My Lasik Journey with Optimax

Voucher available at the end of this article. Anyone can save the photo containing voucher code and show to any Optimax branch in Malaysia to get a thorough eye test done. 

Hey y'all,

It's been a very long while. Do you miss me? Silly question right? After rehab from social media I realized nobody cares anyway...but there are some angels among my friends who really care. I love you all so much and I'm very touched. You know who you are.

Ok back to topic of the day. I had wanted to restore my eyesight for years however anxiety about risks and budget had stopped me. Hubby brought his parents to Optimax for booster at the beginning of this year. So after much research, reviews and waiting for our major renovation to be done I finally decided that it's time to ditch the glasses after 20 years of wearing them. 

Do comment if you wana see before and after house tour ;)

Not only does glasses make my face oily all the time they also made my nose bridge uncomfortable hence always sneezing. Whenever people ask me to see something quickly I'll be missing out because I would be cleaning or taking a break frm glasses. And oh the fog everytime come out of the car. My fellow four eyed pals would know the feeling. Contact lens are a nightmare after wearing them for long hours. My eyes turn red everytime I wear contacts. Had to blame myself for wearing expired ones sometimes

Enough of story telling lemme get straight to the point. The branch I went to was Optimax Penang. I made an appointment through Miss Lim Soo Lee via phone call one week ahead. You can also make an appointment by dropping a DM via Optimax Facebook page.

 

The appointment would be an eye examination consisting various screening such as moisture level, eye pressure, cornea thickness, night vision, astigmatism and so on. It's not your usual eye test to make specs. You will also have consultation with optometrist who will suggest suitable procedure for your eye correction. You have the choice on whether to proceed or not.

Important things to remember before the eye test

1. No contact lens a week before test

2. No eye make up or any powder on eye exam day.

3. No perfume, hair spray or any chemical spray on eye exam day.

*Best is not to wear contacts and make up for a week like I did. I also never put on perfume, deodorant, hair spray or hair gel in my life (except photoshoot or my own wedding which was ages ago) so that won't be an issue. 

Eye Examination Day

 

2 hour eye exam including consultation with optometrist Brenden Goh from 10:30am -1pm

Part 1

Test eye power, cornea thickness, eyeball shape, curvature etc and then take a break. Your optometrist will put several eye drops from two bottles which I had no clue what they are. Drops from second bottle sting a little but only last a minute. You will have blurry vision for the rest of the day so do assign a driver or e-hailing service. I wasn't sure the purpose of the eye drops. I think it has to do with night vision test.

Part 2

Counseling and explanation. Your guardian or spouse allowed to be present. Your optometrist will explain about the procedure that is suitable for you, the risks, the process, eye care and answer all your queries. If you agree on a procedure you will sign consent form. Custom Femto Lasik was the best procedure for me. Next was astigmatism exam and confirm your eye power. After all is done comes the bill and surgery appointment. You will only have to pay for the eye exam. They didn't even collect surgery deposit till your surgery day. Doctors are available either Wednesday (Dr. Edwin) or Friday (Dr. Lee) for Penang branch. I chose Friday regardless of who my surgeon is because I have faith in them after countless of 5 star reviews. 

One of the consultation rooms and my husband.

Here are my results. My eyes are healthy and fine apart from near sighted.

This was taken about 10hrs after that eye drop. My face was under bright LED light but my pupils dilate. I felt dizzy and blurry even with glasses on. Hubby said I have temporary cat eyes. So that explains why I couldn't read anything near at all with my glasses on. I felt more comfortable without them. It slowly went back to normal after 24hrs.

 

Normal price for the eye exam is RM360 but I'll attach a voucher for you at the end of this article.

Surgery Day

Remember to adhere to the practice just like before eye exam: No contacts, no make up, no perfume and chemical spray until your surgery day. Bring sunglasses, hat and warm clothing.

