Archive for February, 2009

La Bodega, Bangsar.

I think most people already know La Bodega as THE place to get your Spanish tapas. Yet I don’t remember going there solely for Spanish food, as I always end up with some brunch item from the deli. So when Shanee from Gastrodome asked if we would like to drop by for a lunch session with her, we gladly did so.

The La Bodega at Jalan Telawi serves 3 functions as the bistro, deli and lounge. Already familiar with the bistro and deli, I love the sound of the lounge which also sees live band performances after 9:30pm.

Shanee recommended starting off with some tapas followed by a paella which we gladly echoed. The tapas’ menu is extensive and quite impressive. The first two tapas we had were the Gambas a la Plancha (Tiger prawns sauteed with chilli and garlic @ RM24) and Berenjenas con salsa de pimientos (Eggplant braised in olive oil, chilli and herbs @ RM12). Both sauces, even if were rather similar in taste, were great for dipping the complimentary in. I loved how soft and flavourful the eggplants was.

Wanting something different and not of the tomato base, we asked Shanee to introduce some of her favourite tapas. We opted for the Albondigas “Sant Climent” (Lamb meatballs in a rich brandy sauce @ RM16) and Queso de Mahon frito con pate de tomate (Deepfried Sheep’s Milk cheese with sun-dried tomato pate @ RM26). Both were winners with us. The meatballs were firm and juicy, with only a subtle hint of brandy. The gooey, deep fried cheese’s flavour was further elevated with the addition of the sundried tomato pate. Rich and sinful altogether.

La Bodega also practises a custom on Sundays i.e, Paella Sunday where an appointed chef makes the famous Spanish dish on a shallow pan also known as paella to the original Valencian chefs. The original recipe doesn’t use seafood though, instead eel, marsh rat or rabbit meat were used with beans. Thankfully the coastal people in Spain started substituting the meat with seafood and the seafood paella was born. However the most famous paella is the mixed version, which uses both seafood and meat.

Spoke briefly to the chef and it takes about 30 mins to prepare and cook the dish, so if you’re ordering this, do make sure you have the waiting time. The chicken meat and peppers are sauteed with saffron first. Then the imported Spanish rice grains are added in together with seafood stock to cook. Once the rice is cooked, the pre-cooked seafood is then arranged on the rice and garnished with lemon slices and green peas.

As we ordered our paella before the chef begun cooking the one on the big pan, our Paella Valenciana Mixta (RM30/pax) was served in a smaller pan. The rice was beautifully cooked with saffron, chicken, pepper and topped with clams, mussels and prawns. It was moist and brimming with the taste of seafood. But the best bit is probably the crusty part at the bottom of the pan.

We started and ended the meal with our smoothies (RM18 each); Melon Berry Crush and Apple, Mango & Passionfruit. Refreshing and packed with nutrition, a good start to the meal, and also a healthier “dessert” of sorts to end the meal.

We were told by Shanee that the management likes to review the menu and make new additions when possible which is a good idea to encourage return visits. Afterall, we all like trying new stuff, don’t we? But overall, love the vibe here which is casual and relaxed. Perfect place for brunches and after work catch up sessions. :)

La Bodega (www)
14-16, Jalan Telawi 2,
Bangsar,
59100 K.Lumpur.
Tel: 03-2287 8318

other reviews;
- mei yen
- chicks & pea
- sixthseal

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BellyGood, Sunway.

After hearing promising reviews of this porkielicious place in Sunway, a family diner with affordable prices, we headed here for lunch. The crowd was thin as we were early but by the time we left, the place was filled up nicely.

We were seated near all the grilling action where we could see the chef flipping slabs of ribs and chunks of meat.

We started off lightly with the Grilled Bacon Salad (RM23.90), a salad of lettuce, matchstick carrot strips, cucumber and tomatoes with cooked bacon and a honey mustard dressing. It was pretty alright and the greens were still fresh and crisp to bite.

We also had a Sausage Platter (RM26.90) to share amongst the group. I thought we had 2 sausages of 2 different makes at first but later found out that there were 4 types : pork chorizo, chicken chorizo, pork oriental and spicy Hungarian. The chorizos were nice but I liked the oriental one (like Taiwanese sausages) and the Hungarian one more, despite it not being spicy to me at all. But it did have a distinctive flavour to it.

