Log Makan-Makan: Restaurant Hua Mui

Hua Mui is a pioneer of western colonial hainanese food, even when you ask around at Johor Bahru for hainanese food, they will direct you to this restaurant - This was based on some forumer feedback about this restaurant. Former state minister of Johor also, Ghani Othman had dining here. I could tell by the picture hanging on the wall of the restaurant. 

I went there with family and the rest of in laws on 3rd Syawal, after been invited by the FIL - father in law. He was regular once there 10 years ago and before. When we arrived 15 minutes before 1pm, the place was full with diners for lunch. It is a two storey restaurant, we had to wait for less than 5 minutes before we were allowed to be seated at the second floor. The owner is Chinese, the customers are multi-races. 

The sign board - restaurant is situated at Jalan Trus.

The big menu board you can see inside the restaurant at the ground level.

Physically there is nothing remotely modern about the restaurant, just a regular hainanese restaurant in the British era. Based on FIL, it's the western food that Hua Mui is best known for, which is probably the regulars keep returning. But we were not ordered that. Because we've been told that it could take long times for the western foods. So I had fried kuew tiau, the rest were having hailam noodles and hua mui fried rice. I could not remember what wifey had for the lunch though - Some spicy fried rice I guess. Our meals arrived after almost 1 hour.

Some appetizer - Nothing special about the Roti Bakar. It just delicious like in other kopitiams. 

My cuisine. I had better than this. The fried egg is a must additional.

Hua Mui Fried Rice. 

Wifey meal which I forgot the name. I believe it could be spicy.

Hailam Noodles

I didn't taste the other foods, but according to FIL, the taste is different compared to his last meal 10 years ago. I quite amazed he could still remember the taste from 10 years ago. Judging by the numbers of people in the restaurant, I believe it still making profit. Next time if I come, I will try the western foods. I still cannot understand why people keep returning to this restaurant for dining option. 

Actually we were there the night before but it was closed and we returned again the next day for lunch. 

Some of the photos hanging on the wall - some famous faces and events organized there.

Very old Coca Cola advertisement, I like that. It was just 5¢ back then.

Antique cash register machine - I bet it not functional anymore.

Damage untuk lunch, unknown sebab FIL yang bayar. 

Log Makan-Makan: Serai @ Shaftbury

Last day in Ramadhan, gua dekat umah parents in law. Gua yang tadinya mengantuk skang dah tak boleh nak tido dah. Anak-anak pun tengah tido, orang umah tengah tolong-tolong kat dapur tu, mengacau ke memasak ke tatau la tu. Di atas kesempatan ini, gua ambil keputusan nak mem-blog. 

On 26th Ramadhan, gua sepakat ngan orang umah nak iftar dekat luar. So kami pilih Restaurant Serai @ Shaftbury di Cyberjaya. Lagi satu premis restaurant ni terletak di Empire Shopping Gallery. Actually gua yang nak makan kat situ, sebab tak pnah lagi jejak kaki ke situ, wifey on the other hand dah kerap kali melantak kat situ. 

Gambar ni gua cilok kat blog lain. 

Lepas suh wifey buat tempahan meja, kul 1820hrs kitaorang gerak dari umah di Bukit Mahkota. Sebab macam dah lambat, gua pecut sket takut lambat pulak sampai, lambat la order foods untuk iftar. Dekat sini takde buffet. 5 minutes before 1900hrs, kitaorg dah duduk dekat meja. Dah few minutes duduk takde orang nak serve bagi menu ke apa ke, aku suh wifey panggil pelayan dia. Puk pak puk pak, siap order sume, so tunggu waktu maghrib plak sambil amek gamba dan camwhoring..huhu.

Buah kurma disediakan atas dasar complimentary bulan Ramadhan.

Wifey and Emil. Yang second tak bawak sekali sebab too young to enjoy the foods.

Setelah almost one hour menunggu, foods kami pun sampai di meja. Menurut wifey selaku pengunjung setia kedai ni, kalau waktu-waktu biasa, foods tu cepat je diserve. Maybe jugak sebab bulan puasa, orang ramai datang serentak dan order serentak. Sempat la gua menunaikan solat maghrib dulu before menjamah makanan. 

So apa yang gua order untuk iftar aritu:

Ini nama dia, "Deepfried Salted Egg Squid".

Memang ada rasa telur masin. Boleh tahan jugak, lain dari yang lain. Not so crispy. In fact not crispy at all la walaupun deepfried. Gua bagi 3 out of 5 stars untuk juadah ni. Sebab expectation gua nak makan sotong goreng tepung, tapi rase lain. 

