Invasion of the Aussies

Aussie seems to be the theme dominating the tone of F&B outlets. I recently went to The Daily Grind in Bangsar Shopping Village and was told that the outlet was inspired by a place the owners frequented and really liked in Australia. Delicious is inspired by Aussie eateries and delis that the owner liked to frequent. It apparently is also the reason for the 'rustic' style of the food in the restaurant (I prefer to just think of the food at Delicious as 'rough' rather than 'rustic' but that's me grinding my axe).

But back to my original point about this whole fascination with going Aussie. From my experience a few years back at the KL Hilton's Senses (Aussie Fusion) to my lunch at the Daily Grind (i have a few other bones to grind there but...let's stick to the topic - more on the Daily Grind later), it's hard to have good things to say about Aussie-inspired cuisine.

Yet we have the famous 'Bills' restaurant in Sydney. His Sydney Food cookbook is incredible - amazing photography, yummy ideas especially for breakfast. It all goes great until you get to the Asian-oriental creations. That's when I have to roll my eyes. The decidedly Aussie OTT tone about 'beautiful' and 'fresh' produce feels a bit dated because that's what all chefs will tell you. Honestly, I have yet to meet a chef that advocated using 'old' produce or 'rotting' produce but there you go.






Those who want to take a peek at Sydney Food and do the Malaysian thing(read:copy the recipes) Alexis@The Gardens has a copy - a great distraction whilst you await your coffee and cake.

Then there's Tetsuya, that 'must visit' for any self-respecting gourmet. But then juxtapose that with the mixed culinary bag called Kylie Kwong, and the fondness Curtis Stone (he of Discovery Channels Take Home Chef) displays for making Asian food or Asian flavours, despite um, obviously being better at making the European stuff, and you really have to wonder: WHAT IS SO AMAZING ABOUT AUSSIE CUISINE?

Caveat: I have never been to Australia, but have eaten at some Australian delis in Hong Kong, and the ones known to be inspired by Aust in KL.

Why isn't anyone setting out to open a proper French bistro serving good quality European food with a decent plat du jour and prix fixe menu for LUNCH? Or a nice little Italian trattoria with nice anti-pasti and modest portions of rustic pasta? Heck, I would hanker for a decent spot of pub grub any time - a proper roast beef, or a nice pie, or a simple fish and chips, done well. Of course, all this is available if you are brave enough to venture to KL, but the fact is that most of the eateries coming up are 'daily' eateries (places you can eat at say, for lunch most days) rather than places you would go to for a night out with friends. And they are mostly opening up in places in PJ or bordering PJ, rather than KL.

I don't fault the quality of produce that comes from Australia (great lamb, and beef, as well as good dairy products). And yes, there are lots of talented Aussie chefs cooking in restaurants in London and we seem to see a lot of them on television. And yes, Aussie cuisine in itself has tremendous breadth and range. And I've eaten at one or two Australian-inspired delis in Hong Kong that were quite good (Percy's in Kennedy Town comes to mind).

BUT, something seems to be lost in the translation here in KL. What I've eaten doesn't feel like its Aussie by any stretch of the word when it comes to the quality of the food, or the kind of zing in flavours that one would expect. What you get is Aussie Outside - the look, the concept, and the menu - but none of the execution inside. (the breakfast menu at Delicious, and their ricotta hotcakes being a good example).

It's Lamingtons for the sake of Lamingtons, if you like.

As for the whole 'rustic' look and style being marketed as something different or 'homey', frankly rustic is hardly uniquely Aussie - it's a common thread that runs through all classical cooking. Think Ratatouille. Think La Cucina. Think good-old fashioned English food. Think Swiss food.

And if rustic is supposed to translate to better flavours (as opposed to the conventional Malaysian thinking of 'portions like mom makes it'), then we're not getting rustic either in my view.

Frankly, the Daily Grind and Delicious (and arguably Senses in KL Hilton) are in my view, not a measure of how good Aussie cuisine is, and can be, from what I have eaten, and what I see on TV on 'Surfing the Menu'. Eateries here are but pastiches or homage to a place, or a notion of food, that countless Malaysians, educated in Australia, have of what Australian food is.

I don't care in a sense what the inspiration for the food is, as long as its good and decently priced. but why it is that there always has to be a toss up between indecent quality and decent pricing and indecent pricing and decent quality?

Kedai Roti Tun M @ Pavillion

I must confess to being quite partial to Tun's Bread, even if the prices are in my view, somewhat undemocratic.

My last venture there racked up a bill of RM21 for 1 Escargot, (Cranberry Roll) 1 Magazine (Pain au Chocolat), 1 Pepite Coconut (Coconut Cream Pastry) and 1 Moon (Brioche). Owch.





The problem we have in this country when it comes to deciding if something is expensive and worth paying for, or just plain expensive, is that often we're making the decision in a sort of gastronomic vacuum. Tun's Bread is expensive when compared to say, DeliFrance or even any of your standard mall bread shops like Breadtalk or King's.

But obviously, we are not comparing Rotiboy with Rotiboy here.

The Loaf's Magazine (effectively, their Pain Au Chocolat) is miles above in pastry quality, chocolate quality and taste, compared to what you would eat at DeliFrance (if one even contemplates eating Delifrance pastries except out of desperation). So really, I suppose, it's unfair to expect Rotiboy prices, for a non-Rotiboy standard product.




Magazine aka Pain Au Chocolat - chocolatey, buttery, flaky AND with bite! Not quite your typical Pain Au Chocolat in that sense, but certainly, a unique take on the pastry basic.