The Grilled Pork Belly (RM21.90) arrived before the mix platter and at first bite, I like how juicy and succulent the pork belly was. Thanks to the melting fats. Haha. But one of us complained of an overwhelming gamey, porky taste which happens sometimes in pork dishes. But I still liked my slice, which was well marinated, with what the chefs here called the “pekin sauce”. Also enjoyed the mashed potatoes and wished for a bigger scoop. Hehe.

The Mixed Platter (RM23.90) is a dish combining the best of both worlds as it offers both the pork belly and ribs. We should have just stayed with this choice instead of just the pork belly as it 1 1/2 portions of pork belly got a bit too heavy for us in the end. And I believe that they use the same marinade for the pork belly so it’s matter of preference in having solely one item or two. The ribs were slightly sweeter in taste due to the maripur sauce they use but still tender without falling into pieces. And even though the ribs were good, I think I prefer Cagayan’s version. Yet there’s no denying that the pork belly is the best in BellyGood and apparently you can ask to have the fat trimmed off for a healthier option.

To end the meal on a sweet note, we had a Mocha Ice cream cake (RM8.90) and Chocolate Brownie with Vanilla Ice-Cream (RM12.90). The ice-cream used is from Movenpick which complimented the warm brownie well and helped balance out the flavours.

Service was quite friendly and prices very reasonable. Even though I found the food enjoyable and tasty, I felt that after one two many dishes, the sauces started to taste the same. Hence, I would suggest sharing the porky dishes and ordering other non-pork dishes such as their pastas and salads to make sure you don’t overdo it.

BellyGood (www)
20, Jalan PJS 8-18,
Dataran Mentari,
Bandar Sunway,
46150 Petaling Jaya
Selangor Darul Ehsan
Tel: 03 5630 1699

other reviews;
- lots of cravings (with map)
- life of the food lovers
- see hear speak donny ang
- NST writeup

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Aoyama Japanese Restaurant Revisit.

Aoyama is a firm favourite with the girls in the office and we have been frequenting this place as one of the girls gets updates on seasonal or special items to try. Most of the time, it’s mostly seasonal fish and we have been eyeing an fugu experience (available during Japanese winters) but to no avail as the blowfish is getting more expensive and scarcer by the day (unless farmed). But one can continue hoping… :P But that’s not what this post is about. It’s about something much, much tamer and 100% risk free. Haha.

Now, THIS is the reason we were back at Aoyama over the weekend. A Japanese version of the CNY Yee Sang (鱼生) at RM65. A dish of various ingredients but the pièce de résistance is probably the sashimi parcel that is enough to send any raw fish lover to heaven.

Tossed with the usual crunchy bits and a trio of sesame paste, plum sauce and honey, the end result is truly delectable. I would even go as far to say that this is the best yee sang I have tasted, which is mainly due to the freshness and quantity of the fish slices. And with the extra jellyfish, baby octopus, ebikko roe etc, there’s no way this dish can go wrong. But I’m not sure how long they will be serving this as it’s really a seasonal dish and CNY has ended almost a week now.

Fresh salmon sashimi (RM20/5 slices). Delightful.

Chawan Mushi (RM 8). Smooth and delish.

Crunchy Avo Maki (RM24), a maki roll made with unagi and crunchy tempura bits in the filling. Topped with fresh salmon slices, avocado, spicy mayo and ebikko roe.

Ebi Niniku Yaki (RM21) or grilled prawns topped with special mayo sauce and ebikko roe. Sinful.

Yaki Tori (RM 21), skewers of tender chicken chunks drenched in teriyaki sauce. Love the oomph the sesame seeds added but found this a tad salty.

We were also recommended their special soup (RM16) which is a steamed soup of chunky salmon belly, oysters, mushrooms, leek, tofu and japanese condiments. Very sweet tasting and refreshing, true to the Japanese’ umami flavour requirement. But order this early as it takes a while for the chef to prepare it and the steaming process also requires some waiting time. But the end result is worth it. Try it with the Japanese chilli flakes (Shichimi Togarashi) and be blown away.

