When you’ve been spoiled with an international fanfare of anything and everything you can possibly want to eat, living in Kota Kinabalu can be tough, unless you make it a point to cook. Here’s sharing with you what’s for dinner. Hopefully you’ll be inspired to cook the dishes you can’t eat!

Food Tasters: MyDad, MyBro & MyLabRat

MEXICAN: Chicken Fajitas with Fresh Corn-Wheat Tortillas

NOTES: Very healthy, low-in-fat, high-on-flavor chicken breast strips stirfried with extra virgin olive oil, onions, garlic, button mushrooms, green and red peppers. Seasoning include lime zest, lime juice, paprika, salt and cracked black pepper.

VERDICT: We ate the fajitas folded with a dollop of Bulla light sour cream and let me just say that the tortillas were to die for! I guess it’s because they were freshly-made and arguably the best tortillas I’ve eaten in the past 10 years outside of the Americas! The only thing I wasn’t too happy about was the shape of the tortillas; we definitely need to improve on our rolling skills or get a tortilla press. MyBro loved it and MyLabRat who is normally VERY picky about his food became very ecstatic.

WOULD I MAKE IT AGAIN?: Definitely! I will try to perfect the art of making tortillas and make them my specialty!

TURKISH: Karniyarik (Baked Split-belly Eggplant Stuffed with Minced Beef)

NOTES: I love eggplant and came across this recipe in a Turkish cookbook belonging to the late Datin Christine Chong. The final product is actually notes taken from 3 recipes. MyLabRat‘s Turkish aunt (who is reputed to be a splendid cook) told me to use the oven instead of the stove-top to get the baked taste so that’s what I did. I also added thyme to the meat mixture (which isn’t typically done in basic Karniyarik) because I wanted the dish to be herbier. The total cooking time was colossal.

VERDICT: MyBro said it was “okay,” different but not weird. MyDad said it was good (but not with rice) and MyLabRat said it was good but he didn’t go nuts like he did with the Chicken Tava and Fajitas. As for me, I honestly thought it was going to taste out of this world but it wasn’t nearly as impressive as Italian Eggplant Parmigiana. Maybe it’s because it has no cheese!?

WOULD I MAKE IT AGAIN?: Maybe, but only if I eat a better Karniyarik made by a Turk.

OTHER DISHES

TURKISH: Cacik - (Cucumber-Yogurt Soup)

NOTES: I read that Karniyarik should be served with this Turkish cold cucumber-yogurt soup called Cacik, so I made it using the Turkish cookbook recipe. It’s interesting in a sense that it’s not very different from Indian Raita, except that the cucumber is peeled and grated (as opposed to chopped) and it is flavored with salt, a hint of garlic, mint, and dill.

VERDICT: I can’t say I’m a big fan of cold soups except for the occasional gourmet Gazpacho. It’s a little hard getting used to drinking cold yogurt soup but I really have nothing to complain about as far as taste goes. Cacik is refreshing and the garlic and cucumber goes very well together. It feels a bit like a cross between Korean cold soup and Indian Raita. MyBro said it’s “not weird,” MyDad skipped the Cacik, and MyLabRat drank it like I would drink Minestrone.

WOULD I MAKE IT AGAIN?: I would for someone else, but probably not for myself.

TURKISH: Chicken Tava with Potatoes

NOTES: Sorry there’s no photo for this, but I made this a few weeks ago and served it with a baguette (it’s the closest thing to Turkish bread) and it was yummilicious. This Turkish chicken stew with potatoes is cooked in a thyme-based tomato sauce for 45 minutes. I used tomato puree and tomato paste for the base. It tastes similar to Chicken Cacciatore but in my opinion, it is yummier because of the higher fat and salt content in Turkish cuisine.

VERDICT: Surprisingly simple to make for the big umami taste it offers.

WOULD I MAKE IT AGAIN?: Definitely! Ngom Ngom!

