Why Green food?

10 Mar 2015 Leave a comment

by Little Sumo Bro in Restos & Food Tags:

Hey there!

So I’ve recently been upgraded from mommy’s yummy warm milk to tasting a variety of weird ‘food’. So these things that they call food get shoved into my mouth and somehow I have no choice but to swallow it. At first, I got this creamy mixture of cereal with mom’s milk which was delicious…then I was introduced to new food with different colours and textures. I can definitely tell you that my favourite colours are yellow and orange, but if you see green in a bowl near you…beware!!

Do they taste this stuff before putting it in my mouth? Thank god I get tons of encouragement from Sumo Girl and the parents. Honestly, would you want to put this in your mouth? Apparently this is supposed to by Avocado. I’ve also tried green beans – dad’s first recipe – yuck!, Broccoli – lumpy and almost made me gag – gave mom a scare, green peas – not so bad, but definitely not my first choice…

Green_food

I really wonder who invented disgusting green food…What a relief it is to hear the sound of that plastic cereal bag and to see a bottle of mom’s milk… then I know at least I have something decent to wash down that yucky green food!

SuperBowl weekend

10 Feb 2013 Leave a comment

by Little Sumo Girl in Fun Facts, Restos & Food Tags: ,

Some days you wake up and you have no idea what’s in stored, or that pleasant surprises are just waiting for you to enjoy them 🙂  Last sunday, was SuperBowl weekend and one of those fun-filled days!

The day started off great with my amazing swimming class. Splishing-splashing in the water drains my energy out (and mom’s too), and I always look forward to the yummy snacks that I get to eat afterwards. It’s always better when dad prepares them cuz he’s way more generous than mom (Triscuit crackers, cheerios and dried fruit is pretty much the standard, but this week dad added something new – sesame sticks and some sweet cookies too!)

Then dim sum with Gong Gong (grandpa) is always a treat…as you can see anything related to food is the way to my heart 🙂

Since we were all having so much fun, I even got the opportunity to skip my afternoon nap. I HATE going to bed, what a waste of time. There is always something more fun to do than going to sleep…even if I’m totally exhausted. Today was great cuz I did not even have to fight and nag my way out of nap time. Mom & dad must have simply forgotten that I normally have a nap scheduled in the afternoon. I got to run around and chase mom & dad around through aisles with really big TV screens, some little black and silver boxes with smaller screens, and through men dressed in some boring uniform of black polo shirts with “Future Shop” written and beige pants.

Following all that running around, we took a ride to our friend C’s new place and I got to play with her cat, “Meru”. I even got to feed him little ‘snacks’ directly to his mouth. Speaking of snacks, I got to try this new thing called “Popcone” which are these small crunchy balls. Mom and dad had this huge bowl which I got to pick from… at first. But then, they decided to give me my own small bowl, so I did not have to share with them. There were orange ones that were salty and turned my fingers orange, but I much preferred the brown ‘cawamel’ sweet-flavoured ones.

We never get to this at home, but as I was snacking away on my ‘Popcone’, mom and dad were watching the Big TV and kept screaming at this men dressed in red. They were skating really fast, and it was so amazing cuz they never fall. Mom told me they were playing ‘Haw-Kay’ and that the red men were nice and that the white men were bad, so also started screaming at the TV.

Mom decided that i needed to take a break from all my snacking, so we started dancing along to this fun music that C decided to play for us. It was great cuz as the music was playing, there was this funny looking man on her big-screen TV who was also dancing and saying the words ‘Gangnyam Sty’. I loved it so much that I think we listened to it at least 5 times in a row! I love to dance.

Then I was drained and needed some energy, so more ‘popcone’…Mom and dad didn’t see, but I was able to sneak a few extra ones by asking C in a my sweetest and most charming tone and she could not resist… Yes! Mom then hid the bowl and started giving me carrot sticks, cucumbers and peppers, which I also love…especially when there is ‘Dip’!!! Yummy!

Later on more friends came to join us and we got to eat some more while watching some other men running after a brown ball, called “Football” I was too busy eating to really watch what was going on between the men with helmets chasing the ball, but I always love eating with other people around…it’s like going to a party!

