burger king breakfast

I realised that these photos had remained inside my collection without my blogging about them....

Pardon me but this was the breakfast I had with my bro, right after we sent our parents off at the airport, when they went for their Hajj. When was that? Somewhere in Nov last year (egad!).

Since both of us weren't due to arrive at our workplace till' afternoon that day, we decide to take our time with breakfast (what irony- by having fast food) and go all the way to Burger King at East Coast Park for a meal with a view.

Enormous Omelette Sandwich - my bro's order.

Ordering this makes for 1 sinful breakfast. Reminds me of Michael Phelps's 12000-calorie-a-day diet.

Let's see... 2 layers of omelettes (I wonder how many eggs are used), 2 layers of cheese, 2 chicken patties and some crispy turkey bacon.

Oh, how indulgent!

I never ordered this for myself, no matter how tempted I got. Too scared. For my arteries, I mean.

Breakfast King Sandwich- my order.

I always order this. Simple reason. The greens.

Problem is, I always hem & haw about which meat option to choose. I love the turkey bacon but they aren't satisfying. The sausage (patties) are too filling. The ham fills me nicely but are too salty.

But it's damn syiok!

hash brown(s)

I dare say that these are my favourite.

All hash browns kinda taste the same, actually. But these golden coins are such fun to nibble on and coming in small pieces, they can easily be kept for later when unfinished.

Besides, all these pieces combined, definitely make more than 1 of McD's hashies, right?

I'm now curious to try the breakfast offering at KFC & Long John Silvers... Especially after reading this.

popeyes louisiana kitchen

Is there a difference between Popeyes 'Louisiana Kitchen' and Popeyes 'Chicken & Biscuits'?

I understand that the former applies to the 2 new heartland branches (Tampines & AMK) while the latter are the ones at Changi Airport. Hmmm...

My colleagues and I took time to troop all the way down to Tampines to satiate our curiousity; with regards to the new Popeyes branch.

I admit that I was a tad apprehensive about going to Tampines. That place is known as the '2nd/eastern Orchard' and seemed to be forever packed with people. Besides, the Popeyes branch at the airport seemed to have an eternally long queue. What more, it's Friday and school kids are bound to leave school early and swarm the shopping centres.

Put 2-and-2 together and I'm expecting us to be jostling with a big crowd all the way to the counter.

Imagine my surprise to see that the crowd at Tampines itself was sparse and Popeyes was kinda empty with lots of seating available. So we took the chance to stand before the counter to hem & haw about what to order.

I'm contemplating between the shrimp sandwich (my usual order) and the 2 piece chicken....

2 pc chicken meal w/ mashed potato and (additional) coleslaw

Yes, I eventually settle for the latter.

Been a long while since I last ordered the chicken so I decide to sacrifice my usual order of the shrimp sandwich (I love that one!).

I obviously opt for the 'hot & spicy' version. And no drumstick, please.

Maybe my 'hot & spicy' standard has been raised quite high by KFC's 'hot & crispy' version. Popeyes' use of the Cajun spice barely set any heat on my taste buds. And I can't help griping about how salty the seasoning is (I have low tolerance for saltiness).

I'm not a fan of their 'biscuit' (more like a scone) but I can't help noticing that they seem a weeny bit smaller now. Or was it my imagination?

I can never step into Popeyes w/o getting both the mashed potato and coleslaw. Now for these, Popeyes version definitely win over KFC (or Arnolds for that matter) hands down.

The 'smoother' mash and its gravy with all that garlicky and chicken bits are such a delight to have. And their coleslaw with its bits of pickles and rougher-cut veggies leave a more refreshing taste.

Oh, did I mention the 'spork'...?

..and additional large fries

Not really fond of the fries (I have my personal favourite, elsewhere) but like the chicken, I'm feeling a little curious about its taste.

Too salty for me, lah. And dry. Many may beg to differ but I can't help it. I do appreciate the Cajun spice coating them, though.
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I can't imagine coming here on weekends. I can't even imagine STEPPING into Tampines on weekends. Eugh!