But still one can't help but flinch at the price. RM21 for 4 pieces of bread is a lot of moolah to lay out. But I realised that you really can't eat that much of the bread, perhaps because it really is so rich and dense, that you're satisfied with say, two pieces rather than the four air-breads you'd be able to throw back from a routine bakery.



Moon aka Brioche - the hint of orange peel takes it to a new level, like marmalade in your bread, without the squidgyness.

I have been asked what is the difference between Tun's Bread and what's on sale in the standard bakery. Certainly the workmanship and skill that goes into making these breads provides some measure of justification to the heftier price tag. And the high price is also probably justified by the fact that you're eating an obviously richer dough (eggier, more buttery, soft without feeling like its full of air, like many of the local breads, meaning better quality flour is used) and hopefully no improver tossed in. It is very good bread. I suppose Malaysian simply balk at the idea of paying so much for bread, in the way perhaps we'd just not be able to justify RM15 char kuay teow.

One of my favourites is the Pepite Coconut (RM3.80) and I also like the An Pan Cream (also in the region of RM3.80). The Moon Brioche (RM3.80) is also quite good. Alas, the coffee is a serious let down (clearly, we not yet ready for Kedai Kopi Tun M), which makes a case for opting to go take-away and grabbing your caffeine from the Illy next door or popping to La Bodega for your coffee and pastry. Shame because the ambiance at The Loaf is just the place for a pre shopping tete-a-tete or just a break in between marathon retail therapy.

And if you have trouble finding it (as the map at Pavillion is somewhat, useless) - just look for Coach and follow your nose...

Happiness is...a Milkshake

Move over warm puppy...Happiness is a hand-dipped made on the spot chocolate milkshake from Triple O. Another one of those things I'm soooo going to miss...

The Perfect Sunday Morning Breakfast

Last Sunday, I found myself making my way to Pacific Coffee in Hollywood Road, HK for a nice morning cuppa. For some strange reason, here in HK, sleeping on a fold out bed in a tiny room the size of my bathroom at home, I wake up at 830am every morning. Must be vakay.

Anyway, I will update on my food adventures soonest I find the time from all the shopping and eating distractions, and the modest quantities of work that require my attention!

And yes, this was my first doughnut in 5 days. What you don't see is the Vanilla Cake and Powdered Strawberry Filled one in the bag underneath...

The newspaper, a nice cup of coffee (this one had Cream in it, rather than milk natch!) and a doughnut - BLISS!

The Great Doughnut Debate - The Beginning

After much experimenting and a trip to Pavillion, KL, I've finally managed to gather enough 'data' to conduct my great doughnut experiment. Now all that remains is to finish writing-up the dissertation on the subject ('DOH').

Naturally, all that carb has been rotten for the diet, which means I have to double up my efforts to get back onto the wagon. Which has been hard....Temptation is everywhere and most of the time, it is round, with a hole in it....

Day 43: Seeking the Middle Ground

42 days have gone by since I embarked on the crazy healthful ways of fitness guru David Kirsch (aka, The Guru). I've since converted a few people to the diet although I am sure, news that I am going back to eating bread and the odd carb will no doubt make them think I have gone back to joining the rest of the non-Kitsching Plebs. (you know who you are - sugar, white flour, bread and rice and corn and carrot eating people!)

It's going in mini-steps. First bread with kaya and butter (Butter, what is life without thee?). Then oatmeal and cereal. Who knows - I might even boldly venture to the territory of my favourite Kashi Blueberry Flakes cereal!

The truth is, life must go on. Bread must come back into my life and my stomach must be allowed to eat bad white flour, hideously evil sugar, and indisputably nefarious Trans Fats. (the contents of a doughnut what else). Corn, carrots, rice, ice cream, Char Kuay Teow - you can't ban it from your life forever.

And it's really boring to have a blog that says you're going to write about Food and Irreverence but most of the blog is about food that can't be eaten and irreverence that centers around trying to avoid thinking about food!

Moderation of course, is not the message of the Guru but certainly is the message of many of his successful Ultimate New York Body Plan graduates (moi included!). Doughnuts will always be evil, but once in a while, we all have to cross to the dark side.

I am sure I will still be living with the Diet Demon in the many years to come and living in paranoia of my brand new 3 sizes smaller jeans growing tight. But those darned 'you look thinner' compliments have not stopped coming and I suppose, are going to my head!

So while I perhaps will no longer be living with the Diet Demon, searching for that middle ground will definitely be a challenge. But since woman cannot live on protein shakes and steamed vegetables with turkey breasts alone, the Middle Ground I must find.

I have a sneaky feeling its name is 'Exercise'.

Day 38: Feeling the pressure

According to my trusty Microsoft Excel sheet, I have done 38 days on Mr Kirsch's NaZi diet AKA Phase 1. Okay, there were 5 days that conveniently disappeared down the Diet Wormhole (they were doughnut and other bad carb days that are best...not discussed at this point).

Today, will be Day 9, of Round 3. 5 more days to go.

And a bit like my experience in Round 1 (which seems like eons ago), I'm starting to feel the irritation creep in. My mind is playing the same numbers trick on me: why not just go for 10 days and be done with it?

Making the transition to Phase 2 (when 1 carb meal a day is permitted, out of 5 meals you're supposed to eat) has been a mixed bag. When I did transition, I did it with banned food (doughnuts yeah!) and sometimes, I over-did the transition (more than 1 carb meal!). I'm already thinking of cutting back on the length of Phase 2 (mandated 2 weeks) and Phase 3 (Mandated 4 weeks) - in short, I would just rather get back on with life, new jeans not withstanding.

