Big Hug Burger, SS 15 (and some YouTube thoughts)

Okay, it’s no secret that I’m trying to get more YouTube content out there. It’s something I’ve always been interested in, I want to do documentaries and maybe even a movie so I have to start learning shots, editing, things like that. I got a video tripod the other day so I can have stabilized videos – one of the comments I got was that the captures were very shaky from holding the dSLR using my hand. I also know the audio isn’t very clear and I’m shopping for those battery powered voice packs they use to wire up people before a show. That’s the next thing on my list that I’m going to purchase, hopefully before Sunday as there’s something I want to do then.

I’m also moving house so tomorrow I’ll go and shoot my new place and show the changes as I get the contractors in and what the condo is like. It’s not going to be super furnished since I’m on a bit of a deadline to move in (have been putting it off due to Suboxone withdrawals but I’m so much better now and getting 2-3 hours of sleep NATURALLY each night). I’ll write more about my new place when I start moving, I found out that it’s actually quite near a lot of interesting food places.

…and that was how I found this place. Big Hug Burger is in SS 15 and I actually went over the weekend but I thought I’ll go again when I went to get my condo keys since it was just around the corner. I brought my tripod and dSLR and made a mukbang – the staff were kind enough to turn down the music while I filmed. The burger is HUGE and at RM 24, very worth it. The bill was RM 31 coz I added RM 7 for fries and free flow drinks.

I love how they carry Coke Zero here. A lot of places, even McDonald’s and mamaks don’t carry Diet Coke or Coke Zero and that’s bad. I think the awareness of sugar is lacking in Malaysians. Don’t look at me like that, I’m not one of those SUGAR IS EVIL tree huggers, I just think you shouldn’t consume calories in drinks. Sugar is very calorifically dense e.g. it will make you fat. Why would you want to *drink* sugar when you can eat it in the form of chocolates, desserts etc. I much prefer to eat my sugar so all the soda I drink nowadays is calorie free (yes, these diet/light sodas are actually zero calorie so you don’t have to feel bad about drinking them).

Knowing that, I can’t go back to regular Coke or regular sodas. The sugar content just puts me off coz I know I can get a similar (close enough) taste without having to consume that much sugar. Again, sugar isn’t bad or evil, it just makes you fat, so why drink your calorie allowance? Wouldn’t you rather eat an ice cream instead? I have to admit that I’m not immune to the charms of a sugar packed Iced Milo with lots of sweetened condensed milk but I’m trying to get into better shape now and to have a nice body, you need to give up certain things. Sugar is one of the things I’m giving up so it’s only zero calorie sodas for me from now on! It’s good stuff, I actually prefer the taste of the milder sweetness level.

CaliBurger, Sunway Pyramid

CaliBurger

CaliBurger is Southern California burger chain that just recently opened in Sunway Pyramid. I say “just recently” but I honestly don’t know when they started. I’ve been to a weird US-based chain called Miami Grill at the same mall with my better half and told her it was co-owned by Pitbull (the singer). It wasn’t really good and I fully expect CaliBurger to be mediocre too but I thought I’ll check out the burgers.

CaliBurger Malaysia

I thought CaliBurger fits in nicely as a “higher end fast food” chain. The pricing is slightly lower than Wendy’s. I like Wendy’s (their chilli is awesome) but the price for a burger set is about 2-3 times what McDonalds or Burger King offers. CaliBurger seems to be positioned below Wendy’s and above Maccas and BK. It filters out the huge families and students, who will naturally gravitate more towards the cheaper options which can make it a better dining option.

Chipotle BBQ Chicken Sandwich (RM 14.90)

Chipotle BBQ Chicken Sandwich

I actually wanted a beef burger but CaliBurger ran out of beef. I went with the chicken option instead, fully prepared to dislike it. However, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the chicken is actually real chicken breast. It’s not reconstituted and reformulated chicken like other fast food places but a real slice of chicken breast. That’s pretty awesome.

