It’s amazingly unbelievable how I have been able to make friends with such wonderful people through blogging and I always look forward to meeting them in person. One of them calls herself Quay Po and though we had not met in person before, it was as if we had known each other for a long time. The very generous lady had sent me those Big Dog t-shirts, not once but twice…and they’re so nice and comfortable to use that I’ve been using them again and again. My cousin in KL asked me where I got them from and I proudly replied, “New York!” and noticing the raised eyebrows, I quickly added that my friend bought them for her Quay Lo hubby but they were too small for him so she sent them all to me. Ain’t I lucky?
And my good fortune does not end there. On my trip to KL, I managed to meet THE one and only in person and she took me, my missus and Melissa for dim sum at the Xin Cuisine Chinese restaurant at the Concorde KL. The first time I was there was in 1987 when I was attending the official launching of the new KBSM syllabus for secondary schools in the country at Institut Aminuddin Baki (IAB) at Genting for two weeks and on that Sunday in between, my friends and I took a cab all the way down to KL to this place for the dim sum – it was already widely known then and at that time, the hotel was the Merlin. Quay Po said that they have maintained the high standard of their dim sum and is still as popular today.
There were a number of items not usually served at other dim sum places like this one with smoked duck, for instance…
Ooooo…it was so very nice and as I love anything smoked – smoked ham, smoked bacon or smoked whatever, I really enjoyed it a lot.
The one with rolled bacon was very nice too…
…and there were these siew mai ( dumplings) as well…
*Melissa’s photo*
…and the egg tarts…
…among the many that we ordered from the selections available. That baked pastry in the background was also yummy but I do not know exactly what that was.
Quay Po’s mum had the so-called “phoenix claws” but I’m sure everybody knows by now that I always steer clear of those – no, thank you. I wanted to try their lau sar pao, my favourite when going for dim sum…
…and it left me speechless. After eating that, I don’t think I’ll be ordering that again at my usual dim sum haunts in Sibu. Theirs are definitely a class above the rest.
I did not take any snapshots of the other things that we had as I did want to embarrass Quay Po and her mum. Picture this country bumpkin clicking away at everything with his miserable digicam – it wouldn’t be so bad if it had been an expensive, impressive-looking DSLR, don’t you think? Besides, I would rather spend the time enjoying the sumptuous food and chatting with my new-met friend and her mum who’s just as friendly and nice and a real live wire for somebody in her mid-70s…
Gosh! You will never believe that things that Quay Po gave me. There were simply so many that I’m afraid I will have to blog about them in another post. In the meantime, thanks so very much once again, Quay Po, for the dim sum treat and for everything. Meeting you in person was certainly an honour and a pleasure well worth looking forward to…
...STILL CRAZY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS! 
oh! you got to meet her! Nice!
Those dim sums are really unique, not often we get smoked duck eh 🙂 Must be yummy though!
Ya…was delighted that we got to meet, so nice. The smoked duck dim sum was really good – I loved it the most! Never had anything like it.
yeah, i really think you are a lucky one to know so many people who loves you so much, it’s a bliss!! wow, i didn’t know they serve such nice dimsum, and they are non-halal too.. those with bacon definitely give me a kick early in the morning.. the others look good too!! must go there and try one day.. 🙂
Truly blessed, so many wonderful that I’ve got to know through blogging. People my age would usually have a very limited social circle and live rather depressing lives but not me. So happening! Ya, you should go and try – the dim sum is superb…but dunno the cost though. Probably more expensive than elsewhere…
We love the dim sum there too…one of the better dim sum in town. However,too troublesome to get there especially if from PJ area.
Go in the morning on a Sunday. Traffic will usually get heavier after noon time – pretty quiet as everyone’s sleeping or lazing around at home.
Soon, you will meet all the bloggers that you know!
Well, I haven’t met you yet? When will that be? 😉
The light was too bright in Xin for your digicam you need to dim sum. Nah makes not much of a difference your small compact camera is just as good as any DSLR besides it more handy and fast, point shoot and eat haha. Yup Xin is one of the famous place for good dim sum. Glad you met Quay Po else she no friend you haha.