Finally it's Friday! Since we are still at the end of pandemic and this is literally a hospital, every patient is required to undergo RTK Antigen test at 9:30am for RM120.

Unrelated info this is my first ever covid rapid test. My nose finally lost it's virginity! Of course it came out negative as I'm confident I am immune but that's another story.

           Final hour wearing my glasses.

After lunch, I went back to Optimax at 3pm for the non-invasive surgery. This time I had butterflies in my stomach. Waiting time was long as there were so many patients around. Optometrist Pavithiraa assisted me this time. She was very calm and friendly. Basically everyone there is friendly. She reconfirmed my eye power again and put some eye drops.

Here comes the ultimate bill $$$. My Custom Femto Lasik costs RM9300. You can make zero interest installment on your credit card up to 24 months. Huge thanks to my mum for the sponsor and big shoutout to hubby for taking care of me for the entire month.

Around 4pm nurse Amira called my name to the changing room. She emphasized that hairclips, hairpins and hair scrounge are forbidden during surgery. I think it's due to the pull that might incur on your forehead that will affect your nerves. So do not tie your hair!

After changing, leave your belongings in the locker. You will be seated on an armchair along with another patient in the waiting room. Nurse Amira then wiped my eyelids, dropped the numbing solution into my eyes, gave a bag of eye drops and antibiotic and explained after surgery care. Next I eventually met Dr. Lee! She is a friendly but no nonsense woman so do not try to panic or cry or do anything funny. She checked my eyes with a device, went into the surgery room to get the machine ready and within seconds I was called in! 

During surgery

Sorry no photos here. I went into a huge room with an enormous machine. There were about 3 or 4 nurses assisting Dr. Lee. Next I lay on the wide bed and after adjustments I was ready for surgery. As I said it was non invasive. No blood and gory stuff. 

Dr. Lee started with my right eye by placing more eye drops and a clamp. Throughout the entire process I couldn't feel a thing so whatever I'm typing now was just guessing. My left eye was open but covered with a piece of black shield. I was told to look into the bright green dot that was surrounded by bright white lights for 20 seconds. Then she placed a suction device on my right eyeball. It was to suck up the layer of cornea so that a flap could be created. Then I think a semi circle was cut on my cornea. It's just a very thin layer. After opening the flap Dr. Lee said from now on my vision would be blurry. Next I was told to look straight into tiny dots of moving red lights which I assume they were laser and countdown 20 seconds. This time I could smell like somebody having BBQ. All those who done before smelled the same thing. Your eyes are barbequed lol. Next she sprayed some eye drops and placed back the flap and repeated the same process on my left eye. The entire process was so quick! I could immediately see the entire room after the procedure although lights appeared to be harsh.

After changing back into my clothes hubby immediately drove me home to recuperate. 

Recovery

So how do I feel right after surgery? A little discomfort on the eyeballs like you have dry contact lens on. Dr. Lee told me to sleep for 5 hours after surgery. I read that you will feel more pain as the numbness goes off in a few hours. So after I dropped some antibiotics, artificial tears and put on my eye shield I popped a ponstan (painkiller) before going to sleep because a YouTuber said you might feel like chopping onions as soon as you wake up so do pop a painkiller. From a scale of 1 to 10 I would say it was a tolerable 5. Many patients weren't taught on how to put on eye shield correctly. I had to watch YouTube tutorial too. So the picture above shows the correct way of putting the shields. It's damn simple.

Here's my goody bag

 

Antibiotics which I religiously put one drop for each eye 4 times a day. You can divide your timing accordingly. Mine was 9am, 1pm, 6pm and 10pm. The antibiotics have to be discarded after a week regardless of any leftover.

 Artificial tears one drop at a time whenever your eyes feel dry.

 

It wasn't so bad after all. I could see clearly with my right eye however my left is taking a longer time to recover. Still felt like I have -0.50 power on my left eye. I shall give it 2 months.

