Gee! It has been three weeks since New Year’s Eve…and before we know it, it will be Chinese New Year already. Gosh!!! Time does fly, doesn’t it?
We had just got back from New Zealand before Christmas but my missus did cook a few dishes – chicken curry and stuff like that and we invited my in-laws over to join us, just a simple and quiet affair. A week later, we decided to have steamboat to usher in the new year, 2013…
For one thing, my daughter loves it and for another, it certainly entailed a lot less preparation and hassle. All it took was to get ready some of the stuff…
…depending on what each and everyone liked…
…and include some vegetables and daun sup (Chinese celery) as well…
…and some tung hoon (glass noodles) too…
…and throw everything into the stock and wait for it to boil…
Once it had started boiling, we could dig in already…
…and eat to our hearts’ content.
I wonder what we’ll do for Chinese New Year’s Eve – probably not steamboat again but we may have that for Chap Goh Meh or perhaps, we’ll have popiah instead. We’ll see about that when the time comes…
...STILL CRAZY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS! 
the sad thing is that after chinese new year, there won’t be any more public holidays for us in kl until May! 😀
Ah yes! Poor thing! At least in Sarawak, we still have Good Friday. 😉
what a full packed dish that is!
there’a a lot of ingredients and i think it was prefectly done
That’s the whole idea with steamboat – just throw anything and everything in! 🙂
well chinese new year isn’t that big here in the philipppine or in most regions maybe but i guess my aunt will give us some sticky rice cake she does that every year
Your aunt’s Chinese? I met someone in Wellington – Filipino Chinese. She’s Hokkien and I can speck the dialect – not exactly the same but quite similar.
Yummy steamboat! Its nice to have steamboat when you have enough head counts….most days its just the hubster and I, making a steamboat meal quite technical to prepare since we can’t have too much variety.
Ya…even for the three of us – it is hard to prepare the exact amount but no matter, at the end of it all, we just dumped everything into the remaining stock and boiled…and we had that for soup the next day. Leave out the vegetables though or they will become overcooked and soggy – not nice.
Wow Arthur! Looking at the steamboat photos really me make feel that CNY is at the doorstep! What went into the soup base?
Just (pork) bone stock, boiled for some time with a bit of ginger and garlic. I prefer clear soup to tom yam…and my daughter is not a fan of the herbal soup they have at some places. Chinese New Year isn’t that far away – 3 weeks? Gosh! Time does fly!
We hardly have steamboat here. My husband just don’t appreciates it. He just can’t understand why we boil our food 🙂 He said it is tasteless!! I don’t mind having it especially in this cold winter.
Yes, best for cold weather. Maybe you can try tom yam stock instead? Boiling is, in fact, very healthy.
very nice..
I think my MIL will make some steamboat during the CNY…
So Vincent Tan got sponsor you anything to you?
Just a bit the other day…for our New Year’s Eve steamboat… Not enough to fly to KL. Muahahahahaha!!!! 😀
Steamboat is a fun way to share food with the family and friends. 🙂
It symbolises unity – same as yee sang and I think it is much nicer too!
i have steamboat for CNY reunion dinner every year since like more than 10 years ago.. and i think i rarely have steamboat other than CNY period, why?? because it will be a few days of steamboat back-to-back during CNY to clear the things, haha~~ 😀
Prepare the ingredients according to the number of people – no need to go overboard. We will not have steamboat for CNY Eve as we would have cooked so many things, so much for the next few days – so we would have those…and also serve to guests who care to drop by. We may have steamboat for Chap Goh Meh or when having friends over, whatever the occasion.
we have been having steamboat on CNY eve for many years! cos mami is not that kind who can cook up a storm! so steamboat will do!
Well, my missus would – so no steamboat for us on CNY Eve…
When I was a kid, I used to go to this Rejang Park restaurant or restaurants around SIbu CIvic Centre for a simple RM30 steamboat for the whole family. These days, one goes to Shabu-Shabu for a nice steamboat. In KL, it seems that this eating culture is very much liked. People need to queue for a steamboat meal! Sukiya restaurant, Shabu One and many others. Did you try any of the restaurant version?
I’ve had at the shabu-shabu places – expensive and not that great – as you said, lots of msg….and also the steamboat buffet at the bus terminal – very cheap ingredients, they give…and the place at Rejang Park (used to be at Civic Centre long ago) – the last time we went, I did not think it was all that great…and New Capital, also long time ago. All in all, I still think it is nicer to have one’s own at home…and it’s cheaper too.
Arthur, steamboat is the most practical thing ever! When I was a kid, I did not like steamboat very much until much later. My only complaint about eating steamboat at the restaurant is that they put too much msg and I end up very thirsty after that. So it is best to do it at home, Do you still have your reunion at home? Ever since my grandpa passed away, we have “outsourced” the reunion dinner to the hotel. So, I very much miss the old atmosphere of a home reunion dinner.
Yes, that’s the problem with the ones outside…even at the shabu-shabu places. So much msg…and not much condiments – unless you keep ordering the sets and they do not come cheap. Not difficult, just have it at home – a whole lot better this way.
Wow, a lot of ingredients in your steamboat and I can tell the soup must be super sweet & nice. Good idea to have it this coming CNY Eve.