No lah…DSLR expensive, can flaunt, show off a bit…pretend got gaya like real pro-photographer, take from all different angles and lighting. Digicam, want to take out also malu… We memang already made the date long time before I went to KL one – the same with everybody else. That’s why by the time I went over, almost fully booked already by anyone who cared to meet this sua-koo (wild tortoise) from Sibu… 😉
Ya, next time go meet STP when he comes to KL, include me lah, if I don’t friend you also. hehehehe
LOL!!! He also last minute one… I posted on Facebook that I would be free on Saturday for lunch but there were no takers – no one was interested…so at Mid Valley, I had to resort to desperate measures – sent smses to people…and everyone was busy including Bananaz but he did take the trouble to come over after his meeting and stayed the whole afternoon – so nice of him to take time off his busy schedule. 😉
Sorry lah very rare to face the book didn’t get to see the ‘signal’. Sure to include Quay Po if STP is here again else no friend me haha.
Ya…you fix a date…and Quay Po and I will go – take us for Kajang satay perhaps? Yummmm!!!! So long I’ve not had that!
Yalah, STP macam celebrity, have to “book” him early. I thought can meet him but his schedule was already filled up. Arthur, next time come to KL, please announce early, so we can all “book” you! (I’m no blogger but I’m your ardent blog reader mah, hehehe)
Hahahahaha!!!! Actually, I would be at the hotel all morning as usually I would let my daughter sleep late. Would be available to meet anybody then… No need to book one but I guess everybody else wanted to sleep late on weekends…and weekdays, everyone’s working. 😦
Ahem… not everybody. Hahahahahahaha…I memang sleep daytime. Cannot bukak my eyes past 8am usually. 😦 But if u ask me to come out after 12am-4,5,6am, no problem punya. My hubby oso another hantu…malam berjaga oso.
Too bad… I keep very regular hours – sleep after 9 if I can help it.
Indeed you are a very blessed one!! You have become the icon of Sibu and now famous in the blogging world.. now perhaps you can organize a gathering for all bloggers to come.. I am sure they will look forward to that.. 🙂
Ooi! Don’t push to me! If in Sibu, no problem at all…but who wants to come to Sibu? Nobody! Tsk! Tsk! You people there oprganise…fix a date and I’ll go over and join you all, ok lah. Maybe they do not mind going all the way to Ipoh?
I wonder when we can have a bigger gathering.. the last time i organize, only 4 of us!! No Biz!! So i better disqualified myself as organiser…. but you are different.. you are highly respected by many.. just say the word.. and they will come!! try it!
I’ve been asking people to come for years now and thankfully, Shereen came…and Ivan too…and Yee Ling will come in March or April…..but some people would rather go to Singapore. At best, I would get some coming 1 by 1 – worse than your 4. Tsk! Tsk! 😦
That place must have been really good. Malaysia is known for good food- from what I heard from a church leader who is a Malaysian and from a pastor in Penang. Since you’re a Malaysian and you compliment the food from that place, then maybe this restaurant is just right to be in a hotel. 🙂
It certainly is – nice classy Chinese restaurant among the many food outlets in that classy hotel. Hard Rock Cafe is in the same building by the side.
You are very very welcome 😀 Next time you and family come to KL again, it will a homecook meal from Quay Po and Quay Lo. Book you in advance. Has to be one whole evening okay? I am so happy to see you, Lucy and Melissa enjoyed the dim sum. Frankly, I seldom drive to town because of the jam and I am sure you can tell when I don’t even know how to go from your hotel to Concorde Hotel. Luckily I did not drive to TIMBUKTU!!! ooooo… A Sibu guy got to give direction….. AIYOH!!! “MALU-NYA!!” (embarrassed!!) LOL! By the way, the T-shirts from San Francisco lah not from New York. I have yet to go to New York, probably next trip back to USA, we will plan a trip there to just eat 😀
Oops! Wrong info. San Francisco also ok, same country… LOL!!! No worries about the directions. MOST had problems when they wanted to meet me on my previous visits and I also had to give directions to my cousin (in Cheras) to her mum’s hotel in Bukit Bintang that day…and see tomorrow’s post – also somebody who had a problem finding the way but he’s from Penang. Well, you’re from Ipoh, – so, that’s a good excuse.