SINGAPOREAN: Singapore Rojak

NOTES: There are a few styles of rojak from the Indomalay archipelago, but I like the Singapore rojak because they use bits of bunga kantan, lime, cha kuey and drown the salad in crushed peanuts. I made this for a potluck on Friday night, and had some good reviews about it. I apologize there isn’t a photo of my rojak but the creative commons shot from Alpha above is very similar to what it looks like.

VERDICT: Love it. You might not like it if sweet salads are not your thing but the flavor is intense. It uses petis, a kind of South East Asian black paste made from shrimp brains. I know it sounds gross but the best explanation I can give is that it tastes and smells like a Crustacean-based Bovril or Marmite paste – definitely an acquired taste!

WOULD I MAKE IT AGAIN?: Definitely. As a party dish when I can get fresh ginger flower!

If you like this, feel free to let me know what you’d like to read and I’ll keep that in mind for my next blog post. HAPPY EATING!

Do you love the variety of things at ConsFood but can’t be bothered to deal with the parking problem in Damai? To all the foodies, bakers, housewives and expats of Kota Kinabalu, behold the spanking new ConsFood concept store at Jalan Tuaran!

Located just near the entrance to Taman Yakim Jaya (across the street from Tai Seng Supermarket, on the other side of Jalan Tuaran), the brand new 5-in-one ConsFood Concept Store features a Cold Storage, Baking Ingredients section, Chocolate and Patisseries section, Bread Bakery, and a Cafe that serves hot food.

I had a chat with the owner of the establishment two weeks ago and here’s an overview of what’s on offer.

Cold Storage
A selection of imported cheeses, cold cuts, milk, cream, nuts, dried fruits, a range of international condiments, fresh vegetables, imported frozen meats (Aussie beef and lamb), fresh poultry, frozen foods and more. This is a halal food market without pork.

Bakery Ingredients
Various types of flours, ingredients and cake decorations for commercial and domestic use just like the one in Damai.

Chocolate and Patisseries
The Chocolate and Patisseries section is a nice little place to escape from the scorching heat for some coffee and cakes. There’s wifi there, so it makes a great place for folks to have business meetings. You can get cakes to go and also order bespoke cakes for weddings and special occasions.

Bakery
The bread bakery section carries Asian-style breads, buns and European crusty breads that are baked fresh daily. I’ve yet to try their European breads, so the jury is still out on that one but it’s great for KK to have another alternative to the Hyatt bakery as far as Western breads go.

Cafe
At the corner, there’s a cafe that serves gourmet sandwiches, hot foods and ice cream. The owner mentioned that they will be serving their own brand of gourmet ice cream so keep an eye out for that.

ConsFood officially opened on 15th August 2010, so if you happen to pass by Mile 2 1/2 of Jalan Tuaran, do check them out. They are open from 9am to 9pm daily.

Here’s a list of the best coffee shop foods in Kota Kinabalu, as submitted by a reader called Ah Bing. If you’re always getting asked where are the good places to eat local food in K.K., now you have a handy link to pass on. Enjoy!

Visit AhBing.com

p

Snagged from hubpages.com. Shows blood glucose levels over time after a meal that is high or low in GI

Life got ultra busy again and I couldn’t log what I was eating for my apparent diet. Saying that I’ve been having better carbs as much I can, but it was a challenge during the Chinese New Year week with so many face-stuffing parties.

So what I did was pay attention to the total GI and GL of my meals. If there was a high GI dish like mashed potatoes, I would pad two spoonfuls of that with half a plate of low-GI veges to lower the GI profile of my meal.

Saying that, I’ve been making better choices on an everyday basis. I asked a friend at the gym who had lost heaps of weight how she changed her chubby genes to show a skinny body and she said, “Make better choices!”  and that’s exactly what I did; I made better choices.

Switching from white rice to brown rice, cutting out potatoes, no bread, ho fun noodles, glutinous rice, or flour-based cakes. I also substituted sugar with honey when necessary, and chose to drink calorie-free freshly brewed Tazo teas instead of lattes at Starbucks.

The verdict? My energy levels were steady and I felt my mood was more stable.