Western Chow

www.westernchow.com

This is what happens what you read blogs at work. You get so intrigued about the food that's been written about and you get your colleagues to read the same entry and ALL got curious and wanted to give it a try.

So the three of us gals (the others away on holiday) took a cab ride ALL the way to Lor Ah Soo just to have a go at this popular food stall (featured in Manja magazine and Berita Minggu-the local Malay Sunday paper). Well it turns out that Lor Ah Soo ain't that very far from our workplace at Ubi...

We were kinda worried that it'll be closed, due to CNY (since it's Chinese-owned and all). Thankfully, they are open. I've already made up my mind since the time I read the blog entry so I quickly place my order (I am really, really fickle-minded).

We are to choose 2 out of the 5 different sides that they offer, to accompany our mains. There are coleslaw, french beans, mashed potato, fries & rice. There is also the promotional set meal, where soup + main course + dessert = $7.90.

2 of us took up that offer.

cream of mushroom soup

The consistency of this soup seems to remind me of the canned variety but the dark brown colour tell me otherwise.

It does taste homemade, just that it's a tad too starchy till that it became unecessarily thick. The thing about starchy foods is that they fill a person up easily. Appreciate the mushroom bits every now and then.

Either they don't add MSG or only a little was added; for I don't get that 'certain' aftertaste or feel extremely thirsty prior to eating this.

Somehow, eating this makes me miss the mushroom soup offered at Starhub Green's foodcourt. Hope to blog about that one soon...

dory fish in bread crumbs

My colleague's order. Her chosen sides are the mashed potato & french beans. I had a bit of the fish: it's not fishy and slightly sweetish.

Believe me, I've had my fair share of fish fillets that are fishy and bland at the same time. This one's quite alright. Not too greasy, too.

chicken chop mushroom sauce

Another colleague's order. She's determined to try the mushroom sauce so she settled for this. She chose the mashed potato & coleslaw as her sides. She told me that her coleslaw taste 'fresh'.

I had a taste of the mushroom sauce: not too starchy and it does carry the rich mushroom flavour, akin to mushroom soup w/o the cream. Those big mushroom pieces in the sauce are a definite plus.

char-grill black pepper chicken

My order. I chose the mashed potato and french beans as my sides.

The mashed potato is smooth and creamy and the accompanying gravy taste a lot like the mushroom sauce. Maybe it's one and the same, seeing that both the sauces look similar; on my colleague's plate.

The french beans look like they are blanched prior to being stir-fried with carrot strips and garlic. I like that it's done nicely, without tasting too raw or over-cooked; giving a pleasant, slight crunch with every bite.

Both my colleague and I are a tad peeved that they didn't serve that piece of garlic bread with the soup that's served earlier. Maybe next time, they can consider doing that for patrons who ordered the set?

Now that piece of chicken... Is delish! That thigh meat is cooked in a way that makes it live up to its name. Charred nicely at the edges yet juicy and tender at the same time. The skin isn't that fatty and the surface is delightfully crispy.

The black pepper sauce complements the chicken meat nicely, where the black pepper taste wasn't too over-bearing. Nice.

I do wonder why mine is called 'char-grilled chicken' and my colleague's is called 'chicken chop' while both look like they are prepared similarly?

'dessert'

This comes in as part of the promotional set. Served together with the soup.

canned peach & fruit cocktail bits

Well yeah, it does look like nothing. I remember asking the person at the stall, "What's the dessert?"

He looked pretty uneasy and mumbled something to the line of, "Peach cocktail."

Well, what do you expect when the whole set costs only $7.90? After all, definition of dessert is: "Dessert is a course that typically comes at the end of a meal, usually consisting of sweet foods.."

It does meet that definition and it works as a closure to complete a meal. Besides, after all that I've eaten, anything heavier that this will be much too filling... I have no complaints.

this is Singapore

Taken over the CNY weekend... when I took the baby for picnics at Pasir Ris Park on Sat and East Coast Park on Sun.

