Lanzhou, the capital of Gansu province in north-central China, is a fascinating blend of history and modernity. Nestled along the banks of the Yellow River, Lanzhou boasts stunning natural scenery, including the surrounding mountains and the iconic Yellow River. The city is renowned for its delicious hand-pulled noodles, a local speciality enjoyed by residents and visitors alike. This delicacy has now landed at MITC, Melaka.
I never had mee tarik so I have no other recipe to compare. I am glad that it made a good impression for me to eat as a first-timer. The hand-stretched noodles were delicious. My husband ordered the original beef noodles and a plate of dumplings. I did not put a lot of chilli oil but the dish could still hold up on its own. I shared my meal with my daughter because the portion was huge. The beef was tender and placed in an adequate amount for a bowl of noodles. The dumplings were nicely cooked from its frozen state.
There were a lot of other menus at the restaurant. I would probably try the egg tomato noodles if we were to go there again. You could browse more of the food options and watch reviews on their social media platform. (Facebook/ Instagram)
We’ve been to Rest Haus a couple of times because of its good food and general ambience. The restaurant is air-conditioned with calm music playing in the background. My personal favourite dishes are the Salai and the Rib Eye. I was actually hoping to order the latter but now the menu has changed. There is no more rib eye. So I ordered the salmon dish instead. It was equally delicious. My daughter had the macaroni and cheese whilst Mr Husband ordered the chicken grill. He was disappointed that they didn’t list Mac and Cheese as an adult option. Ha ha.
I bought 2 slices of cake from Secret Recipe but we had that at home. I parked my car at Rest Haus but I walked to Secret Recipe so that I could get my steps in. Managed to get 5K in by walking inside Lotus itself. Makes me feel better devouring the cake afterwards.
I bought an Obermain laptop bag for my husband. I made a really quick trip to Freeport Famosa Outlet Park last Friday during lunch hour just to get it. The salesperson was amusingly inaccurate in her sales pitch and product description. She said things like ‘PVC’ instead of ‘PU leather’. Then she was so confident saying a 14-inch laptop fits in a smaller bag I was looking at just because another customer could fit his. I had to measure the bag in front of her and said nicely, “Look, this bag wouldn’t even measure up to 13 inches, how could you say it fits a 14-inch laptop. That customer must have had a smaller laptop”. And yes, I asked her for a ruler and demonstrated it in front of her.
Thankfully I knew what I was aiming for and got a nice one in brown as opposed to a classic black.
Cromboloni is a fusion of a croissant and the bombolini doughnut. It went viral around the world through the power of TikTok. I love croissants but am not a fan of bombolini because of the stuffed cream.
Last Thursday, I took leave. I know, it was too early for a leave as we stepped into the new year. I applied for it because I needed to sort out my mess from the end of 2023. In the final weeks of 2023, the medical officers received news that we will have another Family Medicine specialist on board. So, naturally, some of us had to clear our rooms. That meant me and my colleague who shared one.
I cleared my desk. Took out the things I pinned onto my soft board. Took out my files and folders from the drawers. Everything. I did not have the mental stamina to sort it out straight after that week because I was going on an anniversary holiday and had been putting off the sorting process for a while. Hence, I did just that during my recent leave.
Before doing that, I needed a good breakfast. So, I headed to Richiamo Coffee at Ayer Keroh. I used to get the salted egg croissant for my husband here. He loves it. For this visit, I got myself a chicken lasagna, a rolled Danish pastry and iced chocolate. To my dismay, the coffee machine was broken. I was so disappointed but I didn’t want to wait for GIGI coffee to open at Mydin because it would take me another hour. I initially wanted to go to Kopi Mesin, another coffee house at Ayer Keroh but contrary to its opening time at 9am as mentioned on Instagram – they actually start at 0930am. Urghh.. why can’t these cafes open early? So I settled with Richiamo Coffee.
As I was staring at my meal, I realized that I had ordered a potential crombolini. It is after all rolled Danish pastry. Only the one I had did not have a filling and topping. But if I took it home and did all that on my own – I would actually have a cromboloni. I’ll even make it stand. I was amused at the thought and wondered if I started telling my friends about this – what would their take be. But let’s not do that and make Richiamo suffer. Let the cafe patrons figure it out themselves.
Shawarma is made by layering marinated meat, such as chicken or beef, on a vertical rotisserie. As the meat slowly cooks and rotates, it absorbs the flavours of the marinade and becomes tender and juicy. The layers of meat are then thinly sliced and served in a variety of ways, often wrapped in a flatbread and accompanied by a range of condiments and toppings. It is a dish that combines various elements harmoniously.