Untuk sayuran, gua pilih "deepfried crispy brinjal with serai spice".

Sayur eggplant ni kalau goreng tepung memang favorite gua. Masa kitaorang menetap kat Putrajaya dulu, kerap kali gua suruh wife gua masak juadah ni. Tapi dekat sini dia ada tambah perisa lagi, ada rasa manis-manis sos tu. And gua memang suka manis-manis. So hidangan ni boleh dapat 4 stars dari gua. Bila dah 4 stars maknanya boleh repeat next time. 

Dia punye main course, gua pilih "Steamed fish with lime sauce".

Bagi gua, gua agak kecewa dengan hidangan ni, gua tatau mana kurang dia tapi gua rasa lagi best makan steamed fish kat restoran-restoran seafood yang gua pernah pegi. Yang gua rasa cuma lime je. So untuk kali ni, gua boleh bagi 2 stars je.

Untuk drinks gua pilih milky bandung, wifey pulak air limau dan Emil Ice Chocolate untuk gantikan milo yang tak dijual di Serai. Oh, wifey tambah lagi satu drink, teh ais.

Semua hidangan kat atas tu kami makan dengan nasi putih. 

With her drink.

With mine.

Sambil duduk-duduk gua jenguk Foursquare nak tengok ada tak tips-tips yang berguna. Gua dapat satu tips suruh try dia punya Pavlova. Dia kata sedap. So gua order satu.

Memang berbaloi-baloi. Ini hidangan yang paling best malam tu.

Pendapat-pendapat kat atas ni cuma pendapat peribadi gua je. Lain orang lain rasanya. Or maybe kalau pegi bukan bulan Ramadhan lain plak rasanya kan. 

Oh semua sekali damage dalam MYR 166.80. 

To Those Who Keen To Explore Career in Oilfield Service

Below are top ten oilfield service company in the world.

1. Schlumberger

2. Halliburton

3. Saipem

4. Transocean

5. Baker Hughes

6. Fluor

7. Weatherford International

8. BJ Service Company 

9. Petrofac

10. China Oilfield Services Ltd

There you go. The list I got from this website. Click here!

However, Baker Hughes already acquired most of the BJ Services share for $5.5 billion. It means no more BJ Services. Some other website combine the rank of Baker Hughes and BJ Services, and add McDermott International at number 10 on the list. You can read about the merger here.

I think the list was based on the annual revenue of the company with Schlumberger has the highest revenue of all time. 

I have few friends and relative who work in one of those companies. They really receive very good pay. But what so glamorous about working in the oilfield service - particularly at offshore platform and oil & gas rig, other than good money. Oh yes, you can buy anything that can make your family happy especially your wife. The lifestyle is a little bit above than average normal lifestyle.

Bear in mind, most of the time you will not be there for your wife's birthday, your anniversary, on your child's birth and to celebrate your child's birthday, to witness your child first walk, to attend to your child first day in school, to see your child participating in extra curricular activities in school and the list will go on. Above all the saddest part is you will probably not be at the side of your loved ones when they are on death bed - mother, father etc. 

So, before you start applying, think about those first then apply. Believe me, only money is the reason why you still working in the company like this.

Below are some snapshots from my last trip to Sarawak water, a Petronas owned oil & gas platform. Exactly a year ago during Ramadhan. Hopefully there is none after this. My current company is not an oilfield service company so trip to offshore would probably has a slim chance to none. 

Bayan Riser and a small sized accommodation boat attached to the platform with a gangway also known as widow maker to most of the workers.

Daily trip by boat makes me sick. I was living in the mother platform about 1 hour trip from here. 

Full picture of the boat. You sleep, eat, bath inside it for god knows how long. So get used to it. 

My Ramadhan delicacies for breaking my fast. 

What Happen in Malaysia?

Is Malaysia still a safe place for us to live our decent life?

Recently too many reported cases related to manslaughter by gun fire. People were shot dead for no obvious reasons wherever and whenever. People were shot when parked their car, when driving, when buying groceries, when eating and even when getting out from the lift.

Mr. Police - we, the people are terrified.

But what the home minister says about this - Police could not be blamed for the rising incidence of manslaughter by gun fire.

Seriously dude, who to blame then? You? Oh I know we blame the criminal..

And what are Macai say - Alhamdulillah, Malaysia masih aman. (Alhamdulillah, Malaysia still peaceful)

These grateful kind of people define peaceful as the country is not in the war. They don't even care if the murder cases are reported daily in the news as long as not war, it is peaceful for them. I have this feeling that these people are not getting any news about murder from television. The Malaysia prime news is busy reporting and promoting the ruling government, Barisan Nasional. 60 minutes news can be classified to 30 minutes spend for government activities, 10 minutes on sports, 10 minutes on other issues and another 10 minutes for commercial break. Murder case comes in slot other issues, briefly reported depend on the magnitude of the case.