Post surgery

You have to go back to Optimax the next day for check up. Next appointment would be one week later then one month, 3 month and 6 month. All check ups are free till the 6th month. You are required to come for annual check up for RM100 to keep your warranty in case another corrective surgery needed. Ms. Pavithiraa handles my post surgery check up. I told her about my left eye and she said it will take time to heal as it has only been 24 hours. Dr. Lee examined me too and said my left eye was very dry and to drop artificial tears often.

FAQ 

 Here are some of the queries I remembered from optometrist Brenden.

1. Dryness 

It is well known that the procedure could cause dryness in eyes for a long period of time. Before I had this procedure I never carry eye drops in my bag. Now I have to drop artificial tears several times a day but that's better than wearing contacts.

2. Glaring 

Our eyeball has a bulge in the middle. After surgery, surface will be flat. Therefore you will experience poor night vision. In my case, I might need night glasses to minimize the glaring while driving. Some might see halo some might see starburst. This is a side effect you have to think about.

3. Relapse 

A relapse is unlikely for my case because the power for both eyes aren't that high. As long as you don't do hardcore activities that might harm your eyes then you're good to go. If you ever have a relapse Optimax will arrange a corrective surgery for free provided you don't miss your annual check up.

4. Other risks 

Every surgery has it's risk whether it's invasive or non invasive. I suggest to consult your optometrist on this as I ain't qualified to explain anything here. Trust me you will be more relieved than regret after the procedure.

5. Healing 

It could take months for your flap to fully heal and restore perfect vision. You can wash your face and take a bath right after surgery but do be gentle. Avoid using soap or roughly spray water directly on your face. No eye make up, spa, facial and hairstyling for a month.

You will be able to drive, view monitor, phone and watch TV the next day. Wear sunglasses for a week. Outdoor activities such as swimming and cycling preferably a month later. Avoid hardcore activities like football, tennis, paintball, horse riding, sky diving or anything that could impact your head for another month. Even if you do you can't go blind lol. The flap could distort if you are injured but can be corrected again.

6. Worst case scenario

The only possibility is blur vision but that is if there's misalignment to your flap so do not rub your eyes or do any rough activity that could injure them. It can be corrected FOC by your doctor. Lol you won't turn blind and Final Destination is total fiction. Irl the machines are well calibrated and of course there are safety measures. You will be surrounded by so many nurses on standby.

Another goodie bag I received, wipes more artificial tears and vouchers.

Simply printscreen or save this photo and show to any Optimax branch in Malaysia to get your eyes checked. It's unlimited! Your friends and family can use this code too.

Update after 1 week. My left eye still a little blurry. Both eyes still has power -0.25. Optometrist said the tissue hasn't fully healed. Dryness might be causing it. This I agree. I no longer put antibiotics and was advised to drop artificial tears every 4 hours.

Recipe: Spaghetti Napolitan

Whenever I feel like having pasta or hungry at night I cook this. Spaghetti Napolitan is like the national fusion dish of Japan. Besides Japan, ketchup pasta is also commonly served in food court, western food stalls and cafes here in Malaysia. I know Italians might be triggered but no harm trying as long as its tasty. In fact some butt hurt Italians did reluctantly admit it tastes awesome. So don't kick it till you try it. Here's my version of Napolitan...

Type: Main
Servings: 1 or 2 depending on your appetite
Type: Halal

Ingredients
A handful spaghetti (Nope I don't measure when I'm hungry)
2 chicken sausages
1/2 julienned onion
2 cloves garlic
1 slice cheese
2 tablespoon ketchup
1/2 tablespoon sugar
Olive oil
Italian mixed herbs
Salt
Pepper

Preparation
1. Boil spaghetti in salt water according to package instruction.

2. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in pan and fry minced garlic, onion and sausage slices in pan for 2 minutes.