Rigorous planning and religious obsession seems to be the way forward. That's how I survived the first 14 days - obsessing over my microsoft excel sheets with my diet details and shopping requirements scrupulously documented. I got lazy after a while and stopped keeping stats of my budget and planning my meals as religiously. Life, I suppose, got in the way.

Depending on how gung-ho/fired up I feel, I might stick it out to 14. But somehow, I think when 10 beckons, I'll be on Phase 2 and drinking blueberry and banana smoothies, and eating sandwiches...BREAD glorious bread!

DAY...OH I DON'T KNOW WHAT - Curse the Diet Demon

This whole exercise of getting to my target weight has been a semi-misogynistic exercise methinks.

On the one hand, it is nice to be complimented - relatives have noticed that I look less plump...and it is nice to be able to wear those uni jeans all over again.

But most of the time, I have rather mixed feelings. (yeah yeah, is starting to sound like the 'Good Diet Cop, Bad Diet Cop' conversation).

So on the one hand, is positive news to know cannot wear current wardrobe items as all too lose. On the other hand, bad news - must spend money to buy NEW items.

On the one hand, happy to be getting to target weight. On the other hand, concerned about how to go back to NORMAL eating life and really starting to feel annoyed with this diet.

Oh well, it's another 7 Days more to go with the Diet Demon. And I'll just have to keep looking in the mirror and psyching myself up. I thought that putting Krispy Kreme doughnuts on my computer screensaver would just be fun but nope - it just made me hungry. So I'm going to put them on my blog instead...at least I won't be looking at them every day!

Day 25: almost there...

Tomorrow, my Krispy Kreme order, flown in from HK, will be delivered. Which has gotten me into thinking: this means, that really, I can't be 'off' the diet per-se. Got to sort of stick to it and be good.

They say the 2nd time around is a charm. Doing round two of Phase 1 has definitely not been as hard as doing it the first time (no crazy 2 hour exercise every other day for starters). I am a bit nervous about moving to the next phase, especially with my KK order arriving courtesy of Bro...but well, I guess I have to move on at some point. I certainly don't want to be drinking protein shakes and eating egg whites all my life! (I'm sure that's the point of the Guru's wellness philosophy but sometimes, a little too much wellness is...just too much).

Anyway, we'll see how it goes. Meanwhile, I think I have taken to this blogging thing quite seriously. Have got another blog on Food Sense (I think I'll reserve this one for the good things I have to say about food). Check it out.

In the meantime, I am sure the countdown to the end of the strict phase of my diet will not be as...taxing as the last time wherein I couldn't sleep and literally dreamt of food the whole night. And I'm allowing myself to drink coffee again so...

Day 24: Sloggin on...

Day 24 means...Day 24. I've been on a modified version of the original insane 14 day diet by David Kirsch, fitness guru to the Stars (the man makes Victoria Secret's models look good - they wear nothing...he must be...good). No killer 2 hours of exercise every other day and 1 hour of exercise daily for me. But I'm trying to keep it up with the gym.

Some interesting observations since completing the diet. I pooh-poohed a lot of the motivational stuff in the book (the Ultimate New York Body Plan) in the sense that I didn't buy into the 'life transformation' aspect of it. And I certainly wasn't sure if I would feel as ecstatic as he said you would after finishing it.

I must admit, I have been proven wrong on a couple of counts. A few things surprised me including the sense of achievement at having done the diet successfully (albeit, not as perfectly as I would have liked to, but without any cheats except for 1 shot glass of 100 plus a day at the gym). It does provide amazing empowerment. It does make you feel like you can do anything. And it has turned me into an advocate of his diet/food concept for many people I know who have health issues or want to lose weight. And it has made me change my viewpoint on 'crash diet' - although I don't think this was a crash diet.

It does make me a little wistful though - I do not like living as a person who has a Good Diet Cop, Bad Diet Cop perched on opposite sides of my shoulders. Lately, I have been hearing these voices in my head:




Bad Diet Cop: DOUGHNUTS!
Good Diet Cop: Calories!



Bad Diet Cop: CHEEZELS!
Good Diet Cop: 220 calories! That's 30 minutes on the elliptical just for 5 minutes of cheezy gratification.





Bad Diet Cop: Chocolate!
Good Diet Cop: It will all go to your hips! The ones that can now fit into those university jeans!






Bad Diet Cop: I can eat like...3 oreos and that's just 160 calories.
Good Diet Cop: Yes but you know you really want to eat 3 oreos every day...for the whole week...and then what happens?

This conversation will never stop. And certainly I felt rather depressed at the sight of myself trawling supermarket aisles (I am donating a lot of parking money to Bangsar Village and Bangsar Shopping Center these days in parking fees) just looking at the junkfood aisles, reading labels, counting calories, computing how many twisties I can eat without incurring sabotage and...then just feeling very sad.

This is not the transformation I am sure I want. Now, Mr Kirsch says the longer we go without 'bad foods' (and by that he means cookies, junkfood and anything that basically is not steamed without skin and contains nothing but olive oil) the less we will crave them. That has certainly NOT been the conclusion I have arrived at. If anything, I want to eat them even more. If only it weren't for Good Diet Cop...who would probably be a lousy cop because Good Diet Cop does not do coffee and doughnuts. Protein shakes for life does not also seem to be a prescription for a good way to leave the planet. That much Splenda cannot be good for a person.

One does wonder: is life worth living without these bad but so good and yummy things in life? Personally I don't think Mr Kirsch is suggesting that (I think he's being excessively strict because he knows being less than strict means people...slack) but at the same time, it's hard to imagine living my life in Gastronomic Dictatorship, defined by the waistline and the fit of one's jeans.

