I get asked all the time why I don’t operate at more markets or do more events and festivals. This is the first time I’m speaking about this in public. My online videos, TV appearances and travel are not so much exercises in vanity as they were a conscious decision made 2 ½ years ago…
Print PDF Recipe by Hotel Jen, Penang One of the Hotel Jen recipes that didn’t make it into our video series during my recent trip there was Nasi Ulam, a herbed rice salad dish. Nasi Ulam wasn’t something I was familiar with growing up in the southern part of the Malaysian peninsula, but it is…
Print PDF There’s a lot of confusion about what Laksa Nyonya is – and this is actually quite understandable in view of the fact that Penang’s famous laksa – the sour, non-coconut milk version aka Asam (Assam) laksa is also Nyonya-influenced. For the record, my Laksa Nyonya refers to the laksa inspired by Melaka’s nyonya…
I rarely attend media launches but decided I couldn’t pass up on the 2015 Crab Carnival held at the Morrison Bar and Oyster Room. I LOVE shellfish and especially crab, and I like supporting fellow chefs and food producers. I turned up with #babyNoah in tow (this is my M.O., FYI – meetings, travel, invitations…
I was recently approached about having baby Noah’s story featured online and to that end I was asked to provide a spiel to accompany his photos. Although I mostly post personal stories at my other blog – www.SerembanGirl.com – I thought I might reshare this here since Noah is such an integral part of my business….
Print PDF I grew up in a developing country; unlike western travellers, I know first hand what it’s like to live with the locals – I used to be one. There’s no novelty in roughing it when I travel; I want my creature comforts and I shamelessly seek out 5-star hotels. This is something that’s…
Print PDF I receive my itinerary from the tour designer, Diana, a couple of days before I leave Sydney. Right away, I spot a familiar name in the document. My tour guide is going to be Mr. Shaukani Abbas, who is a mutual Facebook friend of Aspaliza. I’d been hanging out with Aspaliza every trip…
Print PDF Click to watch on YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHk-Lxgbzf8 In November 2014, People Express Travel in Kuala Lumpur invited me to experience their new Culture, Heritage and Nature Delight Tour based around a culinary theme. Over the course of 6 Days/5 Nights, I stayed at – – Bagasta Boutique Hotel in Kampung Baru, KL – Suka-Suka…
Print PDF Pasembur (aka mamak or Indian rojak) is a signature Penang salad with a sweet potato-based sauce, that I used to enjoy a long time ago in my Seremban hometown. The wet market in the centre of town had a stall that sold it (and may still do after 30 years, for all I…
Print PDF Most Westerners who’ve travelled to Malaysia will almost invariably have covered Penang, so they’re often surprised to find they know the place better than I do. I have to admit being a “southerner” – I was born and raised in Seremban, 40 miles south of Kuala Lumpur – Penang has always been a…