I'm fond of food and nature photography; my humble camera notwithstanding. I can believe how nicely these photos turn out...

Guess I've got to attribute it to the ample day lighting over the weekend, where the sun had been blazing.

Pasir Ris Park

East Coast Park - Area H

KFC's egg tarts

portugese egg tarts

When I passed by the KFC at White Sands and saw the promo poster for this, I was surprised. I mean, hello? Egg tarts..? KFC...? What kinda' gimmick is this?

They even put: "Authentic recipe of Macau" & "Freshly baked daily".

What, they're slowly converting into a bakery now? Yeah, in other words, I was skeptical.

Well, not for long. For I saw a friend commenting about these egg tarts on FB and she mentioned that they were good. Ok, I'm starting to get reaaally curious.

A week down the road, my colleague also gave them her thumbs-up. That's it. Gotta' try for myself!

I bought 2 boxes (total = 1 dozen) for I thought that my in-laws and family might still be around. Turns out, they left early. So it's 1 dozen for just my immediate family a.k.a more for myself!

I left the boxes on the kitchen counter while I washed up, greet the baby etc. Despite all that and not forgetting the journey back home, the tarts still remain warm. Really crispy at the first bite. And the egg custard is definitely yummy! Not to mention the 'caramelised sugar' surface that's sooo like crème brûlée.

This is wayyy better the the one I blogged about previously and that one was bought in a real confectionery!

Despite the good reviews from others, I still dare not hold any expectations; naturally, I got surprised by how good this actually taste. I don't really know how authentic this is or how it measure up to other egg tarts in the industry because the halal market for these egg tarts are pretty small so my knowledge if it is very limited.

However, that friend in FB is Chinese, pretty well-traveled and loves sourcing for good food. So I guess she knows her stuff.

At $7.50 for 6, the pricing seem pretty steep but it's worth the buy, I'd say.

PS: Taiwan's KFC not only sell these, they have other fancier versions as well!

chicken masala

chicken masala w/ biryani rice

Note how I describe the photo. The chicken masala first; followed by what accompanies it. Chicken masala with biryani rice. Chicken masala with white rice. It's all about the chicken masala, I tell you!

Cos' it's THAT good..!

Another thing, we only come by here on Wednesdays because it's the day that they serve the chicken rasam. Yes, that tangy-flavoured South Indian soup but this one here is infused with the deep chicken flavour that puts the rasam on a whole new dimension altogether. More like diluted chicken curry than a rasam.

And oh, the fish head curry is not bad too! =)

sashimi!

salmon belly sashimi

This. Is. Such. An. Indulgence!

I guess the price easily tell you that. A slab of salmon belly sashimi that sets you back a little over $8.

Then again, it's the salmon BELLY. I was apprehensive about having all this for myself because this part of the fish is just so... Fatty. The slices are covered in these whitish lines not unlike the wagyu beef. Lines of fat that make this a much sought after portion of the fish, hence the pricier tag that comes with it.

Soft meat, rich in flavour and almost melt-in-the mouth texture in the mouth. Such decadence!

So much for me worrying that this is 'too much-too rich' for me to enjoy on my own... I ACTUALLY finished them without realising. The colleague who bought me this was laughing away saying, "I told you, sure can finish one! Very nice, rite?"

Mmmmmmm....!

raw octopus in wasabi sauce

Yes, your read right. Raw octopus. RAWWWWW!

It's been my dream to eat raw octopus. Please don't ask me why I would dream of such a disgusting thing. Maybe I've been watching too much Korean food documentaries and it's no secret that Korean do eat their octopus raw. Some even ate it while its still in one piece - ALIVE!

That must have gotten me all curious because in my book:
Live & Raw = Fresh.
Fresh = Sweet.

So when my colleague, the ultimate foodie told me that he had raw octopus at Sakuraya, I was exhilarated. And the best part was that it was seasoned together with WASABI - my love.