3. Pour in ketchup and stir for about a minute.

4. Put in the sugar for sweetness.

5. When pasta is al dente, scoop them into the pan.

6. You can ladle in some pasta water if it's too dry. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

7. After it's well blended, turn off the heat.

8. I like to put any available cheese which is usually cheddar but you can scrape some Parmesan.

9. Voila! It's ready to serve. Don't forget to sprinkle on some mixed herbs.

Recipe: Alicia's cheese fondue

Do note this is not the original Swiss cheese fondue due to non-alcoholic. I'm also using whatever type of cheese convenient to me. Traditionally cheese is served in a fondue pot with lit candle beneath the bowl to maintain texture but I don't have one.

Type: Sides
Servings: 2
Category: Halal

Ingredients
1 cup chicken broth
200g shredded mozzarella
200g cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Preparation
1. Mix flour with shredded cheese.

2. Pour chicken broth into pot and simmer for 2 minutes.

3. Pour all cheese into pot and stir till melted.

4. Season with ground nutmeg and salt.

5. Voila! It's done! You can serve with anything you like. I prepared broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, crabstick, fries, nuggets, sausages, cherry tomatoes and leftover cheese poured on pasta. And I hate roti so no bread here but traditionally served with French bread lah.

Recipe: Alicia's meatloaf

Type: Side

Servings: 2

Category: Halal

Ingredients

350g ground beef or any meat of your choice

1 egg

1/2 chopped onion

2 cloves chopped garlic

1/4 cup diced carrot

50g breadcrumbs

20g grated cheddar cheese

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon mustard

2 tablespoon tomato sauce

Mixed Italian herbs

Salt

Pepper

Preparation

1. Stir fry garlic and onion about 2-3 minutes till caramelized then add to ground beef.

2. Mix in diced carrots (I steamed to soften), breadcrumb, cheddar, a tablespoon of Italian herbs, mustard, brown sugar, salt and pepper.

3. Add a beaten egg to combine.

4. Pour mixture onto deep rectangular baking tray and even out surface.

5. Bake in oven at 180°C for 30 minutes.

6. Take out and pour tomato sauce onto surface and bake again for 15 minutes at 200°C

Recipe: Mac and cheese

Type: Main/side
Servings: 2
Category: Halal

Ingredients
200g macaroni
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
200g cheddar cheese
30g grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
2 tablespoon melted butter
Salt
Pepper
Paprika/ chili flake

Preparation
1. Cook macaroni according to package then drain and set aside. I took 6 minutes to cook till al dente.

2. Melt equal part of butter and flour then stir till brownish but not burnt for about 8 minutes to make roux.

3. Stir in milk and all the cheese till thicken for about 10 minutes or so then add the boiled macaroni.

4. Season with salt (optional because cheese is already salty), pepper and a pinch of paprika.

5. Pour mac and cheese onto baking dish and sprinkle breadcrumbs and melted butter.

6. Bake in oven at 180°C for 20 minutes or till breadcrumb looks brownish and crispy.

Recipe: Thai inspired tuna fish cake

 Made with whatever I have in hand, this is not the authentic Thai fish cake.

Type: Side/snack
Servings: 2 or more
Category: Halal

Ingredients
1 can of tuna
2 cloves garlic
1 piece ginger
1 red chili
2 stalk chopped spring onion
3 kafir lime leaves
A handful of coriander
2 teaspoon fish sauce
2 tablespoon curry paste
2 eggs
2 tablespoon cornstarch
3 tablespoon flour
Salt
Sugar
Pepper
Oil

Preparation
1. Drain tuna and flake them in a bowl. Make sure your tuna is completely dry. Traditionally Thai use white fish.

2. Mince garlic, grate ginger, slice spring onion, mince coriander, finely chop chili and kafir lime leaves.

3. Add all the herbs and curry paste into the tuna. You may add green beans if you have. Usually Thai will grind in blender at this stage before adding green beans but I was lazy to take out my blender and clean it.

4. Season with salt, pepper, a little sugar and fish sauce. I only agak-agak in this recipe.

5. Add eggs to bind. I also added cornstarch to make them crispy and flour to thicken because I did not blend into thick consistency.

