Boddam Chip Shop, Aberdeenshire, Scotland

On our way up to Peterhead to see the Red Arrows, we stopped by at Boddam for our dinner. This coastal village is 3 miles from Peterhead and one of its most famous landmarks is the Buchan Ness Lighthouse.

For dinner, we had fish and chips from Boddam Chip Shop (yup, 3rd time that week cos fish and chips in Scotland is awesome!).

The fish and chips is cooked to order, so expect a 15-20 minute wait. After being served, we headed down to the lighthouse and enjoyed dinner with a gorgeous seascape view.

We had the regular fish supper (haddock fresh from Peterhead market, delivered daily) (£5) which comes with chips. The batter is light and crisp with lovely moist fish, and we enjoyed the chips too. We also had the Haggis pudding (£2.75) which is haggis coated in batter and deep fried while the kids had a portion of scampi each (£4). Everything was well cooked, if we had to nitpick, maybe this was a little greasier than the other ones we've had otherwise an enjoyable meal with great views.

Buchan Ness Lighthouse

Boddam Post Office

Opening times: 4pm to 8pm daily.

Price: Total bill £19.25 for 4 pax.

Location: Boddam Chip Shop, 4 Russell St, Boddam, Peterhead AB42 3NG, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.

Tel: +44 (0)1779 238090





If you enjoyed reading my posts, LIKE me on Facebook! You can also follow me on Instagram (@babysumo) for more photo updates or subscribe to our YouTube channel. Thanks :)

Guest Chef Dan Moon Brings A Taste of Britain to The Ritz-Carlton, Kuala Lumpur

This week, guests will be treated to a taste of Britain by Guest Chef Dan Moon from The Gainsborough Bath Spa in England as part of the signature Guest Chef Dinner Series at The Library at The Ritz-Carlton, Kuala Lumpur.

Award-winning West Country-born Chef Dan is currently Head Chef at Dan Moon at The Gainsborough Restaurant which has been awarded three AA Rosettes. Previously, he was a creative force in the kitchen at a number of renowned restaurants in the UK such as the Hunstrete House, the Homewood Park Hotel, previously known as Von Essen Hotel and Ston Easton Park. He has also achieved numerous awards and accolades including The Caterer’s Acorn Awards as well as the first ever Von Essen Chef of the Year, a title he retained for two years. 

Chef Dan captivated us with his stunning six-course degustation menu at the media preview, exhibiting exquisitely plated dishes made from the freshest produce.

Our meal got off to a great start with the smooth, luscious Chicken liver parfait paired with an orange sorbet. The sweetness of the sorbet pairs well with the liver parfait while the almond granola adds texture to this lovely appetizer. This was paired with the Metala Single Vineyard Shiraz Cabernet from Australia.

Wild mushrooms, pané quail’s egg (aka breaded, deep fried quail's egg), shaved truffles and hazelnut, topped with a silky caramelised onion veloute was served with the Cecchi La Mora Vermentino from Italy. The soup was deliciously earthy, with a subtle aroma from the truffles.

Salmon, air-flown from Loch Fyne in Scotland makes an appearance in Chef Dan's menu. We loved the playful presentation of this dish; just before serving, the salmon is cold-smoked with wood chips and then brought to the diners, covered in glass domes for smoky theatrics.

Beautifully presented, the smoked salmon ballotine is topped with caviar and yuzu pearls, paired with a delicate salmon mousse, horseradish mousseline and capers. There is also an innovative addition of egg in the form of egg flakes, as egg is a classic combination with smoked salmon. An exquisite dish, where the taste combination is greater than the sum of its parts, with the salty caviar and tangy yuzu pearls bursting to release their magic when each mouthful is consumed. Served with the crisp, fruity Ingoldby Chardonnay from South Australia.

At The Gainsborough Restaurant, Chef Dan likes sourcing the best produce he can find from local producers, such as the Creedy Carver free range duck for his signature dish. Over here in Kuala Lumpur, he recreates the dish using French duck breast which is roasted to perfection. Medium rare with a crisp skin, the Asian influences in this dish is apparent as the juicy, tender duck is served with duck leg confit spring roll, a delicious plum puree (made by cooking down fresh plums for 3-4 hours) and garnished with thin slices of fresh plum, sesame seeds, bok choy and duck jus. Very enjoyable. Paired with an elegant, red Italian Fonterutoli Chianti Classico DOCG.

Roasted Duck Breast

In the UK, it is common for a cheese course to follow the mains. The Goat's Curd served with a classic French lavroche with poppy seeds, toasted walnuts, pickled apple and apple puree was lush and dreamy... an absolute treat to savour. Served with the vibrant Huntaway Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand.

