How many ways can you serve hard-boiled eggs?

The Chronicles of the Humble Egg continues.....after how many ways can you eat an egg and how many ways can you fry an omelette.  I'm egg-cited to share another eggy post as I ponder upon how many ways you can serve hard-boiled eggs.  Oh dear, am I beginning to sound like an egg-ficionado?


Although hard-boiled may be my least favourite way of having eggs, they're beginning to grow on me.  Even though they used to get a bit less love, now I love them equally (with all my other eggs) as I can't deny the fact that there are just some things that go better with hard-boiled eggs! ;)

#1 - Plain Hard-Boiled Eggs


We begin with hard-boiled eggs eaten in its simplest form...with a good drizzle of soy.  That's all it needs.


And it goes best with nasi lemak...in fact, I prefer this to fried egg when it comes to nasi lemak.

#2 - Crumbed Eggs


This is just a version of hard-boiled eggs that have been crumbed and fried offered by some nasi lemak joints.


I think they use just plain flour to coat the eggs before frying as the coating is very thin and light.

#3 - Herbal Tea Eggs

The Chinese also likes to make tea or herbal eggs out of hard-boiled eggs.  They crack the shells lightly before dunking them into a herbal brew.


Cracking the shells lightly allows the flavours to penetrate into the eggs and, at the same time, produces the beautiful marbled appearance in the eggs.  With the slightest amount of herbal hint, I like to eat them as they are.

#4 - Sambal Eggs


And then who doesn't like sambal eggs.  The Chinese, Malays and Indians all cook this in their own particular way resulting in different tasting sambals.

#5 - Braised Eggs


This braised pork dish is usually done with pork belly and hard-boiled eggs (sometimes tofu is added) swimming in a thick (sometimes thin), flavourful sweet and dark soy concoction.


If I have just this alone with rice...got eggs, got lean (not fatty) pork, got tofu, got sauce...I'm happy! ;)

#6 - Deviled Eggs


Who doesn't know of this classic appetiser of deviled eggs where the yolks are scooped out, mashed and mixed with mayo and mustard and the mixture spooned back into the egg white halves.  The flavours can be further amped up by incorporating minced bacon, finely chopped chives and a sprinkling of paprika.

#7 - Yong Tau Foo Stuffed Eggs


A brilliant creation by some yong tau foo stalls that's not commonly found...but when I see it, I must have it!

#8 - Chinese Red Eggs


Chinese red eggs is synonymous with a baby's full moon (a traditional Chinese celebration when baby turns one month old) and we receive them with a baby's full moon package.  Red eggs are also made to celebrate birthdays though this tradition is becoming less common these days.

#9 - Easter Eggs


Traditionally, Easter eggs used to be dyed red but nowadays they come in all sorts of bright colours and patterns with even crafting ideas being created to decorate the Easter eggs.

#10 - Quail Eggs


I can't very well not include my favourite quail eggs as these are just cute, miniature-sized versions of hard-boiled eggs...hehe! ^.^


Stick them in a skewer and grill them...


.....or lok-lok them....


....or eat them in a steamboat....and they'll be egg-cellent either way! ^o^

The next few eggs may not be as hard-boiled (some may call them soft-boiled or soft-poached) but I'm still going to include them in this list since the outer layer of white is firm other than the slightly runny yolk inside.

#11 - Japanese Marinated Egg


This version of Japanese soy sauce marinated egg for ramen (ajitsuke tamago) is something I consider in between soft and hard boiled.  The white has to be set enough for you to peel the egg shell while still maintaining a yolk that's still slightly runny on the inside.

#12 - Deep-Fried Battered Eggs


This one has a crispy batter coating a hard-boiled egg (at least the egg white)...


.....but with a still oozy yolk on the inside...absolute yums!

#13 - Scotch Eggs


This one is a classic recipe of minced meat, coated in breadcrumbs, encasing a hard-boiled egg with a runny centre, that's baked or deep-fried.  Not the easiest to nail as you need to cook the meat and still keep the yolk runny.