For dessert, instead of fruits, I got to try these crunchy squares that dad made in the morning. They’re called ‘Lice Klispys’…they’re the best. I easily got away with two squares, but then as I attempted to get my hands on a third, I was told it was time to leave 😦

It was way passed my bedtime, and I did not want to go to bed but I could not complain too much since I had an amazing day filled with fun and lots of Snacks!! I resisted a little bit, cuz that’s part of the bedtime routine afterall, but I did not really try to hard. I was really hoping that when I would wake up the next morning, it would be SuperBowl day all over again, and every day after that!!

Simple pleasures of life

13 Feb 2012 1 Comment

by Little Sumo Girl in Cool Stuff, Restos & Food

Sometimes it doesn’t take much to make your day! I was having lunch today and was not too impressed by what mom & dad had to offer: Leftovers that just didn’t get my taste buds excited.

So mom brought out some cherry tomatoes, and I just wasn’t interested. By then, I’d already lost my appetite. But they insisted so much that I decided to taste one just to please them a bit. I put the entire tomato in my mouth and then… it happened! As I bit into the cherry tomato, a mega explosion of tomato juices squirted inside and outside of my mouth! It was so powerful that I had sprayed my dad’s face as well as the window, which was almost a meter away. Mom and dad were cracking up, and I couldn’t help but laugh as well.

Needless to say, I had to take another tomato, and then another, trying to extend my reach with each bite…It was fun and nutritious at the same time. although a bit messy. Mom had to take out the Glass Cleaner after lunch…but it was all worth it!

Nothing like a simple Cherry Tomato to make our day!
Keep on smiling & Enjoy the simple things in life 🙂

MazaMorra

24 Jan 2012 Leave a comment

by Little Sumo Girl in Restos & Food Tags:

The great thing about coming back to North America, more precisely to the lovely city of Montréal, is the multi-cultural experience. There are people from all over the world here and it’s great to be able to discover and enjoy new things from each culture.

Today, as my afternoon snack, I had the chance to taste a Peruvian MazaMorra. It is a pudding made of purple corn, pineapple, apple, cinnamon…Oh so Yummy, but beware, it can get a bit messy. Mom was quite surprised to see my purple lips (and forehead) when she came to pick me up today!

Thanks to Monica for making this tasty snack, and to Sandra and Maria for cleaning my up afterwards!

Resto Review: Waroeng WAHAHA

18 Dec 2011 Leave a comment

by Little Sumo Girl in Bali, Restos & Food, Travel Tags: , , ,

Ribs Ribs Ribs…Finger lickin’ Good! That’s what mom & dad were craving for the night we headed out to check out Waroeng Wahaha.

Although set on the very busy Jalan Sunset Road, the resto was relatively quiet this Friday night. As usual, the extra staff were hanging out by the bar discreetly chatting away or texting on their HPs (Hand-Phones).

There are large wooden tables suitable for large groups. The decor is quite interesting – they have Big, Weird faces of pigs painted all over, and  funny animal/kid faces painted on the side of counters – not quite sure what they were? Dad was actually surprised that I was not frightened by these supposedly funny faces. Unfortunately, they did not have a high-chair, which to me is a no-no for any family-friendly wannabe resto. Luckily, mom & dad were prepared and had brought my trusted Portable booster chair!

As mom brought me over to wash my hands (note that most restos in Bali have convenient little sinks that are placed by the dining area so you can wash your hands pre and post meal time – perhaps this is geared for motorbike-riding clientele like us), dad order me a spaghetti bolognese from the Kids menu and a side of steamed veggies (extra soft).

Needless to say, mom & dad went for the house specialty : Rack of ribs! As we waited for the food, the friendly staff kept flashing friendly smiles at me and I quickly found my favourite ‘Ibu Putu N’ who gave me a personalized tour of the resto and the private garden in the back. Don’t forget to bring your mosquito spray if you’re planning to head that way early evening.

Then, my ‘botetti’ (as I like to call it) arrived. It smelled yummy and tasted good, although a little on the sweet side for m taste.  The steamed veggies was nicely presented on a long narrow plate and glistened with the ‘butter’ – yummy!.