Yes, that’s what I like about steamboat at home. You keep eating and keep dumping things in…and it gets sweeter and sweeter…and that’s not from the high msg content in steamboats at the shops. Best!
Steamboat shiok for the rainy weather!
It’s ok for us – my dining area is air-conditioned… Can have anytime, rain or shine. 😉
Bet your air-con is blowing full blast else you’ll be steamed haha
Steamed or not, every day full blast one… I spend a lot on electricity every month – no point suffering, living in discomfort – can’t bring to the grave…so might as well enjoy the fullest while still can.
Aiyo my cave quite cooling, sometimes freezing so no air-con installed, even fan not switch on during bed time. Electricity bill ave RM40 per month. Poor Bananaz can’t afford big bills have to jitmat lar
Waiyor…so cheap! Must be billionaire lah you, saving all that money.
Talking about CNY eve, my sister in law came by the other night to discuss what dishes to be served… As usual, I will do the minimum while she cooks to the maximum.. hahhaa… Though my parents-in-law are not here anymore, I still go back to my in-laws for the CNY eve till the 3rd day… all makan provided! 🙂
So lucky, this daughter-in-law!!! Like that, must give big ang pao, no? 😉
We had steamboat for Christmas and now we are all steamboated out. Simon loves steamboat but I’m not too keen. I don’t know why everytime after having steamboat, i’ll feel very very tired.. hehe. Not sure what I’m going to do for CNY but I’m quite keen to try the Peking duck place that I told you about. Saves me from cooking and the before preparation.
Tired? From eating too much or is it the effect of the msg? They tend to put too much in the stock at eateries outside. At home, we do not use any at all – with all those ingredients, the soup would be sweet and tasty enough. Here, you can’t eat out on Chinese New Year’s Eve – they’re all closed. You can pre-order…but you have to collect – usually around noon. Would be cold and not so nice already by dinnertime.
Nice! Yeah, a good steamboat is a community affair, brings everyone together. However, it has never been a tradition in my family. I’m looking forward to CNY too! 🙂
Mine neither…not on Chinese New Year’s Eve.
I’ve made something similar for my daughter (and my father when my mom was out of town) I just told them it was a bunch of stuff that they liked mixed together… They ate it, and loved it… that didn’t last long. I like ‘Steamboat’ much better and now I’ll have to hunt and see if it’s prepared similar to how I prepare my dish that has similar ingredients.
Lots of veg and mushroom would be nice, if you want it vegetarian. Radish would add a special flavour to it, I think…and tofu (bean curd) and tofu products.
Steamboat..is my all-time favourite,I should have it for my son’s birthday tis week.
Oh? Happy Birthday, Ryan! Wah…growing up fast, eh? 🙂
wah… I m super loving your steamboat… loads of freshly made ingredients! Its so hard to get a good steamboat nowadays outside cos all they serve are loads of processed stuff. My mom also makes a huge spread of steamboat for CNY Eve… sigh.. I missed this since I got married… lol…..
Popiah sounds fabulous to me… I love it! We just had a popiah party with some foodies… 🙂
Ya…all those frozen stuff we can get at the supermarket. I cannot stand the smell…and it gets into the soup. My missus used to love to get those for steamboat till i told her no…no…no!!!! Ya…maybe I’ll have popiah for Chap Goh Meh! Nice, and not not so heavy…
I love steamboat. In fact my whole family enjoys it. But we never had it for chinese new year’s eve. We always have it when everyone is back for a gathering. My mum usually cook up a big meal for the reunion dinner. Lately, we have it at the restaurants as nobody are willing to cook on the eve 🙂
All restaurants here will be closed on Chinese New Year’s Eve…
Oh Really? Things are not the same at Ipoh. New Year’s eve is one of the money making day for most of the restaurant in Ipoh.
Not here. Some will open for the first day of Chinese New Year – kampua noodle stalls especially, knowing that many have come home and are dying to eat – RM10.00 a plate, also people will crowd to the shops to eat, believe it or not!!!
steamboat not bad la. wont be too filling till cannot sleep
Up to you, depending on how much you eat…but you may keep getting the whole night through – too much soup! 😦
I like to have steamboat on rainy days. Very comforting food. I also like to add pork balls 😉
CNY eve…usually MIL will order many types of dish from the restaurants to makan2 at home. And she has already placed her order for this year.
Here, we have to collect by noon and after that, all the restaurants would be closed…and by dinner time, everything would be cold already. Even reheating, it would not be so nice anymore. Usually, we would cook our own.
yalo2….need to collect by noon.
I agree….some dishes the restaurants cook too early..by night..some dishes may be basi leh… Duno them..they like it that way…I just eat only :-p
…and anything deep-fried with sauce would be soggy! Not nice at all anymore. 😦
Steamboat, we all love steamboat. Easy and yummy!
Anytime for this when you’re back in Sibu?
We will normally have steamboat for dinner on the first day of CNY at my PIL’s house.
Ya…they say it’s good – the symbolism…all in the family coming together.
When I saw that bowl in your first picture, I thought, EH, how come my bowl went to Sibu?? hahaha… Long time have not had steamboat. I think should have this one evening with my family. Your steamboat SO SO DELICIOUS!
It was very nice. Wouldn’t mind having that again…and thebest part – it’s healthy – no oil added, no salt, no msg.