Lorong Selamat.

Competition is stiff between the two Chow Koay Teow stalls at Lorong Selamat, Penang. In one corner is the lady with the strange cap, in the other is the man with the outrageous goggles. They both take over an hour to serve you your equally scrumptious charcoal-fired wok-fried noodles with giant fresh prawns, Lap Cheong (Chinese sausage), Kerang (Cockles) and Kow Choy (Slender Garlic Chives).

While you patiently wait for your famous plate of Chow Koay Teow to arrive, you'll be glad to know that you're encouraged to order and try out other available Penang delights along Lorong Selamat, like Asam Laksa (Fish-based Spicy & Sour Soup Noodles), Lobak (Malaysian Tapas) & Prawn Fritters, Oh Chien (Mini Oysters Omelet), Popiah (Spring Roll), White Curry Noodles and more.

And to keep your mind off the wait further, while your Chow Koay Teow is being painstakingly fried, one plate at a time due to quality control by either master chefs, guys can try your luck at spotting some lovely ladies who'll dress up for a hearty meal here. For ladies, bring along your PSP or spend quality time with your iPhone – because good looking male Penangites are as rare as Filipino pearls.

Two more tips while you're at Lorong Selamat, one, you may want to bring along a deck or two of playing cards. And two, don't forget to leave some stomach space for the infamous dessert of shaved-ice with rose syrup, palm sugar, evaporated milk, assortment of beans, corn, jelly bits and roasted groundnuts – Ice Kacang, with ice-cream topping.

While in Penang, you may also travel to isolated spots for various popular local dishes if you have the time. If not, you can find most of everything you've read up on Penang hawker cuisine, right here at Lorong Selamat.

Recipe: Memphis Soul Stew.

Curtis Ousley was born on 7 February 1934. And he didn't do much cooking.

He started playing the saxophone when he was 12. You'd know him better as King Curtis. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Curtis

In 1965, he recorded one of his most successful singles – Memphis Soul Stew.

Now you don't have to click on the video to know the recipe, because I'm gonna share it with you, right here:

1) 1/2 teacup of bass

2) 1 lb of fat back drums

3) 4 tablespoons of boiling Memphis guitars

4) A pinch of organ

5) 1/2 a pint of horns

Just place it on a burner and bring to boil - or that's what I think he said in the song... enjoy!

Mooncake Festival.

Thanks to brilliant marketeers who have successfully turned Mid Autumn Festival into what is now more commonly known as the Mooncake Festival, most Chinese across Asia and probably all over the world have no clue as to why this day is one of the most important festivals on the Lunar calendar.

Back in the days, there were countless stories told and passed on in countless versions. The story I hear over and over again is the one where the leaders of the Chinese rebel troops took advantage of this festival to deliver military secrets, hidden inside the mooncakes, that eventually aided in the successful elimination of Mongolian oppressors in China.

Now I can't be sure if this is a true story or pure fairy tale. What I know for sure is, these fancy mooncakes currently sold in snazzy packaging at major malls and hotels, are generally too damn expensive.

But anyhow, here's wishing everyone a happy Choong Chow Jeet! Be careful with those candle-lit lanterns, and don't overstuff yourself with those lotus paste (and salted egg) filled pastries.

Chiang Rai Style.

It's not everyday that you'll get to walk into a Thai restaurant without feeling you're gonna get a whooping bill with a hefty sum written at the bottom of it.

And more importantly, the dishes are authentically homestyle Thai, and not some commercially-driven 'fusion' of sorts.

Boy, I'm so missing this place right now.

King Tart.

In this planet of ours, there are those who'd go crazy over pineapple tarts. And there are those who'd like to try it for the first time. Then, there are those who'd quit their jobs and make 'em.

Well, technically, there are also those who'd just wanna buy these yummy pineapple tarts by King Tart, (no relation to the famous Egyptian Pharoah!), that, when popped, crumbles and melts in your mouth. For an assured quality, premium butter, not margarine, and thick, wholesome pineapple homemade jam, are used in the making of these classic delights.