Sinful, rich and decadent, the Dark Chocolate Ganache, accompanied by peanut butter mousse, banana ice cream and salted caramel popcorn marks the end of this memorable British gastronomic journey. Paired with the sweet, refreshing KWV Classic Collection Moscato from South Africa.

Menu by Guest Chef Dan Moon

Available from 24 to 27 April 2018 from 7pm until 11pm, the six-course dinner is priced at RM350 nett per person with an option of wine pairing at RM500 nett per person. For reservations and enquiries, please call +60 3 2142 8000 or email dining@ritzcarlton.com.my.




Location: The Library, Level 1, The Ritz-Carlton Kuala Lumpur, 168 Jalan Imbi, 55100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.


Tel: 03-2142 8000

GPS Coordinates: 3.146901, 101.715438

Website: http://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/hotels/malaysia/kuala-lumpur


If you enjoyed reading my posts, LIKE me on Facebook! You can also follow me on Instagram (@babysumo) for more photo updates or subscribe to our YouTube channel. Thanks :)

Recipe: Nachos with Haggis and Guacamole

Who doesn't love nachos? They're great as a snack or finger food at parties.

We had some leftover haggis from our Burn's Night dinner... and we thought it would be brilliant with nachos. Indeed, it worked perfectly well, since nachos usually contains minced meat. So, if you don't have haggis but would like to try this recipe, simply replace with minced meat (ideally beef or lamb).

Nachos with haggis and guacamole

Nachos with a Scottish twist ;)

Check out the short recipe video on our YouTube channel!

Nachos with Haggis and Guacamole
Recipe by Baby Sumo
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Serves 3-4 as snack


Ingredients
1 pack (170g) tortilla chips
150g haggis (about 1/3 pack)
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1 ripe avocado
4-5 cherry tomatoes, chopped
1 tsp lime juice
1 tbsp jalapeno chilli rounds (or pickled green chilies)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
150g melting cheese (Cheddar/Mozzarella)


1. Cut open the avocados, remove the stones and scoop out the flesh into a bowl. Add the lime juice and roughly mash the flesh with a fork. Season with salt. Fold in 3/4 of the chopped cherry tomatoes and about 1 tsp of chopped onion.

2. In a wok or frying pan, heat the oil. Add the onions and saute for 1 1/2 minutes, until softened. Add the haggis and break up using your spatula. Saute for about 4-5 minutes, until heated through.

3. Arrange tortilla chips in a tray and sprinkle generously with cheese. Using a blowtorch, melt the cheese. Alternatively, you can place it under a hot grill for 1-2 minutes, until cheese has melted.

4. Spoon haggis and guacamole over tortilla chips. Add remaining cherry tomatoes and jalapeno. Serve immediately.

Note:
1. If you would like to have more guacamole, double the avocado, lime juice and cherry tomato amounts.
2. If using minced meat instead of haggis, please cook for at least 10-15 minutes and add 1/2 cup beef stock for flavour.
3. We used Simon Howie's Original Haggis.

If you enjoyed reading my posts, LIKE me on Facebook! You can also follow me on Instagram (@babysumo) for more photo updates or subscribe to our YouTube channel. Thanks :)

Recipe: A Full Scottish Breakfast

We sure love a good fry-up and it's a fantastic way to start the day (especially when you're not the one cooking it... thanks Hubby!).

The Unc paid us a visit when we were in Scotland, and stayed the night with us. So, for breakfast, of course we served nothing but the best for our guest of honour... a full Scottish breakfast :)

So what's the difference between a Scottish and English cooked breakfast? Distinctive Scottish elements are Lorne sausage, Scottish style black pudding, tattie scones or haggis. Since The Unc has already had the version with black pudding at one of the hotels he was staying at, we decided to serve him sliced haggis as he hasn't had any haggis yet during this trip. Well, you definitely cannot leave Scotland without trying some haggis. ;)

We got a pack of Simon Howie sliced haggis (200g) which comes with 4 slices of haggis. They're easy to cook - just place under a hot grill for 6-8 minutes, turning occasionally. Plated up with the other elements of the cooked breakfast, it was one delicious breakfast that we all enjoyed!

Full Scottish Breakfast

On one of the evenings, we had haggis and we had some leftover so we popped it in the microwave the next day and added it to our cooked breakfast. Yum!

Full Scottish Breakfast
Recipe by Baby Sumo
Preparation time: 2 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients
4 medium free-range eggs
4-8 Cumberland or Pork&Apple sausages
4 back bacon rashers
1 pack (4 slices) sliced haggis
2 slices white bread
1 snap pot (200g) Heinz baked beans
200g white mushrooms, sliced
2 tbsp salted butter
2 tbsp cooking oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper


1. Arrange the sausages and bacon in a tray and place under a hot grill. For the back bacon, cook for 6-8 minutes.  For the sausages, cook for 12-15 minutes. Remove bacon after it's finished cooking and continue with the sausages only.

