The Foodies in Us

As you probably noticed, I’ve been blogging less these past 2 weeks. Not because I’ve been out of ideas – I think I sometimes have too many!
It’s been my mistress, the Business. Yes, I’ve been up to eyeballs with work, client meetings and yes, presentations. And then friends have been coming to Penang and we’ve been good tour guides, taking them around, showing them the sights and of course, partaking in glorious food. That’s what Penang is famous for, right?
So much so that I actually MISS eating at home! Miss my own homecooked food. Yes, I was thinking of this just this evening as I sat down to a meal I cooked.
A friend told me that she thought I might be vegetarian. Not so. I used to steer clear of beef and mutton when I was in my teens. But now I don’t mind ordering beef or mutton when I eat out. Especially if I am eating at Kayu Nasi Kandar which has, in my opinion, the best beef curry in the universe!
And the beef kueh teow in town, as recommended to me by Vern. At RM6 per bowl (small) or RM8 per bowl (large), the crowds are rather huge at this corner kopitiam. The kopitiam ONLY sells this beef kueh teow soup. But you should see the patrons bursting out of the shop. Parking is crazy here but the things people will do for one bowl of this extra yummy beef noodles. We’re a nutty nation.
As I was telling a friend over dinner (see? the food connection again), we may argue and debate all things wrong with Malaysia but we’re totally in harmony when it comes to food. We get very patriotic when we’re talking about food.
When Nic was backpacking in Nepal many years ago and shivering to death in the cold mountain air, he dreamt about tucking into a bowl of bak kut teh! I can imagine how lipsmacking bak kut teh can be if one has been on a perpetual diet of Nepali food. I was stuffing my face with dragon ball biscuits in Hong Kong many years ago in order to stem some homesickness. My grandmother had brought the biscuits for my uncle who was then working in HK but I ate them all.
Last week M called me and said she managed to tar-pau 20 packets of this unique laksa lemak from Wisma Central in town. She invited me over to eat the laksa as she said the laksa is only sold once a week, on Thursday. Unfortunately I was not able to sample this unique offering but J, another friend tried it and gave her thumbs-up! Again, I am piqued and will need to nose this laksa lemak out for myself soon. I leave no food trail unexplored!
Speaking of food, I received a lovely coffeetable book from Tze a couple of days ago. I met her many years ago in a yoga class and re-connected with her just this year.
penang passion book
The immaculate Tze is the author of Penang Passion, a book on food and food tales of Penang. She calls herself the reluctant foodie but she really enjoys talking about food. (Tze kindly autographed the book and gifted me with a Penang Passion apron, remarking that I should try out the recipes in her book. Which I will, I hope.)
autographed Penang Passion
Penang Passion was just recently launched and she says that she’s been rather fortunate that her book has been flying off the shelves, thanks to supportive and encouraging friends and family (you can find it in MPH and Popular and soon, in Borders too). She is also a contributor to Vanilla, a Singaporean mag where she writes about her food adventures!
Of course, no one speaks to me without getting a dose of “you must blog, you really must!” And as she is a writer, I tell her it’s even easier to do so. She’s not the first person whom I evangelise about blogging to; I’ve done that to Robert, a friend/client who got so excited he now writes 2 blogs!
Tze wants me to speak on blogging soon (and so has a friend in KL who has been asking me if I have the time to conduct a blogging course for her customers) and I probably need to think seriously about it. 😉