Arguably, life is too short to not eat well (and well doesn't mean 'well' in the context of pure protein and more vegetables blah blah). Although I suppose more days on the planet does mean more opportunities to experience more gastronomic delight. Perhaps his moderation message would do with some...moderating!

In short...paraphrasing the Duke of Wellington: Eat..and Be Damned

Day 20: A look back at Freedom Day

Tuesday the 24th of July 2007 was Freedom Day...Pig Out Day...Pork Out Day...

It was the day when Carbs were finally allowed to be a part of my life again, albeit for all of 24 hours only.

I faithfully took photographs of all the items I ate up until lunchtime, where it then started to get boring (and to my horror, I actually stopped thinking about food). And the carbs obviously made me blank out because my photos, except for one, didn't get saved onto my phone!

The minute the clock hit 12.01 on Tuesday the 24th of July, I was ready to go crazy. Had a hard time sleeping because I was busy thinking about FOOD, FOOD, FOOD!

But in order to ensure that the measurements were not botched up, I had to not eat until I'd done all my stats. (dieting makes ya obsessive that way I think).

I did find a mood improvement - of course, I was never super cranky but people who worked with me would have found the fuse somewhat short although again, it's not possible to tell if this was just job stress or actual carb-deficiency syndrome working.

I was all ready to poo-poo a lot of Mr Kirsch's findings - that I would not be interested in the calorific, carb-laden, white-flour and sugar overload loves of my life, before I went on his plan. I was definitely ready to poo-poo any suggestion that I would not find coffee had the same effect on me. I mean come on - we're talking COFFEE!

Java, latte, mocha, americano...joe...no way hose...

So I was shocked to discover, that Green Tea had won. Coffee (which was the first thing I had on Freedom Day) did not come with the accompanyment of Hallelujah in the background, like some invisible Starbucks Siren Chorus. In fact, I felt nothing. Neither great deep pleasure at my first cup of coffee in 14 days, or that perk me up that I always felt coffee gave me.

So, could have been a lousy cup of coffee right?

Probably. Thank god I didn't feel the same way about the doughnut...or the 3/4 boiled eggs (YOLK!!!)...or the kaya on toast...or the strawberry doughnut from Starbucks...or the Chocochino doughnut from Big Apple (a surprising winner. But then again, I was a formerly condemned prisoner so...)

Friends were excited about what I had eaten for breakfast with everyone taking a guess at what was the First Freedom Meal (the strawberry snow doughnut and Americano at Starbucks!)

I was however in for more surprises.

Lunch was a fun affair but I was starting to feel this strange feeling that perhaps I only really needed to have ONE freedom meal...as in...I would have been quite happy to eat my diet food at lunch.

BANISH SUCH THOUGHTS. I reminded myself that I was going to go back on the diet again the next day (Maintainence I tell you - it's what REALLY KILLS YOU) and I should eat while I still could. I suppose a sort of 'make hay while the sun shines' sort of mentality.

So, La Manila's Char Kuay Teow and Curry Mee beckoned. I had a lunch buddy so that helped even things out. I even managed to avoid eating cake. Big achievement although perhaps rather self-serving since I knew the birthday dinner I would be attending the next night would feature cake.

Chased the Curry Mee with a latte at Dome. Again, Coffee Emptiness. I was beginning to be really worried. Had I been kidnapped by the Nazi Aliens of Health Food and replaced by some clone that even I did not recognise?

I ended my evening with junk-food extravaganza worthy of 14 days of no saturated fats, no carbs, no alchohol, no sugar...no chips, no corn and no batter...with a greasy meal at Chillis.

CHICKEN CRISPERS.

Sloshed down with a Presidante Margarita to toast my great achievement of 14 days on that insane diet with the crazy amount of exercise. I was almost sad to see the day end - I was too full to eat anything more but dreading the fact that I had promised myself I could get back into the saddle again and do Phase 1 again (without the crazy exercise) but declining all the A,B,C,D,E and F that Mr Kirsch has banned as EVIL.

This post is finally being finished, some 8 days after the fact - and I've finally gotten around to tallying up my calorie count from that faithful day.

Breakfast: 1/2 plate nasi lemak, 2 eggs with yolk, 2 slices of bread with kaya toast, 1/2 strawberry jam doughnut and 1/4 cup American
Estimated calories damage: 400 + 168 + 400 + 200 +10 = 1178 calories

Lunch: 1/2 bowl curry mee, 1/2 plate of Char Kuay Teow
Estimated calorie damage: 400 + 400 = 800 calories

Afternoon tea: Latte
Estimated Calorie Damage: 220 calories (yes, Lattes are that evil!)

Dinner: Chicken Crispers, with fries, and corn on the cob side, with honey mustard dressing, and Presidante Margarita
Precise Calorie Damage: (computed using Chilli's nutrition data) - 2780 calories

TOTAL DAMAGE for 1 Day: 4758 calories

Amount of Exercise required to get rid of all that...(yeah, I'm getting hard core with this guilt trip I can see)

BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) = approximately 1300 calories.
10 minutes on the Elliptical = 80 calories OR 8 calories per minute
To get rid of 3458 calories would require 7.2 hours of exercise at a heart rate of 140-150 beats per minute.

In short, a totally unwise idea to fall off the wagon this dramatically! As a result...this 24 hour eating spree led to a instant weight gain of 1.5 kgs! How, I have no idea. But getting rid of it took me another 6 days on the diet (without the strict exercise).

Moral of the Story: Celebrate with just ONE cheat meal.

