Come Chinese New Year, members of the family would come home from near or far to sit down together at one big table for the reunion dinner. Unfortunately, this year, Melissa has just left for Sungai Petani some three weeks ago and would not one to go through the hassle of travelling home and going back there again even before “the seat has become warm”, so to speak and my brother and his family overseas have never made the trip round this time of the year. Thus, there were only my parents and my sister, my missus and me this year.
When she was in Penang a couple of weeks ago, my missus bought some pai tee (top hats) shells so I cooked the filling and we had that for the dinner…
She cooked her ngor hiang (five spice meat rolls)…
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…and also this fish fillet and fish maw vegetable combo…
…and this was the steamed chicken and abalone soup that we had…
Even though she doesn’t eat duck, she cooked this lor ark (braised five-spice duck) and eggs…
…for the rest of us to enjoy and she also prepared the salad that we usually have and everybody loves…
All in all, it was a delightful dinner to bid goodbye to the old year and welcome the new one…in the hope that we would be blessed abundantly with health and happiness in the days ahead.
...STILL CRAZY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS! 
Lor ark… looks good …
is it Teochew food?
My mother in law use to make it…
It was VERY tender… My missus is Hakka but we’re Foochow/Melanau…and we’ve eaten lor ark all our lives…and the Hokkiens that I know eat it like that too. I guess we can safely say it’s not Cantonese…, right or not? LOL!!! 😀
Nice food!!!…especially the loh ark… Nom! Nom! Nom! You mean Lucy cooked all these by herself n then cook all those curry n udang masak Asam/lemak etc on d first day too? Aiyor… Kesian Lucy..pengsan!!!
I did the filling for the pai tee – the peeling, shredding, cutting, chopping…and the cooking…a day earlier. Cannot be in the same kitchen with her or we would end up fighting. I would wash and clean as I go along e.g. a spoon or a plate I have used and would like to use again…while she would take a new one so you can see all the things piling up in the kitchen among a whole lot of other things. I would not even want to go in – used to nag and nag but not anymore…just leave her to do whatever she wants in whichever way she likes… I just wait for the time to eat. 🙂
hahahaha, I must ask my Quay Lo to read this!! The exact same scene here!! The kitchen used to be our war zone but not so much now that he learn to keep his mouth shut. I like your last sentence “just leave her to do whatever she wants in whichever way she likes… I just wait for the time to eat.”
LOL!!! So I’m not the only one in such a situation then… Phewwww!!!! What a relief! 😉
haha…my hubby is taking that approach otherwise its almost a wartorn zone when he comments how i cook versus his mum or my preference to clean up as i cook.
You prefer that too? Then you’re like me. Ya…better just to keep quiet than to ruffle any feathers.
I’m ur carbon copy! Cannot tahan see d kitchen like a war zone. Simon is okay as he’s also like that but whenever I get him to do something, he sure will screw up as he’s too nervous around me… Lol! I’m a fussy pot.. Must do exactly how I want it to be done!!!
Simon’s a very wise guy… He knows what’s good for him. Muahahahaha!!!! 😀
Aiya didn’t know you missus is Hakka sama Bananaz we could have dance the Haka in Mid-Valley..haha. The Noah’s ooops loh ark gravy is nice to flood the rice & the eggs yummy..hehe. Oh dear Melissa is all alone at the river of farmers.
A good friend of mine took the trouble to drive over to SP to pick her and take her all the way to Penang (island) for the reunion dinner with his family and then send her back late that night – she enjoyed the steamboat and had a lot of fun…and yesterday,Mandy drove over to SP from Butterworth to bring her out for a really sumptuous lunch – you can see the photos of the food on my Facebook wall. I’m so blessed to have such wonderful friends and thanks to them, Melissa didn’t miss out on much, not at all. 🙂
How do you cook the chicken? first you steam it then make it into soup? it looks real nice, like my dad always cook. 🙂 Gong Xi Fa Chai Suituapui! Have a lovely year ahead.
This soup? I think my missus just dumped everything in a bowl and had it steamed… Qong Xi Fa Cai to you and your family too – all the best in the Dragon Year! 🙂
scrumptious dishes for cny!
