[COOKING REVIEW + GIVEAWAY] Ikan Brand #2 Hainanese Chicken Rice

Hainanese chicken rice is Malaysian favourite comfort food. Chicken is great but the real star in a good Hainanese Chicken Rice is the Rice itself. Now fret not. Ikan Brand got you covered! Here's a paste that simply is added to your rice cooker for a fragrant and mouthwatering Hainanese Chicken Rice. Also doing this review because this is my dad's all time favourite dish. :)

Get your Ikan Brand's Hainanese Chicken Rice Paste ready.

Mum got me half a chicken. Fresh from the market!

Wash the chicken and stuff with ginger slices and spring onion. Steam the chicken. Remember to retain chicken stock!

For the rice, wash the rice and add in the chicken stock, pandan leaves and 1 packet of Ikan Brand paste into your rice cooker. Stir until paste dissolve, cook it until cooked, let the rice cooker do its magic!

Tips: Pandan leaves add a very subtle fragrance to the dish. Try it!

 Hainanese Chicken Rice - A Taste of Home

Mmm. Heavenly.

#eunicecancooksocanyou

Ikan Brand's range of delicious sauces add authentic flavour and irresistible flair to your cooking. They only use natural ingredient, and all products are with no preservatives, MSG and coloring. They check and make sure all their suppliers have HALAL cert and all their supplier's products are without preservatives. They also pack their products in high temperature condition to ensure longer shelf life. Follow my blog to check out more recipes that showcase how versatile Ikan Brand's sauces are.

#1 Portuguese Fish - Sweet and Spiciness in A Plate

#2 Hainanese Chicken Rice - A Taste of Home

#3 Seafood Tom Yam Soup - A Taste Bud Adventure

#4 Rendang Chicken - A Feast of Ramadhan

A little something to share, Ikan Brand always supports charity events which required product sponsoring. Just contact them and they will try their best to assist. They also have 4 workers from Dual Blessing Berhad (non-profit organisation for people with disability). Click here to watch video taken by Dual Blessing Berhad to know more about it.

GIVEAWAY!!!

Ikan Brand is giving out 50 packs of their products to 50 readers just by following the 3 steps mentioned below :

1. Follow me on my Instagram (Click here)

2. Like and share Ikan Brand's Facebook page (Click here)

3. Message Ikan Brand on Facebook: Name, mailing address, phone number and don't forget to mention my blog link! (www.loveismorethanwords.blogspot.com)

*Only one packet will be given per mailing address 
*Only for mailing address within East and West Malaysia

Ikan Brand products are available at Jusco, Giant and Econsave supermarkets.

For more information, visit Ikan Brand's Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/ikanbrandMY

Life as a medical student #12 When a baby is born

As a medical student, I am blessed with chances to see and experience things other people do not get to. When I was allowed into an elective Caesarean Section for the first time, my heart pounded in excitement. I was about to witness the bringing of a new life into this world!

When I entered the room, the epidural was being administered by the anaesthesia team. Surgeons and assistants were scrubbing in, putting on sterile gowns and gloves. Doctors and nurses were moving about, readying the room for delivery. Everything was in place. Then there it was - a strong pregnant mummy sitting on a cold operating table, considering what lies before her - probably feeling scared and alone. Her partner was not allowed in the operating theater. And in these moments, she must hold onto the strong love she has for her baby. She didn't know how long she'll have to wait before she could hold her baby in her arms. She let fear washed over her, and then she let it drifted away. She must be a strong lady. All the mummy.

I made a quick silent prayer in my head for her and her baby.

And then the actual surgery happened. An incision was made in the mummy's lower abdomen by using a scalpel. A few more incisions were carefully made to separate layers of fat tissues, fascia and peritoneum underneath. After the uterus was opened, it was then time for the surgeon to reach into the uterus and pull the baby out. I could feel the atmosphere of the room became so tense that everyone in the room was holding their breaths.

I couldn't contain my excitement when I saw the tiny little baby girl out of the mother's uterus, arms flailing, lungs wailing. The room was filled with joy, everyone was delighted.

''Happy Birthday, to you, the little one. 

Welcome to this beautiful world.''

And thank you, to all the brave women who birth their children with such strength and beauty.

[COOKING REVIEW + GIVEAWAY] Ikan Brand #1 Portuguese Style Sweet and Spicy Fish

I study away from home so it is inevitable for me to cook dinner myself. Therefore, I really needed a short-cut in order to speed up the cooking process but at the same time gives me a tasty dinner. I am health conscious too, so I am looking for something with no artificial seasonings. Then I found this - Ikan Brand instant curry paste!

If you love eating curries, chilli paste, Thai sauce food, you are reading the right blog for a simple sweet and spicy fish recipe. The first recipe that I am going to share with you is ''Portugese Style Sweet and Spicy Fish''. Thank you Ikan Brand for sponsoring me the delicious sauces. Read till the end of this post to know how you could win yourself some Ikan Brand's products too!

Portugese dishes are very popular in Malacca, Malaysia because back then in the early centuries, The Portugese colony had brought in their well-known spicy recipes to our country and were adapted over the years. This Portugese paste is suitable for stir-fry or steaming method especially meats such as prawns, chicken, fishes and even tofu.

First of all, steam 600gm of fish for 10 minutes. Pour in 1 packet of Ikan Brand paste. Let it steam for another 5 minutes. (Appox: 15 minutes) Tips: Give deep diagonal cuts on the surface of the fish so that the fish meat is cooked easily.