The price: 500 grams = 35 pieces = RM28 only. For orders and delivery, call Zainal of King Tart at 012-423 1300, now.

Nathalie's Gourmet Studio: July Menu.

It has been a couple of months back since my first visit. Was in the neighbourhood for a product launch, on a Friday, and with my reputation at stake, had to decide on where to go for an impressive one2two.

As Nathalie's was just around the corner from where we were, I made the call and went for it.

Of course, me being me, almost couldn't find the place until I saw the directional bunting... and just then, I recalled an earlier complaint from some friends who dropped by a couple of weeks back. Apparently, Chef Nathalie wasn't in the kitchen, and the beef was overdone and the chicken, dry.

It was too late to change my mind. We were running late and overly hungry. I prayed for the chef to be standing over the stove...

God is great. And so was Nathalie's Chicken & King Prawns, Beef Bourguignon and Lamb Loin.

For reservations, call 03-6207 9572.

Woolley Boolley.

Every corner you turn in good old Ipoh will bring you some kind of good food. And when you don't feel like driving around for different dishes, you'll be happy to just swing by Woolley's in Ipoh Garden and get started on a mini buffet with the many stalls and the near countless varieties.

Chee Cheong Fun (flat sheet rice noodles) with prawn paste, chili sauce & pickled chilies on the side, Yau Yee Oong Choy (sliced preserved squid & water spinach in sweet & spicy peanut sauce) and Penang Banana Leaf Fried Koay Tiao (flat rice noodles) are but some of my personal favourites.

La Gomera.

Ever had one of those days where you were looking for one thing and got something else better instead? This was to be one of those days. Walking around Neo Damansara was kinda like being in a scene of Resident Evil where the entire building is just empty, and you can hear silence resonating from the walls.

Kenneth, my sole one2two crew for the day, and I walked down a staircase to the lower ground floor from the chaotic car parking slots located at the back of the building, and found to our delight a restaurant that looked pretty new, and empty.

It's a good thing they had buntings out front with wonderfully appetising pictures of the dishes they served. And the mention of RM10 set lunch was appealing enough.

We almost had the entire restaurant to ourselves. It is, a new restaurant located in a really secluded building after all.

When the food arrived, it looked scrumptious. The colours were rich and inviting, just like those on their buntings!

The taste? My lamb stew was succulent and rather 'chewy' but not 'rubbery', which was good. Each chew released the flavours of the meat, complemented by the flavourful sauce that made it a sublime experience.

Kenneth's chicken was equally tantalising, and went well with the soup, white rice and 2 scoops of ice-cream for dessert.

I know I just had to return for their buffet, which by the way had a 50% off promotion. RM29.95 after discount for eat-all-you-can tapas, seafood, pizza and steak. (That's right, normal price of RM59.90 to resume only after 31 August 2010).

The dinner buffet begins at 6pm. I arrived from work at about 7pm plus, joined by my wife after a 15 minutes head start for me, which I spent at the salad bar where they had the lobster salad, cold-serve prawns and the works.

On the left, by the wall, were the stews - chicken, beef and lamb. You name it, they have it. All full-flavoured and richly satisfying.

On the other side of the restaurant was the kitchen. What you have to do is place a clip (or clips) with your table number on it onto the bowl with the name of the dish you wish to order. And they serve it to you once it's ready.

Similarly on the 'grill' side of the kitchen, you can place your orders for steaks, fish, prawns, clams, mussels, mushrooms and anything else that they display on labeled plates as shown above.

If you're into Spanish food, or would like a change from your usual Chinese, Italian or even Japanese meal, do drop by La Gomera Spanish Buffet & Dining, Block E-LG-1 & 2, Neo Damansara, Jalan PJU 8/1, Damansara Perdana, PJ.

For reservations, call 03-7710 0262. Remember, the 50% discount is valid till end of August only.

Need assurance on the overall experience? Ask the boys what they think:

3 out of 4 ain't bad.

Jeff Lee Kitchen.

