yi★zhen

Category: consuming

  • noteables in 2025

    year of the snake also marks my second zodiac round. here’s to shedding and remaking.

    events

    • i’m glad you’re here – hosted, organised, created a farewell gathering in the disguise of an art exhibition. Celebrating friendship and the conditions surrounding it.
    • moving – back home after 3+ years in the UK
    • travelled – with my dad to a couple places in UK & Europe, and to SK with my mom and carmen. Ticked off visiting the last colonial power of Malaysia in the list (Netherlands)
    • the Whitworth – started work contract in february
    • tone in tongue – selected graphic/type/arts work to exhibit internationally
    • KL Zine Etc – volunteered for 3 days
    • baked – an expensive ass (but super yummy) cake at a workshop for sheen’s bday
    • Pezsta – incredible showing of what it aims to be
    • family – took photos professionally for the first time

    ⋆。 ﾟ☁︎。 ⋆。 ﾟ☾ ﾟ。 ⋆

    < consumables are all first-time experiences of the year, instead of 2025 releases >

    food

    Ultimately, another good year of food. I think my standards in food has increased, but I will still commit to eat whatever’s serviceable.

    • moosim – Fig bingsu & Fig Isaphan ice cream (among other many South Korean eateries)
    • Coneing Creamery – ice cream selection, all of them
    • Désa – Rijsttafel
    • Kung Fu Noodle MCR – Sesame paste 凉粉
    • Pastaleria Suica – Hot Chocolate
    • Shikomi Coffee – Hojicha latte
    • O.rang KL – Panna Cotta with Olive oil
    • Snoplus – Pistachio Shaved Ice
    • Christmas dinner at LA’s place

    games

    milk puzzle – margo

    made me feel crazy in such a good way. i think if i didn’t go to therapy i would be eleanor.

    abyssopelagic cable anomaly – hellodri
    • the reading is light but the depth is deep
    victim doll – Imitation Meat (DOMINO CLUB)

    made me feel less crazy but also unlocked new emotions in me that were quite exciting

    Letting Go – Little Moon Games

    played this the same time when i was packing with limited boxes, deciding what to leave and what to bring with… yar…

    Summer Studies in Japan – Kastel

    interested by the non-linear format to document thoughts, it adds another layer of conversational-ity

    Expedition 33

    well i mean…. hot take i think the story is okay, but the world is interesting and has potential. i LOVED the combat system only because i suck at QTE and i’m good with rhythm games. music is literally banger tho.

    1000xRESIST

    what a unique way to tell a sci-fi story within dev limitations. it rewards noticing, it rewards those who watch. i will think about it again and again.

    reads

    Dropped the ball on manga and comics, but read a bit more fiction that what I’m used to. Also started reading Substack, then fell out of it, something about it’s interface and the way I interact with it.

    • Human Acts – Han Kang
    • Butter – Asako Yuzuki
    • Bluets – Maggie Nelson
    • On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous – Ocean Vuong
    • The Climber – Shinichi Sakamoto
    • Golden Kamuy – Satoru Noda
    • Boku no Hero Academia – Horikoshi Kohei
    • what lives in the unseen – starting from nix

    music

    2025 was the first full year I went without Spotify and only went back to streaming (Tidal) in October for ease to play during drives. I’m more comfortable with silence now.

    • choke enough – oklou
      • fav track: want to wanna come back
    • Willoughby Tucker I Will Always Love You – Ethel Cain
      • fav track: Radio Towers/Dust Bowl
    • Blood on the Silver Screen – Sasami
      • fav track: Possessed
    • Off the Track Christmas Edition (gig)

    purchases

    i should track this better in the new year because i know i buy so many things

    • Printer (Brother MFC-T4500dw)
    • Custom perfume scent from Scents of Memento
    • Thrifted red clogs from JJJ’s closing sale (30sen)
    • Thrifted Paloma wool blue shoes (£20)
    • SanDisk Extreme E61 External SSD on Shopee 11.11 sale
    • Loads of art books and zines from everywhere, once again

  • makan: march

    Another month of eating and thinking about the eating. This month ended with a trip to Bristol, which is always a concentration of cooking as an act of love, where I’m on the receiving end of these dishes.

    (eating in)

    After M’s melancholic departure, I’ve been cheering myself up by buying blocks of tofu to throw in the air fryer. Paired with a custom dip (yuzu ponzu, soy sauce, honey), some pickles and crabstick yippie! I enjoy these moments when I don’t have to do much to be extremely fulfilled.

