Dahmakan Enticed Me Back!

I've not ordered from dahmakan for a few months now but soon after the Movement Control Order (MCO) came into force in March, I received numerous emails from them with a promo code ORDER30 offering 30% off on my next order (discount capped at RM15).  In the end, I relented! ;)

I was tempted when I saw that they had some new Chef-Made Ramadhan Favourites (dishes under Bazaar at Home)...and I was really missing the yearly visits to the Ramadan bazaar in my neighbourhood this year.

I tried to get my fix from a mini (very mini) Ramadan bazaar inside a Malay mixed rice shop I frequent but it wasn't anywhere near satisfying.  The mixed rice was still good as usual but the other stuff weren't.  You see, they told me that they had to help their comrades who couldn't open their stalls this year due to the MCO by offering them a spot to sell in their shop...just that their kawan-kawan punya stalls (or those they selected) weren't very good. :'(

The curry puffs, fried popiah & samosas (made by the mixed rice shop themselves were satisfying), the otak-otak & goreng pisang stalls were ok but the stalls selling sweet kuihs & mee rebus weren't any good (heck, the mee rebus wasn't even a proper mee rebus).  There were a lot more stuff like mee kari, roti john, sweet desserts soups and other kuih-muih that I didn't try.

Luckily, I managed to satisfy some of those cravings from dahmakan...of all places! ;)  Well, it all started with the 30% discount offer...and the Bazaar at Home dishes....so, I went to check out their menu and found that a lot of the dishes have changed since I last ordered in December.  I was excited...once again.

First thing I noticed at checkout is that we're now given an option to say no to cutlery....yay, finally.  So, the packing has changed somewhat now that they don't have to include the pouch for the plastic cutlery.  The other change is that they now charge a delivery fee of RM0.99 for orders under RM100 (which is fine as it's very minimal).  My first order was the Tomato Infused Rice with Ayam Berempah @ RM17.99, a dish from their new Ramadan menu.

ayam berempah, zesty pickles, cucumber slices, tomato infused rice, sambal/curry gravy

The ayam berempah (or fried spiced chicken leg) was huge (nothing like the chicken legs from Nando's 1/4 chicken or more like chicken leg...kekeke!) but it was, unfortunately, rather dry.  I can excuse the non-crispy chicken skin since it wasn't the freshly fried kind but the storage and reheating of the chicken (that was fried ahead of time) probably contributed to its dryness.  It was a crying shame as the chicken had decent flavours going on.

This dish, at least, had more vegetables (compared to other dishes I've had) of acar (or zesty pickles) with cucumber, pineapple (found only one piece though), onions & chillies and slices of Japanese cucumber.

The gravy, not quite a sambal and not quite a curry, I didn't care much for.  It had an overpowering spice taste (of cardamom pods, I think).  The tomato infused rice was alright.

My next order was a dish from their Japanese menu, Grilled Salmon Steak Fillet with Japanese Rice @ RM24.99.  I remember they had only one Japanese option in their old menu (teriyaki chicken...which isn't my most favourite protein), but now they have grilled salmon, grilled beef bowl (RM19.99) and even unagi rice bowl (RM35.99) as options.

grilled Norwegian salmon, tamago, chuka wakame, pickled ginger & daikon, Japanese rice, teriyaki sauce

Expect the salmon to be cooked all the way through but it was still nicely soft and flavoured when you pour the teriyaki sauce over.  This also helped to reduce the slightly dry texture of the fish but still very edible and satisfying.

I was very happy with this dish probably because this was the only one I've tried that came with the most condiments.  There was the tamago (egg) and I especially enjoyed the pickled seaweed (chuka wakame), ginger and radish.

Just watch out for the teriyaki sauce which was more salty than sweet (in fact a tad too salty), so don't pour all of it in at once.  This will be a dish where no one will say that there's not enough sauce (I had some leftover)...haha! ;D

I've always enjoyed the beef dishes put out by dahmakan, so it's not a surprise to see me ordering the Beef Rendang with Steamed White Rice @ RM25.99.

ribeye rendang, Japanese cucumber slices, steamed white rice

The ribeye beef rendang was super tender and flavourful (I could taste the distinctive flavour of turmeric leaves in the rendang).  The portion was also very generous (there were at least 9 - 10 good-sized pieces of meat).  Would appreciate a few more slices of cucumber though.