In less than thirty minutes, my Portuguese Style Sweet and Spicy Fish is ready to serve!

Portuguese Fish - Sweet and Spiciness in A Plate

As simple as that! Now everyone can be their own chefs. :)

#eunicecancooksocanyou

Ikan Brand's range of delicious sauces add authentic flavour and irresistible flair to your cooking. They only use natural ingredient, and all products are with no preservatives, MSG and coloring. They check and make sure all their suppliers have HALAL cert and all their supplier's products are without preservatives. They also pack their products in high temperature condition to ensure longer shelf life. Follow my blog to check out more recipes that showcase how versatile Ikan Brand's sauces are.

#1 Portuguese Fish - Sweet and Spiciness in A Plate

#2 Hainanese Chicken Rice - A Taste of Home

#3 Seafood Tom Yam Soup - A Taste Bud Adventure

#4 Rendang Chicken - A Feast of Ramadhan

A little something to share, Ikan Brand always supports charity events which required product sponsoring. Just contact them and they will try their best to assist. They also have 4 workers from Dual Blessing Berhad (non-profit organisation for people with disability). Click here to watch video taken by Dual Blessing Berhad to know more about it.

GIVEAWAY!!!

Ikan Brand is giving out 50 packs of their products to 50 readers just by following the 3 steps mentioned below :

1. Follow me on my Instagram (Click here)

2. Like and share Ikan Brand's Facebook page (Click here)

3. Message Ikan Brand on Facebook: Name, mailing address, phone number and don't forget to mention my blog link! (www.loveismorethanwords.blogspot.com)

*Only one packet will be given per mailing address 
*Only for mailing address within East and West Malaysia

Ikan Brand products are available at Jusco, Giant and Econsave supermarkets.

For more information, visit Ikan Brand's Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/ikanbrandMY

[FOOD REVIEW] Dream Cafe @ Taman Mount Austin, JB

Do you ever feel like you are too afraid to live your dream? We would all love to live our dream but sometimes we allow our fear of failure to limit our ability to achieve them. But there's this one young man who follows his heart and strives to make his culinary dream into reality. He owns a cafe of his own only at the age of 28, and what's a better name for the cafe other than ''Dream Cafe''?

Patrick is the proud owner and chef of Dream Cafe. His passion for cooking has taken him to work in kitchens at hotels in Singapore and also restaurants in JB before starting his own business. Starting a cafe from scratch is not easy, especially with so much competition these days. He shared with us his determination to change the cafe atmosphere in Malaysia where there are not many cafes serving good and authentic western food.

''I put in effort in every food I serve to ensure the quality.'' Patrick said, with determined look in his eyes.

It must be a wonderful feeling to see how your cooking made people happy.

Thai Style Salmon Salad RM15.90

A colourful and healthy start for the night. Bits of almonds were sprinkled on top to add crunchy taste to the salad. Be surprised by the chunks of salmon you will find in between the greens.

Cauliflower with Spicy Sour Cream RM8.90

I love cauliflower, but have never eaten cauliflower soup - I know I must give this a try. At first glance I thought it was a pumpkin soup, but it was actually the carrots which give it a bright orange colour. The sweet taste of the carrots and creamy texture of the cooked cauliflower, I swear there's nothing more comforting than this.

Fried Oyster with Homemade Tartar Sauce RM 13.90

Dream Cafe's fried oyster is crispy outside and tender inside. A great starter with homemade tartar sauce for dipping. The sauce had a tinge of spiciness to it which totally spiced up the dish. My favourite of the night!

Herb Butter Dory with Raisin Rice RM15.90

The main courses Dream Cafe served were equally impressive as well. Herb Butter Dory with Raisin Rice has dory fillet which was drizzled with melted butter and a squeeze of lemon juice before serving. The fragrant rice was sure to please the tastebuds and leave you yearning for more.

Beef Bolognaise Pasta RM22.90

Patrick proudly recommended his Beef Bolognaise Pasta, in which he spends four and a half hour daily to make the sauce all by himself. He revealed to us his recipe which contains onion, celery, carrot and tomatoes. I am not a big meat lover, but I love every bit of it because it was a dish cooked with sincerity.

Salmon Steak with Herb Crush RM32.90

Who doesn't love salmon? Rich in omega-3 fatty acids and protein, salmon is a healthy option for many people nowadays. This salmon steak was cooked to perfection with fresh herb and bread crumbs on top to add extra flavour to it.

Milk Pudding with a Scoop of Ice Cream RM11.90

..........not forgetting a perfect dessert to end the night. :)

Patrick reminded me of my dream. I always find it hard to free myself from destructive fears and doubts about my ability to achieve my dream. But you know what, life starts with a dream. Add faith, it becomes a belief. Add action, it becomes a part of life. Add patience, hope and time, it ends with a dream come true. Thank you Patrick, for showing me how lucky it is to live my dreams doing what I love and loving what I am doing. To waking up each day with excitement at what the day may bring. I will hold on to my dream.

''Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die. Life is a broken-winged bird. That cannot fly. 

Hold fast to dreams, for when they go. Life is a barren field, frozen with snow.'' 

Langston Hughes

What is your dream?

p/s: Check in on fb next time when you visit Dream Cafe to enjoy a 10 percent discount!
(promotion ends at the end of June)

Dream Cafe

Address: 

No.27, Jalan Austin Heights,

Taman Mount Austin,

81100 JB.

Tel: 07-3641052

Operating hours: 12pm - 11pm (Mon-Thurs)
                      12pm - 12am (Fri-Sun)

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dreamcafeaustin