Heaven for Durian lovers at Karak Organic Durian Farm

It's the durian season again! Being huge durian lovers, Ryan and I visited Karak Organic Durian Farm together with 5 other friends.

Karak Organic Durian Farm
Sabai Estate, Karak
Owner Mr Ng Swee Pen
0127958899
karak.durian@gmail.com

Please call for booking at least a day in advance and to enquire regarding entrance fees.

This durian farm is owned by a retired couple. It's 11 acres big. Besides king of the fruits, the farm also produces bananas, papayas，ciku, rambutan and duku langsat. The wonderful collection of tropical fruits!

After parking our car at the entrance, Mr Ng chauffeured us into his farm which is part of the humongous 4000 acres estate. It was a rainy day unfortunately. But the ride was smooth in his 4WD about 5 to 10 minutes from the entrance.

Karak Organic Durian Farm didn't start up organic. After a depressing season of diseased trees, Mr and Mrs Ng decided to take up the challenge and started all over again by going all organic. They employed the power of a certain microbe to fight off the fungal infection successfully. For your information, organic farm owners have to be trained periodically and get certified.

This farm is therefore genuinely organic.

Farm visitors have the privilege to go on a fruit eating spree! All you can eat! It's already halfway through the season when we visited so we didn't have to chance to taste the coveted Musang King. But their D24 was already more than enough to satisfy the cravings!

Slightly bitter, organic D24 has a buttery and soft texture that's so rich and overwhelmed the senses with its unique aroma.

Since there's Musang King, there must be a Queen! The Queen is as powerful as the King. If their D24 is already awesomely delicious, the Queen is even more a winner.

Don't forget the juicy and sweet organic rambutan. Baby Bing had at least 5 of them in a row. But we couldn't convince him to have durian. Dang.

The proof that the durian here is organic- if there's no fruit flies, it's not organic and is filled with pesticides :( Now try to think back, how many times have you seen durian with fruit flies?

Don't worry, nothing goes to waste here. All the shells and seeds go back to the nature. Compost are made on site using layers of unwanted plant parts and organic soil. To avoid erosion, legumes were also planted as cover crops.

The serene view of durian forest. A ripe durian will fall with gravity and shouldn't be picked. So be very careful if you decide to stroll around the farm.

The seeds were being replanted. In average, it takes about 4 to 5 years before the trees will start to bear fruits.

Rows of papaya trees.

The farm is also surrounded by mountains. Therefore it's a chilly 20+ degrees Celsius in the evening.

One can also choose to buy fresh or frozen fruits from the farm directly. Some of the durian were made into durian cream to produce local delicacies such as durian based desserts and tempoyak (a local chilli paste with durian, famous for its use in cooking Patin fish).

Mr Ng was so generous and we must have ate at least 5kg of durian each! We even skipped dinner because we were just so full.

This is a chart of durian seasons. Remember this, durian lovers! Durian trees typically start to flower during the dry season. It then takes around 120 days to bear fruits.

Verdict- not only did we get to have organic durian, but we were also educated about organic durian farming. A very fruitful trip indeed.

Watch our farm visit on my YouTube channel. Please subscribe to my channel.

Homemade yoghurt with Easiyo

Chanced upon this yoghurt maker at Aeon Tebrau on one fine day. Ryan was so excited about it so we decided to give it a try. With the purchase of 5 Easiyo yoghurt sachets, we got the Easiyo yoghurt maker as a gift.

Our first yoghurt making experience was a huge success! This is the step by step instructions.

1. Chill about 1L of boiled water overnight in the refrigerator. Boil some water on the day you want to make the yoghurt.

2. Empty a sachet of Easiyo yoghurt powder into the yoghurt container.

3. Fill the container to half full using the chilled water.

4. Close the lid then shake the container vigorously to fully dissolve the powder.

5. Add chilled water 5mm till the top of the container.

6. Shake the container again to ensure an equal distribution of the mixture.

7. Fill the yoghurt maker with hot water until it just exceeds the upper level of the red tray.

8. Place the container in the yoghurt maker and make sure the hot water covers at least more than half of the container.

9. Close the lid of the yoghurt maker tightly and leave it under room conditions for 15 to 24 hours (up to 12 hours only in colder climates).

Tada! 1kg of thick and smooth yoghurt.

So do I need to start with a new pack of Easiyo powder when I want a new batch of yoghurt? Bear in mind it costs about RM25 each bag.