There was more than sufficient rendang gravy for the amount of rice provided though it was a tad on the salty side (but that's just me, I'm sure it's fine to others), so I couldn't finish all the meat and sauce in one go.

Because of the abundant sauce and generous portions of beef, this will probably be enough for two small eaters to share if you cook your own additional rice and add in an egg and more cucumber slices.

Over the years, dahmakan had collaborated with many suppliers to offer desserts to their customers (some are even famous brands like Krispy Kreme, Subway, Komuji, Tealive, Amos Cookies, just to name a few) although none have piqued my interest.....until now.

If you've been following my blog long enough, you'd know I don't eat much sweet stuff like cakes and desserts but the something sweet I've a weakness for is Nyonya kuih...and dahmakan's recent Ramadhan menu offers just that.

In a partnership with HSBC, dahmakan embarked on a celebration of giving campaign to help small local businesses where 100% of the earnings from the sale of these Ramadhan kueh/desserts will go directly to the vendors...and that's just great.

These Nyonya kuihs by Mariam in partnership with HSBC are sold at RM1.80 each. The Talam Lapis has that unmistakable rose flavour.  Nice...and pretty at the same time.

The Talam Pisang is a well-made 3-layer kuih with a distinct banana taste in the bottom layer (I'm assuming the middle yellow layer is also banana?) and a pandan-flavoured top layer.  Absolutely delicious.

The Talam Pandan has a fragrant pandan layer at the top with a lightly salted, tasty santan layer at the bottom.  Just a pinch of salt brings out the aroma of the coconut milk even more (something similar to ice cream).  Simply amazing. ^.^

The Nona Manis Pandan comes with a soft, creamy santan centre (this one is a littler sweeter than the rest).

The Homemade Onde-Onde @ RM3.60 is by Kuih & Kookies in partnership with HSBC.  This was the only Nyonya kuih that didn't impress succeed as the texture of the onde-onde was too dense (it felt almost like it wasn't cooked through) and the filling of gula melaka was not of a good quality.  It went into the bin as I couldn't bring myself to finish it...coz someone once said, "Never waste your calories on yucky food."

But the Nyonya kuihs were awesome.  I've not eaten kuih as soft and luscious as these, nothing like those dense texture-types I've bought from many kuih stalls.  They also tasted like they were freshly made.  Best to eat them at room temperature coz once they've been stored in the fridge, they become a little denser but still no where near as dense as those I've eaten before.

The Homemade Rainbow Sago Gula Melaka @ RM3 by Wan in partnership with HSBC was the best of the lot (and this one you can let it chill in the fridge coz it's even nicer when it's cold).  Although the gula melaka is already pre-mixed (so, it's a little sweet for me but should be perfect for other tastebuds), I'm willing to tolerate the sweetness as it's one of my most favourite desserts to indulge in...and this one was incredible.

I wasn't expecting it to arrive fully loaded with (what I think were medium-sized) sago pearls (which I absolutely adore, I don't like the small & large ones..so fussy, right?) but thought it'd be something similar to bubur cha cha where there'll only be a handful of sago swimming in a pool of coconut milk.  Well, I'm certainly not going to say No to more sago!  And since they mentioned rainbow, I dug my spoon in to reveal coloured sago pearls (yellow, pink & green ones, there were probably some blue ones at the bottom). Imagine how pretty this dessert would look if it was served to you (instead of delivered). ^.^

I once thought this would be a very easy dessert to make.  After all, you need only 3 ingredients...sago, santan and gula melaka.  Well, I tried it once...and failed!  The sago came out all stuck together in a lump and it had a very starchy texture...it's a good thing I can't make desserts. >_<

In conclusion, the dish I enjoyed the most this round was the Beef Rendang (again, no surprises there!) although it still can't beat the taste of the excellent Tenderloin Rendang Tok from my very first experience with dahmakan.

