#ewew cooks Grilled Prawns with Garlic & Butter

I love all things seafood and prawns are one of my favourite things to cook and eat.  This is my simple recipe of Grilled Prawns with Garlic & Butter that's easy to follow (and everyone can make).

Just make sure you get some really fresh large prawns for this dish.  These 3 XL-sized prawns cost RM12 (RM70/kg) from Jaya Grocer (you can buy more if your budget allows or if you can eat more).

Ingredients:

 

3 pcs XL-sized prawns
4-5 spears of asparagus
4-5 white button mushrooms
2 medium potatoes
Garlic powder seasoning
Salt & black pepper
A knob of butter
A drizzle of olive oil
Corn oil for frying

Preparation:

Trim off the feelers from your prawns and the sharp end of the prawn head.  To butterfly the prawn, make a deep slit down the middle (back) of the prawn.  Devein it (ie. remove the shit...just the black vein and not the icky green stuff, which is actually roe that turns orange when cooked, and can be eaten).

Season the prawns with salt, black pepper and garlic powder seasoning all over (and sprinkle some direct into the slit of the prawns).  Marinade for at least 10 mins.

Cut off the fibrous bottom part (about 2-3 inches) of the asparagus.
Clean the fresh button mushrooms with a damp cloth (do not wash) and cut into slices.
Peel and cut 2 medium potatoes to about 1/4 inch slices.  [#Tip: This is to make it a more substantial dish since there are only 3 prawns.]

Method:

Pour corn oil into a small saucepan on medium heat.  Once the oil heats up, put the slices of potato into the oil.  When they start to colour, flip them over.  Fry till just tender and golden brown. 

Dish up and season with salt and black pepper (while the potatoes are still hot) so that the seasonings will stick to the potatoes.

Drizzle olive oil onto a non-stick pan on medium heat.  Once the pan is hot enough, place your butterflied prawns (cut side down) and press down on it to get a good sear.  Add your asparagus and button mushrooms to the pan.

Season your asparagus and mushrooms with a pinch of salt, black pepper and some chopped fresh parsley, if you have (otherwise, just use the dried parsley flakes).  Pan-fry your asparagus (till you get a nice char) and mushrooms (till soften).  Once they are done, remove from the pan to a plate.

Flip your prawns around once you see some colour and char happening.  When your prawns are nearly done (they turn into a nice orange hue), finish them with a knob of butter and baste the prawns in them. 

Remove the beautifully seared prawns to a plate.

Deglaze your pan with a little water (and a squeeze of lemon juice if you happen to have lemons in your fridge, otherwise don't bother) and simmer for a couple of seconds till the sauce thickens.  [#Tip: Deglazing is a term used to remove and dissolve browned food residue left in a pan (with water, stock or wine) to make a sauce (coz this is where all the tasty and yummy bits are left behind (from all your cooking).]

Plate up, pour the sauce over and add a squeeze of lemon juice for a tinge of freshness and acidity....and my simple Grilled Prawns with Garlic & Butter is ready to be enjoyed!

It's fresh ingredients, simply made.....and I can eat this over and over again!

Serves 1 (small eater).

 

Map's @ Bandar Sunway

Last Saturday, I was at my husband's cousin's daughter's 1st birthday celebration held at Map's @ Bandar Sunway, a newly opened breakfast and brunch café.  Opened for just 2 weeks (since 18 July 2014), it's going to have a massive appeal in the near future.
 

If you find the pic of the café with its shutters half drawn, there's a pretty good explanation for it, it's because they're not opened for dinner service (the café closes at 6 pm) and that this was a private function they had catered for.

Map's is the latest chic brunch spot where you can get-together with your friends over a good conversation, a good hearty breakfast (from 8.30 am) and (what else) a good coffee.

I liked Map's picturesque interior down to the tiny details which made the ambience cosy and inviting.  On one side of the wall, you'll find this greyish charming drawing of kitchen utensils...how creative!

In another corner, there's this beautifully crafted, hand painted artwork, which resembles a cherry blossom tree, that's truly scenic and cheerful at the same time.  The high tables and coloured stools added a burst of colour to this quaint little corner.

Towards the back of the cafe, I found this charming little poem - the confession of an addict...it sure rings true for all coffee addicts out there!

Throughout the cafe walls, you'd find little touches of the cafe's owners personality (and sense of humour) adorned on the walls with tastefully done DIY decorations.

As this was a 'catered' private function, there was a mix of pre-prepared food and food that we can order from the menu.  The pre-prepared food comprised of small bites of Map's homemade bacon and mushroom bruschetta and pork balls.
 

This was the homemade bruschetta with bacon crisps + mozzarella cheese + tomatoes + basil.  [#Tip: Bruschetta is just an Italian term for a piece of grilled bread, rubbed with garlic, drizzled with olive oil, and often topped with tomatoes and herbs (or any other toppings) and served as an appetiser.]
 

