Goodbye London!

One hot humid day in Kuala Lumpur, I decided to leave my job. Some months later, I was in London.

I came to London – a metropolitan city that is full of excitements and very different from Malaysia – culture, lifestyle and weather wise. I was like an impatient kid, couldn’t wait to explore and experience every second! Living far apart from my family means I missed home cooked food. I was glad that I brought along my passion in food.

I made some great friends, Azma, Kristin, Karen….

I met Arnaud, my now husband. My life with a Frenchman began and we started on a journey getting to know a new country, culture, and cuisine. We travelled the world. We both have a common interest in food – he is very much into sweet and I am into savoury. That makes us a great couple!

Then, I started this blog to document recipes and travel. My passion in food grew deeper, the life long learning process has also brought me into the amazing digital world of food and travel photography. A few years later, I wrote my first cookbook – Lemongrass and Ginger: Vibrant Asian Recipes.

We hosted dinners, had wonderful evenings that turned into early mornings. Over the years, we have had enjoyed living near to the Thames river, with an amazing view of Canary Wharf, in a pleasant and tranquil part of London, not far from the beautiful and famous Tower Bridge and just a stone’s throw away from London’s business hub.

All these happened in a decade.

A fantastic opportunity came along and after quick but careful consideration, we decided to go ahead….and we are  moving to Hong Kong!

We travelled together to Hong Kong more than 3 years ago. We were there as tourists just for a short few days before travelling to Japan. I am excited, yet feeling a bit anxious as things will be different and it also means to learn a new city from scratch. But, even before I realise, my curiosity will conquer my anxiousness within seconds!

There is no doubt that I will still continue blogging. In fact, I envisage a lot of interesting things that I will be sharing on my blog. I have no doubt that the food scene in Hong Kong will be awesome! So, less worry for this foodie who lives to eat!

I don’t know how soon my next post will be on here. One thing for sure, you can follow me on Instagram and Facebook as I will update it very frequently.

I am very excited and can’t wait to share with you guys my life and food journey in Hong Kong!

Before I leave the land of Union Jack, I want share a recipe with you guys. It is definitely the dish for this season – Beer, Beef and Mushroom Pie. This hearty dish is a great representation of the United Kingdom. Apart from Sausage & Mash and Fish & Chips, I guess this is one of my favourites that never fails to put a smile on my face!

Well, I will miss this dish but one thing I know, no matter where I am, if I crave for it, I can easily make it at home.

Beer, Beef and Mushroom Pie

Yield: 2 persons

Ingredients:

450g beef chuck steak, trimmed, cut into 3cm pieces
salt and pepper
2 tbsp flour
2 tbsp olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled, chopped
2 celery, roughly chopped
150ml beef stock
200ml Guinness
100g small button mushrooms, cleaned and keep whole
1 sheet ready-rolled puff pastry
1 egg, lightly beaten

Directions:

1. Place the beef in a shallow dish, add the flour, toss to coat. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large saucepan over high heat. Cook the beef in batches, for 4 to 5 minutes or until browned. Transfer to a plate. Set aside.

2. Heat the remaining oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, cook for about 7-8 minutes or until softened. Then, and carrots and celery, stirring from time to time, for 5 minutes. Return the beef to pan. Stir to combine. Add stock and Guinness. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low. Simmer, partially covered, for 1 1/2 hours or until beef is tender. One hour into the cooking time, add the mushrooms, stir to combine and continue to simmer until the end of the cooking time. Set aside to cool.

3. Preheat oven to 200°C. Spoon mixture into pie dish of 22cm. Top with pastry, trimming excess. Brush pastry with egg. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden.