I guess most of my regular readers would know by now that I am on a low sugar diet and in this connection, I am also on a low carbs diet to avoid those hidden sugars. Well, it doesn’t look too good, I’m afraid and now, I shall have to avoid all red meats, dairy products and all kinds of seafood, except fish, and I have to stick to a low sodium (salt) diet and so on and so forth.
That, of course, means that these days, I can’t just go out and eat anything that tickles my fancy and that was why when we went out for lunch last Sunday, I had to pick a place while the food was on the mild/bland side so as to be more suitable for me.
We dropped by here and I asked for their steamed fish (RM38.00)…
Much to my delight, they had our favourite freshwater fish, the ikan lajong, that I really enjoy a lot. We had not had it since the outbreak of the pandemic and because it is not a seawater fish, they do not have it at my favourite fish & seafood stall near my house.
They said they would cut up the fish and serve us a slice that would be big enough for the three of us and that was exactly what they did. It was very nice, very mild…
…if I did not take too much of the sauce – that was on the salty side, so good with rice or when dipping the fish in it to eat. The meat of the fish was so smooth and silky, no smell whatsoever and so very fresh and sweet. Of course, the high price tag attached to it was expected but personally, I thought it was really worth every sen since we all enjoyed it so much.
Moving on, a long long time ago, during those days when my mum was bedridden, my dad would go and tapao (pack & take away) food from places of his choice in town. This restaurant was one of his regular spots and he would buy this crispy chicken with deep fried onion rings (RM26.00)…
…quite often.
When it was served, suddenly I remembered eating that before and how we used to enjoy it. Somehow or other, all this time, it had completely slipped our minds and that was why we never ordered that.
My girl loved the delightful onion rings…
…and because it was half a chicken, much of it was breast or white meat so it was all right for me to eat.
We also ordered their own-made tofu with chicken and mushroom (RM10.00)…
…and their midin (wild jungle fern) ching chao (RM8.00)…
…and much to my surprise, they have retained to old prices for the last two dishes. I did notice at some other places that meat or seafood dishes would be nothing less than RM20 now and vegetable dishes, a shocking RM15.00.
The total for the food came up to RM82.00 – no, it wasn’t cheap at all but it was worth it considering how we enjoyed all that we had (and there was a bit of the chicken left for us to take home) plus service was great – very prompt and efficient and our orders came pretty fast even though the place was crowded, more or less full with customers coming and going non-stop.
NICE HOUSE RESTAURANT (2.29201,111.82739)…
…is located in the vicinity of the Tunku Osman shops, opposite Rejang Bookstore.
...STILL CRAZY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS! 
Maybe you can start your day with oat porridge.
I resumed to have oats for my breakfast just last week.
I quit oats during the pandemic cos I used a lot of milk if I had oats and I didn’t want to keep going out to get more milk. Yes, I mean the proper oats that you have to cook, rather than those 3-in-1 pour in mug ones.
Don’t know if we have ikan lajong in my little kampung either.
We do have tilapia, patin fish, soon hock, siakap you know all those regular freshwater ones only.
I did read up on oats – so far, I’ve only seen those instant ones here and they’re not good for health, it seems.
Other than that, I’d want milk with my oats and I am supposed to avoid dairy products as well.
Soon Hock is fresh water? We have all those here as well. Lajong is very scarce, not easy to come by.
We were lucky that day!
Those dishes you had look like homecooked food which are to my liking. I guess that steamed fish cost a bomb. Indeed a delightful lunch.
RM38.00 only, very reasonable, if you compare to the pre-pandemic prices but of course, it may depend on the size too…
https://suituapui.wordpress.com/2020/04/07/whole-thing/
Dear Suituapui, I am sorry to hear of your ailments. People of our vintage will mostly have some kind of health problem]. I, too have to avoid fatty meats, not because of cholesterol problems, but an eye problem, believe it or not – age related macular degeneration – something I have never even heard of. Best wishes always
Thanks for your concern and well-wishes. It is good to know of whatever ailments and take all necessary precautions. Indeed, at our age, we should be cutting down on a lot of things – can’t go on eating anything and everything like there is no tomorrow.
My blood sugar and blood pressure are both o.k. but I need to watch my kidneys. Been a problem for a long time – for as long as I can remember, the guys at the massage centres used to tell me I had a problem, my kidneys were weak.
I guess I need to pay more attention to the problem now that I’m a lot older and not overwork them.
God bless, all good wishes to you and all loved ones over there.
The fish looks really nice and for a freshwater fish that does not smell like mud, this must be really great.
Fish that smells of mud are farmed fish, reared in ponds where the water is not flowing…usually very muddy.
Here, we are blessed with the Batang Ai Hydroelectricity Project. They use the HUGE lakes with non-stop flowing water
to rear fish, so very nice, so very fresh…you get them still alive at the market.
Most popular would be the tilapia and also the barramundi, no mud smell at all!!!
Ooohh..onions rings! hee..hee… I remember having a similar dish before and I preferred the onion rings over the chicken! Poor you, no wonder your appetite is not so good these days. Steamed food can be quite tasty too. I like to steam chicken and then drizzle with a hint of soya sauce and sesame oil. If I am a bit more hardworking, I might fry some garlic and sprinkle on top.
My girl ate all the onion rings that day leaving only a few pieces of chicken for us to take home.
I guess I shall just have to get used to steamed chicken these days – breast!!! And no soy sauce – I’m on low salt too!!!
Gosh! Looks like I’m on low everything, so pathetic!!!
Always good to start to take care of what we eat and our health in general. I too sometimes try to avoid the temptations but not not always successful!
I never deprived myself, just enjoyed. Perhaps if I did, I would not be in the situation I’m in right now. Guess it’s payback time!
Yes, at our age, we have some restrictions on our daily diet… that is why I told my kids… now you can eat, eat… don’t diet or refrain… as you know I love desserts, but nowadays I also have to cut down, just in case, cos of family history…
I have stopped eating anything sweet for a long time now so no more nice desserts for me when I dine out. So sad but no choice! Time to pay for all my sins!!!
The steamed fish looks good. Over here, freshwater fish is expensive even before the pandemic. I love fried onion rings and I can finish the whole lot. Some people never have to worry about their diet even at old age. We all have indulged in all the sinful food, so now it is time to cut down lo. After a while, our taste buds will get used to the mild and bland taste.
And by then, when we eat out, we find everything too salty, has too much msg, all not to our liking! Sighhhhh!!!!
Darn, it’s hard to change habits, especially with food, as it’s so personal. I’m sure you’ll find lots of alternatives. It will just take time.
I’m getting used to not eating a lot of things but at times, I do find myself craving for something. So sad that I can no longer eat and enjoy.