And this was the homemade bruschetta with mushrooms + blue cheese + mozzarella cheese + Italian herbs.

Both the bruschetta toppings were ok except that the bread was kind of hard as it was exposed to air (since it was served 'buffet' style).  So, it would be unfair to judge the flawed bread as it has been compromised due to its long exposure on the buffet table.

Map's offers this Homemade Bruschetta @ RM13 on their menu.

The final small bite was their homemade pork meatballs with a slow cooked brown herbed gravy.  One bite of Map's meatballs and you'll be hooked!  The meatballs were succulent, juicy and extremely flavourful from the added chopped herbs (probably thyme and parsley, I think).  I liked the brown gravy that accompanied the pork meatballs.  [#Note: Eating this reminded me of Ikea's signature Swedish meatballs (except no pork meat was involved, horse meat, maybe?...yikes!]  Map's version was better...loads better (but without Lingonberry jam)!

You can find Map's Pork Balls @ RM15 on their menu served with roasted potatoes and salad.  Can't wait to try this in a complete dish on its own!

Our first order from the menu was the Eggs Benny @ RM19 which is Map's version of eggs benedict that comprised of 2 poached eggs, bacon strips and ham accompanied by sautéed mushrooms, a side of sweet corn with bacon bits and some greens.  This was served on 2 slices of their house-baked bread (which looked like ciabatta to me) although it usually comes with a homemade brioche bun (as stated in their menu).  It is then topped with a creamy and tasty Hollandaise sauce.

I absolutely loved this dish as the eggs were cooked to perfection (even when done in a mould) with the yolks just runny enough.  And we all know that to poach an egg perfectly is not an easy task to execute, especially when the kitchen is super busy, but Map's did it flawlessly (at least mine was).  The oozy goodness of the yolks, the burst of sweetness from the corn, coupled with the saltiness of the bacon, all worked together to create a winning mouthful!

Next up was the Porky Pancake @ RM15 which comes with double pancakes, strips of bacon, roasted potatoes, topped with an egg sunny side up, and served with some not-too-sweet honey.  The pancakes were fluffy and the sunny side up egg was done perfectly (with a wobbly runny yolk).  But it was the immensely savoury rustic roasted potatoes that 'wowed' me on the plate....mmm, comfort food at its best!  The combination of flavours, from the savouriness of the bacon and roasted potatoes to the sweetness of the honey and pancakes, was truly outstanding.
 

Another dish that I tried was the t3 Omelette @ RM13 which is just 3 eggs cooked with sliced bacon, mushrooms and mozzarella cheese.  The eggs were (again) cooked just right (with a very slight runny middle) and served with their house bread and salad.  At the price of just RM13, this was a 'so-worth-it' dish.
 

The final dish that I managed to try was the Creamy Carbonara @ RM16.  The fettuccine was cooked with some sliced bacon (of course), mushrooms, parmesan cheese and topped with a poached egg (which, when broken, oozed further creaminess to the pasta).  If you like carbonara (to start with) and you like it creamy, then this dish will be to your liking (though I'm not a fan of carbonara personally).

Our drinks for the evening included:

Hot Latte @ RM9 (nice coffee with simple latte art)
 

Iced Cappuccino @ RM10 (I likey)
 

Iced Chocolate @ RM11 (with much needed chocolate swirls)
 

After all the sumptuous food, let's get back to the 'main agenda'...the celebration of a little one's 1st birthday...and, of course, cute cupcakes must be involved.
 

And let's not forget the 'cutest' birthday cake for the 'sweetest' birthday girl!
 

Last but not least

Cakes and Cupcakes

Candles and Balloons

Joy and Laughter

Family and Friends

Gifts and Surprises

Time for Celebration

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

to the sweetest little one-year old I know!
 

H A P P Y   B I R T H D A Y,   S W E E T   B E L L E

My Personal Opinion

This place is especially endearing to pork enthusiasts as it will definitely satisfy their pork cravings.  Although the menu here is simple and straightforward (with not many choices, around 10), it doesn't really matter coz even if you do only a few dishes but you do them right, it's the taste and consistency that everyone will keep coming back to.

Map's serves good food (and equally good coffee), at reasonable prices, with a friendly crew, in an aesthetic yet stylishly fashionable interior and atmosphere that I totally dig.

The perfectly done poached eggs, the succulent meatballs, the flavourful rustic potatoes, the yummy bacon (and much like the lyrics in Julie Andrews' song).....these are a few of my favourite things!!

I am definitely returning to Map's...in my 'pursuit of happyness' (or rather 'porky' deliciousness) as I'm hungry for more....oink, oink!  This is one brunch place that ticks all the right boxes!

