Angie's Kitchen, Auckland - Go Malaysian after five months

 

There is just so many varieties to choose from when it comes to food hunting in downtown Auckland. Due to the large Asian immigration populations. Ones can easily find the Japanese, Korean, Chinese and our beloved Malaysian restaurant outnumber the amount of western restaurant here. I don't particularly demand for food from home as I always get rather interesting new dining experience to try.

Up until I moved in to this flat which a Malaysian restaurant, Angie's Kitchen occupied the shop lot next door. Passing by everyday, living with the aroma of fragrance taugeh(beansprounts) fried Kuey Tieow. My crave started to develop bit by bit. I couldn't resist no more that I decided to drop by for dinner last night.

Angie's Kitchen provide the impression of small family own business set up. With the daughter being the waitress while daddy mummy in the kitchen. Again I could be totally wrong. The set up of the restaurant is pretty small and it tends to get crowded during the peak hour. It is even difficult for the waitress to move around. I noticed that they serve quite a few kind of Malaysian specialty such as Nasi kandar, Ikan pari assam pedas and even sambal prawn with petai.

  I opted to ease my crave by ordering Char Kuey Teow @ NZD 10.50. Taste wise it is pretty authentic with the beansprouts, eggs, and that little bit of "wok hei" taste. You can find fish cakes, prawns, and chicken instead of pork as they are a halal restaurant. It will be perfect if they can use the big flat kuey teow instead of the tiny little "hor fun". I guess I just have to bare with it as this is a foreign land and you do not get everything you want.

What is it like if you are introducing your friend to a Malaysian restaurant without ordering the national dish "Nasi Lemak" ? The "nasi" turns up to be more like nasi kerabu with the blueish appearance. It is slightly lack in turn of the "pandan" and "coconuty" taste. It is more gingery instead. We have the nasi lemak with beef rendang as complement. Which the "rendang" taste is there but to cater the western taste it is less spicy and miss that kick. @NZD11.50 a plate. I realized that they serve gigantic peanut as compare to the tiny one back home.

I ordered the "Ice Kacang" @ NZD5.50 as the dessert of the night. I can't recall if the ice kacang back home do serve with crunchy peanuts on the top ? This is a bowl that the display is taking over the taste.

You don't expect them to have the good old traditional ice crushing machine which give you those ices that are smooth and melt in the mouth. We left with two big chunk of ice in the bowl as the left over.

Yes, the foods are authentic with a twist to cater the Kiwis just like any other foreign catering. It is certainly the place to go when you miss home. You get a lot of Malaysian students around, you will hear our Bahasa Malaysia once a while and there are these prosperity cats which I reckon very ala Malaysian too. 

5 Months Since........

 

Well Well...my last entry was like two months ago and it was about my new accommodation back in Motueka. There were so many happenings that I wish to keep it updated. Abel Tasman National Park, Golden Bay, Lake Rotoiti, Motueka's Farewell, and welcoming Blenheim...these are the "a lots" that I'm suppose to share but laziness beat all the intention. Okie...I guess I will just do a quick summary to cut the queue short.

The Abel Tasman National Park, The smallest national park yet the most crowded and used of it kind in New Zealand. It was so happen that I was based in Motueka for three months which is the entrance to the national park and it makes no excuse for me to pull my lazy legs on the tramping track of the national park. The whole track needs three days to cover but we opted for the parts which said to be the most scenic. And yeah, it was beautiful but least to breathtaking.

It was in New Zealand that I encountered one of the most stunning beach, The Wharariki Beach of Golden Bay. The sea breeze washing it sea shores and make you feel like you are actually in a desert. A slight 20 mins hill walk across a valley leads me to one of the most dramatic landscape I ever seen. The sea breeze washing it sea shores and make you feel like you are actually in a desert.

 It was in this beach that you get free mussels to pick with cuddly fur seals by the side.

Then, Lake Rotoiti of Nelson national park which provide postcard standard's view.