In fact I cheated yesterday, and took a few mouthfuls of some my grandma’s Ho Fun and I kid you not it made me feel so edgy, anxious, moody, and restless. I felt so uneasy that I spent an hour at the bookstore feeding myself positive attitude quotes to overcome the foulness of the carb crash. Why does Malaysian noodles have to taste so good and give you the worst carb crash ever?!

Perhaps I’ll substitute my favorite noodles with their lower-GI cousin the bean thread vermicelli, which is also called glass noodles or Tanghoon. I reckon I’ll be eating low-GI foods predominantly from now on to avoid feeling like fecal matter from the backside of a Saharan mammal. Whether or not it makes me lose weight is secondary because I just feel better after eating low-GI foods.

Mestemacher bread is yummy toasted

Here’s the 7 guidelines of Low GI Eating taken from page 183 of The New Glucose Revolution: The Authoritative Guide to the Glycemic Index – the Dietary Solution for Lifelong Health:-

1. Eat seven or more servings of fruits and vegetables every day.
2. Eat low-GI breads and cereals (I eat Mestemacher breads (see left) and oats for breakfast).
3. Eat more legumes including soybeans, chickpeas and lentils.
4. Eat nuts more regularly.
5. Eat more fish and seafood.
6. Eat lean red meats, poultry and eggs.
7. Eat low-fat dairy products.

Alrighty hope you are making better choices!

This is the 6th and final part of my Hong Kong series.

Maybe this is really late, but it was supposed to be my very last post on my Hong Kong trip and life just kind of got in the way. People tell me that you don’t leave Hong Kong without having dim sum and so that’s exactly what Rachel and I did for my last day. We went to West Villa Restaurant in Causeway Bay, which is said to be a favorite for local celebrities.

Here’s what we ordered:-

Rachel was craving for some Char Siu Bao so we got some. The top of the bun is like a Mexico bun and the filling inside the bun is a Char Siu pork filling with sweet gravy. I really liked the texture of the bun as I could really taste the freshly baked goodness from the first bite.

We also got some steamed Pai Kuat which tasted classic, unpretentious and good. I was however most impressed with the Siu Mai. The pork meat and big prawns were really fresh, juicy, springy and delicious. I’ve never had Siu Mai quite like it; not in Malaysia, not in New York, not even in London. It was arguably the best Siu Mai I’ve ever had in my life (so far) so if you eat nothing else in Hong Kong, eat the Siu Mai at West Village Restaurant.

Perhaps what was the least familiar to me was this Dim Sum style frittata. The glutinous rice with meat is coated with egg and fried like a frittata, then sliced and eaten with a dipping sauce. Apart from the virginal visual sensation, it was not bad but something that will probably come in as the last choice if I had to order it again.

Since I was missing the ritual Sunday dim sum sessions at Yi Ban and The Laureate in London, seeing this Kuay Tow wrapped with Cheong Fun dish on the menu was a pleasant delight. I was glad we ordered it because it was crunchy, chewy and had the subtle flavors of five spice. Chewing through this made me think about  how incredibly well the British-Chinese have tried to retain the best of Cantonese food and offer it to Britain.

Finally, Rachel insisted that I have the Tau Foo Fah. OUT OF THIS WORLD, glad she suggested it! I’ll be sure to head over for some Tau Foo Fah on my next trip because it’s really so smooth, silky and absolutely beautiful with the shaved palm sugar topping.

Overall, the meal was beautiful. I’m really glad we had dim sum on my last day because now I know what the big deal is. Here’s how to get there:-

West Villa Restaurant
Room 101-102, 1/F., Lee Garden Phase 2, 28 Yan Ping Road
tel: 852 2882 2110

So I hope you’ve enjoyed my blog series on Hong Kong. I love it so much I will definitely be back for more munchies and partying!

According to Wikipedia:-

The glycemic index, glycaemic index, or GI is a measure of the effects of carbohydrates on blood sugar levels. Carbohydrates that break down quickly during digestion and release glucose rapidly into the bloodstream have a high GI; carbohydrates that break down more slowly, releasing glucose more gradually into the bloodstream, have a low GI.