The special tempura dish (RM12.50) we had is delightful. Chunks of prawns deep fried with various vegetable sticks, including asparagus spears, pumpkin, yam and japanese cucumber in light batter. Crisp to the bite.

And to end the meal, we decided to have ice-cream. Apart from the usual matcha ice-cream etc, they also serve special variations like wasabi, XO cherry, and this light blu-ish sea salt ice cream. I would recommend the sea salt ice cream as the combination of flavours is rather intriguing. The saltiness is actually quite subtle and quite addictive.

The freshness of the food and constant introduction of new items has continued to add to the popularity of this place. Still safer to make reservations, esp. if you’re coming here for dinner and be sure to get the waitresses to recommend their seasonal items for a more enjoyable dining experience.

Aoyama The Green Room Japanese Restaurant
No. 10, Jalan 27/70A,
Desa Sri Hartamas,
50480 Kuala Lumpur

Tel : 03 – 2300 0683

other reviews;
- bunny’s world
- precious living
- simon says

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The Cave Couple Cafe, SS2

This is a really backdated review (note the X’mas decor) but I only remembered it when I saw it being suggested as a V Day restaurant on kampungboycitygal’s. Despite reading not-so-good reviews about this place, thought the novelty of this concept could still win my heart so proceeded there with 3 other makan kakis. So word has it that the owner fell in love with the unique fairy chimneys in Cappadocia, Turkey and seeked to reproduce his own.

The sleek, mysterious facade of the restaurant does not reveal the stark difference in texture and material until one enters though there’s this rather ugly and phallic looking arch (from the side lah) on the walkway outside which greets all patrons. But ugly arch aside, the transformation of the inside area is truly spectacular as everything from the ceiling to the floor was as per a cave’s. Spotted a bar on the ground floor but was brought to the 3rd floor where the bigger dining hall was. We were told that the first and second floor is reserved for couples as the seating were partitioned booths, or “caves” good enough for 2, and some for 3. 76 caves in total!

But after having a good look at the couples’ cave, was quite glad we weren’t seated at one of them. Apart from the rather tight and claustrophobic side by side seating, there’s only a thin gauze curtain guarding the entrance and in some instances, instead of gazing lovingly at your beloved, you get furtive glances from the couple sitting on the opposite side. Sure, there’s the separating curtain, but it’s sheer and doesn’t hide much. And I rather be sitting face to face with my other half if I was on a date. Oh well, some people prefer cuddling or holding hands while eating, I suppose. But I reckon playing footsie is more fun. Lol. :P

We were however on the open dining hall on the 3rd floor which has its own bar and live band corner. One thing about being in a “cave” though, acoustics or sound control can be quite an issue and we found the noise levels a tad loud for comfortable chatting.

Taking inspiration from the Turkish influence, they also server some middle Eastern starters such as Lamb Kofta, Hummus, Tahini etc. And I decided to go for the kofta which is served with mint yoghurt. The minced lamb is mixed with chopped onions, garlic, cashew nuts and presumably, spices. Can’t recall what the coleslaw looking pile under the meatballs were anymore but I reckon it’s something raita-ish. I quite like it but the meatball had quite a strong lamb taste towards the end.

But that’s where the Middle Eastern influences end as the majority of the menu consisted of Western and Chinese cuisine. I can understand the western dishes but serving Chinese here seems a bit strange. But still, we decided to try one of everything.

Shared a smoked salmon angel hair pasta and it was mediocre at best. And the salmon tasted strange, as if it has gone off, but is that possible of smoked salmon? Still, we scraped it off and concentrated on the angel hair only. Frankly, I won’t recommend this dish.

We ordered a seafood noodle dish and a stir fried “4 heavenly kings” (四大天王). The seafood noodle dish was forgettable, until I even forgot to snap a shot of it. Would do better to try “Wat Dan Hor” in any dai chow around the area. As for the vegetable dish, instead of the usual combination of lady fingers (okra), winged beans, snake beans and brinjal, they used lady fingers, winged beans, french beans and petai. But I think so long as they are 4 types of vegetables esp. legumes used in this dish, whatever combination works. This was alright even though it was much oilier than I preferred, probably one of the better dishes we had that night.

