A Whiff of Lemongrass

Note: This post is not related to Malaysian food. Writings on Malaysian food will resume when I am back from my vacation.

I had packed my bags anticipating a very cold winter. Someone up there sure has a sense of humour; the thick winter jacket which is still stored in my suitcase will not need any drycleaning this year.

New York, despite not having any snowfall so far, is still dressed to the nines for Christmas. If one isn’t in the mood for Christmas yet, a visit to the ice skating rink at the Rockefeller Centre will definitely do the trick.

We spent a day at the Guggenheim Museum. When one has read so much about the Guggenheim, it is only natural to be disappointed to see the exterior covered in scaffolding. Apparently, the structure has been plagued by surface cracks since its opening in 1959, and in 2005, 12 layers of paint were removed to allow for an analysis of the building’s surface. We, nevertheless, plundered along (of course lah…I had never done so much walking in my life) and were relieved to find the interior still in good condition. There was an exhibition on Spanish paintings from El Greco to Picasso featuring the works of Francisco de Goya, Joan Miro, Salvador Dali and of course El Greco and Pablo Picasso. I (I don’t say “we”, because we both have differing opinions on among others, Dali) found my introduction to surrealism particularly enlightening. Cubism, on the other hand, is something I shall leave to the art afficionados to debate. 🙂

Another museum of interest is the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA). So you either love it or hate it. I did enjoy the New Photography exhibition especially the works of Barbara Probst. There were also some particularly moving photographs depicting death, or rather, the act of dying e.g. the final moments before the firing squad. And I enjoyed the tiramisu in Cafe 2 in the Museum. 🙂

There is so much energy in Times Square. Street artists at every corner. Wannabe-rappers selling their homerecorded wares. Screaming teenagers wanting to be part of the latest MTV recording. Stretch limos. Roasted chestnuts.

Central Park is bleak and desolate in the winter. But nannies and mothers still stroll in the park, prams in tow. Horse-drawn carriages still make their way through the park. Life does go on like normal.

And of course, the shopping’s great. 🙂

 As I listen to Josh Groban’s February Song, I feel a little wistful that I will not be spending Christmas in Malaysia this year.  This year, I shall be in a country where reindeer skim the rooftops and Santa Claus and The Three Wise Men sing carols to Baby Jesus. Gardens will be filled with blinking ornaments signifying the holidays.  Plastic snowmen will share the limelight with real snowmen.  Snow angels will abound in freshly strewn sidewalks, touched by the soft breath of snow.  Houses will look like visions from wonderland with candy canes and gaily decorated christmas trees that peep through the bay windows.

Is it fair to lament the bastardisation of Christmas?

This will be my third Christmas there.  And I am still in awe at the lengths that people will go to. I shall be taking a 3 week break from blogging, but I most definitely will be back with lots more to write about.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, folks!

I started the day thinking that I would have a lunch appointment with my boss and a client, but unfortunately, she had to postpone our meeting, and that is how my boss, Pretty Pui and I ended up at Siu Siu. It was definitely a very good substitute for the initial lunch appointment at Kottaram, a restaurant specialising in cuisine from Kerala (which will be the subject of another review).

I have worked in Brickfields for a number of years and have only recently moved out of that comfort zone. The idea of a comfort zone seems to cover many aspects of my life; my job, my personal life and certainly, my eating habits. We all tend to fall back on old favourites, so the idea of exploring beyond that boundary is sometimes unthinkable. As a result of that, Siu Siu Restaurant which is located approximately 2 km from my workplace, remained undiscovered.

Siu Siu stands in one of the small pockets of greenery in the heart of Kuala Lumpur. Finding it isn’t difficult – coming from KL on the Federal Highway, take the first left exit after Kuen Cheng High School, drive straight on about 200m and you’re there. There is also ample parking.

Apparently, one of the specialties at Siu Siu is the claypot rice with crab. We were not in the mood for crabs, so we passed, but we did see the dish. The rice looked very much like the claypot chicken rice, with the only difference in appearance being the crabs sitting on top of the rice.

We ordered another house specialty, Vietnamese Curry Prawns. This is best eaten with the mantou (buns). The curry is creamy, presumably due to the addition of milk (evaporated milk?). In addition to the prawns, the claypot contained lots of sliced brinjals, ladies fingers and long beans. I enjoyed this dish which reminded me of butter crabs, but with lots of curry.

The char siew (barbequed pork) took me by surprise. When you think you already know where the best char siew is, another one comes and rocks your world. Okay, so I’m exaggerating a little, but I thought the char siew was fantastic! It wasn’t too sticky and was sufficiently sweet, and it consisted of the right amount of lean meat and fat.

Vegetables consisted of a mixed selection of 4 different types – brinjal, long beans, petai and 4-angled beans.

Whenever the conversation at lunch turned to work, we quickly switched the topic by telling each other how good the food was. And that was no lie.

Restaurant Siu Siu

No. 15-11, Lorong Syed Putra Kiri

50450 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 016-370 8555/016-309 8038 (Mr Ng)

Open from 11.00am to 12.00midnight.

Closed on Mondays.