the killer dish is found

One month have passed at Lil Haven.

I shop, I cook, I sell, I clean up, the whole works. It was fun as it was tiring.  Oh yes, I also serve.

Many dishes were plated. Our set meal was made out of one of these.   Nasi Tomato, Nasi Serai, Nasi Carrot and Nasi Goreng Seafood for the rice variety. We made Ikan Masak Asam, Ikan masak cili. And we also made Tomyam, Ayam Kurma, Ayam Masak Merah and Ayam Rendang. And we had Sambal Udang.

For vegetable dishes we had  made Urap Kacang Botol, Acar Rampai, Paceri Nenas, Mixed Vege, Masak Lemak Putih, Kacang Panjang Goreng, and Salads.

But guess what that 'Wowed!' our regulars?

Kak Ros's SAMBAL BELACAN!

That got the best reviews. The killer dish I was desperately looking for.

And why ever not?  Kak Ros had been pounding sambal belacan for 50 years.  It will, without a doubt, remain unbeatable and reign supreme over all other sambal belacans.

Early morning people

Since I started my lil food business with Lil Haven, slowly I have transformed into an early riser or early bird.  Having to help Hajar with her nasik lemak and to cook my meehoon, we wake up early. Much earlier than usual.  A good habit inculcated.

I guess l like to shop fresh.  I like to buy the ingredients just before I cook it.  This would could qualify me a meticulous cook or a last minute person with bad time planning. But that is how it is and our food last long into the evening.  So, as earlier as 6.30am I would be at Balaji, the Indian sundry shop to wait for the lorry that brings the fresh produce from the wholesale market.

Around me, I would see the men walking home from the mosque, the mothers waiting with their school going children for the school bus, the other early birds buying things for their house hold at Balaji. All sorts of   people walking to the bus stops to get to work, or going into their cars,  the other stall menders with many kinds of tasty breakfast dishes waiting for customers ( and here I am, waiting to buy the prawns for my meehoon to sell in an hour).

Then I went 1 step further by going to Old Town wet market, the biggest market in PJ at 6.00 am.  When all is dark and still asleep, the market was brightly lit and lively, bustling with all the buying and selling activities. To tell  you the truth, there are two places that I love to be at, the mosque, and the market. Market, not supermarket.  This is not a good thing since one is the opposite of the other but I love to see nature's produce. The abundance of vegetables, poultry, seafood, beancurds, fruits and flowers.  It makes my heart expands to its seems. Hihi.  What a boring person I am.   Maybe food is a quiet passion I did not encourage.

By evening I find my body extremely tired and my eyes close pretty early. Its a new clock in my head. And so is the gusto for cooking.  

Step it up, step it up

How do we get sales to pick up.

Ok, logical solutions.  Get a killer recipe and nail it.  But.... I do not have one. 

I see too much AFC, Asian Food Channel on Astro.  What do people in Centrio Soho, this upscale and upbeat and chic home cum office, and boutique offices  lifestyle people go for?  

This new culture has found itself  in Kg.Kerinchi. And Kg. Kerinchi has it all. High end, medium end, low end, high rise, medium rise, low rice. Modern living, ordinary living, foreign living.  One word, 'Chacha Marba' (jumbled)  and it is just so...emm...interesting.

Centrio Soho itself is a modern design building, its living quarters consisting of double storey studios, more like a big compartment, divided into two, horizontally.  And Lil Haven, is at the retail floor. 

Sue showed me one famous artist living there, selling his drawing by the thousands. There's a Max. And Allan who would come for 'Lil Haven famous' oatmeal cookie and ice lemon tea everyday.  There is Bala, an Indian who orders ice coffee black no sugar take-away.  There's Kim, who gjves alot of feedback on the food.  There's Sam my biggest supporter, Michelle, Irin, Mr cute Chinese CEO, there is En. Mat Parang Tajam. Another biggest  supporter, Tim who is from Philipines I think,  would  always ask me what the food is made of.  I would go, 'rice floor and coconut milk' for the kueh lapis, ' tapioca, sweet' for the bingka ubi. 'Sticky rice,  savoury with  coconut sambal filling' for the pulut panggang.  Ida's mother makes these delicious traditional cakes.  They are cake making family.  "Pancake with  coconut and palm sugar filling' for kueh ketayap. How I enjoy enlisting the ingredients to Tim, who soaks it all up and buys the kuehs.

Its nice to work in Lil Haven, to watch the people, to watch Ida bake and help her colour the frostings and give unsolicited ideas for her cakes, and to smell the aroma of cakes and biscuits in the oven.  

All is not easy.  I have not found the killer recipe.  

These people are all smart and world-wise and would not throw their money easily. 

Earlier I bet on home-cooked food but after 10 days,  maybe Centrio Soho finds it emm...boring.

Step it up, step it up. Huhu....I wonder what is Secret Recipe's secret...

Tomorrow I will take pictures.

Back to business and 49

It is a few hours past my birthday.  49.  Yesterday I received birthday wishes from those close to me including my dentist.  Thank-you loved ones.

Its back to business and I have taken a bigger step from my stint  sellling cookies during Ramadhan at the bazaar in Amcorp Mall. I am now helping Sue at her quaint cafe, Lil Haven, down the road, in the neighbourhood.

Sometimes one knows not what one loves until one sees it.  I don't 'love' Lil Haven per say  but when Sue tells me she needs help to keep the place open, I just have to do something..

Sue has put in alot in her cafe.  Her decor, her product, her cooking all shows it comes from her heart.  A cafe in blue hue,( I am a blue person, according to the colour therapy expert, Dr Rahim, section 13 Shah Alam) all is done in good taste. Everyone in this Chaca-marba (mixed and diversified, that's me too, in my head) area  comes here.  White, black, yellow, brown, they all go to Lil Haven for coffee, or for Sue's signature drink, ice-lemon tea, all sorts of cakes, scones, big biscuits or sandwiches.

So I paid for a small space and sell  nasi lemak and meehoon in the morning, and lunch in the afternoon, food that Sue does not make but what the cafe needs.  So I became the complimentary unofficial not actually  partner of sorts and my forte is to fill up the blanks in Lil Haven.

I am not that great a cook but under the category of home-cooked,  honest and wholesome food, I don't do so bad.  Nevertheless,  I seek a wonderful cook, Kak Ros to cook the main dishes, got Hajar to make her signature nasi lemak along side with whatever that I can cook decently.

Boy oh boy, it looked much easier than it is. This is hard work. No joke. Penat giler.

Sue appreciates  my help and I guess two heads are better than one.  I have been meddling in the food business for sometime now, selling or cooking this and that but not in a serious way.  This is a bold step I am taking and when I cannot meet the requirements, I have no choice but to step it up and is continuing to do so till now.

I pray Sue's dream to see her cafe succeed would come true.  She deserves it.  Lil Haven is an oasis for tired rat-racers and others to unwind with tea or coffee or to just meet up. Ida, the talented baker deserves a mention here too since she bakes really delicious cakes.