So the verdict is that novelty can only bring one so far as food is mediocre at best. And considering the prices they charge, I would rather be at some neighboring dai chow scoffing down the same but better tasting, cheaper dishes. For the 4 of us, dinner came up to about RM160 for 3 mains and one starter.

The Cave Couple cafe & Restaurant
16 & 18, Jalan SS2/61,
47300 Petaling Jaya
Tel: 03-7873 9888/9698
Open: Mon-Thurs, Sun 11am-1am ; Fri & Sat 11am-2am

other reviews;
- pinkparisian
- life of the food lovers
- eat first think later
- thestar writeup

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Restoran Sek Yuen

Sek Yuen Restoran

Can’t remember how many times I have driven past this single storey building with its stark neon sign and vowed to come here… my wish came true as i finally headed for this place together with colleagues during the CNY period and also to celebrate my birthday. We made our way after work and it was still relatively early so we could have our pick of any of the tables. I opted to sit on the non-airconditioned side simply because I wanted to have a more authentic dining experience.

Sek Yuen Interior

Steeped in decades of history, I reckon Sek Yuen is the chinese equivalent of Coliseum Cafe. The “waiters” are family, and the 3rd generation of the Phang family is currently at helm of this place. Having survived the test of time, the nolstagic interior of kopitiam chairs, faded tables and polished tiles bear witness to that. Even the chefs in the kitchen have been cooking using firewood for as long as they have been operating.

We decided to have a small portion of yee sang as I have heard praises on this dish here. The ingredients are prepared themselves, which is quite laborious as it involves shredding and the julienne cutting of various items incl. pickled ginger, green papaya, carrot, jicama etc. Heaped with spring onions, deep friend wonton skin crackers, cilantro etc and served with side servings of lime wedges, green& red packets of pepper and five-spice powder. The fish slices are generously doused in sesame oil and topped with some ginger slivers.

The freshness of the ingredients of this dish made it a delight to eat and we had fun tossing it, knowing that it’ll be a year later before we attempt to have more.

I loved the “kar heong zhai” (家乡齋), which is essentially a mixed vegetable dish stir-fried with nam yee, or red fermented beancurd. Strands of glass noodles interwoven between slices of chinese cabbage, beancurd, cloud ear fungus, and lily bulb knots etc, I had several helpings as it was so good with the rice. Which brings me to the rice… I have read a few blog reviews on how they had steamed rice served in metal bowls but we didn’t get that. Instead, we had a big bowl of rice to share amongst the table.

Wanting something different, we asked for stir fried intestines which the waiter recommended to be prepared with dried shrimps. For more flavour, spring onions and chili padi were also stir-fried together. But this dish is not for everyone as some reckon there was an aftertaste. But I thought it was quite refreshing and I liked the texture.

The steamed grass carp fish head (蒸松鱼头) with ginger paste was very fresh and perfectly steamed.

As we didn’t pre-book the 8 Treasure duck, we opted for the Stuffed Pork Trotter. I also learnt that this dish is not always available so we were quite lucky to get it at short notice. I enjoyed this sublime dish with the tender, soft meat. The stuffing used were a mixture of its own chopped meat, chestnuts, chinese mushrooms, chopped dried oysters etc. The entire trotter was also topped with my favourite fatt choy moss. Even the gravy was yummy though must mention that the meat was rather fatty, or gelatinous if you prefer. Still, highly recommended esp. if you love rice dumplings as it felt like eating the rice dumplings.

Lastly, we had their famous Pei pa duck (琵琶鸭). I heard that the ducks are reared by the restaurant themselves and are dried in the hot sun for that crisp skin. True enough, I enjoyed the crispy skin most of all. The accompanying tangy dip is also quite memorable. The oil drippings on the plate seems to indicate that the duck was given a hot oil bath before it was served.

in Sek Yuen, another old school restaurant tradition that is practised is the handing out of hot handkerchiefs after a meal. Ah, comfort is feeling the warmth against one’s skin.

The overall dinner costs RM220 for 8pax which is reasonable enough for a taste of old-style Cantonese cooking. And what I truly enjoyed about this place, apart from the atmosphere is the homecooked flavour of the dishes. I don’t even mind the slightly curt and impatient gestures of the waiters as they’re actually quite lovable once they soften up. And I can’t wait to discover other hidden gems of dishes served there… afterall there’s no handwritten menu.