Cali Milkshake (RM 9.96)

Cali Milkshake

CaliBurger has a lot of milkshake options and I went with the Bubblegum. No, they don’t have spiked milkshakes with alcohol in Malaysia. The flavoring came out of a bottle which was disappointing. I don’t know why I even tried to hope that a flavor called “Bubblegum” would be natural. It was still pretty bomb ass though. The milkshake is creamier than most, reminded me of the dairy (small shop) opposite my homestay in Christchurch, NZ.

CaliBurger Sunway

I’m actually moving to the Subang area so I might pop over more often in the future. I was on my way back from meeting my lawyer and wanted to grab something to eat so I came to CaliBurger. I really like the fries from Wendy’s since they’re natural (not reformed) and comes with skin on but Wendy’s pricing is a little iffy – I could (nearly) eat fast casual like TGIF or Chilli’s instead. CaliBurger seems to have a more reasonable price point with decent enough food.

Ramen burger + short mention

ramen burger

This is a homemade ramen burger that my better half made for me during our anniversary. It’s not burger in ramen but the other way round – the bun in the burger is substituted with ramen noodles! Thus, the patty is encased in ramen noodles instead of a regular burger bun.

ramen

I hear it’s all the rage and she managed to do it on her first attempt. You need to cook the ramen noodles, add a bit of the seasoning, and mix an egg inside (once the noodles have cooled) before sealing it in Glad wrap in the fridge overnight for it to set.

ramen burger bun

The ramen burger is delicious! You have to fry the ramen burger after it’s formed and set before using it as a bun replacement. It stayed intact throughout the eating process so I’m very impressed – the “ramen bun” didn’t fall apart. I’ll love to pick her brains and do this again myself during the weekend!

Just writing about it got me hankering for burgers!

Short mention:

It’s difficult to explain. Words just doesn’t do it justice. You’ll be better off watching the video above of two grown men talking in a totally heterosexual manner (one on the porcelain throne, the other submerged in the tub) in an attempt to describe the awesomeness that is the KFC Crazy Crunch. It features Reuben Kang so expect his classic humor to shine through!

There’s a parody out on Facebook by Shaheizy Sam (not sure who this dude is) and I personally don’t think it’s funny but it has gotten a quite a few Likes so maybe different people have a different sense of humor. I apologize in advance for wasting 16 seconds of your time that you’re not going to ever get back (watch the first Germani Network video instead) but it just goes to show – is the KFC Crazy Crunch really that hard to describe?

Hmm…

Deep fried battered burgers!

battered burgers

This is one of the most sinfully delicious finds that I’ve had the pleasure of eating recently. I was at the Langkawi pasar malam and chanced upon this deep fried burger stall.

deep fried burgers

Let me reiterate the awesomeness of that sentence just in case it didn’t quite sink in.

fried burger

It’s an entire burger that’s been dipped in batter before being deep fried in glorious churning oil until it’s golden brown.

deep fried burger

It’s just RM 1.50 but the patties seem to have been sliced in half.

artery clogging

This burger will clog your arteries faster than you can eat it. 🙂

Racks Bar and Baby Backs, Changkat Bukit Bintang

racks bar baby backs

I recently went to the newly launched Racks Bar and Baby Backs in Changkat Bukit Bintang for dinner. This place specializes in pork ribs and also has a menu with a plethora of all things porcine.

Racks

I’ve written about this place for Lifestyle Asia – the Nice Racks in Changkat Bukit Bintang article is a piece I did for them as a freelance writer.

The starters

special pigs special blankets

Special pigs in special blankets (RM 24)
The suggestive presentation is intentional. Heh. These are spiced oxfords wrapped in parma ham. Parma ham is a slow dry cured ham from Italy – it takes 12 months to complete and is served uncooked. The result is a sweet slice of heaven with a heavy pork fat aftertaste.

asparagus

Asparagus under prosciutto (RM 22)
The steamed and buttered asparagus gives a little balance to the food pyramid. It’s quite refreshing after all the pork dishes and asparagus is one of the few vegetables I actually like.

angels in parma

Angels in parma (RM 32)
I love oysters and I love Prosciutto di Parma (Parma ham). What could go wrong with a combination of the both? It’s delicious and the spicy sambal on top provides a fusion twist! I’m a bit of a traditionalist when it comes to oysters – I still prefer it au naturale but this is horizon expanding stuff.

peaches n parma

Peaches ‘n’ parma (RM 22)
This is a brilliant implementation that wraps parma ham around fresh peaches before grilling it. The sweet peach juices provides a nice contrast to the savory parma ham. It’s my personal favorite from the appetizers menu.