 

However, I quickly lost interest as soon as mom & dad’s plates arrived. Ooohh, I was excited! What was this? Just a little word of advice to my little friends out there, when the food on your parents’ plates is different from what is on your own plate, chances are theirs is WAY YUMMIER – so do what you need to, to get their attention and get a bite (or two) off their plates! Just what I learned from experience – don’t want you to miss out!

Mom & dad sank their teeth and their fingers into their ribs. It didn’t take long for dad’s fingers to get all gooey and sticky – but that’s just his special technique when eating things with hands ( I seemed to have inherited that technique (or lack thereof) – although messier, food seems to be tastier!) Dad said that the sauce was a little pepper-y and it was not the ‘fall-off-the-bone’ type of Ribs they were drooling for. As my dad said, it’s sorta like ‘Chinese-Style’ Ribs. Although not what they expected, they were still very pleased.

And I actually liked the ribs very much. I enjoyed it even more than my own dish, and forget about veggies when you have fingers licking ‘Ayam’! I know ‘Ayam’ is actually Chicken in Bahasa Indonesia, but to me all that meat-y stuff is about the same…the trick to getting me to eat it, is all in the Sauce, baby! And this one was yummy!

My “botetti” was packed up into a nice piggy-bag (take away) and made for a great lunch the next day!

Food: ***1/2
Deco/setting: ***1/2
Service: ****
(out of 5 stars)

Waroeng WAHAHA
Jl Sunset Road Barat 1689 Seminyak, Kuta – Bali, Indonesia
Phone +62 361 886-9858
http://www.facebook.com/WaroengWAHAHA

Just in case you were wondering, how does this place stand up to the popular Naughty Nuri’s Warung on Batu Belig (or in Ubud). I’ve only been to the one at Batu Belig, but to me the setting was way cooler there. The attention to detail, merchandising was really well done. There are really big Ogoh-Ogoh like pigs hanging from the ceiling, which are really impressive. Unfortunately, they totally freaked me out and made it  a little difficult for me to enjoy my meal (Tasty, but not my best, Soto Ayam).

Dad had the ribs and mom order the hamburger – they were both extremely pleased with their food. This was before I actually enjoyed eating meat-y textures, so I can’t objectively compare it to the Ribs at WAHAHA, but from the way dad licked his fingers at Naughty Nuri’s – I think those rocked his tasted buds more than the WAHAHA ribs – I guess it’s just a matter of preference.

The staff was just as smiley, and I still remember the super friendly ‘Ibu Laundry’ who greeted us there. Of course, it’s not her Real Name, duh! She left me a sweet gift to remind of the yummy Buta that we ate…

Pig Ears from Naughty Nuri's (1st Year Anniversary)

Naughty Nuri’s has the cool setting, friendly staff and yummy food going for them – and they have high chairs – Yes! However, I think their prices may be a little higher than at WAHAHA, and it can get a little smokey later in the evening… I would definitely head back there, and try to conquer my fears of the Ogoh-Ogoh Pigs! Oh yeah, there’s an ode to little Miss piggy hanging above the bar

Food: ****1/2
Deco/setting: ****1/2
Service: ****
(out of 5 stars)

Naughty Nuri’s Warung (Batu Belig)
Jalan Batubelig, #41, Kerobokan
Denpasar, Indonesia 80361
Phone: +62 (0) 361 847 6722
http://www.naughtynurisbali.com/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Naughty-Nuris-Warung-Batubelig-Bali/161789547181944?sk=info

Naughty Nuri’s Warung (Ubud)
Jl. Raya Sanggingan
Ubud, Indonesia
Phone: +62 361 977 547
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Naughty-Nuris-Warung/56957597025?sk=info

Family Day

07 Dec 2011 Leave a comment

by Little Sumo Girl in Bali, Beach, Cool Stuff, Fun Facts, Fun Spots, Restos & Food, Travel Tags: , , ,

Family day today….Yeah! I know it sounds silly, cuz I get to see my parents Every single day, but family day is a dedicated day each week, where it’s just us – no appointments, no meetings, no house-cleaning people, no Nanny (even though I love Ami, and sometimes I do miss her on family days too when mom and dad are too boring!)

Today was quite eventful!
1- Petitenget Beach – It was a bit cloudy so was not too hot so we could actually run around the beach without burning our toes, like last week. Sand castles and burying our feet in the sand…Ah what a great start to the day!

