Mayo's Breakfast #4

Mayo always loves a good hearty breakfast anyday! Wanted something sinfully guilty to brighten up my day & what better than stacks of french toast with melted cheese, garlic spread, sweet chilli sauce & slices of ham in between! Eat it anyway you like but I just press them down & bite in. So unlady-like but how else can you enjoy it? :p

This is just one serving... for me!:p

Mayo's Penang Jawa Mee

Have any of you heard of 'Jawa Mee' before? It's origins seem to derive from Pulau Jawa (Java Island) of Indonesia but I'm not very sure myself but I will be doing the version from Penang! The sauce base is made from a mixture of small dried shrimps, sweet potatoes & tomatoes boiled over & left to simmer till it breaks down to becomes a soft textured sauce with a sweet & sour taste. I topped the dish off with some pieces of fresh crisp lettuce, deep fried beancurd skin (usually it's some form of crispy crackers), sliced tomatoes, cut hard boiled eggs, diced fried beancurd & a piece of lime. My resident food taster Mr K commented that the taste is similar to the Singapore Malay delicacy Mee Rebus but with a more complex taste.

Mayo's Char Siew Rice

Now if you have been to most parts of Asia while traveling, you would know that Asians love their roasted meats. There's roasted suckling pig, roasted chicken/duck/goose/pigeon etc, you get the idea. Recently my friend had just returned from a trip to Hong Kong & I was inspired to create my very own version of the very popular roasted pork (Char Siew) but in a very home-styled version.

I bought a piece of tender pork shoulder meat and marinated it for half a day with honey, hoi sin sauce, fermented bean paste, salt & pepper for taste. Instead of sweating over a ceramic oven while turning the piece of pork for it to be cooked, I pan fried the meat on all sides evenly before applying an extra layer of sauce for the edges & sides & turning up the heat to deliberately 'burn' to get that smoked taste.

I boiled some stalks of bak choi vegetables in some hot water with a dash of salt to retain their natural nutrients & goodness. I also added a piece of deep fried seafood wanton (dumpling) for some saltiness on the side to balance up the sweetness of the meat. :) Finished up with a fried egg on top of some hot fluffy white rice for a complete meal.

Looks simple but quite tasty.

Hungry yet? :p

Mayo's Egg Pancake

Mayo's Homemade Street-side Snack
If you've been to most parts of Asia, one of the trademark foodie's 'must do' is to sample the local authentic street fare. I remember one of my personal favorites was always the simple deep fried pancakes. They come in an assorted variations with a million different ingredients but here's my attempt at creating a tribute to this all time favorite.

Mayo's Egg Pancakes
Firstly I created the main batter using flour, water & mixing it with eggs (amount depending on how many pancakes you intend to serve) till it forms into a nice sticky texture. I then throw in coarsely chopped sausage slices & sliced spring onions before ending with a dash of salt & pepper for taste. I further mix the batter till they are nicely uniformed. Prepare a non stick pan & let it heat up, pour in some oil to ensure that the pancakes do not end up sticking to the pan and losing their shape. Pour in the batter in moderation then pressing the centre down firmly onto the pan & let the pancakes brown. Flip every now & then.

Best eaten when piping hot with some spicy sauces as a dip.



Chewy, meaty & a guaranteed mouthful of gastronomic happiness. :)

Mayo's Choco Frozen Banana

Mayo's Snacks

Now what should you do if you have an ice cream craving late at night but do not have the icy sinful snack in the fridge? Frozen bananas with warm chocolate to the rescue! I took out a frozen banana and covered it with thick warm Hershey's chocolate sauce. Simple, savory & satisfying!

Tip: Did you know that freezing your fruits in your freezer prolongs it's shelf life to close to a month? Try this easy frozen banana snack & there's no going back. :)

The grin was the same on my face while eating this. :p

Mayo's Penang Lor Mee

Here is a dish that I have been wanting to do for the longest time. I did the Penang version which is basically having a less thick & starchy sauce base. For those that are not familiar with this dish, it is a traditional recipe where by either yellow egg noodles or vermicelli is the main staple cooked together in a flavorful black sauce made from a mixture of pig bone broth, five spice powder, corn starch & some eggs (& that's just for the sauce!) served with an assortment of tasty toppings to your own preference.

Toppings (Clockwise from top): Chopped spring onions, fried shallots, tau kua (dried toufu), chopped red chillies, 'cai por' (chopped fermented vegetables) & 'wu xiang' (middle: five spice meat rolls)

After preparing the sauce overnight, heat up & prepare the additional toppings & noodle of choice. I added in half a braised egg & a table spoon of spicy sambal paste for extra taste & fire! Serve hot. :)

Now just mix everything into the sauce & dig in or you can slowly savor the toppings while scooping up a mouthful of noodles underneath. The sauce will have you craving for extra servings guaranteed. Yum. :p

Glico Tako Pretz

Japanese snack recommendation #7
Glico takoyaki Pretz

Mayo's travel tip is that when you are in Japan, always look out for their limited edition snacks or tidbits. Famous brands like Glico have strategically made their Pretz sticks to be of a certain particular famous food or flavor reflective of the state that they are in. Here is an example of the famous Takoyaki snack in Osaka but now available in Pretz form. You may dismiss it as clever marketing but I can assure you, it's oishii (delicious)!