As luck will have it, he was to head for Parkway Parade later that day and offered to get me this.

all slimy and gooey..

..but really, really nice!

Ah well, to each his own. I guess it's a matter of taste and preference.

Raw small octopus, cut into small morsels and mixed with wasabi, soy sauce and some chili.

I know what you might be asking. Contrary to popular belief, each octopus morsel is NOT tough. Yes, slightly chewy but it's comfortable to the bite. And it's definitely not fishy.

It's definitely delectable - to me, that is. What with the wasabi giving the added zing to this dish. A bit of warning, though. They are a bit generous with that horseradish so when I got excited and took continuous bites of this, I got the 'wasabi high'.

You know, that tears at the eyes, the itch on the scalp and the sting from the nose to the brain.

Now THAT makes me delirious.

Oh, oh... Even better. I took the 'shiso' (perilla) leaf that's used as a garnish with the salmon belly and wrapped it around the last few bits of octopus and put the whole package in my mouth.

Next thing I know, I was bent over the table, face-down with both arms outstretched, hands clenched and my eyes tightly shut. And my colleague was snickering away at my antic.

Wasabi + the peppery 'shiso' leaf = Super zing/high! -_-

If only they topped this with some chopped scallions. It's could have tasted more refreshing.

ok, one more shot!

Haha. Gross, I know.

See lah. So excited to eat until the shot got out-of-focus..!

PS: These would have gone really well with piping hot Japanese rice topped with toasted sesame seeds and seaweed flakes... Yum!

hi

Those not in the know, I've already started work as of last week... almost 2 months short of the 3 months I supposedly took.

Yeah, I was bored previously but that's because I was supposedly in CONFINEMENT.. Despite the fact that I went out a little here and there, in the back of my mind, I know that my movements were supposed to be restricted. Naturally, I was looking forward to the 2 months that I get to enjoy out of confinement and still be on holiday.

Alas, I get to enjoy only 5 days out of it cos the week after, I'm back at the office...

I'll be lying if I say that I didn't think of the comfort of home and especially my SON while at work...

Doesn't help that the first day I started work, my hubby got his day off... Eeeurgh!

I admit, I took the opportunity during this weekend to make up for the lost time with him. Though I hate the fact that my child my get too spoilt/pampered by my always cuddling him, I just can't help it. I've become the desperate mom.

It's my greatest fear that I may miss my baby's 1st crawl, step or word. I thought I'll get to see at least one of his 'firsts' before I get back to work. I'm hoping all those happened either in the wee hours of morning, at night or on weekends.

I really, really hope that my boss keep his word about giving me another long break when the dust has settled. Even if it's for a fortnight. I just want to have the free-time I so well deserve.

Even though I'm bored, at least I'm free.

spontaneous brekkie

In my eagerness to do some serious shopping at This Fashion Post Centre (which to me, is the largest outlet), I end up getting there too early. 1/2 an hour, to be exact.

So I made my way to the only place which I deem to be cool enough to hang out - alone. Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf (CBTL) on the ground level.

Hot Double Chocolate (Regular)

I thought of ordering the Ultimate Ice Blended and cake. Suddenly cake doesn't seem too appropriate to have so early in the morning and I also remind myself that I'm still breastfeeding so I settled for double shots of cappuccino. The cashier apologetically pointed to the coffee bean dispenser and told me that it's out of order - can you believe it?!

So I settled for the Hot Double Chocolate. I glanced at the menu and saw they they're still serving breakfast. Thinking of a blog entry that I read recently, I hastily ordered the Egg Benedict. It did cross my mind that the price was pretty steep, amongst the other available dishes on the menu. $7.50, if I'm not wrong.

The CBTL outlet was sparsely filled with little groups of people having business meetings. Looking, behaving and feeling like a lost tai-tai, I felt a little out-of-place so I seek refuge at the table right behind a teenage boy working on his laptop.

Egg Benedict

Ever since I saw of the video of that cute chef preparing Egg Benedict on ieat's blog, I got tempted to have a plate of it.