Day 13: 24 hours to go!

I have been dreaming of...



BAGEL....



....CURRY MEE...



Chicken Crispers at Chillis...

24 hours to go - one 2 hour workout, 5 more boring meals...and then FREEDOM.

The bad news is, Freedom is only going to last all of 24 hours and I'm feeling torn between stuffing my gills stupid and wondering if my stomach is actually able to take all that food...(especially since I've got so much I want to eat).

But I figure, freedom day is essential to maintain my sanity. You know what they say: everything comes with a string these days. And so it seems Mr Kirsch's diet comes with SUCCESS tied in tandem with MAINTAINANCE.

Although strictly speaking I can do the Maintainance phase, which is only marginally less NaZi than the actual Diet Phase or Phase 1 as they call it, due to my pig out session scheduled on Tuesday and mom's b'day dinner, I shall duly return to Phase 1 (NaZi phase) for a few days. The necessity of it is firstly, Pig Out Day is accompanied by one pig out dinner on Wednesday. Secondly, I hate to admit it but I have become paranoid about the idea of putting it back on. So I figure, after one freedom day, I would have sufficient motivation to keep going for another 2 more weeks for the first Maintainance Phase and then on to the next 4 weeks which are a lot less rigid. And the goal is to create some 'buffer' around the weight loss...in short, lose more, just in case, some of it returns with a vengeance.

(Mr Kirsch reminds us that some deeply unlucky people cannot cheat without seeing the results land on their hips - since I believe myself to be one of those people who gains weight just standing next to a can of whipped cream, I shall not tempt fate.)


Today has felt a bit like the kid waiting for Christmas. I have lots of food waiting for my return to normal life (all 24 hours of it) and I fear that I might send myself into a sugar frenzy. Logically of course there is no rationale reason to think I will never be eating any 'naughty' food again (such as bread and butter pudding, and kueh kodok and Jaffa cakes - all waiting in the fridge for TUESDAY) but someone it feels like that. It feels like...I'm coming out of gastronomic solitary confinement...and I'm going to go stupid for that one day!

I have such a long list of things I want to eat:

Curry puff
Doughnut (from Big Apple in the Curve)
Bread!!! (dammit, no matter what Mr Kirsch says, I can't give up bread...or carbs...they may be bad for us...but life is too short!)
Cake! - I am one of those people cursed with a sweet tooth and a love for all things cream, cheese and butter...preferably all in one place. But then I'll probably not eat cake this time around because there will be cake at my Wednesday Dinner.
Pancakes (white flour!!! - Alexis ones are dreamy)
Nasi Lemak (that I have given up for aeons but probably have put on the list because...well...I'm thinking of food...)
Some horrible greasy fry up...
A strawberry jam doughnut
Coffee! Maybe Mocha Latte...or hell, I would be happy to just drink Americano...any caffeine!
Apple Pie
French fries...the fatter the better!
Quarter Pounder from McDonalds...
A burger from La Bodega with fried egg...onions and CHEESE!
Junk food! (cheezels!!!!)
Nasi Kandar! (okay, not a super priority but...nice too)
Indian rice at Nirwana...(probably a bad idea since I'm really just keen on the salty papadams)

Most of the time, I don't think of my life as deprived of these things. I also do not think I will NEVER be eating this food again. But I find myself now living in this horrible duality of being frightened to eat and yet, wanting to eat. In short, the Good Diet Cop and the Bad Diet Cop are perched on opposite shoulders.

In a way, losing weight is horrible because it puts you in fear state. I don't care about all those people in Mr Kirsch's glowing testimonials who declared they no longer were interested in candy, M&Ms and coffee...

LIFE IS TOO SHORT.

And plus, it really is TOO SHORT to do this crazy diet again. It is too hard, and too not fun (especially the killer exercise sessions).

I am still wondering if I am going to bust my diet at 12.01am Tuesday or wait till brekkie time. I'm leaning on being totally good till Tuesday morning. After all, I have 24 hours...

Day 10: Dem Double Digits

THE LIGHT...IS COMING...

Okay, so my mother made bread and butter pudding today. Not tempted. (she's got some in the freezer for me come TUESDAY!)

So there's tons of leftover fish curry and curried brinjals from last night's little function at the house. Not quite tempted.

I see the light. And I am not budging till I get there.

At least, that's what I keep telling myself.

The exercise hill is another thing altogether. Today was supposed to be a 2 hour day but I simply could not face it. Tu Lan Syndrome was coming back to haunt me. So I decided to give myself the day off. I could hear Mr Kirsch tsk-tsking but the old body simply was not willing to trudge to the gym.

I ended up logging in my time in the evening with zero guilt.

I'm logging in the appointments for Tuesday - it's going to be a veritable day of no work, and mostly eating and no gyming...

I am feeling some trepidations at getting to the end. After buying Mr Kirsch's next book, the Ultimate New York Diet, I am convinced that putting the weight back on is going to be so easy unless I keep up the diet (which I intend to - the modified Phase 2 of it) and the exercise keeps up. And honestly, after 14 days of gastronomic solitary confinement...I just hope I don't eat it all back on Tuesday!...

Day 11...here we come...

Day 9: Not feeling so tough...

I see it....

THE LIGHT....THE LIGHT...

Okay, so Day 9 went by pretty uneventfully except for the niggling feeling that perhaps the exercise was becoming too much in the morning.

My usual 8am tennis session was exhausting and felt like I was trying out for the Marines. It was a really good workout but I was puzzled by why I was feeling quite so winded easily (the rallies were getting longer but...) and my legs felt like lead.