Feasting on Durians

The idea was mooted by a friend/durian fan during one of our ladies’ networking meets about 2 weeks ago. This friend, SY, had asked casually if any of us were durian lovers and if we could have a durian party, well at least before the durian season ends!
And so after plenty of SMSes around, and emails, we realised that everyone is either on a diet (too worried about getting plump), can’t stand durians (non-durian eaters) or too unwell to partake in a feast of durians (some were coughing, others were heaty and etc).
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And that was why it was only us 4 who actually turned up last Friday afternoon for our much anticipated durian feast. Initially we had wanted to be real lazy and have it somewhere in town, with comfy chairs and plenty of water to wash our hands. But someone said that it was much better if we went up to Balik Pulau for durians – it was more authentic!
Of course in the end we didn’t drive all the way to Balik Pulau – we probably would’ve got lost. But J did suggest a place she knew, which was just in Paya Terubong which sold good quality durians. She had been a regular buyer of Mr Low’s durians eversince the season started.
We met at the Shell petrol station in Air Itam, just before the roundabout to Penang Hill and piled into M’s car that afternoon. The drive took about 10 minutes, as we passed the Air Itam market, all the way to Paya Terubong.
The durian shack was easy to locate – it was just beside the bend in the winding road. You can’t miss it. And strangely, I was glad there were no heads as the shack was named “The Head Brand Durian”!
It was just a rough-and-tumble shack, with piles and baskets of durians. The shack had some benches and tables where one could sit down and start ‘attacking’ the king of fruits. It also had an outhouse and running water so one could actually wash one’s hands after a meal of durians.
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The customer service was great probably because we four looked like we couldn’t ever pry open a durian by ourselves. The owner/seller – Mr Low – was this happy, bald chap in his 50s, who offered us durian after durian. He even offered us some fragrant cempedak, for free. He even cut open mangosteens for us! Talk about being pampered.
The only thing which we lacked was drinking water. In some places, drinking water is offered as soon as you sit down.
But the ‘siao hong’ and ‘ang hea’ durians Mr Low sells are absolutely yummy. I like durians which are bitter and each durian he offered us seemed to be better than the last! It was like heaven being feted with durians of such amazing quality.
And it wasn’t even expensive. In the end, he charged us RM10 per person. We also bought durians to take home (yes, the ‘tar pau’ culture is alive and well). He was kind enough to give us each one free durian. My pack of 5 durians cost RM25. When I opened them at home later, each durian was as good as the ones I had at the durian shack.
Mr Low says that there is one more month before the durian season ends so if you want to have your fill, it’s a pleasant drive up to his Head Brand shack in Paya Terubung.
I’m thinking I must drive up there soon before the durian season ends – there’s really nothing like a good durian or two!
Head Brand Durian (Mr Low Boon Yau)
019 447 5932 or 04 658 1344

Directions:
From Air Itam, just drive along to Paya Terubung, past Majestic Heights flats, and about 5 minutes after passing Majestic Heights, you will see the durian shack.
Opening hours: Morning to 5pm daily

What You'll Get in Banting

When I got my Flavours magazine early this month, I was thrilled to read that Banting was one of those towns featured in their foodie booklet. When I scoured the booklet, I read that Banting is a one-street town and the only worthwhile food there is the Beggar’s Chicken at Jugra (which you need to order in advance).
OK, this would rile me and Hoyoyi. While I am not fond of Banting immensely, I did grow up in that “one-street town” and like all impatient girls, I did spend a good part of those times thinking, “There must be more to life than this provincial town”.

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The Odd Couple…You Know Any?

Do you know any odd coupling? No, not that sort. Not humans, not that weirdo boyfriend of your best pal whom you detest. Not that sort of odd couple.
I mean, food couple.
Odd food couples are foods which don’t usually go together but which we pair them up together and eat them with each other.

