About a month ago a friend put me onto organic coconut oil and I’m completely obsessed. I’ve been bathing in the stuff morning and night and it has done wonders for my skin. I’m on a total coconut kick at the moment, and it might be mainly motivated by the impatience for summer to start (smelling like coconuts is a divine way to take a mini break), but at present every man and his dog are touting their health benefits too.  So I’m finding all sorts of ways to introduce coconuts into my daily diet.

 Cocobella is the latest thing to hit the supermarkets around here, and hearing of my current obsession, they sent me their range to try as part of the Nuffnang Product Talk experience. After a hard afternoon photographing up vintage for my upcoming Garage Sale, my glamorous assistant and I decided the break them open and go about the scientific process of giving them a verdict.

I was a bit suspicious about the offering of four varieties. There is coconut straight up, then also blends with mango, pineapple and pink guava.  Given that I was already fast becoming addicted to coconut water, (it makes you feel like you’re on a tropical holiday without going anywhere), I was prepared to risk adding more choices to my selection. However, I needn’t have worried.

Blending coconut juice like this is a bad idea. There is something about the sweetness of the fruit juice and the natural salts in the coconut juice that when combined, kind of tastes like fruity sweat. Sorry for that mental image.  The saving grace for these fruit juice blends comes out of this conversation.

“So when would you mix coconut juice with fruit juices?”

“When you’re making a cocktail I rekon.”

“So how about we top this about with a good measure of Cointreau then?”

“I think you’re onto something there!”

Now that is a do-able flavour!

Interestingly, all the images of celebrities drinking Cocobella, (that did nothing to encourage me, in fact quiet the opposite as I hate being on a trend wagon) when I paid close attention, each of them were drinking the coconut ‘straight up’ version and not the juice blends. Now I know why they approved.  The Cocobella ‘straight up’ was the only one that passed muster for me.  It tastes like it actually might come out of a coconut for a start, and the more you mess around with something, the more likely you are to get it wrong.

I was expecting it to have a really recognisable flavour, something that took me right back to the beach front, but it doesn’t. It is a milder, somewhat sweet sort of taste, that if it didn’t have a picture of a coconut on it, you’d be wracking your brain trying to figure out what you were drinking.

Pros -

• Long life tetra pack with easy open top
• Attractive packaging.
• Good single serving size
• Great health benefits and low calories.
• Perfect pre-mixed juice to make single cocktails with.

Cons - 

• Taste isn’t pleasant (not awful, but not something I’d go out of my way for).
• Tetra pack opening too large to drink from a straw so must be poured into a glass or inelegantly consumed.
• Significantly more expensive than comparable coconut waters available.

So in a nutshell (ha ha!), I’m afraid to say I wont be going out of my way to buy any Cocobella.  If I’m going to spend money on coconut water, I want it to taste heavenly and this was far from it. But it could be that old problem of things that are good for you don’t always taste that way.  Since I’ve been drinking coconut water everyday my skin is even more smooth, illuminated and soft. I’ve even lost a few kilos – but that may just be that it makes me feel summery so I eat better.  My tests are far from scientific.

If you want to try coconut water for yourself, I’d suggest doing your own taste test, because of course we all enjoy different things.  There are several varieties available from Asian supermarkets, and not all waters are created equal. My suggestion with this is not to buy into all the hype. Do you research, conduct your own taste tests and make your own decisions, and for those of you coming into Autumn, turn up the heat, pop on a lei and find a coconut water you love – it’s a great mood enhancer!

*This review was conduct for Nuffnang’s Product Talk *

*Super Kawaii Mama dined as a guest of The Malaysian Kitchen program. All reviews are conducted on a fully transparent, non-paid, no obligation basis. *

When I first began this Malaysian Kitchen Ambassador program, I remember saying something about being all inspired to cook more. That hasn’t changed, but then again, neither has my punishing schedule which is why there is still no food in the house.  After a huge weekend away in Sydney for the Fifties Fair, I came home and hit the ground running without a moment to stop for breath let alone a loaf of bread. When Monday night rolled around and the girls looked at me with hungry eyes, I knew it was time to hit up a Malaysian Kitchen to save me from their appetites.