This was making me feel increasingly like perhaps taking a break from the exercise regime (Day 10 would have been another killer 2 hour session) might be the key.

To make things worse, I decided to torment myself by looking at the website of Cold Stone Creameries. I have heard of this company before but I have never tasted their stuff because it's a uniquely American franchise. I looked it up because obviously, a) I am a sadist b) food-sessing (as my friend calls it when I talk about food) has been helpful in getting through these last 2-3 'hill days' c) Mr Kirsch mentioned it in the same breath as one of the loves of my life: Krispy Kreme Doughnuts - it must be tasty in some way!

Boy, does their ice cream look so goood....

Thursday is starting to feel more and more like a sleep-in day.

Day 8: Down Temptation Creek, with no Motivational Paddle

By far, this was the most rock bottom day I had. I was THIS CLOSE to giving up. In desperate need of a motivational pick-up, I visited my fellow sufferer in crime to have lunch.

Eating out is supposedly not encouraged on Mr Kirsch's regime but honestly, I think it makes getting through this whole thing a lot easier. It makes you feel...normal. Like a person.

We had lunch at Manhattan Fish Market - yes, admittedly not the best choice but with careful scrutiny of the menu (something I used to do anyway), you can actually have a not-bad-for-health but most importantly within-the-rules lunch.

We gave detailed instructions to the poor waiter - order went something like this: grilled platter for one, no rice, no chips, salad only, with no carrots (repeat: no carrots) and grilled salmon, no chips, no rice, salad only, no carrots - got it?

Our waiter gamely nodded but when he delivered our food (sans the carrots and with the greens), to our horror, we had forgotten to tell him not to splush any of that gorgeous (okay, I lie - it's not THAT gorgeous, but remember, I haven't seen the sight of dairy for 8 days) garlicky-buttery creamy sauce on our stuff. Fortunately, it didn't actually cover that much of the fish and was the skin side only.

So all through lunch, I bitched about how bored I was with having exercise rule my life. It's not the food that bugs me - I mean, yes it bugs me in terms of limiting my choices but it doesn't REALLY bug me. I was getting to the stage of what the Singaporeans call 'TU LAN'.

TU LAN = something very rude in Hokkien but roughly equates to sick and tired and absolutely fed up to high heaven.

I was fed-up with having to exercise every day. I was bored with the whole situation. And I guess, I was having some of those 'oh, I've already lost a bit of weight...I'm not at my target but I've done pretty well' stage. I was ready to fall off the wagon.

The bitching was good. It was helpful. I felt much better and a lot more motivated. Moral of the story: never do something this crazy, alone!

Day 7: These are a few of my favourite things...

I thought the hill was over and behind me. Evidently not. Woke up this morning with the intention of breaking the gym boredom syndrome by whacking some balls at the tennis backboard.

Yes, I sure picked a lousy day astrologically to do so. 5 minutes into it, I knew it was one of those days, but about 50 times worse. After 20 minutes of confused tennis, wherein my legs moved like jello and my hand-eye coordination was nothing short of pathetic, I gave up.

The night before, I was desperately thinking about all the food I would eat after the 14 days lapsed and simultaneously living in paranoid fear of gaining back whatever weight had taken me a hell of a lot of bloody effort to lose. This eat, no eat conversation is not much fun.

I haven't fallen off the wagon, but I felt quite close to it today.

And I realised, every morning, I have to run the hawker food gauntlet. This little alleyway from my house to the gym in Uptown is basically the neighbourhood hawker stall central so every morning, on my way to the gym (on an empty stomach!) I see people scoffing pan meen, wan tan mee, fried noodles, curry mee...basically lard-carb-oil laden stuff that has both a repulsive effect (calories!) and yet so tempting! (that be the carbs talking).

Things seemed to get a little better in the afternoon after I vented some rage in the office - I'm not quite sure if the venting of my rage helped, or the fact that there was something annoying taking place just gave me ammo to throw all my irritation at a target.

And for the first time, I absolutely had to take an afternoon nap. I was beginning to wonder if the reason why I felt awful was really the whole astrological situation or was it that sip of unadulterated 100 plus I had in the morning before going to the tennis court.

I was beginning to have a very very bad suspicion that...urk, 7 days of low carb, minimal sugar (okay, I allow myself one little cheat - a cup of 100 plus mixed in with a lot of water at the gym on those tough 2 hour days) - was the sudden introduction of sugar into my system what made me go psycho/wobbly in the morning?

I'm putting my money on astrological phenomenon...never-underestimate a Fu Yin...(that's the astrological term)

Passing time has to be the hardest thing on this diet. Passing time not thinking about food. I find a strange consolation in strolling the aisles of supermarkets, looking at the food I CAN'T EAT and watching cookery programs of people making food that, oops, I CAN'T EAT. And I suppose this is the time when having an outrageous imagination can be helpful: I imagine the taste of all the banned food...Imagine eating it...it sounds like torment but it seems to work for me.

I'm not really even that close to the light at the end of the tunnel (that would be like..Day 12, or Day 13...) but I'm already thinking about what I'm going to eat at 12.01AM on the 24th of July - Freedom day!

Ranking high on the list - Starbucks Signature Hot Chocolate...or maybe a Mocha Latte?? Haven't seen the bottom of a coffee cup for 7 days now...




So at 12.01AM the Starbucks at HSBC won't be open. Or maybe it might be. I don't care that I probably won't be able to sleep!

... definitely a disgustingly carb laden but so deliciously bad for health Indomie Goreng will be available, be it at the nearby roach motel mamak, or Bistari in Sri Hartamas (the best Indomie Goreng I've ever had).