Restoran Sek Yuen 适苑酒家
313-315 Jalan Pudu
55100 Kuala Lumpur

Tel : 03 9222 9457

Closed Mondays

Other reviews:
- masak-masak
- precious pea
- you get what you give

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Citrus Cafe, Miri

Cafes with free wi-fi are starting to mushroom in Miri and the facade of this Citrus cafe caught my eye as I was driving past so made it a point to lunch here during a meet up with an old friend. As it was still CNY, the deco in the cafe also reflected the festive mood and I especially liked the lantern shape table number stands. I think I was expecting slightly more than the lime green and white accents in interior deco due to the more mysterious facade but still, it was pleasant enough.

While waiting for the food, we kept ourselves busy browsing magazines and catching up. I ordered one of their specialty sundaes, Funky Monkey which was a blend of peanut butter and banana. It was really good! Rich yet not cloying and the ratio of the flavours was very balanced. Definitely recommended.

Was up for something cheesy so ordered the Seafood Baked Rice (RM11.90). Fried rice was topped with squid rings, prawns and crabsticks and baked with a creamy, cheesy sauce. I found the sauce a tad salty and the rice, too mushy but portion was good for the price.

My friend had the Chicken Chop (RM15.90) with mushroom sauce. Presentation was interesting as it seems like they use random stuff they had, and since it was CNY even mandarin oranges were not spared. Haha. The chicken was alright though we both thought the mushroom sauce was not really befitting as it was more of the bolognese variety instead of the creamy one which would have tasted better.

Ended lunch with a sweet note and ordered Brownie Ala Mode (RM6.90) which is presented nicely. But the brownie was too sweet so we didn’t finish that.

Despite the not too stellar food, I think this place is still worth a try considering the friendly waiters and great service, along with variety in the menu. Some of the specialties which we did not manage to try included the seafood breadbowl soup, sampler for 4, pasta, chocolate fondue etc. Sandwiches are also recommended in the other reviews. They also have a set lunch deal at RM7 which is not inclusive of drinks though.

Citrus Cafe * Restaurant
Lot 1199,
Jalan Sylvia,
98000 Miri,
Sarawak.

Open Sun – Thurs 11am to 11pm, Fri & Sat 11am to 12am

other reviews;
- makanmaniacs (with map)
- mui-mui
- siaulang
- william ting

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Hopoh Canteen, Miri

During my balik kampung trip for CNY, most food places were closed so we ate at home quite a fair bit. But towards the end of my week back home, managed to drop by some regular haunts that finally opened. Hehe. My grandfather chose to breakfast at the food court at the Hopoh Association building in Krokop , which has been around for as long as I can remember. Known only to the locals as Hopoh, it is quite popular and the place we packed to the brim despite scarce parking. But lack of parking has never become a deterrent to get to good food right?

Though they only have about 7-8 stalls in the so-called canteen, there’s still quite a wide variety of choice available. My favourite item to have here is definitely the Kueh Chap (粿汁), which is a dish consisting of kueh tiao sheets in a savoury herbal soup with lots of braised pork (and their parts), served wth tofu, tau pok and hard boiled eggs. There used to be more spare parts but now there’s only the pork intestine and various cuts of pork. But still sinfully good.

There’s the usual kolo mee stall which also sells laksa. We decided to ask for an upgrade in our noodles and had them add in some small pork intestines. Haha, as Chinese as can be, ya?

There’s also a stall that sells very nice curry chicken rice and one can also opt for curry and braised meat (卤肉) rice. Miri’s curry chicken is different coz it’s more watery and less spicy but this is one of the nicer versions. And this stall is quite popular with the locals too.

There’s also another chicken rice stall selling only white steamed chicken or roasted chicken which used to be THE lunch item for me & my dad when he could lunch with me during my schooldays. But it wasn’t opened so couldn’t relive the memories :P Haha.

Dim sum is also available but we didn’t have any apart from the lor mai kai which was also more for old times’ sake as it was one item my mum used to ta pao for breakfast during my schooldays. I like it as it’s not as dry as some versions.

