I don’t think I’ve ever come across young jackfruit here in Sydney, but I’ve seen frozen breadfruit in Indian grocery stores, and I think that would work as a perfectly acceptable substitute. FYI young jackfruit needs to be boiled with vinegar to remove its slimy texture, should you ever use it in this recipe. In keeping with the character of » Read More
Chiang Mai Travel Diary – Part 5
October 10, 2015 by
Day 4 and I’m acutely aware that time is running out for us to visit this region’s famous attractions. It’s Sunday and temperatures are expected to soar (I’m told they hit 45°C yesterday). Baby Noah is back to his normal, happy self but the beautiful hotel pool beckons along with the prospect of travelling far distances in the searing heat. I » Read More
Chiang Mai Travel Diary – Part 4
October 9, 2015 by
Day Three and baby Noah is chirpier now that he’s getting a good supply of fresh mango juice, but he’s still a little lethargic. We’re in this remote part of Southeast Asia and the elephant sanctuary, the famous Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep temple up in the hills and the long necked mountain tribes are all on my wish list but they all involve day trips » Read More
Chiang Mai Travel Diary – Part 3
September 29, 2015 by
We have a busy schedule on our first morning in Chiang Mai. Breakfast at the Shangri-La Club Lounge is exquisite, with red curry beef and cooked-to-order Thai omelette as the highlights. Noah, still refusing drinks, is more interested in looking out the window at the swimming pool downstairs. We need to shop for ingredients for the » Read More
How to Make Chor Muang (Thai Royal Steamed Dumplings)
September 22, 2015 by
One of three rare Thai dishes traditionally served to the Thai royal family, Chor Muang is a steamed dumpling delicately formed into flowers using a pair of tweezers with serrated tips. The purple colour is obtained from the petals of what we call bunga telang in Malaysia; though you can achieve the same effect with food colouring. Chef Wassana is » Read More
How to Cook Sabah Sour Fish Stew (Ikan Ampap)
September 16, 2015 by
A simple yet delicious sour fish stew using snapper fillets; recipe and instruction by Chef Elroy of Shangri-La Tanjung Aru, Sabah. INGREDIENTS: 100 g Red snapper (fillet) 10 g Turmeric, fresh (crushed) 25 g Ginger, cleaned (crushed) 20 g Lemongrass, cleaned (quick-knock at the steam) 5 g Lime leaf 20 g Red chilli (seeded) 5 g Asam » Read More
Roti with Banana and Chocolate Sauce
September 15, 2015 by
Roti Canai dough is usually flipped, but in this version, Chef Kris rolled it into a thin pastry which is then filled with banana slices. This is one of the dishes from the Shangri-La Tanjung Aru Wine Dinner I hosted recently. INGREDIENTS: Roti canai dough - 1 kg strong flour 1 tsp salt 2 egg whites 1 Tbsp ghee 1 Tbsp condensed milk 1 Tbsp » Read More
How to Cook Silken Noodles with Grilled Lobster (Kway Teow Siram)
September 12, 2015 by
Kway Teow Siram aka Silken Noodles is very easy to make at home - in this video, I used grilled lobster and tobiko to give it a luxurious twist for the wine dinner I was hosting at Shangri-La Tanjung Aru, Sabah. INGREDIENTS: 250g fresh rice noodles, wide-cut 2 tsp oil ½tsp soya sauce ½ tsp thick soy sauce ½ lobster in shell, brushed with » Read More
How to Cook Sabah Rice Wine Chicken (Ayam Lihing)
September 4, 2015 by
Ayam Lihing is a Kadazan Sabah dish that uses chicken and local rice wine; Chef Elroy from Shangri-La Tanjung Aru in Kota Kinabalu shows me how easy it is to prepare. This is the first in a series of 3 Kadazan Sabah dishes I learned during my recent trip to Borneo. One interesting point of difference I picked up which was confirmed by Chef Elroy » Read More
How to Make Chicken Lorbak (Loh Bak)
August 27, 2015 by
Lorbak (aka Loh Bak) is a delicious Nyonya meat roll from Penang that's served with two different types of sauces. Shangri-La Rasa Sayang Resort's Chef Chai showed me how this is made in this live cooking lesson held recently for guests of the hotel. INGREDIENTS: 1.2 kg Chicken thigh fillets, sliced into thin strips 200 g Turnip (yam bean » Read More