Of course there are even more versatile ways to serve hard-boiled eggs...like having them chopped in potato salad, mashed in sandwiches or sliced in noodles but I'm showcasing whole eggs here, otherwise there'll be endless possibilities! :D


So, what's your favourite way of having hard-boiled eggs? ^_~

Noodle King House @ SS2 PJ

We came looking for one of our haunts for dim sum in SS2, Yuan Garden Dim Sum House, but found that it has closed down.  Actually their dim sum isn't half bad and I especially liked their roasted pork.  Don't know why they couldn't sustain their business even after moving into a smaller intermediate lot from their previous bigger corner unit (if you want to eat this dim sum, looks like there's only one now and it's in Puchong). 

Anyway, in its place, we found that Noodle King House @ SS2 PJ has taken over their lot.  Since we were already here, we thought we might as well try this new place.  From the banner displayed at their premise, it was obvious that fish head noodles is their forte.

A glance at the menu and they offer two choices of noodles (thin or thick beehoon) with different types of fish (cod, dory, salmon or grouper) along with oyster, scallops or pork belly in three types of soup base (signature superior soup, teow chew sour soup or milky salted vegetable soup).

I went with the Fried Salmon Head in Superior Soup @ RM14 in a set meal that comes with two pieces of Ipoh Fried Fu Chuk (fried bean curd sheets) and a drink of Iced Lime Sour Plum (or RM13.50 for the noodles itself if ordered individually).  There were four generous chunks of salmon fish+fish head that were fairly fresh (not super fresh).  There's also an option to have the noodles with a piece of fried salmon steak (RM17).  The thick beehoon is similar to the ones from Go Noodle House.

My mother-in-law had the Fried Dory Fish Fillet Noodle in Superior Soup (in a set) @ RM14.  I didn't try the fried dory fish fillet but since my mother-in-law ate the whole thing, I'm assuming it was alright (and not too fishy) coz my mother-in-law is known to not finish her food if she doesn't like it (she will give an excuse that she's full already)...haha! ;D  However, as far as the superior soup was concerned, it wasn't clear like the ones in Go Noodle House and it wasn't milky like the usual fish head noodles.  It was just plain tasting and didn't develop the flavours I seek.

My husband who doesn't like fish, let alone fish head noodles (nor anything in soup), made do with the Pork Belly Slice Noodles in Teow Chew Soup (also in a set) @ RM14 with a choice of thin beehoon.  If you ask me, the soup tasted pretty similar to the superior soup except for a slight tang in it.

The six pieces of very crispy Ipoh Fried Fu Chuk (for all three sets).  It's called Ipoh fried fu chuk because it's made in Ipoh (according to their Facebook)! :P

The drink that came with the set...Iced Lime Sour Plum.  The value set meals used to be available from Mondays to Fridays but is now offered all day long (including weekends and public holidays).  Business not so good, maybe?  Kekeke! :D

My son, who also don't like soup noodles, opted for the Cantonese Kway Teow with Fried Dory Fish Fillet @ RM13.  Again, there are loads better Cantonese-style noodles elsewhere.

They also offer a number of Ipoh homemade assorted fried snacks from fried pillow fishcake to turnip, wantan, fishcake, seafood fu chuk, yong tofu, thin fu chuk, fu chuk roll and popo chui (?).

So, we ordered a few, of course :)

Fried Fu Chuk Roll @ RM3.60 (for 3 pcs) - what can I say...it's just rolled up crispy fu chuk with barely any fish paste! :P

Fried Pillow Fishcake @ RM3.60 (for 3 pcs) - this was the best tasting item among all the fried snacks.

Fried Turnip @ RM3.60 (for 3 pcs) - this one was super hard and dense, quite inedible.....stay clear of this one! >_<

Fried Yong Tofu @ RM4.50 (for 3 pcs) - this was a fish paste-filled soft tofu that was fried with a slight crisp on the outside.

My Personal Opinion

Overall, it's not a fish head noodles that I'd go rushing back for more anytime soon.  Nothing stood out.  The fried snacks failed to engage too...snacks like those are a dime a dozen.

In the end, it came down to the soup base and I wasn't liking the superior soup here as much.  Perhaps I should have tried the milky salted vegetable soup instead.  Though they offer bursting meatballs, garoupa fish slices, pork belly slices, oyster and abalone slices just like Go Noodle House, their soup base (unfortunately) can't hold a candle to the good ones in Go Noodle House.