    AR graciously gifted me jar of Sichuan Chilli Crisp Oil by Yep Kitchen, beautifully designed by plastered8. Bright colours inspired by traditional firecracker boxes, the brand is founded by a guy who spent a decade in China to now sell sauces in Selfridges…

    I sprinkled it on top of beef dumplings along with dried seaweed and yeah… it’s pretty good. A nice balance of numbing/spice/flavour without overwhelming the base ingredients. Probably not the best if you like extreme 麻辣.

    (eating out)

    On a separate trip to Bristol, friends and I played a card game (Kopi King) where you basically make drinks at a kopitiam. There was card in it for “Bandung Dinosaur”. I’ve never seen that shit in my entire life so obviously I scratched a strong itch by making it for my staff meal. Verdict: It’s solid. I would drink it again. Also, the mee goreng mamak always hits the right spot. My friends in the kitchen probably don’t think too much about the poetry of being a young immigrant cooking food that is foreign to others but not to us, but I do. 10/10.

    Wanted to get shaved ice with JH but the dessert room was shut. Got a ramen and sushi set downstairs instead. Fast, solid, cheap – just like how ramen should be. Also, absence really makes the heart grow fonder because for the first time since childhood I felt glee seeing sushi march down a conveyer belt. Insightful conversations with JH as always, I rarely have someone who’s got more life experience where I can so openly have connecting conversations with. Yum… sushi….

    (bristol)

    Once again, I made the trip down to Bristol from Manchester, which always fills me with comfort and peace. Knowing that my friends are there, knowing that I can be taken care of and loved. Also a form of exposure therapy to allow myself to be taken care of, and loved through actions – in this instance, with food.

    The flixbus to Bristol always arrives around noon, which is the right time to visit Obento for lunch. Initially out of convenience, it has now become a ritual.

    [left] Obento’s Chirashi Don is a must-have for me. Had lunch with SL who also got the same thing because Taste! The sun was out so the lovely owner made me an iced Honey Yuzu drink to match.

    [right] Dinner, I felt indebted to life – more so than usual – and got myself a Yasai Ramen. I also wanted to just eat more vegetables, perhaps influenced by this indebtedness. My desire to be vegetarian for the day caught wind and the head chef made me cucumber hosomaki. Hand-rolled, heart-made. To accompany my meal was the last of Ocean Vuong’s debut novel On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous. It gave me a headache, and not a single drop was left in that bowl.

    老闆 prepared dinner for me and C. A meal made with consideration, one of it an experiment/practice for C’s own wedding later this year. Paired with C’s own sambal tumis that accidentally got stored in the fridge. I always find myself feeling undeserving of this generosity. I never know what to say – does my existence truly warrant such pleasure?

    Tried out Rasa Kita on Gloucester Road, a new Malaysian restaurant owned by a M’sian family. New to the country, I would find the idea of having Malaysian food in the UK comedic. But now on some days, it’s all I can think about. (Serving at a M’sian restaurant doesn’t help) Mostly, I’m curious about how people come to situate themselves within the food industry, and try their hand at generating a cultural export which more likely than not, is the culture they grew up with.

    Anyways, my order was a Nasi Lemak with mushroom rendang (vegan!) along with sirap bandung. I love how the drink is in a film-covered cup, it makes bringing it around an easy option. Got free cucumber water also sia, very shiok. Personally, Malaysian cuisine as we see in the UK rarely considers vegan options because it “takes away the authenticity”.

    SL once again gifted me the result of her culinary prowess. This time with Okonomiyaki!!! Look at that beautiful marble pattern. Eating at her dining table makes me feel life is worth living. I’ll spare you the details, but I could feel points being replenished to my energy bar, ++ signs above my head.

    Raya dinner with both A & P’s family! A mix of Malaysian and Portuguese. All the home-cooked classics were singing together on the table, spoons clinking and bowls thunking on wood – what a spread! Oh! there was also Village Park sambal. I wasn’t really sure where I fit into the gathering (malu sikit), but as long as I kept eating, my place was right there.

    Tried out another new Malaysian restaurant with C – what can I say? I’m always thinking about it – situated on the slope of Clifton Triangle. Cozy space, homely vibes with an auntie server and being able to hear multilingual conversations floating from the kitchen added a sense of homecoming. Had wan tan mee but it wasn’t really the right noodles (didn’t have the heart to tell the auntie so sorry)… sauce and 雲吞 was okay tho! C’s char kuey teow was solid too :)) Excited to see this restaurant grow.

    Ended the trip with Swoon under the sunlight (C belanja hehe). A crisp, cooling mint stracciatella.