Cementing Ties Over Dinner

        Food indeed brings people together and gathering to share a meal is great for cementing friendships. As the first semester draws to its end, we gathered after school for another dinner to toast to the completion of half a year's work and more importantly, to celebrate a dear colleague's promotion.

A terrific bunch to work with!

        Tonight's dinner venue was at De China Restaurant at Medan Bercham Selatan. Fans of steamboat would be delighted to indulge in a variety of superior soup for their hot pots. The coconut pork tripe stew chicken soup came highly recommended by Pn. Jot, who had recently been to this restaurant. We took one slurp of the sweet and aromatic soup, and we were instantly hooked.

The various soups for the hot pot stock

All ready to receive treasures

        In addition to the treasures for our hot pot, we ordered two small cured meat rice casseroles to be shared among the ten of us. That was most delicious too.

Lap mei rice casserole

        As the soup bubbled away, we added quails eggs, handmade dumplings, frozen bean curd, Australian lamb slices, shrimp balls, handmade meat balls, taro fish balls (everyone agreed that these were super yummy), an assortment of green vegetables, grey mushrooms, golden needle mushrooms,wood fungus and noodles. 

Dig in to scoop up treasures

        The sumptuous meal came up to RM414.00, which was rather reasonable. More importantly, the meal was shared over tons of laughter.

        And just when I thought tonight's dinner was over, a surprise was sprung on Mr. Foo and I. To celebrate our forthcoming birthdays (both of us share the same birth date), they brought out a lovely mango cake. We had no clue at all, and it was such a pleasant surprise. Merci beaucoup, mon cher collegue!

Beautiful and yummy cake from Purple Moon Valley

Mr. Foo and I share the same birth date, 11 years apart

Birthday boy fires up the candle

Puffer fishes at work!