Building sand castles at Petitenget Beach

Where Is everyone? must be too early!

2- Bike ride to Denpasar – Perfect for a mid-morning nap!

Streets of Denpasar

3- Bird Market – Went once, but should be enough for me…
4- Lunch at Sakanaya/Ramen on Jl. Sunset Road – I was so hungry before we got there, but then I fell asleep when we arrived. It was perfect cuz I continued my nap while mom & dad ordered. Then, the lovely smell of the Ramen Broth gently woke me up. First words out of mouth? Mum-Mum (ie. LET’s EAT!).

Sakanaya & Ramen Restos - Yummy!

Ooh, the Char-Siu ramen in Miso soup was delicious – I am a little sumo afterall! The fish cakes from Sakanaya were also yummy, but the burrito that dad ordered was a little weird. For older folks who actually eat raw fish, I would probably recommend the Sashimi plate (good quality and very reasonably priced), or go for a fried or grilled fish. Although this spot is set on Jl. Sunset Road which is a busy road with quite a bit of traffic, the setting is still quite nice with tables set outside on a deck.

Just look out for the huge Blue sign with “RAMEN” written vertically and the “SAKANAYA” sign is in front. You’ll see it on Jl. Sunset Road heading from Kerobokan towards Kuta.

They supply for “Ryoshi”, a very popular Japanese restaurant here in Bali. Here is the truck loading up before making the rounds to bring the fresh goods to the restos.

Ryoshi Truck Loading Up

5- Pit stop at home for a quick shower to take off the sand from the beach
6- Bike ride to Kuta – Good afternoon nap (Man, the traffic was so bad. Kuta was actually worse than Denpasar, if you can believe it!)
7- Chill out at home for a nice dinner and a cool Bintang!

Bintang anyone?

Ok, I didn’t really drink the Bintang, but I tried to

Did I say I LOVE Family Day! It should be everyday! xx

Spesial Price for You!

01 Dec 2011 1 Comment

by Little Sumo Girl in Bali, Cool Stuff, Fun Facts, Restos & Food, Travel Tags: , ,

What is a nice refreshing drink that you must try when coming to Bali? Es Kalapa, of course!

They are sold in fancy restaurants, little warungs as well as at little stands that only sell this popular drink. It consists of Young Coconut Juice on ice, served with a little Honey syrup…They scrape the inside and put some of the fleshy white edible parts in your drink….Hmmm Yummy!

The other day, mom & dad when to pick up some Es Kalapa Bungkus (takeaway) at one of the little stands close to our house. It’s the same man who’s there everyday with his pile of coconuts waiting to be cut open and served.

In the scorching heat, they waited as the Bapak finished the order of 3 Es Kalapas for the client in front of them. The standard price is around Rp 3000 (less than $0.40) for one Es Kalapa, and this is what the previous client had paid.

Mom and dad patiently waited for their 3 drinks to be prepared, and packed into small plastic bags**.

**It is quite popular to have your takeaway food or drink served into many little plastic bags. Dad gets pretty frustrated with this, particularly for dishes with lots of sauce. We don’t know how they do it, but the Balinese tie the tightest knots which makes it sometimes impossible to open your takeaway without making a total mess. Ok, back to the coconut drinks…

When the Pak handed over the drinks to mom and asked for Rp 12,000 for the 3 drinks, she was a bit surprised cuz the previous client had clearly paid the lokal price of Rp 9,000 for 3 exact same drinks.

The Pak saw the hesitation in her eyes, and he proceeded to explain in Bahasa Indonesia that he had more juice in his drinks (Banyak!) compared to the standard places and that’s when he said: “Spesial Price… for you!”

Mom kindly paid the Pak, hopped onto the motorbike with dad, and they went on their way, still looking forward to sipping their cool drinks…

Although many people say that mom and dad look like Lokal Indonesian people, they definitely got the Spesial price for “Bule“ today (Bule = white person/foreigner)…Ah well, that’s what you get for not learning to speak the language after almost a year in Bali….