Let see how many cases had been reported pertaining to gun fire for this year alone. Read it here.

In separate issue and quite surprising statistic I must say, 6 women raped daily in Malaysia.

You might hear someone would say - In other countries hundreds of women being raped daily. I will not surprise if the statement comes from one of the Najib's cabinet minister. They are known to make such a brainless statement everyday. I do not know why people are still vote for this kind of moron. 

You can continue reading here.

Job Vacancy - From Petrolio UK

The position is Package Manager (Electrical & Intruments).

Successful candidate will be based in Kuala Lumpur for a worldwide large EPC company. They are prefer for someone who can be interviewed and start work immediately. I'm not sure how immediate they want, guess you need to contact them to find out.

To be shortlisted for the interview, candidate should have at least 10 years experiences.

Please contact Petrolio for further information.

Name: Ben Cross
Telephone: 02084181392
Email: ben@petrolio.co.uk
Website: www.petrolio.co.uk

Ok good luck folks!

Log Percutian: Philea Resort & Spa

Oleh kerana gua skang dalam mood nak pegi bercuti, mari kita sama-sama throwback percutian yang lepas. Gua kalau pegi bercuti, tempat penginapan nak kene number one. Baru puas hati! Kalau tempat penginapan pun macam sarang mat pit baik gua duduk diam-diam dekat rumah. 

When was this happened? : 13th to 15th November 2012 ( Sempena anniversary gua yang ke 4).

And where? : Philea Resort & Spa, Ayer Keroh Melaka (Click je kat situ jangan banyak tanya).

Ramadhan Kareem

Bersyukur ke hadrat ilahi kerna diberi kesempatan untuk bertemu dengan Ramadhan 1434H/2013M. Sekarang masih lagi di bumi Saudi Arabia, menghitung hari untuk pulang ke tanah air..Ops Singapore dan ke tanah air. 

Now it's summer in most of northern hemisphere with some area burning as high as 52°C, and still climbing up. Before Ramadhan, I had a chit-chat with a Pakistani guy and a Saudian guy about the challenge of fasting during this hot season. 

Here some excerpt from first conversation:

Me, "Now it is really hot in Saudi..increasing day by day".
Saudian, "Yes, and Ramadhan is around the corner".
Me, "So, I cannot imagine fasting in this temperature, you must already used to this condition".
Saudian, "This is very hot, I cannot stand this temperature, you imagine if I do 'gapping' in this hot sun..I must drink, if not I will die..believe me I will die. And my father will not happy if I die".
Me, "Haha..You were born here for god sake".
Saudian, "I will replace my fast in other month.."...

The Saudian is Bently Nevada Engineer I worked with in this project.

Here from second conversation:

Me, "Is tomorrow we start fasting?".
Pakistani, "We shall know tonight in television announcement".
Me, "I think I will not fast because it's too hot now..I need to drink."
Pakistani, "No no..you must fast..Allah kareem, you will not feel thirsty when you fast".
Me, "What if I collapse?"
Pakistani, "No problem, if die also no problem..Allah kareem."
Me, "Hehehe..".

The Pakistani is the mechanical millwright working on compressors.

By the way, today is the third day in Ramadhan and I still not skipping fast. Alhamdulillah, with the past couple of days really hot in Jubail, yesterday it reached 50°C at noon, where today almost there.

My itinerary dekat sini during Ramadhan adalah sahur pukul 2am, subuh pukul 3.30am. Lepas semayang subuh terus tido sampai pukul 5.50am. 6.30am pergi kerja dan balik pukul 6pm. Sampai hotel dah nak dekat 7pm. Lepas makan dan semayang sume, dalam pukul 9pm dah start untuk tido. Pukul 1am bangun balik untuk order sahur.  

Ah, teringat berpuasa di Leipzig tahun 2011. Berpuasa waktu summer yang cuma bersuhu 28°C with low humidity. Subuhnya pukul 3am dan maghribnya pukul 9pm. Agaknya berat badan jatuh mendadak sebanyak 5kg. Makan cuma sekali sehari iaitu waktu berbuka. 

Kalau kat negara orang macam ni la makanannya. Leipzig 2011 Ramadhan.

Right now I miss bazaar, I miss Ayam Percik, I miss Nasi Lemak etc..........

Selamat berpuasa!