Now, proper breakfast on the 24th - that's what I'm really looking forward to. No more protein shakes with flaxseed gunk!! Admittedly, they are very good for me and don't taste quite as foul as one would imagine, but I miss real food. I miss eggs with yolks.

I'm torn between the All Day Breakfast at La Bodega, and a plate of pancakes (carbs! Carbs! sweets! sweets!) at Alexis...and the ultimate...

Kaya on hot buttered toast, with 2 3/4 boiled eggs at my favourite Malaysian kopitiam place: Uncle Lims at the Curve (and the newspaper - perfect!)




Probably a tosai at my favourite Indian restaurant, Nirwana in Bangsar, would be a lot healthier compared to the above choices (but of course, nowhere near as healthy as boiled eggs with turkey...) but I have a feeling I'm going to have a hard time keeping to the health theme after 2 weeks of detox and clean eating.

Then there's LUNCH. Curry mee at La Manila in Midvalley perhaps? Char Kuay Teow at my dad's favourite vendor, Robert's in DU? Or something healthier like a sandwich at Subway? I lurve the Italian BMT. Ah the choices, the choices.





Then there's the 'E' that Mr Kirsch absolutely forbids but which I have decided, life is too short to live without - Extra Sweet. Today I dropped by my favourite bakery/cake spot, Bakerzin to order a cake for someone's birthday. Yes, I was able to stare down the Oreo Cheesecake but that didn't mean I wasn't salivating or thinking about it. Where do I start? Strawberry Jam doughnut at Starbucks for tea? Or a doughnut from the Big Apple in The Curve? (re my love affair with doughnuts, see my post on Krispy Kreme in HK! Ah...we'll always have Hong Kong...)








Anyway, what this all means is (and I suspect that list of my favourite things is going to keep getting longer) I will have to buy Mr Kirsch's new book, the Ultimate New York Diet...

In the meantime, I think that "These are a few of my favourite things" is going to be heard by my neighbours a lot until the 24th...

Death by Diet: On the 7th day of Diet..my Guru Said To Me...

It is Day 6 of my crazy diet (those of you didn't get the email, it's the David Kirsch Ultimate New York Body Plan - notice the lack of the word 'diet' - Mr Kirsch thinks it's a dirty word). Anyway, for those interested...this be it...



And he looks so...nice in the picture. How can such a nice looking person, design such a diabolical diet/exercise fitness regime? On 2nd thoughts, I guess you'd have to be a total NaZi to be able to make women who make a living appearing virtually naked (that's Victoria Secret models) look fabulous.

The diet is Health NaZi to the max: no carrots, no red meat and you only get to eat whatever flies or swims only. And there's the exercise routine: a murderous 2 hours every other day, and 1 hour every day. The gym is starting to feel like home...

It's been an interesting 6 days to say the least. Coffee-deprivation isn't as bad as it would have felt (although if I don't get my daily green tea dose, crankiness starts to hit me at about 6ish) and I have not been 'HUNGRY' - but I certainly have felt deprived.

Highlights of the last 6 days (and no, there will be no STATS provided here...somehow, I'm not quite into sharing THAT much).

Day 1 - An easy day at the gym and I felt pretty okay. But then, it was only Day 1.

Day 2 - the first 'killer day' of the 2 hour workout. I was ready to keel over. But food-wise, was still hanging in there although the chicken and mushroom burgers were starting to feel rather...trying.

Day 3 - Arghhh. To make salmon cakes (Mr Kirsch is also a gourmet cook so he gives you recipes to keep you on track, food-wise), had to buy fish from Jaya Jusco. That meant running the Jaya Jusco GAUNTLET.

Jaya Jusco Gauntlet: the gaggle of food stalls that one has to walk past (and smell and see the food). As I come down the escalator, the first stall I see is the demo stall for Gion Bread...the words "Just One Piece" are flashing through my mind!!!!

I get to the bottom of the escalator, and scoot past the Gion Bread demo people and run straight into the Tako Ball stall....and the bakery with all the sausage bread and pizzas...I keep my head down and scamper on to the supermarket. Damn, the fish is all on the same side as the Jaya Jusco pre-prepared Japanese food...Tempura!...Rice with chicken teriyaki!!! - Unagi with teriyaki sauce dripping off it....honestly this stuff wouldn't get my attention on any day of the week (okay, maybe a 2nd look) but today, it's like...FOOOOOOOD!

And then, the gauntlet has to be repeated, after I have managed to buy my fish!

They don't call it the 3rd Day Hill for nothing!

And to add to the curse, Starbucks has recently introduced Strawberry Jam doughnuts. Arrrghh. What timing.

Day 4 - ugh, the 2 hour session today felt tough. But I felt strangely zippy in the evening. I put it down to the Protein Shakes (not exactly my favourite part of the diet but I've been surprised at how it seems to actually work). But the egg eating is getting to me. I love eggs but not having the yolks is seriously not fun. Mr Kirsch tells us that yolks contain all the calories in an egg so you're only allowed to eat the whites. Diet is starting to feel VERY NAZI at this point...esp when someone eats Oreos in front you!

Went into Starbucks with a friend and SNIFFED the air. This seems to be the only way to get caffeine without drinking it. I felt pretty sad at that point.

Strange dream tonight (could be a psychological thing - my mind trying to tell me something). I dreamt I was having dinner with a friend, and stuffing my face with chocolate cake, margeritas and mashed potatoes! And as my dream alter-ego ate away, my real self (watching in the 3rd person) was horrified at the sight of my dream alter-ego falling off the wagon. It was surreal to say the least.

