New Currency Notes and Coins for Malaysia

Bank Negara Malaysia will be issuing a new set of currency notes with new design that will be distinctively Malaysia. The new currency notes will be in the denominations of RM1, RM5, RM10, RM20 and RM100. Besides the new currency notes, new coins be also be introduced in denominations of 5 sen, 10 sen, 20 sen and 50 sen. There will be no change to the existing RM50 in circulation. The new currency notes will be in circulation this year.
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The new notes will have added security features in them which is good. I seems to have a problem with the existing RM1 and RM50 which I felt that it look almost similar. On close look, these 2 notes are different in design and size. But if you are in a hurry or not careful enough, you could mistaken one for the other. That happened to me when I mistakenly hand out the RM50 thinking it was RM1 when doing my shopping. Luckily, my friend was alert and pointed it out. So hopefully the new RM1 will look very distinctively different from the RM50. Nowadays, I placed the RM1 and other currency notes separately from the RM50 in my wallet - so no more mistaken identity.

Sui Kow - Chinese Dumplings

Whenever I go to a coffee shop in Johor Bahru selling wanton noodles, I will find out from the stall owner whether they have sui kow as well. Sui Kow is basically Chinese dumplings that are either made of prawns, chicken, pork or a combination of these ingredients. The Sui Kow is normally served in a clear soup made of ikan bilis ( dried anchovies ) or the stall secret recipe soup. Alternatively it can also be deep fried and served with chili sauce.

It is not difficult to find Sui Kow in Johor Bahru as there are relatively many wanton noodles stalls over there. I prefer to eat this Chinese dumplings in clear soup and not with too much meat in it. I like those dumplings with a mixture of meat, prawns, mushroom and black fungus. If you are with friends, you could in fact order both the soup and fried versions.


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Char Kway Teow - Chinese Fried Noodles

One of the food that I enjoy eating is Char Kway Teow which is basically Chinese fried noodles. I ordered a plate of char kway teow while I was in Johor Bahru near KSL City mall. It is a small coffee shop at the corner of a road. The stall was opened in the morning; and the coffee shop was rather crowded with people having their morning breakfast. There were other stalls selling noodle soup, chicken/pork porridge and also toast bread with coffee and tea.

When the lady put the plate of char kway teow on my table, I was glad that it was not the dark colored version. The noodles looked light brown and seems rather small in serving - the cost was RM$3. The noodles are fried together with vegetables, eggs, Chinese sausage, small cockles, and 2 small prawns. I was rather surprised that there are 2 prawns included for this price. The char kway teow tasted good - not too oily or wet. During the order, I told the lady that I wanted the cockles to be well cooked and with little chilli and it was done accordingly.

The char kway teow was tasty and though the serving was small, I felt that it was reasonable considering the amount of ingredients that was added. This food is high in cholesterol, so it is good to eat in moderation.  Anyway I also took the opportunity to try out the Kaya toast bread in the coffee shop.

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Penang Food - Ghee Hiang Babies Mascot

Here is a mascot of a famous food product manufacturer in Penang. The name of the company is Ghee Hiang. The sesame oil that are produced from this company is well known for its quality. Besides sesame oil, the company also produces traditional Chinese cookies, pastries and coffee. I am not going to write about their products here. What I want to show is their mascot which is the Ghee Hiang Babies.
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I think the Ghee Hiang Babies have attracted my attention while I was walking at a mall in Kuala Lumpur. That is what a good mascot must do - attract attention. In this respect, the Ghee Hiang Babies certainly have passed this test. What I liked about their mascot is that these mascots always has a very cheerful/ playful and energetic appearance. If you see their mascot, then the store is just around the corner.

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I took a glimpse at their store that day; but didn't have time to browse through their products as I have an appointment to keep. But certainly their mascots have brighten up my day. I will make a point to try out their pastries products when I am back in Kuala Lumpur later this year.