Word of the week: “Ubud”….and “Salad”

24 Nov 2011 Leave a comment

by Little Sumo Girl in Bali, Fun Spots, Restos & Food, Travel Tags: , ,

A few weeks ago, we were invited to stay a couple of nights at a friend’s place in Ubud. Wow! what a blast I had staying in a the huge villa.

The highlights for me were:
– The endless floor space for me to run around in this open-concept villa (Hardwood floors are also softer on the tushy compared to the popular white ceramic tiles they use everywhere here in Bali)
– The infinity pool with rice-field view, with two turtle fountains ‘spitting’ out water!
– Our friendly and talented chef, Wayan…Let’s just say he quickly became my VERY good friend
– The number of Huge animal statues all about (The Komodo dragon, elephants, frogs, mice, ducks and the enormous cow at the main entrance)
– Being able to sleep-in past 8am since the room was so dark – First ever for me (Mom & dad were extremely pleased!)
– Cooler weather and less humidity compared to Seminyak

When we came back, I just kept saying Ubud, Ubud, Ubud in the hopes that mom & dad would bring me back….well, my wish came true! We were able to spend another couple of days in ‘Paradise’ for me 🙂

Ubud is a Must-See destination when coming to visit Bali. Go there and enjoy the views of the lovely rice paddy terraces, visit the temples and see a traditional Balinese dance show, play with the monkeys at Monkey Forest (beware they have No Fear and will come after you if you have something yummy in hand, or not!), go shopping, meditate, practice yoga, enjoy a savoury Babi Guling (local delicatessen of roast suckling pig) or go for a more healthy/natural fare at the numerous Vegetarian/Vegan/Organic/Raw food spots…

This is when I discovered the joys of eating ‘Salad‘, my other word of the week. It was quite befitting that it would be the complementary word to ‘Ubud’ this week. There are so many great places to eat Veggies here. In general, travelling vegetarians sometimes find it a challenge to find good/healthy Veggy places to fuel up while they’re on the road. This should not be a problem for them here…I had tried salads in the past with boring dressings, but this week I had the pleasure of tasting some of the yummiest green food…who would’ve thought! (Oh! Grandma will be happy to learn that I got her genes for enjoying Olives!)

One cool spot to check out is Sari Organik! Nestled smack in the middle of the rice fields, this place offers delicious food using the freshest ingredients from their organic farm at very affordable prices! Also, enjoy the ~ 1km walk through the rice fields to/from the restaurant…And for all you Stiletto-healed girls out there, just remember to wear comfortable shoes cuz the pathway can be quite narrow and bumpy!

 

Food: *****
Deco/setting: *****
Service: ****
(out of 5 stars)

Restaurant Bodag Maliah
& Sari Organik Center:
0361 – 780 1839 or 972 087
Business hours: 8am to 8pm
http://www.sari-organik.com/

Do you like raisin bread?

28 Sep 2011 Leave a comment

by Little Sumo Girl in Bali, Restos & Food, Travel Tags: , ,

To add a little ‘punch’ to my breakfasts, which normally consists of either Brown toast with Peanut Butter, Weet-Bix, Oatmeal or Yogurt and Fruits, my parents have surprised me with a new addition…Raisin Bread!

I’ve recently had the luxury of tasting different raisin breads. Over time, I’ve been able to develop a very unique technique to eating my raisin bread for maximum tasting pleasure!! It goes without saying that the most exciting part of eating Raisin Bread, is getting a big bite of raisins 🙂

So, my technique consists of holding the nice slice of bread in both hands, and diving full in with your whole body to attack each raisin one at a time. This technique requires precise aim and coordinated control of the jaw to really get the desired ‘Prize’ – THE RAISIN! Once you’re done, you’re left with a Hole-y piece of bread which you can simply discard or pass on to mom, who is used to eating your ‘leftovers’!