The answer is of course no! Yoghurt is a living culture of lactobacillus bacteria. In order to have more yoghurt, one needs to create the food and environment for the healthy bacteria to grow!

I substituted the Easiyo powder with 1 and a 1/2 cup full cream Fernleaf milk powder instead. The only trick is to use 2 to 3 tablespoonfuls of the old batch of yoghurt into the container as the starter (make sure it's less than a week old).

The result is equally successful!

I have also read that fresh milk can be used. In that case, the milk needs to be boiled and chilled overnight in the refrigerator before being mixed with the starter.

All the Easiyo yoghurt powder regardless of the flavor can be used as the starter. The next batch of yoghurt will just have a lighter taste.

I love my yoghurt eaten plain at times.

But I have also tried adding cransin nut trail mix purchased from Signature Market into the yoghurt to make it a healthy snack.

Yoghurt contains lots of probiotics that's great to build a healthy digestive system. With Easiyo, I know exactly what goes into my homemade yoghurt. Try making your own yoghurt today!

Thai Malaysian fusion cuisine featuring EATEA Kuantan

Craving for some sour and spicy food? Then you should definitely head to EATEA cafe. It has all it takes to a very appetizing and satisfying Thai Malaysian fusion meal.

P.s. even though EATEA has a Chinese name, its staff and chef are Muslim :)

EATEA cafe
B1679 Lorong Air Putih 2 kuantan
0122021994
Opens daily 11.30am to 10pm
Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/eatea.kuantan/

The comfortable indoor sitting area is air-conditioned. If you prefer to sit outside, it's equally spacious and cosy.

Tasteful decoration in the dining area.

A collection of antique artpieces.

A proud display of the signature dishes by EATEA at their counter.

Peet Saat mackerel

Mackerel pan fried then drizzled with an appetizing concoction of spicy and sour sauce, mixed with pineapple cubes, tomatoes, lady fingers and long beans. The fish was not 'fishy' at all! Being EATEA's signature dish, it's worthy of the title. The portion can easily feed 3 pax.

Gai Pad Krapow

Chicken breast cut into tiny cubes stir fried with basil, long beans, bird's eye chilli and long beans. Believe it or not, this was actually the most spicy dish of all, leaving a numb tongue behind :p Look can be deceiving.

Special of the day- Asam Pedas with meat ball.

This is our first time having meat in a spicy tamarind based soup. Conventionally, Asam Pedas is used to cook fish and other seafood. Interestingly, the beef balls went really well with the soup, tasting strikingly similar to Tom Yum.

Last but not least, a healthy combination of fresh vegetables stir fried to persevere the vitamins and great taste. Wong bok/Chinese cabbage, lady fingers, tomatoes, onions, carrots and long beans.

EATEA has an interesting range of mocktail on the menu. I lap (love?) u, I want u and I hate u. The last being a very daring combination which I didn't have the guts to try :p

I ordered 'I want u' instead. It's a combination of lemongrass stalk infused in soda water, Nata de coco, lychee, sour plum and mint. This resulted in a very refreshing beverage which was fizzy with a complex sweet/salty/minty flavor.

Triple juice. A child friendly combination of carrot, apple and orange juice freshly pressed when ordered. Baby Bing finished every single drop of this.

Three layered coffee for my coffee loving husband. A rich layer of local coffee on top and a layer of palm sugar syrup sandwiching evaporated milk. A treat of the day!

Verdict: A family friendly cafe. If you love sour and spicy food then this is a great place to make sure you will have an extra bowl of rice. Price is average. Will visit again when their new menu is out. 

Micasa Cafe by the River kuantan renovated!

Megaview hotel kuantan has a great river view. And since the esplanade was upgraded to a scenic park, there's no more smelly river. Its cafe, Micasa recently opened at the beginning of the year but closed for renovation until last December.  Read here for my first impression at this cafe. It's easily the cafe with the best view and atmosphere in kuantan.

Micasa café by the River
C/o Megaview Hotel slot 567 Jalan Besar Kuantan
095171888
Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/micasacafebytheriver/
Opens daily except Wednesdays

We visited on the third day of the reopening. They have put lots of effort into the cafe. It even 'snowed' during Christmas and Christmas Eve! Watch the video here.

Their new menu is much more extensive. Not just the simple set lunch they used to have.

The cosy decoration indoor. The outdoor lawn was replaced by a covered area instead. We actually loved the old outdoor area better.One has a direct view to the beautiful kuantan river from the cafe.