It was ok – just the few of us so keeping it simple.
I love seeing reunion dinner food pics, and chinese new year photos. Pity this year my CNY celebrations were dampened by some incidents..
Gong xi fa cai over some good food here!
Oh? I was wondering why I have not seen you on Facebook or around here and elsewhere. Hope everything’s ok now…and the rest of the Dragon Year will be a great one for you and Janice and the rest of the family.
Your wife is such a great cook. You are very lucky man Arthur. I am salivating just look at all the yummy dishes especially the lor ark and ngor hiang. I am so homesick now. I wish I can fly home now 😦
Book your tickets for next year – Chinese New Year will be on the 10th of February. Keep your eyes open for any cheap promo fares and grab them quick! Hard to get seats at the last minute and even if you can, it will be VERY expensive. 😦
Gert..come we cry together-gether!
Here…pass you the tissue! Muahahahahaha!!!! 😀
Please tell Lucy, she is a great cook and she did a great job. All the food looks luscious!! Tell her that we both will sure get along well cooking together in the kitchen!! LOL!
You’re messy too? Tsk! Tsk! LOL!!! 😀
Yes, more messy than what you describe about your Lucy. Ask my Quay Lo and he will tell you that if his “LUCY” will sure be the Champion if she takes part in The Most Messy Kitchen competition. LOL!
Oh dear…I wouldn’t want to be in the same kitchen with you either then… 😦
i guess that dinner would mean a (very early) reunion dinner for you.. just love the lor bak, so tempting and so delicious.. and the eggs with the lor ark, i normally only like the eggs and the gravy and not meat, haha~~ 😀
We had it at around 5… Not too early. Many ate at around 2 or 3 especially those who ordered from the restaurants. All had to collect around that time as after then, all the Chinese restaurants in town closed for the festival.
Here’s wishing you and your family a very happy Chinese New Year. May the year ahead brings good health to everyone in your family, abundance of joy and good food! 😛
I super like the fish maw combo and lor ark…looks very yummy 🙂
All good except the pai tee – all too lazy to make their own…so I had to make for everybody. 😦
Hey… The food never stop coming… since everyone is still on holiday mood, there are food each day for display! Really love the dishes you and your missus cook.. something different from here…. GREAT!!
Ya…maybe cos you’re Cantonese and we’re Foochow/Hakka…with Hokkien influences.
Awesome dinner!
We have one together the next time I’m there! =)
You never contact me when you’re in town anymore… 😦
Nice spread. That ngo hiang especially look very tempting!
Would be nicer with a bit more fat instead of all lean meat. Crazy this year! Two weeks before the big day, every morning…all sold out at the market by 8 a.m. especially the pork and chicken. People seem to have so much money these days!
The food looks great and yummy…
Happy CNY…
Thanks…and the same to you and your family.
she’s quite a chef. love the loh ark with eggs but have never tried making it myself. the name sounds like a very technical dish to cook:D
gong hei fatt choy!
I’m glad she knows how to cook it (and pork knuckles) the same way as how I had it since small. I’ve eaten those sold around town…but none of them were the same – not up to the mark! 😦
Your missus cooks well. Thumbs Up for her. Love the ngor hiang and the lor ark. Looks heavenly. Oh, your missus is a Hakka. I thought she is a Foochow.
Nope, abut she can speak Foochow. I’m a Foochow but I cannot speak Foochow…nor Hakka! LOL!!! Ya…send your son over and we’ll fatten him up in no time at all. LOL!!! 😉
like the ngor hiang…craving for meat 😦
so much food! so nice 🙂
On diet again…. So sad, so deprived. Chinese New Year, everybody here usually says…just eat and enjoy – worry about it later. 😉
wow…what a lovely meal. Nice especially the duck
Yes, I loved the duck…but can only eat during CNY when my missus will cook for others – she does not eat duck. 😦
We had it super early, as nearer to the date, everyone will fly off and busy at work. Usually every year we will had it early.
This year, on chinese new year eve, four of us just went out for something simple and quiet dinner and doing shopping. Even shopping mall also quiet, lots shop all closed, like a “dead mall” hahahhahah.