I end up in Blenheim of Malborough region for 3 weeks. This is the golden place of New Zealand Wine industry. It was in Blenheim that I got the outdoor working experience. Wrapping and pruning @ mere 2 degrees in a bloody winter morning ain't an experience to behold. Trust me !! 

My mobile life style then brought me to try the infamous crayfish mornay of Kaikoura, a whale watching little town.

I got myself back to Christchurch again. A city that I first landed in New Zealand. Time flies and it had been five months since. It was here that I decided to gave up my initial intention five months ago and yeah, I'm still living pretty well without you.

And now here I am, the city of sails, Auckland. Perhaps the only real metropolitan of New Zealand. It is great to be back on a city life style. 


A rainy day @ Auckland Library.

Mummy Mummy.....I just moved in to a new house...

 

 I finally moved in to a new place after two odd months in a backpackers alike budget accommodation which is not so budget at all. My new place, twin oaks cottage is much cheaper goes at only NZD50 per week before the utilities bill. Most importantly with a great sense of family feeling and not a bloody backpackers where travelers come and go the next day.

A very Kiwi's cuddly cottage.

With magnificent view surrounding the neighborhood. A view that you will usually paying money for your resort to be located at.

A living room which is great for movie watching. We will be spending endless night on movies and the FIFA world cup is coming soon. Hopefully there will be live telecast on the Kiwi's national TV.

 

 The only drawback - bunk bed which is making a lot of noise.

 We start off our house warming with a steamboat in this bloody cold winter night.

There might be vandalism in the area ? as i noticed a car with chips and chicken bones on top. Or perhaps the Kiwis prefer to savor their fried chicken and chips on their car's roof.

The Gothic Restaurant @ Motueka, New Zealand

The Gothic @ Motueka was once conducting mass services every Sunday just like any other ordinary church. But now it has been renovated into a restaurant with a Gothic theme and served as one of the fancy restaurant in the Tasman region.

I would expect more Gothic feel on their interior design. Apart from the menu which having a cross on, I don't sense any major element that it was a church before.

We opted for Seafood chowder as starter. This thickened creamy soup was heavenly. The best of its kind with a very generous amount of fish, prawns, crab slices and mussels. NZD 12.

The lady of the night ordered herself Beef Tee Bone steak with Kumara chips. Kumara refers to sweet potato in Maori. Kumara chips are rather common in New Zealand. It is widely served in restaurants and take aways. I find both the steak and chips to be dead cold. A turn off especially when you paid NZD 27.50 :(

The Gothic has stonegrill dining as their signature. And of course it will be the perfect choice for the man himself. I pampered myself a mixed grill @ NZD32. I was served with pieces of raw beef, lamb, pork and chicken each on a sizzling stonegrill. I choose beetroot chutney as the sauce to go with the meat. Pretty decent experience as you get to control how well the meat get to be done. The thick cut chips were excellent too,

And farewell to this special someone. All the best and may we meet again someday. Take good care.

Crossover Potluck - 08 May 2010

It was my 9th weeks of apples packing with K&Mclean packhouse. My hands are now officially numb, senseless and immune to the cut of the freaking boxes. That is how a man's hands suppose to be anyway, rough and tough.

With the apple packing season coming near to its end. We have to bid farewell almost every week. Luz, a hongkies from our accommodation and Jane, a Taiwanese of the other house are the lucky one this week. We all decided to throw a crossover potluck party at their place.

凉畔粉丝，a hit dish in every of our farewell. Have always been the favourite of all, but fail to impress tonight. Perhaps too much chilli ?

Hand Made Dumplings.

 My version of hand made dumplings. A twisted dumpling with a Xiao Long Bao looks.

Claypot chicken rice for those who miss home.

Soupy Bak Kut Teh from Agnes, the boss.

Lots of culinary goodness to satisfy gluttons like me.

Lots of which I know will only meet once in a life time. That's when people comes people goes.We share the happiness and fun together and we wish each other best of luck when bid farewell. Thanks god, there is facebook to keep in touch.

Some crazy moments.

And some lovely memories.