But what I enjoyed even more this time (surprise, surprise) were the Nyonya kuihs and dessert.  Top of the list is the Rainbow Sago Gula Melaka followed by the Talam Pandan and Talam Pandan Pisang (in that order, haha)! ^o^  Although the price of these kuihs are at least double the norm, it's so worth it for the premium taste and (I believe) quality ingredients used.

I've seen the sweet stuff menu changed periodically by dahmakan but I seriously hope they keep these small-time Nyonya kuih/desserts vendors on board (even after Ramadan is over) coz their desserts are da bomb (even better than some reputed brands...and, for now, you can trust those made by Mariam & Wan)! ^_~  Heck, it may even tempt me to order more meals from dahmakan just because of them (of course bearing in mind that the kuihs will be on the sweet side, otherwise they're not kuihs).  You have gotta try.....before they disappear from the menu! :)

Note: Dahmakan has since been rebranded to Pop Meals (in late 2020)

Just One Food - KFC's Nasi Kari Atuk

KFC may not be among my top choices when it comes to fast food fried chicken but I do eat them from time to time....especially when they have new specials on their menu.

Like the recent Nasi Kari Atuk from their Ramadan menu which was made available from 30 April onwards.  Don't ask me why it's called Nasi Kari Atuk....perhaps Colonel Sanders looks like a grandfather (atuk)?  And they've dressed him in sarong dan songkok sempena Ramadan/Hari Raya...kekeke! ;D

The fried chicken set meals come with the new Kari Atuk and Sambal Atuk.  You have a choice of three different set meals consisting of a 2-pc or 3-pc Nasi Kari Atuk Combo or a Kari Atuk Rice Box.

This is the Nasi Kari Atuk 2-pc Combo @ RM16.30 (a 3-pc combo will set you back RM19.90).  This set comes with 2 pieces of fried chicken (choice of original or hot & spicy), Colonel rice, coleslaw, curry potato sauce & sambal and a drink.

I chose KFC original fried chicken...and got a piece of drumstick and a piece of chicken rib. :P  From my experience, if you don't specify the cut you want, they'll always take advantage of the situation and 'dump' a piece of chicken breast on you (and when you specify no chicken breast, they'll give you a piece of chicken rib which also has breast meat...haiz!).  Let it be known that KFC's chicken is not the juiciest, so imagine if you've gotten a piece of chicken breast! >_< I don't think they should to do that coz it's only a 2-pc chicken. They should only dump those unpopular cuts when people order say 5 pieces of chicken and more, don't you think?  Can't they just give the more favoured parts of drumstick, thigh or wings?  After all, it's only a 2-pc chicken set! >:(

The rice (which looks like chicken rice) is similar to Colonel's rice (that you get when they have their rice sets).  The only difference is that it came wrapped in fake-looking daun pisang (banana leaf) paper! ;P

The coleslaw was the only thing that stood out like a sore thumb as it didn't quite belong in a dish of nasi lemak cum chicken rice but, then again, it's understandable that they include it as it's their only veggie dish + it was already existing in their menu.  When I ate it together, it wasn't all that bad as it offered a relief from the spiciness of the sambal atuk.  Come to think of it, I've had some one plate meals (with rice) that came with coleslaw as the veg component.

One of the new items in the set is their kari atuk, of course.  The thick curry potato sauce with hints of curry spices (but not overwhelming) and santan (coconut milk) was rather nice...but I found only two small chunks of potato in it though (nothing like their promo pic which showed it brimming with potatoes).

The other new item is their sambal atuk, a sambal sauce that was more spicy (but tolerable) than sweet.  Dig in to reveal small pieces of ikan bilis.  It was an ok sambal that paired well with the curry.

Price of RM16.30 is about right since the snack plate combo is around same price.  You may not get the whipped potato but you have the rice instead + the additional curry and sambal.

If you want a bit more variety, you can go for the Kari Atuk Rice Box @ RM19.90 which comes with kari atuk rice bowl, 1-pc chicken (original or spicy), 3 crispy tenders, coleslaw, whipped potato and a drink (oops, they ran out of 'atuk' packaging...kekeke!).