Day 5 - mood picks up. And i'm feeling a lot better. Which is strange. I expected to feel pretty cranky, hungry, irritable on this diet and I've actually felt more energised - okay, mornings are a killer on my schedule to fit in all that exercise but so far, I haven't felt exhausted to the point of not being able to work. There are the odd moments when something annoying threatens to tip me over the edge and send me ballistic, but green tea actually has a calming effect (or just caffeine substitution).

My mother bakes bread today - the smell of the bread reminds me of my sniffing activities in Starbucks. But strangely enough as it is, just being able to smell it actually makes me feel less deprived. I guess my brain is starting to play tricks in order to get me through this diet!

Day 6 - so far, so good. I've been busy thinking mostly about what I'm going to eat after the 14th day expires (Monday next week) and at the same time, realising, that it might be possible to just totally fall off the wagon and undo all the work of the last 14 days in just one sitting. Clearly, maintaining this thing is going to take as much effort...but I'm only going to think about that...um...next Saturday...Sunday maybe.

Watch this space folks (but em, no...there won't be any before and after pictures)

Can you say 'DOH' Nut

One of the highlights of my trip to HK this time was a visit to that renown American brand institution, Krispy Kreme. Today was Visit #3 and I think I have just about topped out on sugared doughnuts (although quite how they are managing to absolutely make a foul mockery of their Lattes, using Illy coffee is quite beyond me, hence I just order the straight regular coffee)

At HKD10 a pop (or DOH), it's not cheap. 2 doughnuts and a cup of regular coffee sets you back RM15 (around HKD38). And I seem to be on a waistline expanding suicide mission to try all of them - pity they don't have a Krispy Kreme checklist at the website.

So far I've tried Original Glazed (me likee), Powdered Strawberry (me sucker for jelly doughnuts), Glazed Raspberry (nice!), Chocolate Iced Kreme filled (sickly sweet and all 380 calories mean I'm never eating that one again but if you're a creme-eggs person, probably might be your thing), Chocolate Iced Custard Filled (grew on me)...as you can see from the checklist, at least a few more to try out although I think I've DOH-ed out. (or maybe my pocket has). Also, eating it prompts terrible guilt and then the need to sweat it out somehow to compensate for the huge quantity of calories consumed.

Why are Americans fat? Ask uncle Krispy Kreme.

And in case you're wondering what in heaven's name is the appeal - they're soft, fluffy, just the right bite, sugary without being messy and frankly, brilliant with coffee - if only they'd get the god-damned Illy right!

Return of the Supermarket Addict

Found a new supermarket in HK to trawl although I must admit, 360 is not as fun as Olivers. They apparently belong to the same owner but I think my taste runs more in the direction of Olivers and CitySuper - 360 is the brand new as organic as it gets supermarket at Landmark in Central, HK.

Okay, I admit, it would be nice to be able to go totally organik but I'm not sure how many wallets would be able to tolerate that. There is in my most humble gastronomic opinion, a line to be drawn - fresh produce being organik is great but do I want to go as far as say, going organik right down to my car wash, washing up liquid and chocolate chip cookies? (although alledgedly they taste better - the cookies!)

Still I suppose one shouldn't poo-pooh the organic revolution - it is a worthy cause, a good cause and a healthier option food wise. And no doubt the people behind 360 did their market research before committed to the gigantic venture (rent in that place notwithstanding)...

Perhaps another trawl would be merited...

I am a Supermarket Addict

In 36 hours since landing in HK, I've been to my favourite supermarket, City Super in the IFC no less than 4 times. Never buying much but simply gawking at the aisles and contemplating HKD72 dollar puddings and HKD36 dollar Mueller's Yoghurt Corners (outrageous really but...)

Admittedly it is very sad for someone to be spending at least 45 minutes of their time in a supermarket not buying anything but simply gawking at the umpteen different types of butter and the availability of every kind of chocolate under the planet - for those who are wondering what I'm looking at, it's deciding if gourmet chocolate like Michael Cuizel (mentioned in this book called Temptation, a book best described as a 'scholarly look into the world of Chocolate' - you may have heard of wine grand cru - but chocolate grand cru?) is really worth buying or should one go with the now very Establishment-unhip Green and Black (organic but owned by Cadbury - some contradictions there) or perhaps the tried and very very tested Valrhona. Or maybe just save the bucks for something else.

Two items caught my attention:


The Bagels - I have a weakness for bagels. They cost the stupid earth and beyond in KL (seen the price at BSC? - perhaps it is time to learn how to make the little buggers) and are foul and frozen. Fresh ones necessitate a visit to Bagel Station in Avenue K - far too far for a bagel.

Then there was this!

My branding fascination reached new heights with this. Who said Brits are stodgy? THey certainly aren't when it comes to food and food packaging (Innocent smoothies get my vote for starting this trend). The name of course, invokes all manner of the right feelings and sensations, when it comes to deep, dark, sinful, straight of the Menu in Satan's Kitchen chocolate pudding - GU. What a name. Goo. Perfect when you think of chocolate pud, dripping with thick chocolate sauce. And of course, black packaging. Perfect to create that illusion of something exclusive, refined and totally classy. (black clearly, is still the new black, is still the new black) - it's a pity black's conventional association as a clothing colour ("slimming") has zero application when it's used to wrap the mother of all calorific sins....

HKD76 - but damn, can't well have it without some cream poured over it now can you? Memo to self - check out price of microwavable chocolate pud at Marks and Sparks...

Tomorrow - Krispy Kreme and Why Americans are Understandably Obese...