Racks of Ruin

These shooters comes in a rack of 12 for RM 200 and is also the part of the namesake of the restaurant (in addition to racks of pork).

the molotov

The Molotov
This Shock and Awe shooter is made with vodka, tequila, Jack Daniels and…Tabasco sauce. The last ingredient will leave mere mortals gasping for breath. It’s one of the stronger shooters and it makes sense to put in Tabasco sauce as it masks the copious amounts of alcohol well.

test tube babies

Test Tube Babies
Vodka, peach schnapps and a dash of cranberry. This is to extinguish the fire caused by The Molotov. It’s sweet and a more traditional shooter.

Racks of Ruin

Illusion
The mix of Midori melon, pineapple juice, vodka and run is positively delicious. I think of it as a holiday drink, something to sip while lounging by the beaches.

Mains

cold cut platter

Cut, pickles, jams, mustard and bread (RM 54)
This is a selection of cold cuts with jams and breads (all made in-house). I like the freshly baked bread – it goes very well with their apple-chilli jam and the slivers of cheese and cold cuts provides the savory twist to the sweet jam slathered bread.

Pork Burger

Racks pork burger (RM 28)
Nestled among the buns is a 7 oz juicy home-made patty. The pork patty is juicy and tender, one of the best pork burgers I’ve ever had. Don’t be fooled by the deceptively simple presentation – this is great stuff. The burger has the works, the only beef (smirk) I have with it is crispy bacon. I’m a soggy bacon kinda guy but I’m sure they’ll switch it if you ask.

big bad sandwich

Racks big BAD sandwich (RM 26)
The BAD stands for bacon, avocado and dried tomatoes. The fascinating thing about Racks is that they use their own oven to dry the tomatoes – it’s not something you get off-the-shelf and it shows in the taste. I found the bread a bit too much though but that may be coz I’ve been eating a lot of it in the previous dishes.

Hot And Spicy Pork Ribs

Hot & Spicy Pork Ribs (RM 52 full rack, RM 32 half rack)
The piece de resistance. It reminds me of this pizza place near my campus when I was studying in Melbourne. They make the best hot and spicy pork ribs ever and I’ve struggled to find an equally good one since. This fits the bill. It’s really something you can get your hands into – a sticky, messy but delicious eating experience.

Sweet And Sticky Pork Ribs

Sweet & Sticky Pork Ribs (RM 52 full rack, RM 32 half rack)
This is my favorite dish of the night. It’s the marmalade glaze and scallions that sold it for me. The pork ribs at Racks are slow braised and glazed on the spit for six hours and it shows – the meat literally falls of the bone and melts in your mouth. This comes highly recommended from me – the sweet marmalade sauce complements the pork ribs nicely.

full rack size

Racks Bar and Baby Backs will be coming up with more varieties of pork ribs in the future. I can’t wait to try it – the Sweet & Sticky pork ribs had me craving for more. Thanks for the invite Winnie, Shu Min and Paul! They also have an an all-you-can-drink apple martini breakfast on weekends – just add on RM 48 for free flow drinks. I like how Racks makes their dishes to order and most of the ingredients are made in-house too.

full pork ribs rack

Racks is located beside Finnegan’s on Changkat Bukit Bintang.