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On a Ducky Trail

When I get totally bushed, as I sometimes do (while working on clients’ projects simultaneously), I crave for some out of routine thing to do.
It could be just getting out and wandering aimlessly. It could be suddenly developing a craving for nasi kandar.
Which reminds me, I met up with two lovely people two weeks back – Ling Suan and her husband, Dr Leong who had driven up to Penang for a short break.
For many of you, does the name Tan Ling Suan ring a bell? She used to write regularly for The Star and she still writes, but she now spends most time writing children’s books. (You can find these phonics books and more in most bookstores, published by Arowana Publishing House.)
I’ve known her for years now – maybe 5 or 6 years – and she used to live in Sungai Petani when her husband was working at the Strand Hospital. One of the best things about Ling Suan is that she’s always cheerful and optimistic, and possesses a young heart despite having children and grandchildren!
Often curious, open-minded and tranquil, Ling Suan is someone I aspire to be like when I get to her age. Dr Leong is very kind – he’s probably the kind of doctor you’d want to visit if you are sick. His friendly demeanour makes you feel better right away.
We agreed to meet up for some supper at Kassim Mustafa, Penang Street. Ling Suan has a good memory – she reminded me that Nic raved about some 2am duck curry in Georgetown many years ago. Could we meet and try the duck curry together?
So we decided to meet up at Kassim Mustafa at 1am, because the duck curry only makes its appearance at 2am (for the late, late night crowd’s supper). I’m not a late night person and staying beyond 1am is not my kind of thing.
But never mind, it’s for Ling Suan and Dr Leong.
When we arrived at 1am, the corner shop was packed. People were lining up for the curries. We asked for the duck curry but the waiter told us apologetically that it was all sold out. So we settled for some chicken curry and naan. And we had a good night, talking and catching up so much so that we left Kassim Mustafa’s around 3am!
We found out from the waiter that the duck curry now appears earlier – from 9pm onwards. But on Saturday nights only.
I kept asking why it makes a once-a-week appearance because it was a highly popular dish (going by the lines of people and the takeaways, or tar pau). Why not make it more often? Again I asked. I was not satisfied that I did not get my duck curry despite staying up late.
“Oh, the curry is very expensive to cook… must do the rempah and all,” the waiter said, complete with shaking head and hand gestures.
And two days ago, I finally managed to get my duck curry. Aaah, my ducky trail has ended. I finally got to taste it. Make no mistake, this dish is well-known among regular patrons. You won’t even find it on their menu! It’s THAT top secret. It sells out very fast too.
We arrived about 10pm and already packets of nasi minyak and duck curry were being tar-paued quickly.
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We ordered the duck curry (a huge slab of duck thigh swimming in the most yummy curry gravy – RM6), some turmeric-infused stirfried cabbage (almost wilted, that’s the only thing I dislike about these nasi kandar places – RM1) and some beef curry (not bad but had a bit of a beefy smell, RM2) to go with our fragrant nasi minyak (RM1 x 2). And of course, don’t forget the scoops of spicy, sourish kerisik which really goes well with the duck and the nasi minyak.
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This place sells a mean Ayam Negreo too or what I call ayam diesel… the chicken pieces sit in sauce so black it could only be diesel! LOL. Joke aside, it’s not too bad but take the duck. Nic has eaten here years ago and he says the duck back then was more tender. The huge pots and pots of curries come out of the kitchen all night. Imagine how many people eat in and take away, if going by the size of the pots.
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Kassim Mustafa’s is a warm nasi kandar joint; either that, or the curries were hot. We both started sweating profusely as we gobbled our rice. Some half an hour later, we were absolutely sated, stuffed with duck and beef, and sat sipping our teas with relish.
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Here’s a bit of history about this duck curry – a must-try if you are in Penang – the first generation owner of Kassim Mustafa’s started selling his duck curry from a small, nondescript shop opposite its current premises. Over the years, he grew wealthier and expanded business into the current shop lots. I suppose for nostalgia’s sake they still sell the duck curry, although now only once a week, on a Saturday night. I’m not sure if they have it in their other branches of Kassim Mustafa (there’s a branch at Bayan Baru).
But good marketing too – make something so good and so scarce that people from far and wide just have to have a taste of this dish!

This One First…

I’m back! Thanks for everyone’s kind thoughts and comments when I was away for my Porpor’s funeral. I am so blessed to have friends online and offline!
Anyway, I’ve much to do now that I am back. Lots of stories to tell, lots of photos too as I had come back from Langkawi (yes, again! It’s probably Langkawi My Second Home!) a day before I got news that my Porpor had passed away.
But this one first…
Remember the last time I wrote about Island Glades’ curry mee? (If you can’t remember, then backtrack and read this post.)Well, apparently, you guys were not satisfied that the blog post DID NOT come with photos. Or at least, clearer photos.
Well, I was at Auntie’s a couple of weeks back. I had a tremendously satisfying bowl of superlicious Penang curry mee and I brought along my camera. Yeah, yeah, I won’t be bad and use my mobile phone camera. It’s too blur to see the real thing.
So I brought along a real camera this time and we sort of took pictures of Auntie when she was preparing the curry mee. She was shy! We told her we were going to write about her and put it online. Hard to explain what a blog was!
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And yes, for the first time ever in blogosphere, MayaKirana decides to reveal herself tucking into an unhealthy bowl of Penang curry mee.
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And on a Sunday morning! With clothes which look like ‘kiam chye’ (by that I mean, my tatty t-shirt looks like something Margaret would turn up her snotty feline nose at!). But hey, this is who I am. On (ahem) regular workdays, I look better-lah!
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And if you are ever around Island Glades on a sunny morning, go look for Auntie. Her house is easy to spot. You will see an umbrella open, as well as two Malaysian flags on her roof – one a Penang flag and the other, a Malaysia flag.
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Sighing over Supper…

