafbeat of YMCA KL caught the audience's attention by dancing on wheelchairs following the beat of the song "Crazy Frog"! Got disco lighting somemore eh...dun play play.

The real show began when 21 hearing impaired dancers from The China Disabled People’s Performing Art Troupe performed the amazing Avalokitesvara Bodhisativa. This dance symbolizes a thousand hands and eyes in Buddhism but on stage it appears to be only a person with thousand hands.

*Photo from Amriteswari Foundation's website

Another captivating performance was The Soul of a Peacock. The graceful movements imitating a peacock by a hearing impaired dancer kept us glued to our seats especially me even when I had to go to the ladies'.

*Photo from Amriteswari Foundation's website

Other performances such as Butterfly Lovers, Happy Life on Farmland and Yellow Earth were pretty good too.

*Photos from Amriteswari Foundation's website

The Awakening...Realization To Our Fullest Potential
A charity show which showcased the talents of 27 Chinese performers from the China Disabled People’s Performing Art Troupe. The revenue from ticket sales will be chanelled to Amriteswari Foundation and SJK (C) Chen Moh, primary school at Old Town, Petaling Jaya.

The China Disabled People's Performing Art Troupe
Founded in 1987, the Troupe provides advance equal opportunity for artistic expression for persons with disabilities. With over 21 years of history the Troupe has expanded its scope with many independently produced programs such as My Dream, allowing the organization to travel to more than 60 countries in Asia, Europe, Africa, Oceania, and the Americas. The Troupe has been dubbed the "Image Ambassador for People with Disabilities" by the Disabled People's World Assembly and designated a "UNESCO Artist for Peace".

Kinnaree Thai Restaurant @ Palm Square, Jaya One PJ

Blamed myself for not taking more photos in the restaurant as the place is so beautifully decorated . The Chinese couple who own the place spent a million ringgit for the setup (a hanging deco could cost up to RM8,000!). Besides the nice ambience, we decided to give it a try since Kinnaree was voted as the Best Restaurant in Thailand Tatler magazine a year ago.

I had the Dragon Delight. A mix of dragon fruit, pineapple and MILK (RM9.90) to quench my thirst but it turned out to be a bad choice. Don't get me wrong...it tasted good albeit a little too sweet but my tummy was already 50% full just by drinking 50% of the mocktail (thanks to its milk content :( sigh) while waiting for our food to arrive.

The VIPs for the night had Kinnaree Infusion (lemongrass tea) and Peppermint Infusion (peppermint tea) @ RM5.50 each while others had freshly squeezed Orange (RM8.00) and Watermelon (RM7.00) juices.

Then came the starter (not sure if it was a complimentary by Kinnaree) which is a spoonful of salad for each one of us. I'm unsure what it is called but tasted almost similar as Som Tum.

Our orders came really fast right after the starter. First dish was Yam Hua Plee (RM14.00). It's also a type of salad but the main ingredient used is shredded young banana flower. Mixed with chicken, shrimp, toasted coconut flakes and chilli paste, I quite like this salad as it's really appetizing and fragrant.

Tom Yum Talay (RM44.00 a pot) which is the traditional spicy and sour soup with seafood. This soup was extremely spicy I tell ya. Lots of chilli padi were added and my tongue became numb after taking a bowl. At RM44.00, I would say it's pricey as not much seafood were given.

Kai Ho Bai Toey (RM20.00). Came in 6 pieces, one for each of us. Nothing unusual about this dish as I had better ones at other places. I forgot to try the ginger and sesame sauce which was served together.

Pla Thod Sam Rod (RM40.00). The waiter asked if we would prefer a Tilapia or Garoupa fish and of course we chose Garoupa. The fish was deboned, cut into bite-size pieces and deep fried. The pieces were then served on top of the remaining fish with sweet, sour and spicy tamarind sauce. The presentation was nice and tasted pretty good too as the fish and tamarind sauce paired really well together.

Vegetarian Green Curry (RM10.00). This dish was a total let down and none of us liked it.

The bill came to about RM233+. Not exactly cheap but the environment's great and we spent almost two hours chit chatting away in the restaurant.

Ohh, the service at Kinnaree is fast and attentive like the kind you get at fine dinings.

The girls decided not to call it a night yet as we left Kinnaree. Brussels Beer and Cafe was next. We talked out loud, shared thoughts and inhaled plenty of smoke at the al fresco area while trying out Hoegaarden beer (every table had at least one of this). The beer tasted Carlsberg + water. Very diluted. We told the young waiter and he said it's probably due to the barrel or tap. What the...? Oh well, it was an experience.

Kinnaree Thai Restaurant
Blk M, Unit 12-1,
Palm Square, Jaya One,
46200 Petaling Jaya.
Tel: 03-79573910

FINAL VERDICT

Location: 3.5/5
Taste: 2.5/5
Hygiene: 4/5
Price: 2.5/5

Stuffed Tofu Puffs with Fish Paste

Fish paste is easily available at wet markets but mostly lack the springy texture. Home made fish paste is always the best but the process of making one is extremely tedious and time consuming (my mom enjoys the preparation though). We'll usually make lots of it at one go, separate in batches (different containers) and keep in the fridge. Click here on how to make your own paste.

One of my recipes using fish paste is this...Stuffed Tofu Puffs. It's easy to prepare as I had the paste readily available in the fridge.

Using a spoon, stuff fish paste on halved tofu puffs. Pan fry for several minutes until meat is cooked and set aside. Gravy is then prepared with ingredients such as garlic, carrots, waterchestnuts, minced pork and black fungus (or mushroom). Oyster sauce and seasonings are added to taste. Lastly, some cornflour mixture to thicken the gravy. Pour over tofu puffs and serve hot. Do sprinkle some spring onions for garnishing if you like. This dish is delicious to eat on its own or with rice.

Terry Fox Run KL 2008

I reluctantly woke up at 6.45am last Sunday morning to join the Terry Fox run. If not because of a friend who tagged along, I might not turn up at all :P Well, no regrets. The event was so successful as there were thousands of people who took part and I bet most of them enjoyed themselves. I bought the T-shirt @ RM25 and it's for a good cause. All proceeds will eventually go to CARIF, a cancer research foundation.

About Terry Fox Run

Terry Fox knew personally, the importance of the need for cancer research. At the age of 18, he was told that his right leg had to be amputated above the knee as a result of bone cancer. During this crucial period, Terry saw the intense pain and despair of other cancer victims and was deeply moved. In order to raise funds for cancer research, he decided to run across Canada asking for donations. This became “The Marathon of Hope”. Terry Fox died before he could complete his crusade, but his legacy is carried in the hearts of all who participate or donate to the Terry Fox Run each year around the world.