Project 3 1/2 Inch: Burgers for brunch

ingredients

I spent a nice weekend lazing around at home with Melody and decided to throw together some burgers for brunch. Well, here at sixthseal.com, all our cooking projects requires a catchy name and an irreverent goal, so this was dubbed Project 3 1/2 Inch – to make a burger that would have a height of at least three and half inches. 🙂

You will need:

Beef burger patties
Unbreaded crab flavored claws (this adds bulk and height, as well as taste)
Six (6) eggs
Burger buns
Arrack Putih (local distilled 50% alcohol)

arrack putih

Melody insists that Arrack Putih (translated as “bai jiu”) is meant for cooking. I vehemently disagree, having had more than my fair share of drinking cheap local liquor. It’s RM 5 – RM 10 for a 640 ml bottle containing 50% distilled liquor that tastes like vodka.

down

I have to applaud the local distilleries for marketing a high proof alcohol that doubles as an excuse for cooking purposes so stay-at-home moms can live in denial about their drinking habits. It’s the local equivalent of “just a nip of the cooking sherry”. 😉

drink

To prove my point, I downed a full glass of the alcohol neat, while Melody had 1/4 an inch of the stuff, also neat. She agreed it tasted like vodka too. This begs the question as to why we’re drinking the cheap stuff and the answer to that is simple…times are hard, my friends. 🙂

thaw

Anyway, after being imbued with some Dutch Courage (or Irish Motivation rather), I fired up the gas stove and heated some oil (coz we used up all the butter in the previous cooking expedition) in a frying pan…before remembering that the beef burger patties weren’t defrosted yet. Thus, we waited 30 minutes for it to thaw out and started with the crab claws.

crab claws

There happened to be some debate about how this should be done. I was in favor of steaming it, which she said was ridiculous since the metal instrument was way too tall for the wok to be of any use.

steam

She was all for boiling it in a pot of water with some salt, since that would not only quick defrost the crab claws but we could turn off the gas and control the heat so it’ll still be warm when the burgers are done.

boil

I agree in principal, but boiling will result in an unacceptable loss in the taste of the crab claws. Still, I went along since the ethanol was kicking in and I was in a cheerful disposition. =D

fry

Thus, with the disarmament peace talks reaching a positive conclusion, the beef burger patties were fried in vegetable oil. We fried four beef patties – two for each of us, while the crab claws were being boiled tasteless. 😉

oil

I’m not much of a health conscious person, which is pretty obvious by the way I live my life, but Melody insisted on lining the plate with tissue paper before putting the beef patties in to soak up the excess oil.

egg

However, there is on thing I excel at – The Ancient Art of Breaking an Egg with One Hand (!!!). =D

This is the sixthseal.com guide to breaking an egg with one hand. It serves no purpose whatsoever, but makes you look like you know what you’re doing in the kitchen. Chicks dig it. 😉

egg trick

Anyway, I soon realized that six (6) eggs would not make a paper thin wrap around the burger patties Ramly burger style due to the volume so I decided to just fry it all and make an omelet of sorts.

swirl egg

The sheer volume of the unborn chicken fetal material was a bit too much for the wok to handle, but I have a trick I learned while frying eggs in primary school (I love eggs!) which basically involves moving the liquid pooled inside the recessed wok out to the sides so it’ll cook faster…

eggs done

…and then use the spatula to move the cooked egg back in so more liquid egg can be displaced into the treasured hot surface area to the sides. It’s called The Swirling Egg Trick (TM). I’ve been doing it for ages. You’ll have an omelet up in no time using this method.

drain

Meanwhile, Melody started draining the crab claws. I didn’t have a strainer but she has some tricks up her sleeves as well, and managed to get the crab claws out. She dropped one into the sink though…

crab claws cooked

Crab claws are actually made of fish meat and flavored with crab flavoring – whatever that is. The flavoring industry has made leaps and bounds in their technology and I’m sure they can make an artificial flavoring that tastes exactly like you. 😉

me cutting

The problem with the kitchen at my place is that there’s really no proper cooking implements to speak of…bread knifes were nowhere to be seen. I tried my hand at cutting through the burger buns with a regular knife…

knife

…which didn’t work out so well,

melody cut

so Melody did the cutting instead.

process

The burger bun was sliced in half, and the beef patties layered on top of fried eggs before everything is topped with crab claws, peppered with…er, pepper, and doused with chilli sauce.

burger

It’s a huge gooey burger, but it tasted delicious!