The only new item in this box set is the kari atuk rice bowl which consists of crispy chicken bites (similar to Zinger chunks) doused with kari atuk (this one has a bit more potatoes).  It reminded me of their previous promotion of sambal rice bowl except that one was doused in sambal instead of curry.  Everything else in the box we're already familiar with.

You see what I mean when you don't specify the chicken part you want....even when there's only one piece of chicken in the set, they still dump a chicken rib on me! >_<

I don't specify the chicken cut I want as I don't want to come off as picky but my experience with the KFC store in my neighbourhood tells me otherwise.  Ok, no more Mr Nice Guy from now on....now I specify the cut I want...and I finally got myself a drumstick and thigh! ^o^

Between the two kari atuk meals, the kari atuk rice box is probably the set with more value (and variety too) coz you get extras of chicken tenders, whipped potato and a rice bowl (but just one piece of chicken).

So, if you wish to try the Nasi Kari Atuk or the Kari Atuk Rice Box, you better hurry to the nearest KFC near you coz it probably won't be around once Ramadan is over.

Keep calm (during this conditional MCO) and eat chicken! :D

There's no place like home.  Stay home to stay safe.

Buy Some, Cook Some During an Extended MCO

I was taken by surprise by our PM's announcement of the easing of the Movement Control Order (MCO) to a conditional MCO (CMCO) with almost all business activities being allowed to open from May 4.  I'm just wondering if it's the right decision to ease the restrictions so soon as we certainly don't want to follow in the footsteps of the countries which did that resulted in a new wave of Covid-19 cases.

Since the MCO extension to May 12 had already been announced (and accepted) by the public, why not carry on until that date since the MCO was still in place.  The decision seems hasty to me as, after all, we have waited so long, we can certainly wait another week, right?

When I asked some of the eateries (where I'm a regular) if they would be entertaining dine-in customers (when they were allowed under the CMCO but before some State governments decided against it), some say they won't...at least not immediately.  They'll adopt a wait-and-see approach first.  Although restaurants do want to get back to business as usual, the owners are also fearful for the safety of their workers and customers.  I share the same sentiment as it's questionable if the public would (and could) comply with social distancing measures when they're in restaurants (or any other public places for that matter).  Moreover, most coffee shops are small and cramped with tables to maximise space, so the ability to space out tables might prove to be a challenge.

Although I miss dining out, I'm more concerned about safety for now, so I don't mind missing it for a little longer.  I was glad that some States (my State included) decided not to enforce the CMCO announced by the federal government.

So, whether it's the MCO (or the CMCO) and its numerous extensions, it means we have to continue to duduk diam-diam di rumah whereever possible...and eat in a lot more.

During the initial lockdown, it was cook every day...and every dish (for dinner).  But as time went on (and because of the numerous extensions), I found myself cooking even simpler dishes (canned goods to the rescue)! ;P

Since the third extension of the MCO, some of us were already beginning to get tired of cooking or sick of our own cooking besides running out of ideas of what to cook.  I'm one of the some...not a fantastic cook to begin with, an average cook at best, who has a limited repertoire of dishes and who chooses to cook simple dishes.

So, what now?  The best way forward is to find a happy middle ground....and, for me, that is the buy some, cook some concept! ;)  That way my family gets to eat something different, something I can't cook, something tastier (with shop-bought food)...and I can have a bit of a breather from cooking.  I don't know how our moms did it back in the day...cooking every meal, every day!  It certainly make us appreciate our moms' tireless efforts more now thinking back.

I buy most of my dinner dishes from a Chinese chap fan stall in a neighbouring housing area (that's because the few that open in my area aren't that good) and sometimes from a Malay mixed rice shop from my area (but that was before the fasting month when there was no crowd).  When it comes to noodles and roasted meat rice, there are plenty of options but, for some reason, most chap fan stalls chose to not open.  The reason I hear from other hawkers is that it's cumbersome and time consuming to buy vegetables (and meat) because of the crowd and the need to queue at supermarkets and wet markets.