I remember the first time I had it, it was at CBTL Holland Village, eons ago during the school years. My mates and I, we made our way there early morning, during lesson time. We simply took our attendance and left, only to come back in time for the next attendance taking, in the late afternoon, right before going back.

One of my mates worked part-time at CBTL and had been so fascinated by this that he got us to try it too. I have to admit that right then, it had been my most expensive breakfast ever.

But I can never forget that first taste. The soft poached egg with its runny yolk and the rich hollandaise sauce had been so delightful on my young tastebuds. I was pretty disappointed (I still am!) that the portion had been kinda small.

A quickie brekkie - Egg Benedict & Double Chocolate

That regular-sized glass of Double Chocolate seemed a tad big so the drink turns out to be pretty filling on its own. I'm honestly surprised to see that it set me back all of $2.50 only.

As soon as I down the last of my double chocolate drink, the clock struck 11 and I made my way down to the This Fashion outlet below.

I can't disclose the damage done to my wallet. All I can say is that it's enough to prompt the cashier to ask me why I bought so much. "It's our (Chinese) New Year, yet you're the one doing the major shopping."

I meant to say that I'm revamping my wardrobe (which is the truth) but I end up replying her with just one word, "Bonus." Well, that's part of the truth, anyway. Oh, geez!

of circumcision & kacang phool

So the baby had his circumcision just now.

The 5 minutes that it took sure wasn't worth the anxiety that the daddy went through. At least I come prepared, considering I managed to go online the day before and read another mother's account of her experience when she sent her infant son for his circumcision at the same clinic. Heh.

The baby before us had his nervous parents seated right outside the room (parents not allowed inside) and the child's shrill cry was very much audible to us seated outside. I was pretty worried for my boy cos' right at that point, it was his feeding time and I only just started feeding him when I was stopped by the nurse (makes a lotta' sense, since there's a chance that he might just pee on the doctor during the procedure).

I was more worried about him crying because he's hungry. Not really because of the pain. I have that much belief that my son takes after me - with regards to his threshold for pain.

Truth to be told, till then, I have NO freaking idea about circumcision. Only when I see my own son's little weewee, do I know what the term 'garlic' and 'mushroom' is about.

Anyway, the clinic was located at Eunos Crescent, very close to the hawker/food center that sells this pretty good plate of 'Kacang Phool' (Ful Medames). Given that there's a Malay name for this dish, it is of course, very much localised.

The mashed spiced fava beans was supposedly cooked with ghee instead of olive oil and topped with red onions, green chilli, a squeeze of calamansi juice and half-cooked sunny-side up egg. Oh, to have the runny egg yolk flowing all over the whole dish and lapping it all up with lightly toasted baguette....

Just a look at the picture below, of someone's home-cooked plate of Kacang Phool.


















Honestly speaking, I have not eaten this for close to 10 months. Apparently, I was forbidden from eating this by the nurses at the polyclinic, for fear of the baby getting jaundice at birth. I wish I could brush that off as some old wives' tale but it was even listed in a medical pamphlet (of things that are prohibited during pregnancy) that they gave me!

Anyway, my mum-in-law also ordered a plate but being the small-eater that she is, she naturally still had half her portion uneaten and she asked that I help her finish it up.

"You need to satisfy your craving don't you?" Oh, the things she say just so I'll help her...

So I had 1 1/2 plates of Kacang Phool with 3 huge slices of baguette just now. Needless to say, I'm very much satisfied... *burp!*

home foods

Guess I got nothing better to do... Naturally I took these pics when the mum-in-law (MIL) was out of sight, or she'll be out to tease me again.

Anyway I noticed that they've been having the pot on the stove a little longer than usual so I took a peek and saw that oxtail soup is in the works. Yumz!

Oxtail Soup

Why settle for the smaller end of the tail when you can get the big, fat ones?

Ahh.. it's meals like these that make me NOT miss those served at restaurants. Especially when they've slackened on the quality and portions (yes, I'm referring to a certain eating place here)..