Map's Café

9 Jalan PJS 11/2
Bandar Sunway
46150 Petaling Jaya
Selangor
Tel: 010-219 3882

O & S Restaurant (Part 1) @ Paramount Garden

O & S Restaurant @ Paramount Garden is a very popular breakfast and lunch joint in the PJ neighbourhood.  My family and I have been eating at this coffee shop for ages but (only now) I'm finally including it in my blog.  Getting a seat here during peak Sunday mornings is amost impossible (unless you're willing to wait) let alone getting your own table (you've got to be willing to share a table with strangers).

And the reason for that is that this coffee shop is filled with many food choices of hawker stalls selling Penang chee cheong fun, Hakka yong tau foo, wantan mee, prawn mee, curry laksa, assam laksa, char kway teow, beef noodles, chicken/roast meat rice, fish head noodles, pork ball noodles, popiah and even Nyonya kuih...and everything is pretty good here (though some better than others)!

This (Penang) Chee Cheong Fun with "Har Ko" @ RM2 (small) is similar to the Penang-style chee cheong fun (steamed rice rolls) with fried onions and sesame seeds (and they're quite generous with it) served with Har Ko (a thick prawn paste).  It is best eaten mixed with a dollop of chilli sauce to cut through the saltiness of the prawn paste.  My suggestion is try not to mix in all the prawn paste because its thick, molasses-like consistency can get a bit gluggy towards the end.

I like the fact that the chee cheong fun rolls are very smooth though the gluggy prawn paste may not appeal to everyone...it's one of those things, you either like it or you don't!  There aren't many hawkers selling this version of chee cheong fun here in KL, so I guess it's the nearest thing we've got without having to travel to Penang for it.

The stall also offers the Curry Chee Cheong Fun @ RM3 (big) and this one is without the curry chicken.  I find it decent enough, although not as good as the Har Kou version.  The curry sauce is a bit watery and light in taste (nothing like the thick, heavily santan-flavoured type) but still fairly good nonetheless.

Another good eat here is the Wantan Mee Stall.  Just a look at all those juicy, mouth-watering caramelised strips of  "char siew" (barbecued pork) is enough to make you lick your lips in anticipation.

This plate of wantan mee with char siew and wantans cost RM5.50.  From the char siew to the noodles to the sauce, everything's pretty decent in taste and is one of our favourites at this restaurant.  And, if you're lucky enough to be given the corner caramelised bits, you'll be in "char siew wonderland"!  Also, you can safely "tapau" (pack) this wantan mee as the noodles manages to maintain its 'integrity' but not being mushy and clumpy when you eat it hours later (which is not the case with many other wantan mee).

But our No. 1 favourite here has to be the Hakka Yong Tau Foo @ RM1.20 a piece (it was RM1 last year, went up to RM1.10 after CNY and now it's RM1.20...that sucks)!  This is the only stall that is self-service...a testimony to the fact that the yong tau foo must be good, otherwise the customers would not be so willing to queue (in an orderly fashion) and self-serve themselves (patiently).  [#Warning: The lady boss is not your typical 'friendly-type' of person!]  If you walk by the tables, you'll notice that almost every table has an order of yong tau foo...further testimony that this yong tau foo is good.

They don't have a wide variety of yong tau foo, just the standard types of brinjal, ladies finger, bitter gourd, chillies, white tau fu, fried tau fu, tau fu pok (bean curd puffs), fish balls, fried fu chuk (bean curd sheet) rolls and fried sui kow (dumpling).  Just look at those inviting springy, tasty fish balls in the pot!

This is the fried fu chuk rolls and sui kow (their most popular items here) which are absolutely delightful.  As they are freshly fried, they're very crispy and the filling is really good.  The minced pork in the fish paste mixture is quite pronounced and that's why this is my husband's favourite fried sui kow.

I like to eat my fried yong tau foo separately (to keep them totally crispy) from the ones in soup.  This stuffed brinjal, bitter gourd and chilli is accompanied by a soup that's extremely flavourful, a tad oily but still good.  I can't remember having yong tau foo soup this good...not sure if it's MSG-laden though since I'm immune to MSG :-)

My Personal Opinion

This is probably one of the busiest and most crowded coffee shops in PJ because of the good hawker food here coz (almost) everything is good....even the "kopi-o" (black coffee).

There're just too many good eats in this coffee shop to cover in one post...so watch out for Part 2!

Likes:  The Hakka yong tau foo, Penang chee cheong fun with har ko and wantan mee...in short, just about everything-lah!

Dislikes:  Having to self-serve ourselves at the yong tau foo stall.

O & S Restaurant

39 Jalan 20/14

Paramount Garden

46300 Petaling Jaya

Selangor

One Nite (Dim Sum) @ Pandan Indah

There's a restaurant called One Nite @ Pandan Indah (or it was misspelled and should have been One Nine maybe?) selling dim sum (in limited variety) that I frequent quite a bit as there just aren't any good dim sum places in my neighbourhood.