In life, finding balance and practising moderation is crucial for overall well-being and success. Just as shawarma incorporates a variety of ingredients in appropriate proportions, we need to strive for balance in different areas of our lives. By practising moderation, we can avoid burnout, maintain healthy boundaries, and ensure that our actions align with our values and priorities. Of course, this is not easy when it comes to intrusion from external parties and other surrounding factors. Thus, this is when one needs to learn to say NO and put themselves first before others.
Apply for that work leave. Treasure the weekend. Spend more time with the family at any chance you get.
We discovered a great Shawarma place recently and we don’t even have to go to Bukit Bintang for it. The place is called Damascus Gate Melaka. It is located at Pulau Besar near the beautiful and colourful setup of Selat Avenue. This place is so lively and out of the world at night. You really need to be there to know what I mean. If only the local council could make the nearby areas equally vibrant so that it could churn more economic opportunities in Pulau Besar. There were so many abandoned projects that I felt could have been repurposed for something else. Surely, someone could make a pitch to money-laden investors.
This is the Shawarma Beef Meal
Shawarma Beef Rice
Lamb Cheesy Kebab
We ordered a shawarma beef rice (RM22), a shawarma beef meal(RM20), lamb cheesy kebab(RM37) and a kunafa(RM15). Alongside 3 fruit juices at RM11 each- watermelon, orange and apple. The total was RM139.70 including a 10% service charge. The portion was adequate. The beef was juicy and well-marinated. I loved the rice and yoghurt dip a lot. They were so flavourful. The restaurant also has a great song playlist. The kind of song that makes you want to just shake the hips and belly dance like Shakira.
We went there at 630pm and by the time we finished our meal – the day had gotten dark and the surrounding place looked so beautiful and cute. It’s definitely an astounding place to go for a photography session as the place looked foreign and chic.
November is the month to celebrate my youngest brother’s and my daughter’s birthday. This time I invited the family over to Melaka. They stayed at my husband’s Homestay (which has yet to be opened to the public). It is a double-storey house with 5 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. It is in a gated residential area, which is why I am not really a fan of going there.
Anyway, the Moss clan arrived on the Friday evening. Dad already had dinner at my place earlier. Only then did he go to the Homestay with my husband and son. I stayed behind at my own humble abode because I needed to take my daughter to her swimming class the next morning. My sister and brothers arrived much later. The plan for the weekend was to visit the Butterfly Park and then have a birthday lunch and dinner. It was all on me.
Melaka Butterfly and Reptile Sanctuary
The admissions fee has certainly increased since the last time I went here. Adults were RM27 and children were RM22. Our group had 8 adults and 5 children. I thought buying the tickets online would speed up the process of entering the park but turns out you still have to queue in line. I was a bit grumpy because first, the clan was late and second, it turns out that so many kindergartens were doing a field trip that week. Hence, the place was packed. All I wanted was a peaceful Saturday. I noticed that there were a few new attractions such as Feeding the birds, emu and turtles, making origami, a picture with the butterfly fairies and the sight of new reptile species. The food pack was freaking expensive at RM8/pack. I enquired about the group tour but it was only for school and corporate trips.
Find the snakes
The best way to navigate this place upon entering the park is to start from the left where the birds are. Then, once you exit the area, go to where the butterflies are. The entrance is inside the merchandise store. Only then do you go to the tortoise area.
My 30-year-old brother had his first experience of feeding the birds, man – that is a sad childhood. My parents should have brought him out more when he was younger. To be honest, I also had this sort of experience when I got older. Not when I was a child.
I really enjoyed the butterfly area – it felt so magical and the butterflies were a pretty sight. The last time I came here, the butterflies were feeding on soursop. Now they are eating pineapples.
The tortoises were probably feeling very full from all the feeding. Still, the kids were excited with the idea of feeding them.
Lunch at DIMA
Dinner at Ala Kassim, Taman Lagenda
My sister-in-law couldn’t really enjoy the meal because she had a GI upset. I paid a total of RM217 for the meal consisting of a party of 13. We had Pari, Siakap, Jenahak, Sotong, and Sayur Campur with mini nasi lemak and white rice. The night view was nice but there were so many vendors selling their stuff from one table to the other. It is quite merimaskan for me. I just want to have my meal in peace. I realized that we did not have a birthday cake this time – it kind of slipped my mind. Overall, it lacked something in the dishes but the taste was acceptable.
I have yet to plan for the December babies but it should be fun too.
Minci Moss 