Ding ding tong..an ancient candy, so old that even my parents ate them when they were younger..even grandma too..i even wondered if they existed during dynasty times..translated literally, ding ding tong actually means ding ding candy..><.. the words "ding ding" actually imitating the sound a hammer makes when it hits on a metal chisel.. It works two ways; the hammer and chisel combination is used to break apart the original shape of the ding ding candy into smaller, more consumable pieces and the 'ding ding' noise attracts people to come buy them. Well, you'll be surprised that the ding ding tradition still exists up until today, although peddlers selling them are rare..As for me, the distinct ding ding noise never fails to attract me to buy them. Its not that i like this candy actually, but i buy them for my mom which it's always a pleasure to see her delighted. She goes,"Where did you find these?".. Modern times have modified this candy from its original maltose taste into coconut, mint, eucalyptus, strawberry? etc etc. Oh! it just struck me that the english translation (although weird) for ding ding tong is actually "hardened maltose candy".

Next up is actually a close relative of the ding ding tong = the mat nga tong..which err..means wheat bud candy (this translation is even worse)? Candy made from wheat bud?something like that..I think this stuff is the raw material to make ding ding tong (correct me if im wrong)..that makes mat nga tong the father of ting ting tong..or something like that..its complicated..Anyway, unlike ding ding tong which is solid and as hard as rock, the wheat bud candy is actually soft and super sticky..WARNING:Never attempt to bite or chew this candy..youll end up never opening up your mouth for sometime..seriously..Well, here's how u eat mat nga tong the pro way:

1) open the bottle of your freshly bought mat nga tong
2) observe and appreciate how sticky the mat nga tong is..yerr~..
3) dig your stick into the thick sludgy paste of the mat nga tong..(this sentence sounds so wrong..especially 'your stick' part)
4) lai the thing up (lai means pull..lol)
5) Rotate your stick..wohoo ><..so that whatever that's left gets rolled up 6) Attempt to disconnect whatever that refuses to dislodge from your stick.."i have no idea what im trying to say..wahaha"
7) Suck gently...Mmm.. -.-""..Lick, dont bite

Youll get excited and addicted whenever you eat this candy..but at some point, youll get bored of it cos your mouth gets tired of sucking..lol..Aside from being a candy, i guess this stuff proves an interesting ingredient for dishes like chicken and peanut cookies too..as for that, i think ill not get there..

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Imagine a restaurant with a crowd this huge every weekend..its crazy isnt it? well, thats what i thought too when i arrived at Tak Fok restaurant at 63o p.m. that day.We were late and least would i have known that the crowd was this huge..I mean, just look at the queue.What are the chances of us even getting a place?..Fortunately, a quick move by our member from Kepong saved the day. KH was there early and managed to secure a table for us whilst waiting for us to arrive.. And because of that, i am able to bring to you this Tak Fok special edition post on CRABS! yeay!

YL trying to play the knifeor the five-finger fillet game with a hammer ><

So, thank God we were able to eat @ Tak Fok's that day. For those wondering, this restaurant is located in Taman Desa Aman Puri (pls dont ask me to translate that) in Kepong and its not only famous, but DAMN famous for CRABS. i think this place is affordable too..Just look at all these dishes we had (minus the chilly crabs - which was another table's), it costed us around RM 28 per head. Although crabs stole the limelight that day, other dishes were equally tasty. We ordered salted duck egg crab and cheese sauce crab; the latter being a dish which i taught was really interesting, innovative and nice. The former on the other hand (which is more common and as many would gasp), would score the highest cholesterol content for food type of its kind. But it was the best..The things that scores xtra points for this place is that its crabs are really chunky and meaty (do they exercise the crabs?). As far as service and ambiance is concerned, this place scores moderate points. Surprisingly, the wait wasnt really that long, but reasonable lah for a place with this crowd..So, for all those food anthusiasts, this time coconutkun does some extra homework for you guys lahh..Here's a map on how to get there:

Messy messy table..tsk tsk tsk~

I havent the faintest idea what those hand symbols my friends were giving mean..nor were they secret hand signals used to order your local curry puff..But one thing for sure is that this lil stall here at SS3 Petaling Jaya sells wonderfull curry puffs ..Located in a corner lot restaurant (you can find this stall at MidValley too - underground walkway between MV and the Gardens), this stall sells curry puffs that are (1) huge, (2) the pastry crunchy, (3) fresh and hot, and (4) the filling simply mouth watering.. As you can see here in the picture (note the sticker located on the middle left that has 2 chinese characters and a mouth to it), the stall has been featured before in our local tv-series "Ho-chiak" for its puffs.. Each curry puff sells at RM 1.30, which i think its fairly reasonably.You can expect chicken, soft potatoes, egg and curry inside the puff..Gosh, im getting hungry already..

Here are some pictures of probably the most common food found in my blog thus far. But dun underestimate them..they're surprisingly tasty..All found in a place called Selayang Pasar pagi (Selayang morning market).. No aircond,the cleanliness is questionable ..but the food is cheap and great..We went to this market after our FRIM trip that day..Unlike most morning markets around Msia, this one has something to it..i duno what it is; mayb its cleaner and more organised..then again, mayb its the culture or atmosphere..Anyway, here are some pictures for the record...Do check out the food shown here (mee jawa, fried rice, pan mee, har mee and ice kacang)..they're the best in town..