This is one of those times when you'll be more than glad you had a GPS that works. Looking for this restaurant in Sungai Buloh can be like driving around in a maze. Well it was like that because of the numerous small in-roads that appear every few meters and identical looking shops that house mainly restaurants and auto mechanics.

I was telling Adrian, who was sitting alongside me in the car, jokingly that if we don't find Jeff Lee Kitchen soon we'd stop at any of the restaurants here and chances are we'll be in for a tantalising one2two. He replied matter-of-factly that I'd probably be right.

When we did find the place, the first car-load of one2two crew for the day had already devoured 90% of the Fah Lum Poh (Claypot Sliced Pork Belly) and about 20% of the minced ginger steamed fish on the table.

I tried a mouthful of the Chinese-style bacon, pan-seared in a claypot till crispy yet tender with every bite, and was asked by Candice from the other car if we would like to order another dish, I said let's get one more of this. Adrian, once again, agreed without hesitation.

So, what's the best way to reach Lot 4133, Jalan Perkhidmatan, Kampung Baru Sungai Buloh, Selangor? You turn left from the highway that takes you to the deep end of Sungai Buloh into the Shah Alam exit, keep right immediately, turn right at the traffic lights, drive straight in and turn left just before a blue-roofed wet market, and Jeff Lee Kitchen will be along the shoplot on the left.

Or, get a GPS that works.

PJ Old Town Food Court.

There are but only a handful of food courts across KL and PJ that can truly match up to the variety of top-class local delicacies at the Taman Selera food court, located at the junction of Jalan Othman and Jalan Selangor, of PJ Old Town.

Here you'll be thrilled to discover the most incredible Kie Kee Braised Chicken, served with optional Char Siew (Caramalised BBQ Pork), Siew Yook (Crispy Roasted Pork) and rice. When you bite into the meat and skin, you'll taste an explosion of flavour that comes from the blend of mixed spices and soy sauce.

Other goodies to try are the Wild Boar Curry from the same stall; Seong Kee Vinegar Pork Leg that gets your taste buds to lace-up the best pair of dancing shoes and continuously boogie hours after your meal is done; and Weng Kee Ais Kacang or Air Batu Campur (ABC) that combines shaved ice with Gula Melaka (palm sugar), evaporated milk and an assortment of condiments namely red beans, herbal jelly bits, sweetcorn, roasted groundnuts and more.

And the one more dish that we would've loved to order, but didn't, because it would've been too much to finish, is the Chinese-style Claypot Fish Head Curry, cooked with deliciously rich coconut milk, aromatic mixed spices, vegetables and beancurd puffs.

Last but not least, did I also mentioned there's a stall at the opposite end from these stalls - they serve some absolutely yummy Indian curries. My favourite – the Bone Marrow Mutton Curry.

It's madness, I tell you.

The Rice Dumpling and the Dragon Boat.

If you're Chinese, you'd be on your way home early for dinner this very evening. And the dish you're gonna be gobbling down will most probably be rice dumplings, or some call it the Bachang (in Hokkien dialect, which literally means Meat Dumpling).

But if you're just curious, you'd wanna know what's the story behind The Rice Dumpling Festival, or more commonly known as the Dragon Boat Festival. Here's a summarised version of the legend:

Way back when, in Chu Kingdom of ancient China, there was an important minister named Qu Yuan (pronounced simply as Chue Yuan) who was a loyal servant of the emperor.

The emperor however, is one who does not listen well to advice provided by Qu Yuan. This proved to be fatal for the emperor who got himself captured and killed in enemy territories.

Poor Qu Yuan, who was sad and angry with the corrupted kingdom, tied himself to a big rock and threw himself into the River of Puo Luo.

What happened next was the people made rice dumplings wrapped in bamboo leaves and fed them to the river. It was believed that this would stop the fish from eating Qu Yuan's body who was regarded as sacred. Then, some of the kingdom folks would row downstream on a boat, beating drums, screaming and shouting, to frighten off the fishes.

And so this was how the festival of glutinous rice dumplings with meat and scrumptious fillings, and the dragon boat, came to be.