The last adventure at Penang Inn was moderately successful in terms of getting them to eat dinner. But I did recall that when we’d taken them to Singapore earlier in the year, they’d eaten so much of a certain style of fried chicken I thought they’d burst. I had no idea what it was called, but the hunt was on to find it again.

Heading out for dinner on a Monday night isn’t always advisable, as it turns out that there are a lot of places closed. My lack of preparation was entirely apparent as we drove around, list in hand awaiting an open sign. While the children nawed on the head rests, we pulled up to Rasa Malaya, a simple strip-shop front with only one other customer in sight.

During the drive around I had called ahead to book us a table, and now upon entering, saw why this was funny. This is not the kind of joint you book for, more of a friendly drop in for locals who like me, never stock the pantry.  We were quickly shown to a table and given polite, perfunctory service – no frills.  But all of about 2 minutes later, the food appeared! Considering we were nearly falling off our chairs with hunger, this was an impressive feat.

Wanting to create one of the simple Singapore dining experiences we’d recently had on our family holiday, we chose Chicken Rice, Chicken satay (honestly – these kids and their ‘chicken on a stick’!) Ayam Kapitan (that amazing kind of KFC like fried chicken), a lamb curry with naan bread, and for desert a coconut based creation called Chendol.  Of course we all laughed about eating a “Ken Doll” for dessert, ’cause that’s what you do when you’re 4.

But honestly, the food was great. Fast, fresh, delicious, inexpensive and a typical no-frills hawker style experience.  It is the kind of place I’d go back to over and over for a fast and satisfying meal that will keep me out of the dog house.

Restaurant – Rasa Malaya 272 Blackburn Road, Doncaster East

Ambience – Dark, rudimentary hawker style type of set up. Authentic and traditional Malaysian dress worn by the serving staff. If you’re bringing children and plan on enjoying a leisurely dinner, make sure you have your phone stocked with kids games. They’ll eat and finish so fast you have to keep them entertained while the adults linger.

Average Price for Mains-  $13.00

Value for Money – Very good. The value was great, as was the taste. The super fast service is the perfect solution to when you think you need fast food, but want something with far more substance and loads more flavour.

My tummy says – Thumbs up! Don’t eat alone though as this is food made to be shared.

*Super Kawaii Mama dined as a guest of The Malaysian Kitchen program. All reviews are conducted on a fully transparent, non-paid, no obligation basis. *

My first born just about came out of the womb eating spicy food. Which is no surprise really given that I ADORE it. We used to think to ourselves (quite self-righteously), “What’s all this talk about children being fussy eaters? Ours is so easy!”  But you know what they say about pride coming before a fall – yep, you saw it coming didn’t you. These days Miss 7 now on occasions even complains that her tomato sauce is too spicy; and that’s just the regular supermarket variety. So last week I decided to take my Malaysian Kitchen Ambassador challenge to the frontiers where so many parents fear to tread.  The children in a restaurant scenario.

Given that it was Mr SKM’s birthday (Happy Birthday MR!), we decided to head out for dinner together so no one had to cook… or clean up.  I called up Pennang Inn to make a reservation for the evening, especially asking if the place was child friendly. I smiled at the wait staff’s hesitation as they said, “friendly for how many children?” Yep, good question!  After we got the green light, we headed in for dinner at 6pm, the perfect hour to take children out; that is to say before restaurants get filled with other patrons who might be a little cranky with their antics.

From the street front, Pennang Inn was very unasuming. The kind of unassuming that I’ve driven past possibly 100 times before and never noticed. Neon signage, fairly unadorned interior, a well spaced selection of tables with the stock standard white cloth and cafe style padded chair.  I have to admit, it all screamed “sweet & sour pork!” when I looked through the door. But knowing that I’d been asked to put it to the test, my family ventured up the stairs, BYO case in hand.

First thing we notice is the totally lack of other patrons (but hey, it is 6pm on a week night), but then (and big child win points for this) we are seated at a round table right next to the huge fish tank filled with fan tailed gold fish.  Who needs to bring an iPad to dinner when you can chase those around all night. Second win – realising that children will likely take your arm off at dinner time, each child is presented with a large basket of prawn crackers that they promptly thrust their faces into. Good; quiet menu reading time.