This place is like a cross between Go Noodle House and fish head noodles but without either part making an impact.  It certainly isn't the 'king of noodles' and I can't say I'll be surprised to find it not here the next time I'm in the area! >_<

Noodle King House
No 31 Jalan SS2/30
47300 Petaling Jaya
Selangor
Tel: 017-202 8371

Mighty Monster @ MyTown Shopping Centre

Till now, I don't find MyTown's F&B options very exciting nor original.  Filled with the usual 'suspects' that I've already eaten in other shopping malls like Boat Noodles, Bari Uma, Pho Street, Sakae Sushi, Go Noodle House, Suki-Ya, Nam Heong, Juan Valdez, Kyochon 1991, Nyonya Colors, Sushi Zanmai, just to name a few.

So, I was excited to see a new entry, an Australian inspired brunch cafe and bar, Mighty Monster @ MyTown Shopping Centre, joining the list of eateries in this mall.

Well, it looks like they're a character cafe with that Monster (on the wall) that looks like the fuzzy, furry, huggable Sulley from Monster Inc.  Walking in, we were greeted enthusiastically by a few of the servers, one of whom asked where we'd like to sit.  You see, you have an option of three sections (actually four if you include the small alfresco area)...there's one that's just at the entrance of the cafe (great for people-watching), a middle (raised) section and a spacious inner dining area nearer the bar (we chose this).

Bottles seem to be the main theme of their decor (you'll find it on the walls or hanging from the ceiling).

Looking at the cutlery that was brought to our table...I thought, my, my, golden knife and fork...so classy.  I was excited...I'm in for a treat, or so I thought.

If I remember correctly, there are three parts to the menu...a small bites menu that's available all day long, a breakfast & brunch menu (until 4 pm) and a dinner menu.

Since the two of us were here for an early dinner and it was our first time, we weren't sure of the portion sizes, so we ordered one starter and two mains for sharing.  From the small bites menu, we initially wanted the Crab Croquetas (RM19) but was later told that they have run out...so soon into dinner time?  We opted for the Puff Prawn instead (this actually arrived last after our mains were served, so I'll write about this one later).

Our first main (from the dinner menu) was the Gyutan @ RM34, a word we're now very familiar with since our first unforgettable tasting of ox tongue.  Their version of this Japanese inspired rice bowl, topped with grilled beef tongue and a 65-degree egg with alfalfa sprouts, chopped spring onions, ginger scallion oil and homemade chilli jam, looked really enticing when it arrived.

Unfortunately, the taste of this ox tongue was nothing like the super tender, awesome ones I had at Momotalo Yakiniku before.  Even the Gyutandon I had at Eatomo was more tender if I were to make a direct comparison.  And the accompanying 65-degree egg was served cold.  Although I'm aware that onsen tamago can be served cold and I have eaten it served with a chilled dashi-based soy sauce (on its own), I think it's better to serve it warm with something like a (warm) rice dish, don't you think?  Plus this 65-degree egg, the yolk is almost set...is this how it should be?  If so, then I'd prefer a 63-degree egg where the yolk is still runny.

My main of Cured Salmon Fillet @ RM49 was described as in-house miso cured salmon fillet with squid ink potato mash, yellow zucchini spaghetti, pickled green zucchini, alfalfa sprouts and crunchy parmesan tuile.

It sounded promising on paper but didn't quite deliver on the plate.  First of all, there was no squid ink potato mash in sight, just the usual mash potatoes that tasted too heavy on the butter.  Mind you, I do like a buttery mash but this one, the taste was off, maybe it's down to the quality of the butter?  I don't know.  And what they described as zucchini spaghetti was actually a small portion of shredded pickled yellow zucchini (and here I thought there'd be some kind of pasta made with zucchini!).  Finally, the crunchy parmesan tuile as claimed (probably the easiest thing to execute) wasn't crispy throughout (only around the edges).