The New York Times Bestseller by the World's Leading Authorities on the Glycemic Index

After spending the last three posts sharing the recipes of what I made and ate for my Low-GI experiment, I realized it is impossible to make all my meals at home or lavish at that. The Low-GI diet is just a matter of knowing what to embrace and avoid and I’ll try to introduce some of the concepts to you throughout my experiment this week.

Breakfast 8:00am – 9:00am

I had an Anjou pear with an orange sprinkled with lime juice and cinnamon powder. At first, the sweetness of the fruits seemed counter-intuitive, but the point of my experiment is to eat foods that are published to have a low G.I. effect even if it seemed counter-intuitive. I also made 2 eggs, had 2 slices of flaxseed bread with a bit of rocket and cherry tomatoes, and a few ounces of the leftover bean salad I made the day before.

How I Felt for the Morning

With 5 hours sleep again, I was feeling tired before breakfast. After breakfast though, I felt really energetic. It was as if I had been given an energy drink. Again, I think it may have been the sugar rush from the fruits but the surprising thing was that I didn’t get a sugar crash and my energy levels were good. My heart rate was steady, I didn’t feel sleepy and it kept me full until 1:00pm.

Lunch 1:30pm

For lunch, I just took some of the leftover brown rice from the night before and put 50% vegetables and 50% rice and stir-fried it with a little bit of canola oil. Knowing that brown rice has a medium GI but high GL (Glycemic Load), I made sure I didn’t have too much of it. The effects of carbohydrates on your blood sugar is not only determined by the type of carbohydrate you consume, but the amount as well. That’s what the GL measures and so I had a medium-sized plate of it.

Snack 3:30pm

I kind of faded a little about an hour after lunch and nodded off once. I’m wondering if I should have thrown in some protein into the rice to bring down the GL even more. I wasn’t hungry by this time but I definitely had that moment when I felt the blood left my head and rushed to my stomach. I’ve read that adding some slow-releasing beans will regulate insulin levels so I snacked on 2 spoonfuls of leftover bean salad. I also had a cup of freshly made ginger juice with a teaspoon of Kamahi raw honey and cinnamon. After that snack, I got my energy back without any of the dozing off sugar crash.

Dinner 7:30pm

The snack from 4 hours ago sustained and maintained my energy levels. By dinner time, I had some of the rice I made in the afternoon with half a plate of green vegetables, and some pork bones and lotus root soup. This time my meal had some meat and a lot more vegetables.

Snack 11:00pm

Didn’t feel hungry so there was no need to snack on anything solid. I didn’t get the sluggish feeling from dinner like I did momentarily after lunch, and I think it is because of the added protein and increased fiber in the meal. I had another cup of ginger tea with honey and cinnamon to help with digestion and went to bed right about midnight.

Summary of Day 2

The brown rice meal without protein actually made me nod off. The Fresh Ginger Tea with Kamahi Honey and Cinnamon was really good. It was spicy and I could feel it helped with my digestion…

A few months ago I began reading the New York Times bestseller The New Glucose Revolution: The Authoritative Guide to the Glycemic Index and found some of the concepts surprising. This week I’m logging everything I eat to see whether or not it makes a positive difference to go low-GI!

8:40pm -  Even though I still felt full at dinner time, I knew that skipping dinner would be a bad idea so I made Pla Nung Baan Rai for dindin and got my maid to stir-fry cucumber shoots and broccoli with a little garlic and salt.