It's strange, but true.

Celebrating FIFA World Cup South Africa 2010.

11 June 2010 was probably the most anticipated day of the year for millions and millions of people around the world. It was the start of the FIFA World Cup. But it was also a school holiday.

My wife planned a trip to Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan. It's probably the nearest beach from Kuala Lumpur. And it serves as a quick and short getaway for the kids.

With all the deadlines at work, it didn't occur to me the Friday which we are to drive off to the Avillion Admiral Cove Resort is the Friday of the first World Cup 2010 match between South Africa and Mexico.

So what is it that you'll need to look for on a day like this, when you're away from your familiar TV set at home? A comfortable place to catch the 'live' kick-off, of course.

And that place was called The Sailor's Drink Shop. They featured a Filipino band and a projector screen right next to the stage. Perfect.

Then there was a group of Singaporeans, who one by one started stepping up onto the stage to perform some Mandarin and Hokkien numbers just before the match. And you'd think they'd stop once the whistle blows for the kick-off.

Well, they sang on, and loudly. But it was okay, the game is on and it was explosive. At that point, it wouldn't have made a difference if they sang Waka Waka in Teochew dialect.

Until the screen went blue. The projector broke down.

"What's going on? Is it coming back on?" I asked the Indian waitress behind the Tiger draught tap. She mumbled something like "I don't know, wait, let me ask..."

She never returned with an answer.

So I packed up, and it was a good thing I brought along my car keys. Got off my chair and drove off to the next resort with a banner that said 'live' World Cup match. It was Sri Nira Lounge in Selesa Beach Resort.

And from the frying pan into the fire, there was a Malay family that hogged the karaoke microphone and croaked endless classic Malay tunes.

And, they don't serve any alcoholic beverages. The Teh Tarik (Pulled Milk Tea) I ordered tasted like mud.

Enough said.

Nathalie's Gourmet Studio.

The afternoon was hotter than usual. You'd expect to quickly reach where you wanna go, and get down to some one2two action before the hour passes. But we were in Solaris Dutamas, and looking for Unit A4-01-5 can be rather tricky.

After two wrong turns, we eventually found Nathalie's Gourmet Studio. And we were happy that the place was pleasantly cosy, though the seats were a bit hard.

Then the starters arrived. The Parmesan Cheese Tart tastes as good as it looked, and fired up my expectation even higher...

One by one the dishes arrived, and each one tasted better than the other. The blend of flavours and textures was just amazing.

If there were doubts about Chef Nathalie Arbefeuille's menu before, all were quashed after the first bite.

Then came the Lamb Tajin. Each bite into the mutton, slow-cooked till tender, was like a prologue to a Moroccan folklore. And the natural flavours of the baby soy beans serve as a balance to the exotic combination of kuskus and braised artichoke.

There were whispers that Chef Nathalie Arbefeuille cooked for events at the French Embassy. And her classy studio next door confirms her cooking classes. Plus she has her own recipe book, published. So I really don't have to tell you much more about my impeccable experience eating here, and how impressive the desserts were...

Well, fancy some sweet Macaroons to go? Drop by Nathalie's Gourmet Studio, at Solaris Dutamas, Unit A4-01-5, Jalan Dutamas 1, KL. Or call 03-6207 9572 / 017-2806717 for reservations.

Anchor Smoothness on tap.

April Fool jokes were flying around the entire day and nobody could really separate the truth from a prank.

I thought Anchor Smooth on tap was ballsy in carrying out a soft launch at a few selected draught serving pubs within the Klang Valley and across Malaysia on a day like April 1st.

I saw a lot of surprised faces as I sat away from the bar at Cheers Pub, off Jalan Batai, Damansara Heights, KL.

And you know what's more ballsy? Anchor Smooth draught beer is priced the same as Tiger Draught.

But the brightly lit Anchor Smooth font was flowing steadily the entire evening. That is certainly an encouraging sight, even if it's just the first night.

And I can definitely understand why. Anchor Smooth on tap is surprisingly pleasant, refreshingly fizzy and light. And no bitter aftertaste, so it goes down perfectly, mug after mug, with any dishes served.