So what about the food?

Entree-
Merry Go Round RM25

It's a Ferris wheel full of finger food! How exciting. Even baby Bing couldn't resist spinning the wheel around.

Watch this video on my Instagram.

There's- crab balls with fish roe inside, blanched Edamame beans, popcorn chicken, fried popiah with minced meat and vegetables fillings, fried spring roll with crab filament and seaweed center. Huge portion can be shared between 4!

Scallop Yakitori skewers RM14

This is the freshest and largest Norwegian scallops I have ever tried in kuantan. Cooked perfectly- slightly caramelized outside and still juicy inside. Drizzled with tamari sauce (sweet soy sauce), it's worth every bite.

Main

Fried squid spaghetti in salted egg creamy sauce. RM14

Crispy tempura batter with juicy squid. Interesting cream sauce made of pieces of salted egg yolk with curry leaves and birdseye chilli. Didn't expect to have chillies in there which actually enhanced the fragrance of the salted egg yolks.

Garlic spaghetti with chicken parmigiana. RM20

We were surprised at how much baby Bing loved the spaghetti! The combination of garlic and black pepper went really well together with a generous splash of olive oil. We were served a huge chicken parmigiana, so big that it can be the main itself. Salad cherry tomatoes, onion rings, cucumber slices and Romania lettuce dressed with sesame sauce. Yum!

Seafood risotto RM20

Those who have cooked risotto before will know how difficult it is to cook it well and make it look good. This risotto is infused with a rich tomato flavor, mixed with fresh squid, prawns and green mussels. Covered with a thick layer of melted mozzarella cheese, each mouthful is a burst of flavor.

Dessert-
Chocolate volcano RM15

For this price tag, one gets a huge piece of brownies, 4 scoops of vanilla ice creams, stacked with soft and fluffy marshmallows together with two love letters and a gigantic black chocolate doll melting with all the chocolatey goodness! Can easily feed 3 to 4.

Mango cheesecake RM15

A palm sized full of gelatinous, creamy and cheesy treat  with a base made of digestive biscuits and pistachios. The beautiful display of mango slices and cubes make it a great visual treat as well.

Beverages

Hands brew coffee RM18 (again!)

Mr husband has recently fallen in love with this. Micasa uses coffee beans originated from Rwanda which yields cups of light bodied and slightly acidic liquid gold.

Purple candy RM15

Freshly pressed purple carrots, apples and oranges produced this funky looking and vitamin rich juice. There's also a wide choice of other juice combinations for the health conscious.

Verdict: 8.5! With the romantic ambience, awesome food, efficient service and affordable price tag, MicasaCafeByTheRiver is definitely a gem in Kuantan. We will definitely revisit.

The breastfeeding journey in toddlerhood

Time flies! Baby Bing is turning two this May! From a helpless baby to a bubbly toddler, he's the source of joy but also woe of our young family. With lots of love and support from Ryan and my family, we have managed to maintain our breastfeeding relationship thus far.

Many cheered us along the way. But also many urged me to wean baby Bing off. That he's being too clingy to me. And it just takes too much of my time and effort to continue breastfeeding.

Firstly, different baby has different pace of weaning. It's just like how they go through various developmental stage at slightly different timings. I believe in baby led weaning because they will let you know when they are ready. It's usually 2 to 4 years old. Now baby Bing only takes EBM once during the day when I'm not around. Regardless of whether he's with the babysitter or daddy.

However, when he's with me the whole day, he prefers to direct latch, sometimes as frequent as hourly. Sometimes because he's teething. Or if he's in an unfamiliar environment, he will ask for breastfeeding as reassurance. The same goes to situation that's out of his routine.

After baby Bing has grown up, breastfeeding is not just to satisfy his hunger. It's his sense of security and source of comfort as well. When he gets upset, unwell or in pain, he will ask for nen nen. Some interpret as him being addicted to nen nen. However, it is a special tie between a mother and her baby. It can become tiring at times but it's a magical tantrum tamer. After a day away from mom, he also takes breastfeeding as a chance to reconnect with mom.

The duration of breastfeeding also decreases with time as baby Bing has learnt to nurse more efficiently. He nurses in really short periods during daytime because he gets distracted easily with his toys etc. When he's still drowsy or wanting to sleep, he will nurse for longer periods.

