If you're a friend of mine this definitely will not come as a surprise because it's one of a few foods that comfort me and it's nutritious too, whether it's by itself, hot melted, or sliced on crackers there's no wrong way to eat cheese. 

Meet Real California Milk Cheese range and discover various mouthwatering kinds of cheese like Cheddar, Mozzarella, Pepper Jack, and Monterrey Jacks. For those who prefer artisanal cheeses, there are also blue cheese, smoked cheeses, and organic cheeses from California, all marked with the seal “Real California Milk”. 

We aimed at creating something easy, beautiful, and well-balanced, check out our Colourful Cheese Platter with Cheese Chicken Sausage Balls, we incorporated various textured kinds of cheese from Real California Milk alongside accompaniments such as chocolate, nuts, fresh fruits, salami, and crackers to go with the cheese and add a pop of color to our board to create the hot messy look!

Pro Tip: Always pick a cheese that is fresh and responsibly produced because you'll be able to taste the difference. 

During the cook-off session, we got to meet Certified Executive Chef Barbara Alexander, with over 30 years of experience in the Culinary and Hospitality field created four scrumptious recipes using Real California Cheese – Blue Cheese Chips, Korean Cheese Dogs, Iced Coffee Cheesecake Cream Puffs and Buffalo Chicken & Blue Cheese Pizza. These recipes were simple, delicious, and sure to be a crowd-pleaser at family gatherings as well as for quick meals. 

Chef Barbara elaborated, “One ounce of natural cheese, such as Cheddar, Jack, or Mozzarella, contains approximately 20% of a person’s recommended daily calcium intake. Those who are lactose-sensitive, or lactose-intolerant can still enjoy cheese if they eat natural hard (aged) or soft-ripened varieties, which contain little or no lactose.”

Did you know Malaysians' appetite for cheese continues to grow? The current cheese market is worth RM1.094 billion in 2023 and it's expected to raise annually by 7.52% (CAGR 2023 - 2027). 

Being the largest agricultural marketing board in California, The California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB) recently conducted an event to educate Malaysian consumers about the high-quality cheeses that carry the Real California Milk seal. Besides that, there's also a wide repertoire of dairy products under the CMAB portfolio which are not only limited to cheeses, milk, butter, yogurt, and ice cream.

Malaysia Country Representative for CMAB Eddie Saw said more Malaysians are starting to appreciate the quality of California dairy products like cheeses and ice creams that carry the Real California Milk seal. The cheeses are so good that you can enjoy them as they are any time of the day. 

“Different cheeses offer their own unique quality and function – which open up a whole world of culinary possibilities via a wide selection of cheesy indulgence. It is important to note that the cheeses that carry the Real California Milk offer are authentic natural cheese. Our cheeses use 100% real milk from cows in California and have won awards in the United States as well as abroad,” enthused Eddie. 

The USA is the largest cow’s milk producer in the world and California is the top-milk producing and second largest cheese-producing state. Approximately 50 cheesemakers are producing more than 250 different varieties and styles of cheeses using exclusively California milk. 

California dairy producers are very cognisant about the health, comfort, and safety of their cows and take animal care very seriously. California is home to many modern, technologically advanced, and efficient dairy operations in the world, with best practices for herd comfort and care - driven by the quest for a cleaner and more sustainable future.  California leads the U.S. in sustainable dairy farming practices. 

I bet all this talk of cheese has gotten you guys hungry for cheese! Now hop over to your nearest retailer and pick the cheese with the “Real California Milk” seal! For information and recipes visit www.realcaliforniamilk.com or their Facebook page www.facebook.com/RCMMalaysia

The first item that we tested was the Common Man Caesar that's made with crisp baby Romaine lettuce and some charred Brussels sprouts, the salad is jazzed up with aged parmesan cheese for a rich, creamy taste. The silky stracciatella cheese, grilled chicken breast, sourdough crumbs add texture and plenty of flavor, to complete the meal that is perfect for a light bite, with a subtle hint of heat from the sprinkled chili flakes.  

Up next was my favorite dish during this visit, the Umami Mushroom Avocado Toast. Served with housemade toasted sourdough focaccia piled with creamy, seasoned avocado and sauteed savory wild mushrooms in a house-made teriyaki inspired sauce. Tangy red onion pickle, young pea shoots and a herb oil made from the kitchen’s herb trimmings adds a hint of freshness to this delicious breakfast staple that is perfect for any day of the week. 

Dedicated for those who are in need of a bigger bite, the juicy Smashed Burger will not disappoint! The patty is made with freshly ground beef patties that are smashed with bone marrow, cooked till it's crisp on the outside and yet remains juicy on the inside. Then it's served with toasted buttery brioche buns, a beetroot barbeque sauce and all the regular fixings from cheddar cheese to onion jam and a side of herbed fries.

The menu also features staples like the ever-popular Common Man Fluffy Pancakes, Turkish Common Man Breakfast, Chili Chicken, Beef Cheek Eggs Benedict and the Common Man Full Breakfast. All of which perfectly pairs with CMCR’s artisanal speciality grade coffee brewed by passionate baristas, using beans roasted at the famed CMCR roastery in Singapore. 