THAI COUNTRY-STYLE STEAMED BLACK COD

Ingredients

• 1 medium-sized fillet of Black Cod
• 6 fresh shitake mushrooms, julienned
• 1 small tomato, sliced
• 1 tbsp oil
• 2 tbsp rice wine (sake or huang jiu)
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp white pepper
• 3 tbsp fish sauce
• 3 tbsp lime juice
• 2 stalks lemongrass, sliced into rings
• 3 fresh kaffir lime leaves, sliced finely
• 1/4 cup sliced shallots
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped finely
• 2 red chillies, cored, seeds removed and sliced (you can use bird chillies if you want the heat)
• 1 tbsp slivered ginger root
• 1/2 a lime, sliced thinly

METHOD

1. Place the cleaned fish on a non-metal heat-proof dish separately.
2. Whisk the liquid ingredients in a bowl evenly and season with salt and white pepper.
3. Pour the liquid mixture onto all other flavoring ingredients, mix well and place on top of fish.
4. Finally, steam the fish at high heat for 15 minutes.
5. Garnish with cilantro and serve hot with steamed brown rice.

Nutritional Value: The cold-water black cod is high in omega-3 fatty acids and the rest of the herbs, spices and vegetables are high in vitamins, minerals and much more. As will fresh whole foods the nutritional value is high.

Taste verdict: It tasted good but it wasn’t hot enough. I used a base recipe from an ethnic Thai cookbook and left the basil out, but I regret not using bird chillies.

Summary of Day 1

All these recommended portions from the many books and internet articles are preposterously generous. I am so stuffed, there’s too much food, I feel like it’s going to shoot out of my ears! Whoever told us to get our 5-a-day (some think you should get 7 portions a day) of fruit and vege is insane and deserves to be locked up in the Priory. Along with the proteins, fats and small amounts of wholegrain carbs, it’s simply too much bulk to stuff into a gut on an everyday basis. I am surprised how the measly amount of bean salad and that dense sandwich kept me full right up till dinner, something that would have been impossible with your regular humongous plate of Asian noodles or white rice with side dishes.

How I’m Feeling Right Now

9:23pm - Earlier on I mentioned I was surviving on 5 hours of sleep. Truth be told, for the whole day I felt really wired. The kind of feeling I get when I’ve had one too many cups of coffee minus the heart palpitations. Maybe it’s the enzymes from the raw foods in the morning, maybe it’s the slow-releasing properties of low-GI foods. I feel exhausted but my body is fully alert. The food fuel has been overextending my body while my brain is telling me it should be resting. Does that make sense? I’ll check in again tomorrow morning…

A few months ago I began reading the New York Times bestseller The New Glucose Revolution: The Authoritative Guide to the Glycemic Index and found some of the concepts surprising. Did you know that Jasmine rice causes a spike in your blood sugar levels faster than sugar itself? This week I’m logging everything I eat to see whether or not it makes a positive difference to go low-GI!

1:30pm – I was quickly fading at about 12:30pm so promptly made two things for lunch. The first was my own version of a Mexican black bean salad a la superfoods-style!

ENSALADA FRIJOLES NEGROS

Makes: 5 servings

Ingredients

• 250 grams boiled black beans (GI 30)
• 1 onion, chopped roughly (GI 0)
• 6 organic cherry tomatoes, sliced (GI 0)
• 4 tablespoons of whole corn kernels (GI 46)
• 1/2 a red bell pepper (GI 0)

Salad Dressing

• A bunch of cilantro leaves, chopped (GI 0)
• 1 tsp N.Z. Kamahi Raw Honey (GI 33)
• 3 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil (GI 0)
• Juice of 2 fresh limes
• Salt and pepper to taste (GI 0)

METHOD

Whisk the dressing ingredients in a small bowl using a fork and pour over the salad. Mix well, chill for 30 mins and serve.

Nutritional Value: Black beans are an anti-inflammatory, high protein, fibrous superfood which is a good source of magnesium, phosphorus, thiamin, manganese, molybdenum and anti-oxidant flavonoids.

Taste verdict: Yummy. What I like most about my version is the lower fat content so I don’t feel nauseous when I have more than a few spoonfuls. Beans can be very heavy but my version lifts and doesn’t weigh down which some recipes tend to do especially if they have avocado in there. It has a tangy zest from the lime and there’s a beautiful floral hint from the Kamahi raw honey.