It turns out that my special Raisin Bread Eating technique is not my own to brag about, but may actually have been something I inherited in my genes. I recently learned that my great-grandpa used to also eat his raisin bread in this manner. Although, he normally waited til the bread was almost stale and applied this technique so as not to waste any of the yummy raisins…(Dad has asked me to specify that this is great-grandpa on mom’s side…)

Here is a rating of my raisin bread tasting experiment so far:

1) The Forrest Bread from Bali Buddha is yummy with its raisins and a few pieces of chopped walnuts. I normally eat my bread toasted and I found this one a little hard for my liking. The raisins were quite big and chewy, which I liked.
www.balibuddha.biz/

2) The Yoghurt & Raisin Scone from Bali Buddha is very yummy, and quite filling! Unfortunately, due to shape of the scone I cannot really use my special tasting technique!! I found the scone a little on the dry side, but mom says that it’s really delicious with a hot cup of coffee.
www.balibuddha.biz/

3) The Brioche & Raisin from Kayuapi is so far my favorite!! The bread is nice and soft and a little bit sweet. Even when toasted, I can easily catch each raisin. Personally, I prefer this Brioche not toasted and can eat the entire slice on my own! They also have a Walnut & Raisin bread which I’ve yet to try, but I’ve heard is quite tasty.
http://dps.centrin.net.id/~kayuapi/

Other places on my list to try:
4) Cafe Moka: http://www.indo.com/restaurants/cafemoka/

5) Bali Bakery: http://www.balibakery.com/

Tip 1: Please make sure to taste Raisin Bread with an adult close by – especially if you are planning to use my technique!… You never know when one of those tasty raisins may get stuck in your throat! That would really ruin your tasting pleasure!

Tip 2: I highly recommend a little butter on toasted raisin bread…It brings out the yummy sweetness of the raisins! Note that I’m a fan of butter – I inherited that gene from dad!

Resto Review: Rumours

13 Jun 2011 Leave a comment

by Little Sumo Girl in Bali, Fun Spots, Restos & Food, Travel

June 12, 2011: Went for a simple friday night family dinner. We were originally going to another BBQ spot to have some ribs…mmmm, yummy! Even  for someone who doesn’t have all her teeth. Unfortunately, they did not have a high-chair for me, so we decided to try ‘Rumours’, a popular restaurant on the busy strip on Jalan Oberoi.

They have security guards directing traffic on both sides of the street, since the parking lot is across from the restaurant. It may seem like overkill to have people directing traffic for a restaurant, but when you see the traffic on Oberoi, you will understand why this is handy, and almost essential if you’re a resto owner on this strip.

While still riding on the motorbike, we were able to quickly confirm that they had a high-chair for me, before turning into the parking lot. Ah, this is one practical side of having open-concept restaurants in Bali – you can just shut out to the staff from the street! Maybe next time, I can order my drink and appetizers from the street before getting into the resto! Boy, I’m starting to get lazy now that we’ve been living in Bali.

As usual, it was already passed my dinner time, so dad quickly skimmed through the menu to order my meal first, while mom was putting me into the high-chair. I don’t know what they’re so afraid of, it’s not like I’m a two-year who’s going to throw a temper tantrum in public!! This has only happened a few times, and only at home (They may beg to differ though!). Luckily, they brought us some bread with garlic butter to keep me busy!

Apparently, the price for a beer here is so much cheaper compared to other places. So my parents felt they had no choice but to order 2 Heineken’s – it’s too bad I still can’t taste beer –  it looks quite refreshing. At least, I get to do a chin-chin with them with my glass of water!

My baked Eggplant Parmigiana arrived quite quickly and was very tasty. The portion was generous, but could’ve been a little warmer for mom & dad’s liking. However, for me it was just warm enough so I could eat quickly 🙂

Dad ordered the grilled chicken steak with veggies, which I had to taste of course. The chicken was tender, but unfortunately the veggies were not cooked enough for my 7-teeth chewing structure 😦 Boy, I can’t wait to have my molars out! Mom ordered the Special Rumours Sirloin steak, which is quite rare for her. Again, the meat was a little tough for me, but she seemed to enjoy it. But please bring on the creamy-buttery mashed potatoes from her plate 🙂

The mashed potatoes ended up being my dessert!! I liked them so much that the next morning, when I woke up, I was already salivating. Then, when I went down for breakfast, the first word that came out of my mouth was : PA-TA-TE! (French for Potato)

Food: ****
Deco/setting: ****
Service: ****
(out of 5 stars)

Rumours
Jl.Laksmana No. 100 Oberoi-Seminyak, Kuta, Bali 80361
Phone: 0361-738720-21 Fax: 0361-733269

Previous Older Entries