The sundubu jjigae (Korean soft tofu stew) served at Choi’s Don & Dak in Kuchai Lama, KL, is a sizzling delight and one of my favourite Korean meals.
The soft tofu just melts in the mouth, while the soup which is slightly spicy and has minced meat, egg, kimchi, among other ingredients, titilates the taste buds with a burst of flavours.
The sundubu jjigae is a sizzling delight and absolute comfort food
The sundubu jjigae, which is a very popular Korean stew, is served with 3 side dishes at Choi’s Don & Dak. Side dishes are also known as banchan.
Another popular stew on the menu is the kimchi jjigae. Both are priced at RM15.50
I also love their corn tea. Very, very nice!
Unique wall clock
As I was paying for my meal, the clock caught my eye. This restaurant has a clean and simple setting.
Lady boss not only can cook but she paints as well
That’s the lady boss. Not only can she cook but she paints as well. She is seen here decorating the wall of Choi’s Don & Dak with the help of an employee.
clean and simple
The wall art is completed. Isn’t it lovely?
The restaurant owners are from Incheon, Korea, and they’ve been living in Malaysia for 10 years. Choi’s Don & Dak opened here 5 years ago.
Do check out the restaurant when you’re visiting Kuchai Lama.
Last year, I wrote about a cafe which is also owned by a Korean couple. It is a drawing cafe located in Eco Botanic, Johor Bahru. This story reminded me of that cafe as the owners are South Koreans and they love to draw! 🙂
After working in a bank for 4 years, Xin Yi decided to get out of the daily grind and made the switch from banking to baking.
Today she runs a successful home-based and online-operated bakery called Wholesome Treats, which offers options for gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan and regular butter-based baked goods.
Wholesome Treats has been operating for over 3 years now.
Gluten free sugar free almond honey cake
Xin Yi took a leap of faith when the bank posted her to Cambodia for a 6-month stint. As things were slow there, she found time to reflect deeply on what she really wanted to do.
She says that while she enjoyed working in the bank which offered her job security and vast learning experience, she wasn’t sure that was how she wanted her life to be like for the next 10 years.
“One thing I was certain – I didn’t enjoy the rat race, and I wanted to do something more tangible that I could derive joy from,” says Xin Yi.
“My mum bakes a lot during her leisure time for our family when I was younger, and I developed an interest for baking from that.
“I started to bake for my family during university days, when I had more room and time to explore on my own. I found myself falling back to baking over the weekends when I was in the corporate world, just to find some peace and joy,” she says.
“I toyed with the idea of starting something of my own – simply because I was young and had nothing to lose. I bounced the idea to my close friends and they were really supportive.
“It took me a while to convince my parents — as like all well-meaning parents — job security was a major concern. However, my family believed in me and have remained my pillar of strength until today – and for that I’m super grateful to them.
“I resigned and gave my all to starting this new venture the moment I got back from Cambodia,” she adds.
Paleo banana loaf
Gluten free dairy free brownies
Why Inclusive Baking?
Xin Yi always had a liking for gluten-free and vegan food during her university days, so she decided to incorporate this concept into her baking. There is also an increasing trend among consumers for healthy cake recipes.
“I wanted an all-inclusive product offering that could cater to people of different dietary requirements – be it whether they’re gluten-intolerant, lactose-intolerant, diabetic and looking for some sugar-free baked goods or those who are just looking for a regular classic butter cake,” she explains.
Wholesome Treats’ Future Plans
“Currently, I’m operating from a home kitchen. I’ve had it in my mind to have a central kitchen of my own so I could navigate better and have a more comfortable workspace, but that’s for the far future ahead.
“For the not-so-distant future, I’m looking at product expansion, such as doing more bake sales (having a mix of sliced cakes, ice cream and cookies) in the months to come as bake sales have received good response when I did it a few times last year. I definitely will be testing out more new products this new year!
Vegan choc olive oil cake
Collaboration with Modern Essentials
The recent collaboration with Modern Essentials where Wholesome Treats gave out NINEWARE Rabbit Bowls to the first 15 customers who bought 5 tubs of cookies and above, was well-received by Xin Yi’s customers.
“My customers really liked the Rabbit bowls and some even asked about it well after the promo has ended. Some of my customers also asked if there were any bowls with ox “ears” since this is the Year of the Ox.
“Going by the overwhelming response, I’m certainly looking forward to collaborate with Modern Essentials again as cute tableware always complements food, cakes and cookies,” she says.
Update: I’ve been told that the rabbit bowl has been fully snapped up! Awesome, and thank you for the support.
Original Post
The Chinese community is set to usher in the Year of the Ox which is 牛 (pronounced Niu in Mandarin) on Feb 12, 2021.
Will the Year of the Metal Ox bring in more cheer and better luck than the Metal Rat? Fortune favours the bold and those who work hard will be lucky. Well, hopefully.
Looking for some guilt-free indulgence during the Chinese New Year?
WholesometreatsKL, a bakery in Bandar Utama, Selangor, beckons with a variety of wholesome and healthier treats handcrafted for those who crave for cupcakes, cakes and cookies.
The menu features gluten-free, vegan, non-vegan and non-gluten free baked goodies that will leave one spoilt for choice.
The cakes and cookies look so alluring!
Chinese New Year is a time to feast, and treating yourself and loved ones to a wholesome treat is a sweet gesture of love and gratitude toward self and for friends and family who have stood by you through thick and thin.
check out their Facebook page
check out their Insta
For the Niu Year, Wholesometreatskl is collaborating with Modern Essentials where customers who buy 5 containers of cookies will get a free NINEWARE Rabbit bowl, made from polypropylene.
Roam with Bee 