But, be warned, that the owners children (2 sons) who man the counter (at times) are not typically the 'friendly-type'.  The owners (parents) are much better now though they used to be quite unfriendly themselves...which further cements the theory that 'the apple does not fall far from the tree'!

One of the items I always order, when I come here, is their Toasted Bread with Butter and Kaya @ RM1.50/slice and Half-boiled Eggs @ RM2.40 (for 2).  Their bread is first spread with butter (on the outside) and then toasted (the traditional way) over a charcoal flame.  It is then sliced open and smothered with kaya (or, at least, it used to be but now it's just a thin layer) and a few slithers of cold butter.

The butter that is spread on the outside gives it a buttery fragrance, so get ready for  some oily fingers!  The kaya is pretty good too, just wished there was a bit more cold butter slithers.  [#Note:  Back in the good old days when we ate toast bread, I remember that it came with a whole square slice of butter (though that might seem like a heart attack scenario waiting to happen).]

As for the half-boiled eggs (not free-range eggs), when it's done right with the egg yolk runny, it's good, of course, but I have sent it back before (to be redone) when I found them overcooked.  So, consistency is an issue here!

As for their steamed dim sum like "char siew pau" (BBQ pork bun), "lor mai kai" (steamed glutinous rice with chicken), "siew mai" (pork dumpling), "har gow" (prawn dumpling), they're not as good as the ones I'm used to eating.

But their fried dim sum, however, is quite another story.  The reason behind this is because they are all freshly fried to order.  As the restaurant doesn't have such a massive crowd (like some of the other 'crazy' dim sum places) since it's a neighbourhood dim sum shop, they can afford to steam or fry to order.

I especially liked their Fried "Har Guin" (fried prawn roll) @ RM3.20 (for 2 pcs).  Though not as good as some of the ones I've eaten (but at a stone's throw away from where I live), it's good enough.  It had a good portion of prawn filling and the thin bean curd skin (wrapping it) was fried till super crispy.

Similarly, the Fried Fish Paste Roll @ RM3.20 (for 2 pcs) is moderately good as well.

But my favourite is their Fried "Wu Kok" (taro or yam puffs) @ RM3.20 (for 2 pcs) which was awesome!  The yam, pork and peas filling was really tasty (I've not seen many with peas in the filling).  The exterior of the wu kok was wonderfully frizzy and crispy.

This is one of the best ones I've eaten and my favourite todate, probably because they are freshly fried to order....and they come out hot and crispy each time!

The Fried Carrot Cake @ RM3.20 (for 2 pcs) is another favourite of ours though the consistency can differ (sometimes softer in texture).  But when they get it 'spot on', the fragrant dried prawns and crisp exterior make this a very good one.

Other than dim sum, they also have other breakfast dishes like Nasi Lemak, Fried Maggi Mee, Fried Rice, Yam Rice and so on....though not particularly "hebat" (great).

This is the Nasi Lemak with Rendang Ayam @ RM6.50 which comes with chicken rendang, hard-boiled egg, sambal, nuts, fried ikan bilis, fish cracker and some blitzed up dried prawns.  Taste wise, the ayam rendang is tolerable but the sambal (which is more like lots of onions cooked in a chilli paste) is an epic fail (again I say most Chinese can't 'deliver' a good sambal)!

If you're feeling a little 'under the weather' and is looking for something subtle (or "ching"), you can order the Mee Sua Soup @ RM5.50 that comes with very tender lean pork slices, soft tofu cubes and some greens.  However, I must warn you, though, that the soup is very "ching" (probably bland to a lot of people) but I like it, especially on a day when my taste buds, all 2,000 - 8,000 of them (according to Wikipedia that an average human tongue has), are numb from all the eating.  Plus the mee sua is cooked just right (not too soft).

The "Kopi-O Ping" (Iced Black Coffee) @ RM1.70 is not too shabby either.

My Personal Opinion

When I need a dim sum brekkie without leaving my neighbourhood, this is my only choice as the others aren't any good (though there's one that offers dim sum at night where I would go to get my Fried Carrot Cake and Fried Prawn Roll).

Likes:  Definitely the fried dim sum is the best thing here especially the Fried Wu Kok, Carrot Cake and Har Guin.

Dislikes:  The owners' sons 'bossy' attitude and unfriendly demeanour!

Update:  The restaurant has since relocated to No 13 & 15 Jalan Bukit Teratai 1/2E, Taman Bukit Teratai, 68000 Ampang, Selangor.

Latest Update:  They have since reopened back their Pandan Indah branch at No 22 & 24 Jalan Pandan Indah 1/20, Pandan Indah (this is now permanently closed).

One Nite Restaurant
19 Jalan Pandan Indah 1/22
Pandan Indah
55100 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-9274 9919