After deciding on a mix of dishes that were marked both spicy and non spicy, we decided to put on our critic hats and see if the “fantastic Chicken” actually was.  We chose a selection of entrees we thought would appeal to the girls; their favourite food in the world being, “chicken on a stick.” So we went with the satays and the BBQ Pork dish. The BBQ Pork was an unexpected selection as so many Malaysian restaurants don’t serve pork (Malaysia being a Muslim country), but I’m told that some restaurants include this to provide a full range of options to their clientele. The “chicken on a stick” lasted all of about two heart beats… okay, so not too spicy for their under developed palettes then.  The entrees didn’t look the most appetising things in the world, but they were defiantly tasty.

When it came to choosing main dishes we wanted to get a selection that reflected true Malaysian choices and gave us both those listed as spicy and those not. So it was Beef Rendang Curry, Fantastic Chicken, Steamed duck with vegetables, Lime and Chilli Calamari and Coconut Rice.  I’d anticipated that the curry and the calamari would be pretty spicy given the little chilli icons on the menu, but no. In fact I’d have to say that the curry was so far beyond mild that it was hard to even pick chilli as one of the ingredients. So bad if you’re a spicy food lover but a winner if you’re trying to feed fussy, hungry children.

The duck, (never my first choice as it is usually very fatty) was exceptional. Flavoursome, lean (this is probably not the gourmet way to eat it but my hips approved) and perfectly complimented with the mushroom selection.  The lime and chilli calamari was by far my favourite and when combined with the coconut rice I knew I’d hit my archillies heel for this restaurant. That coconut rice was so morish! Comforting, delicious and made you feel all warm and tropical; which in a Melbourne winter is a feeling you want to hold on to. The only thing that wasn’t fantastic was the “fantastic chicken”, but I’d suspected that given it’s name we were about to experience dining irony. It was at more of an “Okay chicken”, but I’m sure that doesn’t do much for you in marketing terms.

Restaurant – Penang Inn 1031a Whitehorse Rd, Box Hill

Ambience – Rather stark, suburban cafe restaurant feel. Nothing fancy, just serviceable, clean and friendly.

Average Price for Mains-  $13.00

Value for Money – Very good. With main dishes starting from 10.80 it was an inexpensive dinner out for 4 adults and two children coming it at $104 with three entrees, four large mains, rice and corkage.  It also has to be noted the entertainment factor the staff provided the children, being very chatty and patient with them as they wanted to talk to them the whole night!

My tummy says – Good for a fast and delicious feed. Not for impressing people with a fancy factor, but for a satisfying meal in a very relaxed atmosphere and fast, friendly service.

P.S: Obviously Malaysian food isn’t too spicy for Malaysian children ’cause that would just be silly; but for these soft, fussy Australian girls? It was still a winner.

You know all those gorgeous advertising images of the perfect 50′s housewife? She’s all smiles standing in the kitchen presenting a perfectly trussed roast to her smiling family, all whilst standing in her gleaming kitchen of perfect pastel hues.  You probably think that’s me right? Honestly; it couldn’t be farther from the truth. I really wish sometimes that I was that woman (although I’d much prefer the cook she has hidden in the background), but I know that my passion for cooking has reached a diabolical low this year.

When I was in high school, I loved eating so much that my girlfriend and I would skip classes. Not to sneak out and smoke behind the bike shed like all the rest of the’ naughty’ kids, but to drive down the road to our favourite Thai restaurant and gorge ourselves on Pad Thai and Green Curry Chicken. In fact, I was so enamoured by Asian food that I learnt to cook my Thai food from scratch. No pre-made pastes, but everything ground by hand, spices lovingly simmered to release their flavour. These days the only thing I seem to be simmering is that old standard spaghetti bolognese; and for someone who adores great food this is a sad indictment indeed.

The upshot of this lacklustre attitude has been that we are eating nasty take out more than ever before and I’m struggling to keep my waistline under control. But there is a light at the end of my uninspired tunnel.

Malaysian Kitchen Australia! I can’t even begin to describe how excited I am about this (but I’ll give it a red hot go). In a nutshell, I’ve been given the enviable opportunity to take myself and the Mr out on date nights to all kinds of Malaysian restaurants around Australia and experience the taste sensations! (Gaaah!!) This is perfect for my asian cuisine loving palate because Malaysian cuisine draws strong element from Chinese, Thai and Indian cooking – all in one.