burger project

It’s 3 1/2 inches. We measured. 🙂

eat

I must admit…I had a bit of a hard time eating it though…

Azza Burger review

azza burger

Azza Burger is not just a mere burger stall, it’s practically an institution here in Kuching. Located at the Kuching Waterfront, this Ramly burger stall caters for drunks and other nocturnal creatures from its notorious open-till-late (or early, depending on how you look at it) hours.

azza burger menu

The most popular burger here is the Special Azza Burger (Semua Ada) which translates to the Special Azza Burger (With Everything). It goes for RM 5 and contains one beef patty, one chicken patty and one sausage wrapped in an egg. It’s very popular with stoners.

azza burger grill

The wait at Azza Burger can be anywhere from 15-30 minutes due to the large amounts of customers patronizing this burger stall. There are seats provided for the wait but most people just wait in the car. I personally like to entertain myself by watching them grill the burgers.

azza burger special

Special Azza Burger is the best thing to order and its value for money at RM 5 coz you get everything (except the kitchen sink) with it. The entire concoction of beef, chicken and sausage is wrapped in an egg like the photo above and slathered with chilli sauce.

azza burger special bite

This is what the Special Azza Burger looks like. Its takeaway only and the burgers are great. I highly recommend the Special Azza Burger with everything on it. It looks like a soggy mess but it tastes great!

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Ringgit McSavers – New Chicken Burger, Orange McFizz, McDonald’s Privilege Card etc

mcringgit savers

Ringgit McSavers comprise of the newly introduced concept of RM 2.50
McDonald’s menu items. Great savings, every day! I’m a big fan of
McDonald’s, as regular readers of this site know. i’m lovin’ it and all
that. 😉

ringgit mcsavers

I had a McAttack just now and went to the nearest McDonald’s to
check out their new Chicken Burger, which I’m told is not the same as a
McChicken. I had also wanted to try out the Orange McFizz.

mcd lime chill promo

I also noticed that they had a new drink out – Lime Chill. It’s
pre-blended and dispensed from one of those juice dispensers they have.
Notice the McDonald’s Privilege Card promotion to the side?

mcd priv front

On the same note, I was offered a loyalty card which they called the i’m lovin’ it Privilege Card. It costs RM 2 and comes in a siren red credit card format.

mcd priv back

Here’s the benefits this loyalty card gives you. I got one just for
fun, there’s not much benefits per se, but it’s well worth the RM 2 if
you eat at McD’s often.

mcd lime chill

Lime Chill is dubbed as The Zesty Thirst Quencher
and is available for RM 3.20 (22 oz) and RM 2.90 (16 oz). It tastes
good…it’s slightly carbonated and the taste is different from mere
lime juice but I can’t quite put my finger on it. It’s definitely
thirst quenching.

The Orange McFizz is made up of two drink combinations:

mcd mcfizz sprite
Sprite

mcd mcfizz oj
Minute Maid Orange Juice

I half expected it to be a Sprite and F&N Orange mix (which will
undoubtedly be mediocre) but to my pleasant surprise, I saw that it was
a mixture of 1/2 Sprite which was then topped up with Minute Maid
Orange Juice.

mcd orange mcfizz

The texture and taste is divine. It’s above the world! The thick
pure fruit juice of Minute Maid was offset by the carbonated fun of
Sprite to make this the King of Thirst Quenchers! The Sprite fizzles up
through the Minute Maid orange juice and the combination came out to be
slightly thick, yet satisfyingly liquid. i’m lovin’ it. 😉

mcd new chicken burger

I also had the aforementioned Chicken Burger, which
is a different menu item from the McChicken, the Chicken McDeluxe and
the Spicy Chicken McDeluxe. Chicken Burger is made from crusty grain
buns and has a great spicy sauce which is unlike any other I’ve tasted
before.

mcd new chicken eaten

Here’s what it looks like. It tastes really great – highly
recommended! The texture of the buns gives it a different zest that
makes this burger one of the greats.

