Hot Pot

Hot pot (or steamboat) meals are one of my favorites.

Hot pot is basically a simmearing pot of stock placed at the center of dining table. Plates of raw ingredients such as beef slices, shrimps, bacon, tofu, eggs, mushrooms, noodles, etc are prepared in advance.

A hot pot dinner party is really easy to organize. Guests can bring their favorite food to cook. You just have to prepare the stock. It’s hard to mess up. 馃檪

Friends and family come together and sit around the table. Everyone can place their choice of ingredients into the pot, and have fun. The dinner setting is casual and the dinner usually lasts for hours. It’s an awesome way to bond with family and friends.

I especially love to have hot pots in winter. 馃檪 Imagine enjoying a big pot of soup, with fresh ingredients, on a cold snowy day; ohhhh… that sounds perfect to me.

An electric hot pot (less than $40) works well for me. I might even get an extra one so that I can have two pots going at the same time (one pot for my vegetarian friends).

In Asia, there are many restaurants offer hot pots in buffet style. You pay a flat fee, and you get your choice of stock in a hot pot, then you can pick whatever raw ingredients you like from the fridge. Isn’t it fun?

Server adding stock of your choice to the pot (Nagomi, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)

Server adding stock of your choice to the pot (Nagomi, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)


Cook your own meal!

Cook your own meal!


My sister and my niece (hot pot cooking lesson for kids? :))

My sister and my niece (hot pot cooking lesson for kids? :))


Happy days

Happy days

Outdoor hot pot with my family (Kuching, Malaysia)

Outdoor hot pot with my family (Kuching, Malaysia)


Hot pot dinner with Sharan

Hot pot dinner with Sharan


Cook it away

Cook it away


A pot of yumminess

A pot of yumminess

Spanish Jam贸n

Ever since I watched Jamie Oliver’s Food Escape to Andalucia, I have been dreaming of Spanish jam贸n. Jam贸n is dry-cured Spanish ham. It’s generally served raw in thin slices.

Karan recently brought some jam贸n back from Madrid. This is the real thing! The flavor is dynamic and incredible. I can see why jam贸n is a normal part of everyday life in many Spanish homes!! I am addicted to jam贸n! Yum.

serrano hams

Serrano hams


The flavor is dynamic and incredible.

The flavor is dynamic and incredible.


Remarkble thinness

Remarkble thinness


My first paper thin jam贸n

My first paper thin jam贸n

Isla Mexican Kitchen & Tequila Bar

I purchased a Groupon to try this restaurant out ($15 for $30). It’s located at Treasure Island, Las Vegas. Since I was staying at TI, it was perfect. I did make reservation since it was a Friday night.

I love raspberries

I love raspberries

The atmosphere was warm and inviting.

The meal came with free salsa and chips, which came on a elevated stand. I thought the salsa wasn’t anything remarkable.

The mojitos though, woah, were some of the best ones I’ve had. 馃檪 Oh-la-la!

Cubana Cocktail

Cubana Cocktail

Perfect "appetizer"

Perfect "appetizer"

Karan and I shared three dishes. And we did enjoy all three. My favorite was the chile relleno. It was the second best chile relleno I’ve tasted. The best being Ted’s. 馃檪

Groupon definitely helped with the bill. But even without Groupon, I would try this restaurant again, especially its mojitos. 馃檪

Mole Chicken

Mole Chicken

Pork tacos

Pork tacos

Chile Relleno

Chile Relleno

Satay Asian Bistro & Bar

I crave for Malaysian comfort food all the time. I was lucky to find Satay Asian Bistro in Vegas, just 10 minutes walk from my hotel. The food is the most authentic Malaysian food I ever tasted in USA; some even better than the versions in Malaysia. I went there four times in five days! Even Anthony Bourdain has featured some dishes from this restaurant in his show. 馃檪 The food that I ordered are every day comfort food. It’s funny that these dishes are so cheap in Malaysia that only cafes and roadside stalls carry them. In USA, they are the most sought after dishes and are selling for around USD 9 each dish (except the appetizers). 馃檪

Satay Asian Bistro & Bar, Paradise Rd, Vegas (Not very fancy from outside)

Satay Asian Bistro & Bar, Paradise Rd, Vegas (Not very fancy from outside)

Outdoor dining area

Outdoor dining area

Bar area

Bar area

Roti Canai (multi-layered flatbread served with curry dip) YUM! The curry tastes exactly the same as the ones in Malaysia!

Roti Canai (multi-layered flatbread served with curry dip) YUM! The curry tastes exactly the same as the ones in Malaysia!

Beef satays for me. Chicken satays for Karan.

Beef satays for me. Chicken satays for Karan.

Char Kway Teow Seafood (flat rice noodle stir-fried)

Char Kway Teow Seafood (flat rice noodle stir-fried)

Curry Laksa (Vermicelli served with chicken, fish ball, fried tofu, bean sprouts in coconut curry broth) It's so good!

Curry Laksa (Vermicelli served with chicken, fish ball, fried tofu, bean sprouts in coconut curry broth) It's so good!

Nasi Lemak (Sambal, anchovy, cucumber, hard-boiled egg, roasted peanuts, served with coconut rice and curry chicken)

Nasi Lemak (Sambal, anchovy, cucumber, hard-boiled egg, roasted peanuts, served with coconut rice and curry chicken)

Wonton soup. See the chili condiments rack. Gotta have that.

Wonton soup. See the chili condiments rack. Gotta have that.

Prawn Noodle (Yellow noodle served with shrimp, pork, hard-boiled egg, bean sprouts, in prawn broth)

Prawn Noodle (Yellow noodle served with shrimp, pork, hard-boiled egg, bean sprouts, in prawn broth)

Taro Boba

Taro Boba

Paper Dosa at Sagar Ratna

I love South Indian food, especially the paper thin dosa. It comes with hot and spicy sambar soup.

Although my throat was hurting badly from dry coughing, and I had completely lost my voice; I couldn’t resist from joining my family for a yummy lunch at Sagar Ratna (The Ashok Hotel).

Their dosas were out of this world. You must give it a try whenever you visit an Indian restaurant. Beware, the sambar soup can be quite spicy. 馃檪

family (& big piece of paper dosai)

family (& big piece of paper dosai)

Eating out in India is a family affair

Eating out in India is a family affair

South Indian Coffee (usually is served after the meal to help with digestion)

South Indian Coffee (usually is served after the meal to help with digestion)

South Indian Paan (betel leaf filled with grated coconut and sugar  - chewed as a palate cleanser, a breath freshener, and for digestive purposes)

South Indian Paan (betel leaf filled with grated coconut and sugar - chewed as a palate cleanser, a breath freshener, and for digestive purposes)