6. Add generous amount of oil onto pan. When it's heated, add tuna patties. You can shape the patties into circles but being lazy, I just scooped with spoon onto pan.

7. Fry for 3-4 minutes or till brown then turn to the other side and done!

Recipe: Thai prawn glass noodle (Goong Ob Woonsen)

                     The amount in picture is for 5-6 persons but the below recipe is for 2.

This is just something I put together with the leftover ingredients for CNY eve reunion steamboat. And it was so awesome not to be shared! Do note that this is Thai inspired and not authentic because I don't have specific ingredients and a claypot.

Type: Mains
Servings: 2
Category: Halal

Ingredients
200g glass noodles
6 pieces of prawns
150ml chicken broth
2 garlic cloves
2 slices ginger
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro roots
2 tablespoon oyster sauce
2 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1/2 tablespoon black peppercorns
vege of your choice

Preparation
1. Soak glass noodles in water for about 15 minutes till they are soft.

2. Prepare marinade by mixing chicken broth, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil and sugar in a bowl.

3. Pour out water from glass noodles.

4. Marinade glass noodles and prawns with the sauce for half an hour. It's up to you if you want to peel the prawns or not.

5. Pound together black peppercorns, garlic cloves, cilantro roots and ginger slices.

6. Start by heating up normal cooking oil then stir fry the pounded ingredients till fragrant.

7. Pour in the marinated glass noodles and prawns and stir fry for 15 minutes till prawns are cooked. The marinade may dry up so you can add water occasionally.

8. In between, add vegetables of your choice or choose to leave it. And it's done...so simple right?

Recipe: Pesto Pasta

Type: Mains
Servings: 1
Category: Halal

Ingredients
150g pasta
1/2 cup of basil
2 tablespoon pine nuts
1 garlic clove
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
salt
pepper

Preparation

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

2. Cook the pasta in the boiling water until al dente according to package instructions. Mine is usually 6-7 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, combine the basil, pine nuts, garlic, and olive oil in a blender and blend to a puree.

4. Add the cheese, salt and pepper, and blend again.

5. After pasta is cooked, drain and transfer into bowl.

6. Add the pesto paste and toss.

 Homegrown basil from my garden. Thanks mum for the plant.

Recipe: Big English Breakfast

Type: Mains
Servings:1
Category: Non-halal, Non-vegan

Ingredients
1 egg
2 bacon strips
2 sausages
2 cherry tomatoes
1 sliced mushroom
1 clove garlic
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
pepper
olive oil

Preparation

Bacon and Sausage
1. Start with a cold pan and lay the bacon strips.
2. Fry each side for about 5-8 minutes depending on how crispy you want them to be.
3. Make shallow slices along the sausages to cook faster.
4. Fry the sausages for about 10 minutes or until brown.

Egg Nest
1. Preheat oven to 200°C.
2. Separate egg white and yolk.
2. Beat egg white till fluffy with stiff peaks.
3. Make a nest shape with the beaten egg white with a shallow hole in the middle on baking tray.
4. Bake for 3 minutes.
5. Place the yolk on he center and bake again for another 3 minutes.

Sauteed Mushrooms
1. Heat olive oil on pan.
2. Fry garlic till fragrant.
3. Add sliced mushrooms and halved cherry tomatoes.
4. Pour half a teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce and some pepper then stir fry for 5 mins.
5. I served them on potato skin which I have used the inside for something else like soup or mashed potato.

Recipe: Eggs Benedict

Type: Side dish
Servings: 1
Category: Halal, Non-vegan

Ingredients
1 Egg
1 Egg yolk
2 drops Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon melted butter
salt
pepper
vinegar

Preparation

Holandaise sauce
1. Fill the bottom of a double boiler halfway with water. 
2. Bring water to a gentle simmer and on top of the double boiler, whisk together 1 egg yolk, lemon juice, pepper, Worcestershire sauce and 1 teaspoon water.
3. Add the melted butter to egg yolk mixture while whisking yolks constantly. 
4. Whisk in salt then remove from heat.  