Here are just some of my extended MCO-type meals, the lazy kind.

Buy some (fried nam yue chicken, pork curry, fish & chicken nugget) & cook some (stir-fry choy sum, omelette & salted egg)

Buy some (chicken curry, fried ikan bilis with potatoes, begedil & some kind of meat patty) & cook some (stir-fry baby bok choy & salted egg)


Buy some (marmite pork & cha choy minced pork) & cook some (pork ribs + braised peanuts & omelette)

Buy some (yong tau foo of fried beancurd sheet, fried sui kow & eggplant) & cook some (minced pork with potatoes + beancurd puffs & stir-fry Chinese lettuce)

And then, as the MCO days progressed, I started getting lazier cooking became a tiresome 'job'...so the "buy more, cook less" option seemed more suitable.


Buy more (sweet & sour pork, chicken curry & brinjal, long beans + carrot with minced pork) & cook less (fried eggs)

Buy more (fried nam yue chicken, fried fish, some fried stuff & loh hon chai) & cook less (fried eggs)

And as the lockdown days increased even further, it began to look more like a "buy all, cook none" kind of scenario.


Buy all (chicken curry, fried nam yue pork, fried ikan bilis with onions + chillies & mui choy minced pork) & cook none


Buy all (chicken curry with fried tofu, kobis masak lemak, begedil, some kind of corn fritter & ikan bilis with potatoes) & cook none (even the salted egg was bought...lol)! O_o

As the food operators adapt their business models by changing the menus (to more affordable meals), making an online presence, allowing for take-aways and deliveries, we, as homecooks, need to adapt too, right?  So, this buy some, cook some principle can also be applied to a single dish.


Like my Pork Ribs Pepper Soup with Pork Meatballs.  I just need to boil some pork ribs with lightly crushed whole white peppercorns (in my trusted slow cooker) and add in store-bought pork meatballs (at the end when the soup is almost done).


It makes for a delicious meat cum soup dish.  I was very pleased with the texture and taste of these store-bought pork meatballs (which come in two varieties, plain or with spring onions, RM11 for a box of 15).


If not for the MCO, I wouldn't have tried out these meatballs which I've since bought a couple more times (bought some for a sister-in-law of mine too)...and used them in other ways.  Great as an addition to any soup noodles (even instant noodles). ^_~


Or a Chicken/Pork/Vegetable Curry.  Since I'm too lazy + I had never cooked a curry from scratch, I'd rather buy ready-made chicken or pork curry and add stuff I like more than the protein itself such as potatoes, tofu puffs and even vegetables (there are never ever enough potatoes since most of them get picked out by customers).  Just have to scoop more curry sauce when I tapau...don't worry, the two places I tapau the curry from, they cook it with a lot of sauce, otherwise I wouldn't be so inconsiderate as to 'drain' the dish of its curry! :P


You can also do that with Stewed Chicken Feet with Dried Mushrooms.  Most chap fan stalls make this without Chinese dried mushrooms as they're considered expensive.  So, buy the stewed chicken feet (with sauce) and add in your own black mushrooms to stew.


Or how about Pork Ribs with Braised Peanuts?  Just braise the pork ribs in a soy sauce concoction till tender and add in a can of braised peanuts right at the end.  This turned out better than I expected.

So, what kind of meals will you be cooking from now on?  These simple suggestions of buy some, cook some kind of dishes are super easy to put together to relieve some cooking stress that you may be experiencing.  Whether you choose a buy some, cook some or buy more, cook less or buy all, cook none concept, you have to find your happy medium. ^_~

With the MCO possibly coming to an end on May 12 and perhaps an extended period of CMCO, it's foreseeable that many will still continue to cook at home.  Even with the relaxation of restrictions and allowing for dine-in in restaurants, some of us won't be confident enough to do so...at least not for a while until we're convinced that social distancing measures are safely in place.

We need to display the highest level of social discipline and social responsibility if we're to beat this thing and come out on top.  We need to practise a new normal way of life.

So, continue to stay home to stay safe.
Practise social distancing and sanitise your hands frequently if you need to be out.