2. In a separate tray, place the sliced haggis. Cook for 6-8 minutes under a hot grill, turning occasionally.

3. In a frying pan, heat 2 tablespoons of butter over medium high heat. Once melted, add the mushrooms and cook for 2-3 minutes, until they are tender. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

4. Clean pan and heat the oil over medium heat. Fry the eggs for 3-4 mins until the whites are cooked through.

5. Peel film back on the snap pot (baked beans) and place in the microwave. Heat on full power for 1 minute. Remove from microwave and stir.

6. Toast bread and sliced into half diagonally and spread with butter.

7. Serve - each plate should have fried egg, 1-2 sausages, 1 bacon, 1 sliced haggis, baked beans, mushrooms and toast.


Note: For a more substantial breakfast, you can serve two rashers of bacon each.

If you enjoyed reading my posts, LIKE me on Facebook! You can also follow me on Instagram (@babysumo) for more photo updates or Dayre for daily updates.. Thanks :)

Recipe: Smoked Salmon and Avocado Muffin

Hubby was in charge of making all the beautiful breakfasts that you saw on my Instagram while we were in Scotland.

One of the things he put together was this glorious Smoked salmon and avocado muffin. Scottish smoked salmon is simply superb and we try to have it as often as we can when we're there. Top it on some creamy ripe avocado and a lightly toasted English muffin, so simple yet absolutely delicious.

Smoked Salmon and Avocado Muffin
Recipe by Baby Sumo
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Serves 2

Ingredients
1 pack (120g) Scottish smoked salmon
2 English muffins
1 ripe avocado
Salt and freshly ground pepper


1. Halve the muffins and lightly toast in the toaster.

2. To pit the avocado, first you need to find the stalk and remove it. Hold it horizontally, with a knife through the centre until you hit the seed then move the knife in a circular motion until you go all the away around. Twist the avocado halves in opposite direction and it will come apart easily into 2 halves. Sink the knife into the avocado seed and remove. Remove skin and then slice the avocado.

3. Arrange the avocado on the toasted muffin and sprinkle with some salt. Then, top with a few slices of smoked salmon and freshly ground pepper. Serve.

If you enjoyed reading my posts, LIKE me on Facebook! You can also follow me on Instagram (@babysumo) for more photo updates or Dayre for daily updates. Thanks :)

Recipe: Baby spinach, avocado and strawberry salad with Rib Eye Steak

When we're in the Scotland, we eat quite a lot of steak... Aberdeen is afterall the home of the Angus cattle (aka Aberdeen Angus). You can easily pick up a good steak cut from any supermarket (we usually go for rib eye or sirloin) and it makes a really quick dinner.

In the summer months, we like pairing our steaks with a fruity salad, such as this one consisting of baby spinach, avocado and fresh strawberries that we picked from the farm. Absolutely delish! This salad is also great eaten on its own for a light lunch ;)

BabySumoKids enjoying their steak dinner in the tent

Baby spinach, avocado and strawberry salad with rib eye steak
Recipe by Baby Sumo
Preparation time: 2-3 minutes
Cooking time: 4-5 minutes
Serves 2

Ingredients
90g baby spinach, washed and spun-dry
1 ripe avocado
4-5 strawberries, sliced
Parmesan cheese (optional)

For the dressing
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp honey

2 rib eye steaks (about 250-300g each)
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Maldon salt and freshly ground pepper


1. Clean the steak under running water and pat very dry with kitchen towel. Season both sides with pepper and rub with 1 tablespoonful of oil.

2. In a large grill pan over high heat, add 1 tablespoon of oil and wait until the pan/oil is smoking hot. Place the steak in the pan, and start your timer. Every minute, flip the steak. Cook to desired doneness - a 300g 1 inch steak will take about 4 minutes for medium doneness.

3. Remove steak from pan and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Season the steaks generously with Maldon salt.

4. In a small bowl, place the dressing ingredients and mix well. Season with salt and set aside.

5. To pit the avocado, first you need to find the stalk and remove it. Hold it horizontally, with a knife through the centre until you hit the seed then move the knife in a circular motion until you go all the away around. Twist the avocado halves in opposite direction and it will come apart easily into 2 halves. Sink the knife into the avocado seed and remove. Remove skin and then slice the avocado into thin slices or chunks.

6. Place baby spinach, avocado and strawberries in a bowl and pour over the dressing. Toss well. Garnish with Parmesan cheese.