Actually, I stayed in KL for a year in 1986 and at that time, I used the mini-buses from station to station (50 sen only one way) to learn the directions to here, there and everywhere. That’s why I’m quite familiar with places in KL but much has changed…so sometimes also quite lost. When attending meetings with colleagues from other states, whenever we went out, I would have to be the navigator also…so nothing to be malu about. Hehehehehe!!!!
Would love to go to your house for dinner next time I go KL – anytime better than any place in town, I’m sure.
Goodness..I’ll be so stressed if you are coming for dinner in my place.You very high class one with exquisite taste!!!!7 hari 7 malam hv to prepare one..hahaha.
Nasib bukan seribu satu malam… Wink! Wink! LOL!!! 😀 No lah…I’m a simple man, kampung boy with simple kampung tastes… You see my post on our Christmas Eve dinner – very simple one. 😉
Shereen… I would kena heart attack if he say wanna makan in my house. Dahlah my food never looks presentable… buat malu aje.
Ummmm….no, thank you. LOL!!! 😀
Ya lo…scary to think STP coming for dinner and eat our cooking as he have very high expectation.
But the Cleff’s Curry Chicken is nice la though am not sure about her negro chicken.
So far I only had her Coke chicken…but it was cold and I was full from dinner… 😦
Yah, looks like your image is changing, AW 🙂 OK, I’d better stand aside, haha! Ciao!
What? What? What image? Still the same…not-so-sui tua pui leh? Come back! Come back! LOL!!! 😀
Oh forget to say, that I should have told you that you are free to click click here and click click there. My family and friends are used to me doing that click click thing already. Don’t always be so humble lah , the photos you took so far have put a lot of photos taken by the DSLR to shame 😀
Shy lah! Not very polite to hold up people when they are all ready to eat… That’s why I will always just click anyhow and leave the rest to luck. Thankfully, most of the time the photos come out all right. And not so polite also when dining with people to be so engrossed in taking photographs instead of socialising…
Someone asked me once whether I have finished with the “food blessing”!
LOL!!! You took a long time? Not surprised… Real pro mah! 😉
the pics look as good as the dim sum….not necessary you need to own a DSLR, compact one also can be as good. by the way, her hubs did not join you all for the dim sum session?
Nope, was looking forward to meeting him too but he wasn’t feeling well – I think he’s such a nice jovial guy. Hope to meet him someday…
Yee Ling, Quay Lo was down with a bad flu, he did not want to pass the virus to Arthur and family and ruin their holiday 😀 in fact it got better but now it got worse because he was working too hard in the kitchen for the Christmas dinner. Next time he is in town, for sure Quay Lo would love to meet him and family. Arthur had just put him into BIG trouble so he is going to give him an earful. LOL!
Oh me oh my! What is it going to be? Clash of the Titans 3? Or Rumble Royale? LOL!!! 😀
Oh dear….he deserves a big pat for his hard work in the kitchen. Hope he is all well by now…Must ask him to take a break from the kitchen..hehehhehe
Yes, the hubby’s so nice… Quay Po and all in the family are all so lucky.
Yalorr… why nid DSLR? Nonid la. Berat only la… to me… the contents is always more important than the pictures. Let’s say you din put up any pics here, i will still come and read what you’ve written. Not an issue to me. Gambar tak cantik pun tak apa. Who am i to judge? My pictures oso I use my phone to take. I dun even use camera to snap the pics. Malas wanna bring the camera around. Buat berat my bag aje. I dun understand why ppl always complain complain about pictures not nice la, blur lah… grrr…entah they really got baca what we tulis or not since all they know is complain complain picture aje tak cantik. Grammar and stuff tak pernah complain pulak… so pelik.
Dunno. I always tell them to go elsewhere – this is not a photography blog so don’t expect professional looking shots. This is not even supposed to be a food blog – more a chronicle of things happening in my life…just that I eat most of the time. LOL!!!