This go well with sweet soy-sauce infused with onions, chili padi and a squeeze of lime (sambal kicap)...

Sambal Balado

The pride of the Minang folks, this is often available at home. My MIL may be Javanese but since my dad is Minang, she have to learn to prepare this, as taught by her own MIL.

MIL did mention that I should learn to prepare this too but I guess I don't see that happening anytime soon...

Onions/shallots, garlic, red chillies (even chili padi) and tomato - coarsely grounded and fried... You can opt to make the green chilli version too.

This sauce can be used to easily whip up any dish, when its fried with thinly sliced meat (dengdeng), prawns, chicken, fish and veggies (long beans and brinjal).

Hmm... I think I REALLY should learn to prepare this.. So useful!

my first meals out

...when on my own, that is.

Why isn't it a surprised that they're both from fast-food joints?

**both pics courtesy of the iPhone

McD's Prosperity Burger meal - taken with 'Hipstamatic' application
(photos look like they're taken w/ the ol' skool plastic toy cams)

I saw the ad on the newspaper and have been dying to know when I'll be able to get my hands on these.

Year after year, I've never failed to feast on this Prosperity meal come CNY period. Maybe it's the black pepper sauce, maybe it's the twister fries (which still can NEVER replace A&W's curly fries). Or maybe it's the raw onions on the patty. I dunno what drew me to these but I enjoy them - A LOT!

Given that I'm under confinement, I shouldn't be able to go out on my own till the 28th. However, I got somewhat sneaky and took the chance to make way to White Sands, with the excuse that I need to buy the baby bottle detergent, which ran out.

My mum-in-law not only allowed, she even ask me to run errands for her at NTUC supermarket.. Coolness!

The only difference when I made my order this time, was that I requested for mineral water, NOT cold (I'm still breastfeeding).

Cheesy Bacon Spicy Tendercrisp
- comparing the real burger and the promo pic

Ever since I saw the ad for this one, I've been salivating. Burger King's promo burgers are my definite weakness, don't ask me why.

What more this one here has ALL my favourite things coming together to become a burger.

Corn-dusted buns - check
Greens & tomato - check
Cheese - check
Crispy turkey bacon - check
Spicy Tendercrisp patty - check

How can I not insist on getting this, tell me?!

BK's Spicy Tendercrisp may not be a match for KFC's Zinger patty but imho, it's definitely better than McD's McSpicy patty. Despite the fact that it can get a lil' greasy sometimes...

This burger, to me, is worth going back for. Wonder when this promo will end...

And yes, I got a bottle of mineral water with this one too. Uhuh, it's NOT cold.
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In case you're wondering why am I being so sneaky when eating these.. Well, my hubby kinda restrict me from eating these calorie-laden foods, to encourage me to get back into shape.

And the fact that I ate all these when there's a proper meal at home.. well.. it kinda' add on to the guilt, you know??

hospital food!

Oh yeah... As I've promised before.. Hospital food! Exciting, isn't it? :P

Anyway, I checked into a private hospital to deliver my baby and honestly speaking, at the back of my mind, I'm very much aware that the food in private hospitals are supposedly wayyyy better than...well... *ahem* government ones.

It's already a good sign when they show signs of being generous with hot Milo, that choco-malt drink.

And when I receive their menu, I was flabbergasted. Holy smokes! They've got Western, Chinese and Malay cuisine! But I was apprehensive as to whether their Chinese & Western offering are halal.

The nurse eventually assured me that the food are halal so I did not think twice about ticking the Western set for breakfast, lunch AND dinner.

The Muslim food offering is decent, with the likes of Assam Pedas, Rendang etc. Thing is, those are the kind of food I ate everyday at home. Needless to say, I want something different.

The Chinese food, well... They seemed.. boring. Almost bland.

Breakfast - Apple juice, hash brown, chicken patty & wholemeal bread.

Fried hash brown for hospital food? That sure is a good sign!