The stall outside next to the dim sum stall also sells snacks such as rice dumplings (粽子) and cai kueh (菜粿). Miri rice dumplings are simple, with only pork and crushed peanuts filling but very tasty nevertheless. The cai kueh has various generous fillings including leek, jicama and chives. Quite nice but nothing beats the ones my grandmother makes. Hehe.

Miri’s version of Char Kway Teow is way different from the ones in West M’sia and is actually quite a simple dish using only egg, choy sum and maybe chicken slices. But yet, it can be wonderfully fragrant with wok hei. However, I have tasted better CKT in other coffeeshops in Miri so this one was a tad disappointing in comparison.

There’s also a stall that sells the Foochow dish ,Ding Bian Hu (鼎边糊) which is not prepared the conventional way. The “noodles” are in fact starchy batter poured around the sides of a hot wok in a thin layer and scraped into the soup simmering away in the centre of the wok. The norm is to add black cloud ear fungus, pork or fish balls and golden lily buds.

Was looking forward to this but their version was not as good as another coffeeshop’s in Miri. I think they poured in the batter too quickly and most of it went into the soup, hence the cloudy and bubbly soup. Quite bland also so it was left unfinished.

Overall, most of the food here has kept its standards from what I’m used to which explains its popularity with the locals still.

Hopoh Canteen
Wisma Hopoh Miri
Lot 1018,
Jee Foh Road,
Krokop, Miri,
Sarawak.

other review;
- makanmaniacs
- adam kuek

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Happy “Niu” Year 2009


Lion Dance troupe by a Middle School in my hometown, Miri.
**

Halfway through the CNY celebrations now and celebrated the 7th day, or more commonly known as “Ren Ri” (人日), everyone’s birthday by eating luicha, as per our family’s custom. And that has prompted me to post about our family’s traditional reunion dinner dishes. My maternal grandmother handles most of the cooking, with me and an aunt being kitchen helpers. Sure learnt a lot in the preparation works.

We usually have a soup, with pig’s stomach and fish maw. And other ingredients such as kampung chicken, chinese cabbage, meat balls etc. Very tasty indeed.

Of course we must have a fish dish as per the “nian nian you yu” (年年有余) phrase. Afterall, the fish signifies abundance, and this year it was a steamed pomfret. Simply done with a bit of ginger, shallots and chilli, it was very fresh and yummy.

A stir fried vegetables dish is a must. Normally we add in sea cucumbers or canned abalone for that extra oomph. Hehe.

My personal favourite is however the hou si fatt choy (Braised dried oysters with black moss) which my grandmother only makes upon special request. Forgot to mention it to her though this year but am quite pleased with whatever we got.

My grandmother never fails to make this Hakka dish of Braised Pork with Yam (芋头扣肉) in which slices of pork is sandwiched between slices of yam. To ensure the tastiness of the dish, she even plants her own yam plants months in advance!

Deep fried Minced Meat Rolls (春卷) which is said to symbolise gold bars! Haha, whatever it is, it tastes real good with the mixture of minced pork, prawns, water chestnuts etc.

Instead of Roasted/Steamed Chicken, we move one notch up and serve Roasted Duck. I guess we opt for duck because we rarely eat it on other days and it feels somewhat celebratory in nature.

Last but not least, we have this noodle dish that only made its appearance this year. My aunt decided to combine 3 auspicious ingredients – Prawns (Ha in Cantonese) symbolising happiness, mussels (or Hao in Mandarin) symbolising “good” and noodles for longetivity. More of a fusion dish, but still quite well-received by the elders. In fact, my grandfather had second helpings!

Not part of the of the reunion dinner, but instead this mee sua (福州鸡酒面线) is usually taken for breakfast on the first day of CNY. My dad normally cooks this, as it’s his specialty. He has recently substituted the Chinese dried mushrooms with cloud ear fungus which is tasteless and doesn’t interfere with the original taste of the wine soup, yet gives better texture and health benefits!

Well, only about a week left till we feast again on Chap Goh Meh to end the festivities. Until then, hope you all are enjoying the festive season with your loved ones! I am! Esp. with the long break until I am back at work again… hehe.

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