The taste kinda reminded me a little of the delightful Asahi Dry beer and some of Budweiser.

Anchor Smooth on tap is definitely a good choice if you're up for a long night of boozing, or when you're chomping down a piping hot meal at a pub like Cheers.

Herbal Chicken at Lorong Bandar 4.

It's amazing how people in KL can find good food in strange places. Especially when it's hidden in a small 'lorong' with barely room for 2 people to walk through after the tables are placed along the walls.

But I'm glad to have found the place that serves this fantastic herbal chicken dish that goes really well with rice.

And for a centre pool dish, we also ordered a bowl of Bak Kut Teh, the herbal soup mix pork dish that also goes really well with rice, along with a plate of vegetables.

Here's another angle of Lorong Bandar 4, to see just how the stall is strategically placed to achieve optimum use of space.

This road sign is not gonna be easy to spot, but from the main road, you might notice the signage that says Chiap Tong – Lorong Bandar 4 is right there. For parking, don't bother trying anywhere else but Menara Olympia, where you can be sure of not getting slapped with a police summon for illegal parking.

And if you eat quickly enough, you'll have some spare time to actually walk over to Petaling Street...

And look for this shop that sells some really ol'skool candies and dried fruits, and card games like 'Donkey' and 'Happy Family'. This is the life.

Beyond Berjaya Redang Beach Resort.

When you're on a holiday in Malaysia, you'd always wanna keep a ear out for local restaurants that sit nearby the resort you're staying in. Simply because you'd never know what 'treasures' you're gonna unearth.

After having 3 meals at The Palm Restaurant in Berjaya Redang Beach Resort, Terengganu, I was determined to take my family out from the premise of the luxurious resort, and set out on a one2two adventure.

The adventure, as it turns out, was a rather short walk (approximately 2 minutes) from the resort's guard house. It's up a staircase on the right of the road, to Aima's Grill Fish. You won't miss it.

The wait for the food was a little long. That's because a lot of tables are filled with people from the resort. But maybe, it was also because we were hungry after the swim in the sea earlier, and we were rushing to go on our snorkeling trip next. (That's the life!).

Meanwhile, the wait was made okay as there were sufficient entertainment to keep my restless boys busy till the dishes started rolling in...

The awesome Nasi Goreng Belacan was the first to arrive. (A word of advice: When you eat at Malay restaurants anywhere in Malaysia, the safest choice is to always order something that's more Malay like the above or Nasi Goreng Kampung. Because you know they won't do as well with Chinese-style cooking or anything foreign.)

Then came the not-so spicy Mee Goreng, followed by centre-pool dishes like Sotong Goreng Tepung (Batter-fried Squid a.k.a Calamari), garlic-fried vegetable and other varieties of fried rice dishes that passed the test with flying colours when compared to typical resort food.

The biggest regret for me was, we didn't get to try their signature Ikan Bakar (Grilled Fish) because we were rushing for time.

In the end, the entire experience wasn't 5-star. But nobody complained.

Good morning Berjaya Redang Beach Resort.

The day began with wonderful sounds of the sea outside the room where my family and I rested blissfully the night before. The waves however, at the Berjaya Redang Beach Resort, Terengganu, do not rest. They seem to go on and on, which was heavenly.

And the island was just beautiful. No complaints there.

The food on the other hand, was disappointing.

For most of our meals when we were there, we ate at the Palm Restaurant.

The breakfast was complimentary. The buffet lunch costs RM70++ for adults, which comes up to about the same, or more, if you opted for the a la carte menu. And RM80++ for their 'Japanese' buffet dinner (which wasn't very Japanese at all) and their 'International' weekend buffet dinner (which wasn't very international) as well.

On the lighter side, there were 2 costumed characters, standing behind a counter at the end of a short buffet spread, armed with a frying pan each.

One made strangely horrifying 'spongy' omelettes. The other turned over my sunny side up.

And that's that, at the Berjaya Redang Beach Resort.