Poach egg
1. Break egg into a small bowl.
2. Fill a large saucepan with 3 inches of water. 
3. Bring water to a gentle simmer then add few drops of vinegar.
4. Stir water in circular motion then place egg gently into simmering water and allow to cook for 3 minutes. 5. Yolks should still be soft in center. 
6. Remove eggs from water with a slotted spoon and set on a warm plate.
7. You can spread toasted muffins with softened butter followed by one poached egg and drizzle with hollandaise sauce.

Recipe: Omurice

Type: Mains
Servings:1
Category: Halal, Non-vegan

Ingredients
1 cup cooked Japanese rice
1 diced chicken breast
1/2 cup frozen mixed vegetables
1 clove garlic
1/4 diced onion
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 teaspoon soy sauce
2 eggs
1 tablespoon milk
olive oil
salt
pepper

Preparation
1. Cook rice overnight and store in fridge to absorb moisture.
2. Heat the oil in a non-stick pan and sauté the onion and garlic until translucent.
3. Add the chicken and cook until no longer pink.
4. Add the mixed vegetables and season with salt and pepper.
5. Add the rice and break into small pieces.
6. Add ketchup and soy sauce and combine everything evenly with a spatula.
7. Transfer the fried rice to a plate and wash the pan.
8. Whisk the eggs and milk together in a small bowl.
9. Heat the oil in the pan over medium high heat.
10. When the pan is hot, pour the egg mixture into the pan and tilt to cover the bottom of the pan.
11. Lower the heat when the bottom of the egg has set.
12. Put the fried rice on top of the omelette.
13. Wrap omelette around the rice then slowly roll on to the plate. It takes some skill to do so so all I did was place my plate over then flip the pan upside down.

Recipe: Rice Burger

Type: Mains
Servings:1
Category: Halal, Non-vegan

Ingredients
1/2 cup cooked Japanese short grain rice 
2 eggs
50g ground chicken/ beef
1 piece cheddar cheese
2 sliced onion rings
2 tablespoon chopped onion
1 piece lettuce
2 sliced tomato
1 teaspoon cornstarch
Sesame seeds
Salt
Pepper
Sugar
Worcestershire sauce
Soy sauce
Any sauce you like (mayo/ketchup/chilli/black pepper etc)


Preparation

Patty
1. Mix ground meat with chopped onions, egg, cornstarch, salt, pepper and a few drops of Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce.
2. Pound the blended meat to reduce air.

Rice bun
1. Sprinkle about a tablespoon of starch into the cooked rice and this will act as the binder.
2. Next add a pinch of salt for taste and sprinkle in sesame as well.
3. Shape into bun patties.

Cooking
1. Heat the pan with a tablespoon of oil.
2. Scoop out the meat mixture from the bowl and place it on the pan.
3. Cook each side for about five minutes.
4. After both sides are fully cooked, glaze both sides of  patties with water and cover lid for about 5 minutes.
5. Fry your egg sunny side up or make a small circle omelet.

Serving
Layer your burger: 1st rice bun, 2nd lettuce, 3rd meat patty, 4th cheese, 5th egg, 6th tomato, 7th onion rings and finally top with another rice bun. You may add your choice of sauce in between layers.

 Additional Video

 Video is not the exact recipe because did not have rice patty but it is somehow similar.