betul tu….if photography blog then lain cerita la…moreover ni sendiri go makan one. Not one of those invites by the restaurant or what
Yalor…want to take photo, take – if good, say good…and if bad, say bad. Not obliged in any way to do them any favours – not even to tell people the name of the place or address or give the GPS or whatever… >.<
Lau Sar Pau? It looks great though I doubt I’ve tried them before? Yums…
You haven’t. They have that at most dim sum places but the difference is in the skin and the rich filling. Some are good, others just so-so…and these are the best! I had TWO!!! 😉
Such a nice friend!! And how come you didn’t tell me you were coming? I would have brought you to go makan too!! I just saw that you went to Mid Valley, that’s SO NEAR my place!! Hmppf.. next time must call me ok!! 😀
Hah!!! I did mention in my blogpost that I would be flying to KL the next day and also in my updates on Facebook. You must have missed those very broad hints I made all over. I was filling in the slots for each day in KL…but there was no taker for Saturday lunch, so there I was proclaiming it to everybody on Facebook…and nobody responded. 😦 I also checked-in each day on Facebook so everyone would know where I was…and nobody said they’d like to meet me where I was. So I just assumed that those who would want to meet me would have taken the initiative to make a date – the rest were not interested… 😦
Saturday mebbe have to find those hippie young things la, Cikgu. Mummy bloggers usually KO-ed on Saturdays with anak’s things and in laws things. I tell u lah…some of us mummies… on Sat morn til nite, dun even go online(like me lah… but i memang owl… daytime memang zzzz wan). Most of us… those working ones… usually curi curi online in office… kakakaka…that is why some mummies lesap-ed on weekends. I think some din notice ur fb stats that day. I oso din know you’re free on Sat for lunch =.= KO-ed til evening. lol.
Doesn’t matter. Not obliged to come and meet if they are busy or they do not feel like it… I guess not everybody’s on Facebook all the time…like me. 😦
Speechless for words when I see the glorious dim sum. You are killing me softly with all those dim sum. Is that bits of lap cheong on the siew mai? A great treat from your blogger friend.
I think so. That one’s very nice too… Slurpssss!!!! LOL!!! 😀
Next time create a distraction and when everyone’s looking the other way, you take a snapshot of what’s on the table. At least we get to salivate at the images. Not all of us are fortunate enough to have a friend like Quay Po. Quay Po, thank you so much for taking care of my cousin!!!!!
Ya, I am indeed fortunate to have a friend like her…and also a cousin like Georgie. Lots of very nice dim sum places in KK, I hear? Hint! Hint! Muahahahahahaha!!!!! 😀
No need DSLR lah. Impressive-looking but leceh to carry around, unless you’re really “into” photography. Glad you’re able to meet so many of your friends while in KL. Btw, Quay Po’s mummy look so robust and elegant 🙂
She certainly is! Believe it or not, she even travelled to Australia on her own not too long ago! Phewwww!!!! Amazing!
You must really start a competition amongst bloggers here in Malaysia, to see which blogger meets the most bloggers for the first time here in Malaysia,,, and I am sure you will be the one winning or clinching that Award of Meeting the most bloggers,, hahahhahaha.
Okay, I shall wait till I really have time to do what you do,now i feel bad at times I don’t have time to blog hop too,, sorry for that at times…………………
No lah! Those bloggers going for events – one time they meet so many fellow-bloggers. Me, I just meet a few each time I go somewhere only…
Ya, I know you’re busy – family comes first, muct work hard, make money to support them – the older the boys grow, the more money they will need. This blogging thing – only when you are free…unless you make tonnes of money from it like some people.
I’d choose to meet up with you and close blogger any day than going for events. Did you know that the day you came to KL and meet me, Annie and Kat the other day… it actually coincide with dono wud Nuffnang Asia Pacific blogger award event. I think Kat and Ling oso got the invite for it?
But they tarak go for the glamorous event… kakakak… chose to go mamak with you instead. And I ditched a sports night event for blogger too. We were so excited to meet up with you again and couldn’t see the surprised look on ur face. Wakakakakakaka…anytime would choose friends than those events. More fun… :DLOL. Unfortunately, me and Kat not so mobile… and anak pulak buas like hell… 😦 Taking public transport is definitely out of the question for me… anak will scream and give me hell. Once is enough… no more… the last time we took LRT with anak alone scares the wits out of me.
I was invited to a food tasting and wine pairing on Saturday and I went out with Annie instead… Anyway, I’m sure they would not want me there – with my missus and daughter in tow. I’ve never used KL’s LRT or monorail… Don’t look user friendly – no problem in Singapore or London.
WOW!!! So nice, you get to meet up with Quay Po and her mum too.