Breakfast - Half-boiled egg & Milo

If only they gave 2 eggs instead of 1....

Lunch - Creamy veggie soup

I honestly think that the name sounds disgusting... But it turn out to be pretty decent. If only there are mushrooms in that..

Lunch - Chicken stew w/ boiled veggies & rice

This was pretty decent. There was more of the stew than rice so I can't help lavishing it. And me LOVE boiled carrots and broccoli.

Dinner - some tomato/veggie soup

Now, this tasted very much like a diluted minestone.

Dinner - Fried seafood platter w/ french fries

Oh yeah, this is hospital food alright. DEEP-FRIED food with french fries even.

IF ONLY they were served hot and (still) crispy. These were pretty cold and soggy by the time they were served.. Just too bad.

Anyway, that mini-baguette in the background, taste a whole lot like it came from Delifrance. Considering that they have an outlet downstairs.... I won't be surprised.

And that chickpea/kidney bean salad in the background totally rocks!

Anyway.. by the next day, I was kinda tired of Western food.

They gave me the menu but since I was already to be discharged, I just chose what I want for breakfast - sunny-side up & sausage.

I don't think I'll get to eat lunch so I don't bother ticking my choice. However, I was eyeing the Chinese set. I can't remember what was being offered but I was pretty intrigued.

Little did I know that the bill will come late and the nurses took pity on me and served me lunch anyway. Seeing that I seemed to be fond of the Western meals, they naturally gave me that by default.

But it was pretty disgusting, that one. A roll of steam/boiled whitefish (cod, maybe?) that tasted soooo bland that the juice from the given lemon wedge and a whole pack of pepper failed to uplift the flavour.

However, I appreciate the gesture, for I was really hungry by then.

So there, hospital food for you.

update

guess what, my new card reader's been acting up so I cant get my photos uploaded from the SD card.

pfft..!

sooo many many photos! what if I forget their details???

nooo that doesn't include that of the baby.. JUST FOOD, ok?

Talk about food, I'm supposedly avoiding spicy foods and cold drinks.. boo hoo! Well, it's for the baby... guess 'll just bear with it for a while.

Ok, that's all....

Oh yeah.. pssstt..!!

I'm still in confinement but the peeps here are pretty cool above me moving around on my own so I think I'm gonna get me hands on McD's Prosperity burger tomorrow. The real reason I'm out is to get the baby bottle detergent, actually but since I'm out, might as well take the chance, right??

pssst...!

I looked through my camera and saw a lot of food photos yet to be uploaded...

Especially the ones taken in the hospital!

Hospital food... How exciting!

Coming soon.. (dunno when) but definitely coming!

day 15 or 16???

Such is the dilemma when the child is born soooo close to midnight. 14 mins shy, to be exact.

Oh.. guess I forgot something...

I'm now a mother!!! hurrah!

17th December 2009 @ 2346hrs, my son, Hadi Sufi Bin Hirman, was born, after more than 7hrs of labour.

Not to worry, I'm not gonna delve into my birthing story here so guys don't need to shy away. All I can say is.. yeah.. through VAGINAL birth.

Anyway, that night also coincide with the New Year of the Islamic Hijrah calendar, 1 Muharram 1431.

Need to add something here. Do you know that the last time I ever held an infant was soooo long ago that I can't recall exactly when. Maybe it was my cousin's kid and that girl is now a teenager.

I don't know why I've always shied away from holding an infant. My parents used to tease me, whenever we visit someone who's just had a newborn, by (almost) forcing me to hold one. The most embarrassing moment must be the time when I just got married and was paying my uncle a visit and my hubby took to the newborn girl that my aunt was babysitting.

The best part was that she peed so much it trickled out, down my hubby's arms. I just watched and giggled, and it did not even cross my mind to take the infant from him while he get cleaned up. Because, well - I don't carry infants, remember?

Needless to say, I somewhat got reprimanded by the hubby after that.