Recipe: Cheezy Salisbury Steak

Type: Mains
Servings: 2 patties
Category: Halal, Non-vegan

Ingredients
100g ground chicken or beef
1/4 cup bread crumb
1 stick cheese (Swiss, Mozzarella, Cheddar)
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1/2 diced onion 
2 diced mushroom
1 sliced mushroom
1 teaspoon soy sauce 
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup of chicken/ beef broth
Mustard 
Mixed herbs
Salt
Pepper
Butter 
Flour

Preparation
1. Fry diced onions, garlic and mushroom. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Mix the fried onions, garlic and mushroom into the ground meat.
3. Mix 1 teaspoon of soy sauce, 2-3 drops of Worcestershire sauce, 1 drop of mustard and a dash of mixed herbs and cheese into the meat mixture.
4. Mix in a tablespoon of cornstarch.
5. Heat a tablespoon of butter on pan.
6. Shape into two or more patties and fry both sides for 5 minutes.
7. Pour a bit of water and cover for 5 more minutes then serve.

Gravy
1. Do not wash the pan after you fry the patties. Add a bit of butter if necessary.
2. Fry some mushroom slices.
3. Sprinkle some flour to make rue about 1:1 ratio with the butter.
4.  Add broth then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the sauce has thickened and the steaks are cooked through about 10 minutes.

Additional video

Video is not the exact recipe because did not have cheese in the meat patty but it is somehow similar.

Recipe: Mushroom Risotto

Type: Main
Servings: 2
Category: Halal, Non-vegan

Ingredients
200g risotto rice
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
150g porcini mushrooms
500ml chicken stock
1/2 chopped onion
40g parmesan cheese
salt and pepper

Preparation
1. Heat olive oil on medium heat and stir fry chopped mushrooms.
2. Add butter and saute onions.
3. Add rice and stir until fully coated about 2 minutes.
4. Add a ladle of chicken stock stiring constantly until becomes almost dry.
5. Continue adding stock one ladle at a time for about 10 - 15 minutes until risotto is al dente. The texture should be thick and not too soupy or dry.
6. Stir in grated parmesan.
7. Season with salt and pepper. If it's already salty to your taste, omit the salt.
8. Best served immediately.

Scallops and balsamic vinegar in the picture are optional.

Recipe: Cream of Wild Mushroom

Type: Soup
Servings: 2
Category: Halal, Vegan

Ingredients
Wild mushrooms:
20g shiitake mushrooms
20g portobello mushrooms
20g oyster mushrooms
20g porcini mushrooms
 or any kind of mixed wild mushrooms you like

25g butter
1/2 chopped onion
1 chopped garlic clove
400ml vegetable stock
100ml heavy cream
2 tabespoon all purpose flour
thyme
chives
truffle oil
salt & pepper

Preparation
1. Heat butter in saucepan.
2. Stir fry onions, garlic and thyme for 5 minutes.
3. Add all the sliced mushrooms.
4. Add equal ratio of flour as the butter to create rue.
5. Stir for a minute then add vegetable stock.
6. Stir in heavy cream for about 5 minutes then add salt and pepper to taste.
7. Blend the soup in a blender.
8. Serve with croûtons and chives and drizzle with truffle oil.

Recipe: Onsen Tamago

You can serve it on top of noodles or simply eat by itself.

Type: Sides
Servings:4
Category: Halal, Non-vegan

Ingredients
4 room temperature eggs
1 liter tap water for boiling
200ml room temperature tap water

Preparation
1. Pour 1 liter of water into a pot and bring to boil until bubbly.
2. Turn off the stove.
3. Pour 200ml of room temperature water into the pot to bring the temperature down. Onsen means hot spring so ideally it should be 68 - 71°C.
4. Laddle in the eggs one by one and close the lid of the pot.
5. Set timer for 12 minutes.
6. After 12 minutes, take out the eggs from the pot and set aside for 5 minutes.
7. After 5 minutes you can put them into cold water if too hot to hold or you can immediately crack them.
8. The yolks are meant to be soft but not runny. If still runny try 13 or 14 minutes. I have trial and error many times.

Recipe: One ingredient Dulce de leche

Dulce de leche is caramel made out of milk and sugar unlike the traditional caramel. The taste is mind-blowing.