His acrobatic breastfeeding can become too much sometimes though. Wriggling, twisting, turning, standing, face down when mom is lying down. Some babies may even try nursing with their feet in the air! It's actually a way to explore breastfeeding with fun! But I'll give him a firm no if he tried to pull such stunts in the public.

 Breast milk does not get less nutritious as the baby Bing ages because the composition changes to meet his needs including the level of antibodies! Actually, nutrition wise, babies do not need formula milk once they are above a year old. Formula also does not change with baby's needs.

Breast milk is the perfect food no matter how old the baby is. One may gets lots of unsought advice which is more often than not misleading and unhelpful. Not many babies get breastfed past 6 months and you should cherish this precious formative years spent. After sharing my experience of breastfeeding my toddler, I hope this will clarify some doubts. Please let me know if you have anymore questions.

Authentic Italian cuisine @ Verona Trattoria PJ

It was a rainy Friday evening. We were in KL. Rain + Friday traffic was a horrible combination. Took us half an hour for a journey that usually took 5 minutes. So where shall we head for dinner? Verona Trattoria it was!

Verona Trattoria
8, Jalan 17/54 Section 17, PJ
Opens daily 12-2.30pm, 6-10pm
Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/Verona-Trattoria-220308404712443/
03-7960 2890

The European feel of the exterior.

We have Chef Enzo, the head chef for the restaurant. And they say a good chef is never skinny? :P

The interior decoration was pretty minimalist.

Since we couldn't decide which pizza to have, we ordered this quattro stagioni pizza- it's an interesting combination of 4 different flavors! The pizza crust was thin and cripsy, just like how we had it in Italy.  Pepperoni, mushroom, capsicum and ham. Each went so well with the rich mozzarella.

We always need to order something that baby Bing would eat. Hence this pan fried seabass with mashed potatoes and blanched spinach. At first glance, it didn't appear extraordinary. But one bite revealed the skill of the chef. The seabass was just cooked and still juicy inside. The skin was cripsy, caramelized and tasted just like salmon skin. Yum yum! Mashed potatoes and spinach were also fresh and well seasoned.

Dessert was equally interesting. Christmas fruit cake with vanilla icecream and baileys sauce. The cake was warm and immersed in the wonderfully rich and aromatic Baileys. We wanted for more afterwards though. Would love to have a thicker slice given that it actually costed RM 21 :p

Verdict: 7/10 very authentic Italian food. Tasty! Cosy environment. Price tag on the higher side though. Would be back to try the rest of the menu!

Dry Ba Kut Teh @Teluk Pulai Claypot Ba Kut Teh Klang

After our recent BKT encounter under the bridge, we have been craving for dry BKT and claypot BKT. So here we were, at Teluk Pulai Claypot BKT. You can find the post about under the bridge BKT here.

Teluk Pulai Claypot Ba Kut Teh
32, Jalan Batai Laut 5, Kaw 16, Taman Intan, Klang
Opens daily 7am to 3.30pm
03-3344 5196

For those who are not from Klang, PaSangLang/Klangites have their BKT as breakfast/brunch. Feasting like a king with this fairly heavy meal.

It's impossible to miss this restaurant because it's as big as 3 shoplots including the corner lot. Lots of hawkers/ fruit sellers surround this spot because this is where the crowd gathers.

There are two food prepping stations.

This is for the souppy claypot BKT.

This one is for the dry claypot BKT.

BKT must always go with a hearty plate of rice. The rice served here is also infused with the fragrance of shallots and garlics.

The common sight at Klang BKT- a basketful of tea to select from.

Hot Chinese tea with self service hot water boiling on the stove.

So those with children, please be careful and watch out for these.

Tada! Claypot BKT. Boiling soup with pieces of lean pork-already braised till tender and soft with the flavors well infused. Added enoki mushroom and fried beancurd skin, as well as lettuce. Soup is not too heavily seasoned but maintains the herbal goodness. This is very similar to how we would cook it at home. Very wholesome nutrition here.

Dry BKT. This is the main reason why we visited this restaurant. Pieces of braised pork fried in claypot with caramel sauce and dried squid pieces. Tasted amazingly similar to salted fish! Me being me, really like the slightly burnt bits even though it's unhealthy.

Verdict- 7.5/10! BKT is always the comfort food. Very satisfying as well. Teluk Pulai BKT is definitely a crowd pleaser due to good taste and cheap price tag.

P.s.
If you really like their soup, Teluk Pulai BKT also sells packets of BKT herbs for home cooking.