As for the salmon, it did have a crispy skin (though one end of it was more charred than it should be) and the salmon was also cooked all the way through.  And the salmon tasted odd.  My first thought was that it wasn't all that fresh but when I read the description on the menu again, it said miso cured salmon.  Perhaps that was the cause for the odd taste though I didn't get any miso taste but tasted something vinegary instead that made the fish taste funky (or maybe my tongue is 'broken'!) :D

Finally our appetiser of Puff Prawn @ RM23, served with wasabi mayo, made an appearance after our mains.

The mere mention of poached prawns wrapped in puff pastry conjures a vision of a crispy, flaky pastry enveloping a prawn inside...and it did look the part when it arrived.

But that was before I tried to cut into the pastry....and realised, to my horror, that the puff pastry wasn't crispy except for a slight crisp on the outermost layer.  So, that prompted me to cut open the layer of pastry only to reveal an uncooked pastry on the inside! >_<

I thought maybe I was just unlucky with this one and proceeded to cut open the second prawn.  Still the same.  The fact that you can see some of the prawn meat sticking to the pastry is proof that the doughy, sticky pastry is not cooked.

As to whether the prawn was fresh, I let you be the judge of that.  Just look closely at the prawn head...it's black....and it's not from charring! O_o  It was at this point that I decided to raise a complaint.  What happened next will shock you to your core!

#Shocking Story

I gestured to one of the servers to come over and explained to him that the pastry is not cooked and the prawns are not fresh...and asked him to convey that to the kitchen.  He said ok....and left...without taking the plate with him.

What?!!  I was dumbfounded.  How on earth is the kitchen going to know about this undercooked pastry without seeing it?  Maybe they're just going to take my word for it.

So, I waited...and waited....for the server to get back to me.  But instead he just walked past our table a couple of times, sometimes throwing awkward glances in our direction...that's it, he didn't come round to say a word to me.

In the end, I couldn't wait any longer and gestured the same server over.  I asked if my message was conveyed to the kitchen.  He said yes...and that's it...and walked away...no apology offered for the failed dish, no taking back the dish and re-firing a new one, no asking us if we'd like to replace the dish with something else, no offer to reimburse us for the disastrous dish, no nothing!! >:(

It was then that I realised no action will be forthcoming to rectify this.  So, I thought I might just as well open up the third prawn and eat up the prawn meat even though it wasn't as fresh but it wasn't overly mushy either, so it'd be quite safe to consume.  So, I ate up that little bit of meat.  After all, I paid good money for it.

And then I got to the fourth prawn.....and I gave up!  I guess I was too disheartened (and angry) to even bother.

As for the drinks, we had this Purple Rain Cooler @ RM13, a refreshing lemonade infused with lavender.  The purple must mean the colour of lavender as the drink wasn't purplish in colour! :P

I had an Iced Cappuccino @ RM14 and was surprised to find it served in a short glass that's more suited for cocktails...and without a straw.  Now how does one drink iced coffee without a straw? *scratch head*  So, I asked for one.  Obviously the straw was not meant for a short glass as it towered over the glass (so I can see why it was omitted).  Mind you, the price of this coffee isn't all that cheap, so why such a small glass? >.<

And when we asked for the bill, we had one more surprise waiting for us...we were asked to pay in cash. The food prices here ain't cheap where a meal can easily cost RM75 - RM100 per person...and you open a restaurant & bar without getting that sorted out first?

When we left, there was none of that friendly goodbye and please come again like the enthusiastic greeting we got when we arrived.  Instead, we see the servers avoiding eye contact, cowering and whispering as we passed by the cashier's counter on our way out...it made me very uncomfortable.  If this happens to be the server's wrongdoing for not rectifying the situation, I think the management (or owners) needs to share some of the fault for not training their service staff well.

My Personal Opinion

Just three dishes into the menu, I already knew I won't be back.  Even if I didn't try the right dishes, even if their other dishes taste better, even if they improved their food...I am never ever coming back....their service and attitude sucks!  In the words of Taylor Swift....we are never ever...ever getting back together. Like, ever.....:P

The place may look good, I may like the cute Monster but I think they have a Mighty tall order to get their cooking and service right...and you don't do that by simply ignoring your customer's complaint.....aargh!!! >:(

Mighty Monster
G-019 MyTown Shopping Centre
Cheras
55100 Kuala Lumpur