Type: Dessert sauce
Servings:as much as you like
Storage: A month in the fridge
Category: Halal

Ingredients
1 can of condensed milk
(I used Gold Coin Kopi & Teh Tarik coz mamak stalls use them so I thought it's more fragrant)
As much water as needed

Preparations
1. Remove label from can.
2. Place can in a large pot.
3. Fill pot with water until covers the entire can or risk explosion.
4. Simmer for 2 hours on high heat.
5. Always check water level and pour more water if it no longer covers the can.
6. To achieve the toffee colour like mine 2 hours is enough but if you want darker colour can boil for 2.5hours.
7. Do not attempt to open can while it is still hot due to pressure. I wanted to let the can cool for at least 3 hours but in the end I set it overnight in fridge and still came out awesome.
7. For my dessert, I just layered a scoop of hazelnut ice cream with slices of bananas topped with cocoa powder and drizzled some dulce de leche. Enjoy!

Second attempt came out more perfectly caramelized. Optical illusion test: is my jar fully circular or squarish with rounded edges? I was asking myself since when did I have a square jar?

Oh and you really gotto make dulce de leche lava cake. Its heavenly. Get recipe from Tasty's YouTube.https://youtu.be/4S7mWOkpLDE

Recipe: Chocolate Lava Cake

Type: Dessert
Servings:1
Category: Halal, Non-vegan

Ingredients
1/4 cup chocolate chip
2 tablespoons butter
1 egg
2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
few drops vanilla extract

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 200°C.
2. Prepare double broiler then melt chocolate chips with butter until smooth.
3. Next add sugar and vanilla extract.
4. Remove mixture fro broiler and allow to cool then whisk in egg.
5. Mix in all purpose flour.
6. Coat ramekin with butter and pour the cake mixture.
7. Optional: I like to add a piece of chocolate into the middle of the batter.
8. Bake for 10 minutes at 200°C.
9. Serve by covering the ramekin with a plate and gently turning over.

Recipe: Baked Scallops Wrapped in Bacon

Type: Appetizer
Servings: 1
Category: Non-halal, Non-vegan

Ingredients
6 large scallops
6 bacon strips
6 cherry tomatoes
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon butter
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
Pepper to taste
A dash of mixed herbs
6 toothpicks

Preparation
1. Soak toothpicks in water to prevent from burnt.
2. Prepare marinade by mixing ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, salt, pepper and sugar.
3. Preheat oven to 170ºC and grease baking tray with butter.
4. Brush the scallops with marinade on both sides.
5. Wrap each scallop with bacon and secure it through center with toothpick followed by a cherry tomato.
6. Place scallops onto tray and bake for 7 minutes while turning them occasionally.
7. Garnish with some leftover marinade and mixed herbs.

Recipe: Stir fried beef kuey teow

Type: Mains
Servings: 2
Category: Halal, Non-vegan

Ingredients
150g sliced beef
250g flat rice noodles
2 garlic cloves
3 slices ginger
100g chopped green onion
150g bean sprouts
2 eggs
1 tablespoon chilli paste
cooking oil
salt & pepper

Marinade:
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon oyster sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon water
1/2 tablespoon cornstarch

Kuey teow sauce:
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
3 tablespoons water

Preparation
1. Mix the marinade ingredients and marinate the thinly sliced beef for half an hour.
2. Prepare flat rice noodles (kuey teow) as per instruction on packaging.
3. After half an hour, fry beef about 2 - 4 minutes on high heat depending how cooked you prefer and set aside.
4. Heat oil again and fry garlic, ginger and green onion till fragrant on medium heat.
5. Pour in the kuey teow noodles, bean sprouts, kuey teow sauce and chilli paste.
6. Continue mixing for about 2 minutes.
7. Stir in the eggs by the side of the pan and fry for two minutes then combine all.
8. Stir in the fried beef and add salt and pepper to taste.
9. Now you are ready to serve!

Note: I replaced bean sprouts with enoki mushroom and shredded carrots and green onions with sweet onions because they weren't available in my fridge.