Quay Po looks so trendy and so do her mum. Glad she and you manage to meet up, at least got someone to have breakfast with you on Sunday morning. 🙂
Eh, me not too bad on the direction ya? KL area not a problem for me, but PJ…tsk tsk tsk..a bit confusing. ahhahahhahah
Dim Sum at Concorde looks good. We hardly go to hotel to have dim sum, except that time, we went to Federal Hotel.
That pastry on the egg tart picture, is that Char Siew “sou” at the background.
Love the last picture, everyone are smiling, nice.
This one’s been famous since the 80s. I did not go and try Federal’s when I used to stay nearby as you did not give a good review of it. Of course you know the way in KL well – you used to work in the city. LOL!!! 😀 Yes, Quay Po looks so classy – don;t you think she looks like she’s only in her 30s? Wink! Wink! 😉
Yea, I have been there only once , many years back and I believe it is still halal 🙂 but that lau sar pau is so mouth watering…looks good 🙂 Glad you had a wonderful time with Quay po…great blogger friend 🙂
I certainly did had a great time with her. Such a nice lady = you’ve met before? Bet you would have a lot more to talk about – all your cooking. Yes, the lau sar pao tastes a bit different from the rest – richer and nicer…and not all salted egg taste.
Wah… Quay Po took u for nice dimsum… lucky I just had dimsum about a week ago, or else,my saliva would be dripping. LOL… Haizz… if you tell me two or three years ago that I’d be meeting so many people that I got to know from online today… I’d probably pengsan and never wake up!
Me too! I thought after retirement, I would be left in the lurch, leading a lonely and depressing life. Gee! I’ve never had so many friends…who are not teachers like me! And young ones too…and they’re not my students!! 🙂
The piece with bacon and meat floss, what is it called? I hope someone has jotted down your big hint about the DSLR 😉
Dunno. They were all talking in Cantonese – and that’s Greek to me. And no…no hints! Gee! That expensive thing – I’d be all stressed out worrying that people may snatch it from me or I’d forget and leave it somewhere…and I’d break out in cold sweat trying to get perfect pictures etc… No, thank you. I’d rather keep my sanity.
When you talk about dim sum I can’t help but think of Mandy or rather, Zul’s pet name for her 🙂 anyway, mom and I love eating dim sum as well but I was wondering, is this place halal?
You can always call up and ask… Most hotel restaurants are.
Quay Po is very nice and friendly hor? Easy to chat with 🙂
The rolled bacon looks so yummy leh. Must have been very delicious .
Looks like Melissa and you work hand in hand to snap pic of the dim sum ah.
Yes, why? She is so easy to get along with, frank and open – one would feel very comfortable and very much at ease in her presence even when meeting her for the first time. The bacon was good but between the two, I loved the duck more. Melissa happened to snap a few so I just curi from her lor… 😉
The one rolled in bacon makes me salivate by just looking at the picture. lol! Are those pork floss on top? I’m not sure how you call it. By the way, how nice it is for you to meet one of your blog friends in person and you were able to have lunch together!
Yes, it’s so very nice. The perks that I get from blogging – all the friendships made…since mine is not a money-spinning blog. Yup, that’s meat floss all right…dunno whether it was pork or chicken, probably the later…as hotel restaurants here usually do not serve pork.
STP, I am surprised that there is actually someone bigger than you! But whatever, you are lucky to be smaller otherwise you won’t get those special T-shirt.
I went to that place last year. The dim sum is first class! You are making me very hungry at this hour of the night!
Ah!!! Someone who knows! Yes, the dim sum’s great there – worth dropping by. LOL!!! I’m surprised too that there is somebody bigger than me. You should see my cousin’s face when I told her that and she said in disbelief, “He’s bigger than you???” 😀
wah the dim sum looked quite unique. I’ve never had a smoked duck dumpling before. This is special!
Go! You can go ahead and try. Very established, been around for so long already…and I enjoyed the smoked duck especially… Nice. 🙂
Aiyoh really? I usually don’t check Facebook during the weekends. Maybe that’s why I missed the updates… 😦 Well when is your next trip over? 🙂
Don’t think it will be very soon. You and Saucer come over lah… Grab the cheap Air Asia offers – here, stay at my place, everything free – free airport transfers, free tours, free food…ummmm…shopping, you pay your own. LOL!!! 😀