Next up is the main for lunch…

TUNA, ROCKET & CHEESE SANDWICH

For my main meal, I made a Tuna-Rocket Sandwich using toasted Mestemacher Natural Flaxseed Bread, which is a type of German sourbread that uses wholegrain. Like blue cheese, this wheat-free ‘low-GI’ dense-bread is an acquired taste and may not sit well the first few times. Now I simply prefer this to regular bread since I’ve grown to love the nutty taste. This is an extremely healthy bread with no artificial additives, and releases energy in a sustained manner which doesn’t cause my heart rate to jump like white bread.

Ingredients

• 2 slices of Natural Flax Seed Bread, toasted (Low GI)
• A bunch of rocket/arugula leaves (GI 0)
• Shaved padano cheese (GI o)
• 1/3 can of tuna in water
• 2 tablespoons of fat-free unsweetened yogurt (GI 0)
• Sea salt and black pepper to taste (GI 0)

Nutritional value: Super-nutritious tuna is high in protein, and the flaxseed bread is high in omega-3. Good all-around profile.

Taste verdict: The peppery rocket and cheese go beautifully! I love using yogurt as a substitute for mayonnaise because you get that creamy feel without all that fat. Makes me think that the only time mayonnaise should be used is in the form of aioli… when I’m eating Poisson!

3:15pm – Instant energy after lunch and I still feel stuffed and energetic after 3 hours. I hope this is going to last me until 7 or 8pm tonight. Until then!

A few months ago I began reading the New York Times bestseller The New Glucose Revolution: The Authoritative Guide to the Glycemic Index and found some of the concepts surprising. Did you know that Jasmine rice causes a spike in your blood sugar levels faster than sugar itself? This week I’m logging everything I eat to see whether or not it makes a positive difference to go low-GI!

Wednesday, 3rd Feb 2010

8:30am – For breakfast, I made a delicious fruit salad.

STRAWBERRY-ANJOU FRUIT SALAD

Ingredients

• An Anjou Pear – GI 38 (low)
• 6 strawberries – GI 25 (low)
• Juice of 1 lime – GI 0 (none)
• A bunch of chopped mint leaves – GI 0 (none)
• Cinnamon Powder – GI 5 (low)

Nutritional Value: High in fiber, vitamins, antioxidants and other essential minerals.

Taste rating: So yummy it’s worth evangelizing. Why didn’t I do this earlier?

Cinnamon powder is said to be great at regulating blood sugar levels so I used it to offset some of the effects of fructose from the Anjou pear. The acidity in lime juice also helps regulate insulin levels.

10:30am – After consuming the fruit salad, I felt a burst of energy. Initially I thought that it was probably the sugar rush (which will inevitably cause a sugar crash later) but here I am 2 hours later and the crash never came. My energy levels are still high, I don’t feel sleepy even though I’ve only had 5 hours of sleep and my heart rate remained stable throughout. Surprisingly I still feel full. Feeling great so far…

11:30am – Stomach began to growl. Had a handful of mixed nuts which include almonds, brazil, peanuts and cashews (GI 14-22 – low).

12:30pm – Feeling unsettled… don’t feel hungry but a little anxious. I guess it’s lunch time and wait till you see what I’m having for lunch!

Note: I’m also drinking 2 liters of water, taking fish oils and calcium supplements on a daily basis.

Do you live in Kota Kinabalu and are you a fan of no-nonsense fresh Pork Bacon and Pork Sausages? If so, you totally, absolutely, definitely have to add Stone Bridge Galley to your list of restaurants to follow!

Do You Believe You Have a Right to Eat Real Bacon and Sausages in K.K?

Become a Fan to stay updated on news, offers, promotions and events that are happening at our restaurant:-

Stone Bridge Galley serves Pork Sausages and Smoked Bacon in Kota Kinabalu

If you are Sabahan or visit Sabah often, you are also very welcome to befriend us on Facebook too. Actually we’ll befriend anyone who loves good food! We’re a pretty social bunch!

Add Us on Facebook

Stone Bridge Galley | Create Your Badge

The bacon and sausages are calling your name. What are you waiting for?