Finally, after all those food posts, a post that's back to nature again..phew..Usually the trend is such that there will be a few food write ups before one that is outdoor ..Obviously, that's cos I makan everyday and only go hiking once/twice a week..And of course, makan trips that are really good oni make it to this blog..If not you'd be seeing articles of even my daily chap fan meals..Even worse, me posting the cafeteria food at my work place..

[See first pic on the left] For opening, i present to you the bridge that leads to the afterlife! gulp~thats freaky..but hey,nice shot right?..This heavenly scene was taken at FRIM, Kepong..yupe! we're back to FRIM again..This time, we were here to experience the Canopy walk..For those blurr, canopy walk is actually a suspended walkway that hangs on trees; how high?.30 metres off the ground and 200 metres in length..Its damn cool and it's really difficult to explain how cool it is, unless u experience it first hand..


Actually, i was quite surprised that many people haven't experienced Canopy walk..what have you guys been doing? OKie, nevermind..So, we were here at FRIM's 7am in the morning that day and opss, too early - the canopy walk only opens at 9 and so we waited for about 2 hours or so... Entrance fee is RM 4 per person (tickets purchased at the gift shop somewhere near their information/tourism counter) and a small hike is needed to get you to the starting point of Canopy walk..By "a small hike", i mean youre already hiking up Bukit FRIM that's about 1000 metres above sea level..Its not much of a hike actually because Kepong is by nature already at higher ground..the hike will probably take you 20 minutes (depends how fast you walk)..The view up canopy walk is just breathtaking and an experience thats truly amazing..you basically walk among trees (from 323) without having to worry abt complicated equipment or technical know how for climbing and stuff like that..unless youre afraid of heights or youre overweight ><...Other than that, just go experience this yourself and have a good time..i know i did..and dun forget to tell me about it..; ) peace..

Did you know that O'Briens was among the first few food that i ate in Spore? Now u know...haha...What took you so long to come to Malaysia?..Same goes to you Marche..Well, in case u didn't know, O'Briens serves perfect sandwiches and they're super healthy too. (A meal that i dont have to worry my parents won't eat when i tapao for them) ..you can equate them to something like Subways, but their's are more sandwichy and fresh...a typical set comes with a drink and some chips; which would cost you somewhere around RM 14?..Its a little expensive but i assure you its guilt free(unless u bantai damn alot of cheese and toppings)..oh ya, this is at Pyramid ya...this particular outlet has a nice little space, perfect for a lite bite or a place to bring girls who are on a diet..I just like it because its healthy..

I probably stand here whole day looking at the 3 words that stand at the doorway and not know what the heck it means..for one, im a banana(everyone knows that)..with whatever knowledge of mandarin i have, i havent the faintest idea what Yin Ker Lou means? is it just a name? someone help translate pwleasssee... paise..

So, Lern, Kitty and I were here for lunch one day..couldnt think of anything to eat at Sunway's that was interesting and so ended up here.i couldnt remember why i went to Sunway that day too..LOL...Well, what i could remember however was that the meal at Yin Ker Lou was expensive! heck~ and its a Hakka Restaurant (my mom would have loved it)..Each time i eat Hakka food, i would think how Hakka ppl led simple and nomadic lives..they were famous for being hardworking ppl though.. their food was cincai, coarse and everything-just-masuk-into-one-big-kuali and-cook kind of thing..hmm..at least that was how my mom described it..But here i was staring at a couple of relatively "simple" dishes that costed around RM16 each in a restaurant that was rather classy..Times have changed boy..But i have to admit, the food here is indeed tasty..SUMMARY: nice quiet place lil place, nice food (rather small portions for big guys like Kit), unique Hakka taste but little heavy on the wallet..

Just some pictures of 'happy hours' with da guys...and a girl..its started of with Heineken..then Carlsberg..then Carlberg GOLD...Im am 100% sure ive got all you viewers(esp those who know me well) SHOCKED!! (cos i always potray the good guy gentleman look?) Im still a casual drinker though..just a bottle, mayb 2 and never more..the rest are settled by the guys..Ill give my review on beers here(Although im not a pro, here's what i have to say)..Heineken is a very pleasant beer..mild and light..best when cold (all beers are best when cold) but there was once it was served semi-frozen; damn, that taste was unforgetable...this beer is great for beginners and casual drinkers..Some guys though, associate it as being a "girls" beer..Feeling the peer pressure, i tried Carlsberg..which was slightly bitter and stronger in taste..not bad, but it takes sometime to get used to it...then it came to Carlsberg GOLD..which was strong, full bodied yet smooth and easy to drink..This is my fav thus far..and the guys just wont let me try any other (beer) cos it seems, i need to maintain my standards ;p..so yup, 3 beers that i find great hic~..great when yerr on casual outings, just chilling out with the guys..But never get to a point where you loose yourself (how come u guys keep saying u cant get drunk on beer?) ..well if you do, make sure youre not on the wheels ya..Cheers! ....hic~

"Best beer story goes to a guy who, when stopped for a police check, sucked the inhaler instead blowing it..dumb @ss"