Guess it's safe to say that my own son is the first infant I've held in the longest time. I admit that it had been awkward initially, especially in the hospital when they wheeled the baby in before visiting hours and I'm left to handle the kid on my own.

But all's well now. I can even hold him in one hand and make formula in the other!

Such is the beauty of motherhood. Maternal instincts rock big-time!

I salute all the mothers who do total breastfeeding. Cos' my baby can breastfeed for almost 2 hours and still want more. He sure is a guzzler. My hungry monster.

Ok.. baby crying. Gotta go!

that 'premium' burger from BK

... looked so dismal!

BK's premium Angus Beef Steakhouse burger

I was already told that it's wasn't a slab of steak between those buns so my expectations have been lowered.

But.. but... surely it could have tasted better??!

A1 steaksauce... my foot, ah! I mean, the BBQ Turkey Bacon tastes more robust than this supposed 'steakhouse' burger!

I expect the burger patty to at least be as big as that for the Whooper. Well, I'm referring to what was portrayed on their promo poster...

My meat patty obviously didn't go beyond the perimeter of that corn-dusted bun!

And is that bun getting to be a trend?? McD uses it for their current promo - the Teppanyaki Burger (albeit of different shape).

Gah! So disappointed!

Trust me to pin high hopes on promos from a fast food outlet. I just never learn my lesson!

Pfft!

congrats Ruf!

All the heartfelt congratulations to a close bud from secondary school, on her union over the last weekend!

Congratulations Rufeah & Farid!

May this marriage retain its bliss till eternity (nothing corny about that). Till' heaven, yes.

May you be blessed (hopefully soon) with nice, nice kids.

May we still remain as friends.

Take care now!

before solemnisation - waiting for arrival of her groom

after solemnisation - going for their outdoor shoot

wedding day - procession to groom's side

PS: Honeymoon go where, ah?

BK's new promo

Tell me, why oh why do I feel tempted to get my hands on this?

Doesn't help that there are TWO Burger King branches within 1km radius, from my home.

MUST-GET-MY-HANDS-ON-THIS!

GONNA-SINK-MY-TEETH-IN-THIS!

Oooh yeah!

McD's Grilled Chicken Teppanyaki Burger

I went into McD, intending to buy their apple pie. Armed with a $1 coin, I approached the counter.

That's when I saw their new offering/promotion, the Grilled Chicken Teppanyaki Burger. I don't know what came to my mind right then but I replaced the $1 coin with a $5 note (it cost a hefty $4.30!!) and bought one of that.

The box had a picture from the new James Cameron movie, 'AVATAR'. I don't know if the movie had a Japanese theme or something, to be associated with a teppanyaki burger.

the packaging

**warning: the next couple of pics aren't really appetizing. showing show food from a fast-food joint in its true form. don't believe their promotional posters!

partial view

I've always been a fan of these corn-dusted buns, irregardless of which fast-food joint serve them.

the reveal

Just look at the dismal-looking splotches of black pepper mayo! The slab of chicken-thigh meat was surprisingly big (fits the bun nicely) and of decent thickness.

And I'm surprised to see the generous amount of lettuce inside here.

Taste-wise:

Ok, here's the funny part. I had misread 'Teppanyaki' to be 'Teriyaki'. I LOVE anything Teriyaki; especially chicken so that must have been why I was willing to grab this one here, on a whim. Yes, I was a little disappointed.

But when you say 'Teppanyaki', one immediately think of garlic but I hardly taste that here. Hmmmm...

Well, they sure add a lot of those coarse-grained black pepper (looked similar to the one we get for breakfast) in that mayo. The chicken was tender and seemed to have been marinated in this light-tasting sauce.

Nothing special, really. Just chicken meat, black pepper mayo and lettuce with corn-dusted buns for a hefty $4.30?? I don't think it's worth it, despite it tasting pretty decent.

I eventually figured out the reason behind that 'decent' taste. The extreme thirst prior to eating that explained it. Must be the sauce that the chicken is marinated with.... pfft!