For my birthday this year, we decided to try out Sabayon an award-winning rooftop restaurant serving contemporary European dining with a twist of local ingredients. Reservations are needed at this restaurant, not sure if they do walk-ins, and a deposit of RM200 will be collected for the non-window seats while window seatings will be RM600. 

We opted for the three-course meal, we started our meal with amuse-bouche, I had beetroot with caviar but I can't remember clearly what he had but it had a crunchy texture to it.  

Next, I ordered the Foie Gras which was my favorite dish of the night, it came in just the right size, beautifully cooked, caramelized, and buttery, paired with lentils and a refreshing and sweet note of apples as for Ricky he had The Illegal Stroncatura Pasta which tasted pretty good acoording to him. 

For our mains, I chose the Wagyu Beef Cheek, the portion was pretty generous for a fine dine and it's well worth the money but I didn't quite get the taste of it, I wasn't sure what I was having, having that said the beef cheek was really tender and easily pulled apart. As for Ricky, he had the Canard di Bidor which is a 7 Days Dry Aged Bidor Duck with Braised Endive as a side & served in Sarawak black pepper sauce.

When it comes to taste, it’s very personal, to be honest, Saboyan wasn't as good as I think it would be, overall the food was just so-so but the presentation wise was really pleasing to the eye, as for the food it didn't really evoke my senses during the dining experience but the setting and ambiance were perfect for celebrations but I really appreciate the service, the waiters were friendly and attentive to every detail to the extent they took a picture of us and had it printed out for memory keep sake. 

It's the end of November 2021 and I can't believe how this year just flew past me, it was just tensed, busy, busy, and tense, the lockdown really affected me mentally and physically but whatever it is, it['s coming to an end, let's look towards a brighter path.  

Penang has always been my favorite state and I'm really grateful for my friends over there, whenever I visited for work they'll always make time for me and be my companion. Anway we needed a spot to relax and we found Fly Me To, a camping themed cafe located on the rooftop of Wow Hotel, parking is not easy as the hotel doesn't have parking but you can check out the open space car park at the top of the street and walk a lil to the hotel. 

We arrived before the evening around late 4pm, Fly Me To has a boho-chic vibes to it, the interior is a glasshouse concept while the exterior has 5 tent seating, we didn't make a booking but lucky enough there was one last tent available, so we got to experience the vibes. 

There's a catch to dine inside the tent a minimum spend of RM150 of 90 minutes, we stayed a lil longer they weren't too fussy about that. Each tent has a private air cond but it was still pretty hot thou, unfortunately, Malaysia's heat is just not so comfortable but what the heck it's for the gram 😂

Their menu is basic comfort food like pasta, steaks and snacks & bites, the main attention is focused on the concept and decor of the cafe, which is fine with me because that's what I came for anyway, as for drinks there's a variety of coffee, tea, alcohol, and photogenic rooftop coolers.

Here's their soft launch menu, wish they'll elaborate more so customers know what to expect.

We ordered their Picnic Basket RM58 comes with a variety of finger food like nuggets, truffle fries, cheese rice balls, potato croquet, these were pretty good for 3 of us and all of us liked it #approved

I like the touch of vibes at Fly Me To, the waiters were attentive, the food wasn't really appealing to me but it's still their soft launch menu and everyone deserves a chance, will check them out again, price wise is not entirely pocket friendly but the boho-chic vibes is a great attraction, reservations are recommended if you'll like to experience the outdoor tents, otherwise the glasshouse can be a pretty spot for pictures as well. 

Fly Me To 

WOW Hotel Level 5, No.406, Jln Penang, 10000 George Town, Pulau Pinang

Operating Hours: Monday - Thursday 12pm-8pm | Friday 12pm-12am | Saturday-Sunday 830am-12am

https://www.facebook.com/flymeto.my/

 

With 40 years of constantly innovating and introducing something different, this year Marrybrown goes the extra mile by bringing Malaysians Around the World to serve nothing but the best of the best delicacies catering to local taste buds.

For those who want the option to indulge in both Gangjeong Chicken and Gangjeong Burger with their family and friends, Gangjeong Box is the way to go as it included both the Gangjeong Burger and two pieces of Gangjeong Chicken, which also comes with a cup of Coca-Cola and Potato Wedges, priced from RM 25.80. 

My favorite has to be the Gangjeong Burger which comes with a large juicy chicken patty, laid on top lettuce and cheese, and glazed with the mouth-watering sweet & spicy sauce. The combination is then served between a charcoal bun to elevate the taste.

The new offerings are available at all Marrybrown's outlets in Malaysia, if you're wondering what you should have for a meal tomorrow, you know where to go :)  

For more information on Marrybrown, its promotions, and delivery services, please visit:

Facebook: MarrybrownMalaysia

Instagram: Marrybrownmy

YouTube: MarrybrownTV

Delivery: http://mbdelivery.com.my