Last Monday we set sail on our culinary adventure with a trip to Laska Me in Liverpool street, Melbourne; (This is actually a little laneway of Bourke street if you’re wondering) and it was a total revelation. Together with Miscellaneous Mum, Cest Christine, Hey Bambini, Carly Findley, Kylie Clark and Writing Loud, I shared the most extraordinary meal. Now, I’m no fabulous food blogger with a wonderfully descriptive gastronomic vocabulary; (I was once known to describe a wine to the winemaker as “sunshiney”), but I’ll do my best.

The entrees were a total surprise, and one dish in particular knocked my socks off! Presented in a shot glass was a single raw oyster immersed in the most incredible herbaceous sauce. Now this may seem a little greedy of me, but I would bring back every oyster loving person I know, and buy the restaurant out of these babies. They were transcendent!  When your poor mouth has sadly gotten used to well below par offerings from your own kitchen, this was like a fireworks display for your senses.

As each dish was presented, the aroma of lemongrass, star anise, coconut and galangal was a heady perfume. It seemed wrong to just eat and talk, and I found myself solemnly choosing each bite with a conscious effort to capture the magic potion that had created it. I can’t really understand why food and I have made strangers of each other this past year, but that evening in Allan Woo’s restaurant, I realised that it was like my palate had been in mourning.

At the close of the meal over tea and sago pudding (why hello!), Allan shared his story with us, and brought to life the tale of Malaysian cuisine and its origins. I sat glued to his every word as he told the history of the country; tales of lust, drama and intrigue. Tales of a country born from many, born from camaraderie and fraternal interests. He told the tale of a young many from a Malaysian village who had come to study in Australia in 1988 and fallen in love with creating the magnificent.

Laska Me is no ordinary, serve it up, push them through, take the cash, kind of joint. It is a hidden gem in the heart of Melbourne, where the chef is a magician and the kitchen team, his apprentices. I didn’t just discover a dish or two I loved, but I rediscovered a passion from which my family will now benefit.

Restaurant – Laksa Me, Shop 1, 16 Liverpool street Melbourne.

Ambience – Simple, cafe style.

Average price for mains – $20.

Value for money – Excellent. Quality ingredients, beautifully presented (not what you’d expect from first look at the simple decor), diverse and delicious menu selection to keep everyone happy, not just standard fare.

My tummy says –

*Super Kawaii Mama dined as a guest of The Malaysian Kitchen program. All reviews are conducted on a fully transparent, non-paid, no obligation basis. *

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You know how sometimes you look through the glass window into the cake section, fighting with yourself over “should I, shouldn’t I?”, then when you finally give in an eat those first few forks fulls, it isn’t at all the sensation you expected?  Not so with Sugadeaux. In fact, if you tried to dream up just how wonderful cake could be, it’s likely you still wouldn’t come close to how endorphin inducing these creations are.

Thanks to a chance meeting on Twitter some time ago, I discovered the delicious world of Sugadeaux, cupcake maestro.  So when I was invited to come and taste the latest range of flavours, I whipped out my cake themed skirt and raced there as fast as I could. And oh boy, were we all in for a treat with five brand new flavours about to spark our senses.

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Being a food writers event, most everyone came armed with cameras, notebooks, and their tasting faces on. Me, I had my camera, fancy skirt and stupidly happy grin on.

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Blueberry pie cupcakes, topped with an icing creation that tasted like something from The Magic Faraway Tree!

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PB&J were the overwhelming hit of the evening with their salty sweetness, decadent smooshyness and all around groan of pleasure inducing, ways. (Yes, I’m not much on the technical jargon for food blogging, but I know what tastes amazing!)

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The cupcake maestro herself, Jess from Sugadeaux; and me before I went into raptures of delight over my Blueberry Pie.

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Can you tell we’re all on a brilliant sugar high?

I know seeing all this can be pure torture if you’re reading this before you’ve had lunch; but the good news is that Sugadeaux delivers!  You can actually get online to their website and place your order to be delivered to your door (with a bit of lead time).  In fact, you can even try out these exact flavours come April 21st, when they’ll be available in tasting packs.

Midweek cake fest? Yep, life is tough.