la.b@o

one of your friend organized a bao workshop last saturday.  you were glad that you made it there. not only you had a chance to see how steam bao （蒸叉烧包）dough at work but you also had your hands on experience with the baked bao （烧包）.

before the bao workshop starts, the host actually cooked up a storm and surprise you with the malaysian local delicacies that you cannot get here in the lowland.

the prawn noodle （虾面）, the broth is light but full of substance especially the aroma of shrimp.

 the fried kway teow (fried rice stick) using a wok and high flame with gas, has the right "wok gas", something that cannot be recreated with ceramic or induction cooker.

another friend treated you the penang asam laksa that is so right, this dish is probably the hardest to recreate and yet she got the broth just authentically done, a perfect balance between spicy and sour, and the earthiness of the mint, tartness from pineapple and fishiness from the mackerel.

then the bao session begins, two different recipes for steam bao and two other recipes for baked char siew bao. you chose to get your hands dirty on the baked bao because that's what you really missed. so measuring, water dough, oil dough, let the dough rests, dividing them into the right portion, wrap the oil dough into the water dough, and use the rolling pin to deflat the ball twice in different orientation before the dough is ready.

then a whole new challenge to wrap the bao in the correct size and seal them probably... all called for hardwork and precision.

but the end result is rewarding, you are almost converted by the steam bao. the skin doesn't get hard the next day.

although your favorite is still this one.  some called it seremban siew bao, regardless of what it is called, this is your favorite. you will probably make this very soon, as soon as you find the next moment to work in the kitchen.

keeping this short, tomorrow you are on business trip again. this time to the most romantic city in the world.