7. To serve, place salad and steak on a plate. Serve with Maldon salt.

If you enjoyed reading my posts, LIKE me on Facebook! You can also follow me on Instagram (@babysumo) for more photo updates or Dayre for daily updates. Thanks :)

Recipe: Haggis, Neeps and Tatties v2.0

A trip to Scotland is not complete without some haggis, neeps and tatties. Often touted as Scotland's national dish, you can find haggis in most Scottish pubs and restaurants. A simple, comforting meal, you can also easily make this in your kitchen if you have access to a kitchen during your holidays.

The first time we made this, we mistakenly used turnip for the "neeps" part. I still recount the time we were in the supermarket, and we were unsure what "neeps" was and thought it sounded like turnip. We also asked a random lady in the supermarket and she pointed us to turnip too. Turns out we were both wrong, in fact, we were supposed to use swede when we're cooking haggis. Swede has a slightly orange tinge once cooked.

This time we made sure we got the right vegetable. For the haggis, I highly recommend Simon Howie's Original Haggis, which you can get from any reputable supermarket, all year round. To cook, simply place in microwave for 5 minutes... easy peasy! If you would like to bring this home, some of the Scottish airports will have them for sale too in cans.

So yummy... even BabySumoKids love this. :)

Another fantastic way to eat haggis is to have it as a haggis pudding (haggis coated in batter and deep fried), and you will be able to find this is most fish and chip shops, our favorite one is from here.


Haggis, neeps and tatties
Recipe by Baby Sumo
Preparation time: 15-20 minutes
Cooking time: 15-20 minutes
Serves 4


Ingredients
1 pack (454g) original haggis
1/2 (250g) swede, peeled and cut into big chunks
5-6 boiling potatoes, peeled and cut into big chunks
50g butter
Salt and pepper
A dash of milk

For the gravy (optional)

2 tsp beef stock granules

1/2 cup boiling water

1. Bring two pots of salted water to the boil, and cook the turnips and potatoes separately. Boil until tender, about 15 minutes.

2. Mash separately. For the mashed potatoes, add the butter, milk and season with salt and pepper.

3. For the haggis, remove haggis from all packaging. Place in a microwave dish, cover and place in the microwave. Cook on full power (800W) for 3 minutes. Remove and gently break up haggis with a fork then cook for a further 2 minutes. It should look like mince meat when done.

4. To make the gravy, pour boiling water over the beef stock granules and mix.

5. To serve, place haggis on plate, followed by a mound of neeps and a mound of tatties. Spoon over a few teaspoonfuls of gravy over the haggis. Enjoy!





If you enjoyed reading my posts, LIKE me on Facebook! You can also follow me on Instagram (@babysumo) for more photo updates or Dayre for daily updates.. Thanks :)

Fochabers Fish Bar - Scotland's No.1 Fish and Chips 2017

On our way home from our dolphin spotting adventure at Spey Bay, a big sign pointed us to the direction of "Scotland's No.1 Fish and Chip Takeaway 2017" located in Fochabers.

A queue was already forming when we arrived at Fochabers Fish Bar. There is a small section for those wishing to dine-in or you could join the queue for the takeaway. Expect a short wait as everything is cooked to order. While waiting, we studied the long list of awards they have won over the years, including Runner Up in the Young Fish Frier of the Year Competition 2017.

After collecting our order, we walked down to the Village Square to enjoy our dinner. We ordered two scampi suppers, one each for the kids since they're big fans (weekly offer at £4.90 instead of £6.20) - each pack comes with 10 pieces of breaded scampi, crisp and juicy. Hubby and I also ordered the haddock (£4.50) and haggis pudding (£2.30). The haddock was great, with a light, crispy batter enclosing the fresh, flaky fish. The haggis pudding was massive, though tastewise I prefer the one here.

Overall, we enjoyed our chipper dinner - definitely worth making a stop here if you are in the area.

Fochabers Folk Museum - directly opposite the chipper

For dessert, we had ice cream from a nearby award-winning ice cream shop - Fochabers Ice Cream Parlour (£2.25 each).

Mint choc chip and salted caramel ice cream

We went for a little walk after dinner... a great view from the bridge of River Spey.

Opening times: Thu & Fri 12pm - 1.30pm; Sun-Thu 4pm- 8pm; Fri-Sat 4pm - 8.30pm.

Price: Total bill £19.40.

Location: Fochabers Fish Bar, 19 High Street, Fochabers, IV32 7DX Scotland.

Tel: 01343 820320

Website: http://www.fochabersfishbar.co.uk/





If you enjoyed reading my posts, LIKE me on Facebook! You can also follow me on Instagram (@babysumo) for more photo updates or Dayre for daily updates.. Thanks :)