Selamat berbuka puasa to all my Muslim readers. 😉

Nude Crab Burger!

nude crab burger intro

I was intrigued by such a delicacy, which I’m told is a whole deep
fried soft shell crab in a burger. One of my coworkers told me about it
and I’ve been chomping at the bit to try it ever since. We went there
after work last night.

d alif restaurant

The eating establishment that serves nude crab burger is called D’Alif Restoran Sejahtera
and it’s a restaurant by the Kuching Riverside that has crabs as it’s
flagship meal and claims to have invented the nude crab burger.

d alif bb plaza

The readers in KL might be interested to know that nude crab burger
is also available in Bukit Bintang. This establishment opened up a new
outlet at BB from the literature the waiter passed me.

d alif ambience

Back to the restaurant, the place has a nice ambience, two tiered dining areas made to look like a serene rainforest.

d alif rainforest

It’s a good place for dinner; it has an al fresco feeling even
though it’s indoors due to the massive outside ventilation and no
artificial air conditioning.

d alif mud crab

D’ Alif Restaurant also has a live crab display on their premises.
This is not the soft shell variety used in the nude crab burger but mud
crabs, for normal crab cooking. This place specializes in crabs, and
crabs only. You’ll be hard pressed to find a non-crustacean based meal
here.

d alif cordial

I ordered the D’Alif cordial for my drink…its iced rose syrup with a lemon slice inside.

d alif fried rice

This is D’Alif fried rice, which Bernice ordered.

d alif crab delight

Here’s the Crab Delight that we shared – its two deep fried soft
shelled crab on a bed of salad, with Thousand Island dressing liberally
applied.

d alif soft shell

I also ordered Deep Fried Soft Shell crab which says “Tired of
cracking the Crab shell, try our special deep fried fresh Soft Shell
Crab coated with Egg & Flour mix topped up with Thousand Island
Dressing. You can eat the whole crab including the shell”.

d alif crab inside

Indeed you can, the shell can be eaten. Here’s a look at the inside once it’s been bitten into.

nude crab burger

Finally, I present to you, the dish we’ve all been waiting for…Nude Crab Burger!

nude crab burger inside

There is a whole soft-shelled crab inside, as promised.

d alif bernice me

I strongly endorse nude crab burger! *thumbs up* 😉

d alif nude crab burger

Nude Crab Burger – World’s 1st Soft Shell Crab Burger.

KFC Satay Burger

kfc satay burger

KFC Satay Burger is a newly launched product – the latest burger
from the KFC fast food franchise, targeted at local market tastes. I
like the satay fan image behind the logo, it represents the fan satay
sellers use to manually fan the hot charcoal in the past, but they use
auto fans for that nowadays…it’s a trip down nostalgia lane.

satay burger combo cup

I couldn’t resist reviewing something like this of course, so I went
for the KFC Satay burger combo meal. It comes with a free KFC tumbler
and I had the red one. The KFC Satay combo meal comprises of:

1 KFC Satay Burger
1 Potato Wedges (4pcs)
1 Carbonated drink (R)
1 Cool Cup
(available in 4 cool colors)

Hey, don’t look at me like that. I wasn’t the one who wrote it. 😉

satay burger combo

This is what the KFC Satay Combo Meal looks like. I should explain
what satay sauce is at this point – it’s a peanut based sauce, with
predominantly sweet flavors and is used to complement satay, which is
meat skewed on sticks. The satay burger from KFC only retains the satay
sauce and cucumbers as the topping.

kfc satay burger wrapper

The Satay Burger comes in its own wrapping; the easy cone shaped
wrapper that has become the de facto standard nowadays – eat without
getting your hands dirty! You can think of satay sauce as chunky peanut
butter with a less creamy texture and with a saltier aftertaste to it.
It tastes better than it sounds.

satay burger cone

Now, we come to the meat of the matter (excuse the pun). The Satay
burger is basically a Zinger with satay sauce and cucumbers on it.
Honestly, I heard the KFC supervisor on duty say that. 🙂 The cucumber
slices are nice and crisp and I like how the satay sauce tastes like,
although it seems to confuse itself with sambal sometimes.

satay burger messy

It looks kinda messy, but it tastes great.

…and you get a free KFC water tumbler to boot. Mine is red. What’s yours? 😉

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