Almost zonked out from sheer tiredness today.
Woke up early to meet a friend for breakfast at McD’s Sunrise Tower but let me tell you, I really don’t see what the big fuss is about. (By the way, my Godmother who is in her 50s, loves the McD Breakfast although she’s very careful about what she eats!) Really, if it weren’t for the stay-as-long-as-you-like environment and aircond, I would really have settled for some kopitiam somewhere in Gurney Drive or Pulau Tikus.
I am not a biggie fan of fast food. It’s not due to the fat and grease, either. I just don’t think it’s real food. I take fast food like McD’s or KFC whenever I am at airports so go figure. Fast food is the last option of mine. It’s a quick bite on the go, and a convenient food for those times when heck, any old rubbish will do.
Of course, at times I do get cravings for meat. During one of our nightly mahjong sessions, my cousin and I suddenly got this real hunger for KFC. We imagined tucking into nicely fried, crispy fried chicken ala the Colonel. We stopped playing mahjong for a while and we hopped into my trusty Baby (hey, don’t you name your cars too?) and we zipped into IJM Batu Lanchang for some takeaway fried chicken and yes, those cheesy wedges (that’s the only saving grace of this place, besides the fried chicken).
But once we had gorged ourselves silly (and became totally ‘jelak’ on the cheese and grease), we swore we’d never touch another fried chicken again for at least 3 months. That happens to us when we overstuff ourselves with all manner of KFC, or even McD.
The fast food topic came up again during lunch again today with a few friends. We were talking about fast food and WC said that yes, sometimes, he really has no choice when it comes to filling one’s tummy at 2am. It was the lesser of two evils – either nasi kandar or McD. He says he usually pops into McDonalds Greenlane (which is open 24 hours) after midnight and there’s a queue of cars at the drive-thru. And sometimes he has to wait for his orders to be ready. And yes, there’s quite a number of hungry folks at night.
It seems there’s also this double promo at McD’s Greenlane where you get two huge burgers or something. Oh, it happens after midnight. Who’d want to chomp on not one, but TWO burgers? Apparently, I may be the odd one out. Most people would happily do so! Supper or an early breakfast? Maybe both!
Speaking of supper, I try not to eat after 1am. It wrecks havoc on my system anyway and I can’t sleep after that. During my uni days, supper was the ‘in’ thing on campus. In USM, we always sought each other out for supper. And having supper during the much-loved Study Week (hey, it should be renamed Supper Week) is a must, on the assumption that a full stomach made revision and the retention of facts much easier.
But I had a roommate from Kelantan who would take the same old supper each night. Siew Peng was one year my senior and we shared a room in Desa Aman (with another gal so there were 3 of us in one supertiny room).
Each night, Siew Peng would cook a packet of Maggi Mee Kari the undergrad way – dump noodles into bowl, pour boiling hot water over, cover for 3 minutes and then dig in. Each night, the smell of Maggi Mee Kari would assault my senses, particularly on nights when I had no night classes or when I had no co-curricular meetings.
Oh, the smell of Maggi Mee Kari. Awful! It’s so ‘synthetic’ even Margaret my cat won’t eat it. Yet, night after night, Siew Peng walloped one whole bowl of it. And she was a tiny gal, mind you. She was truly ‘powered’ by Maggi Mee Kari!
On the other hand, Nic and his roommates had weird suppers. They’d make a feast out of it – imagine making soft boiled eggs (the really runny type) and mixing Brands Chicken Essence with the eggs and glugging (eating? slurping?) the whole mixture down.
Eeeeuuuuwww. Gross. And they do this after they each eat a bowl of Mamee noodles. It enhanced their brain power. Or so the guys justified their supper. See? I tell you, boys are oddities. Especially a bunch of bored boys whose idea of fun is permeating their hostel room with the smell of luncheon meat cooked in an electric sandwich-maker. That’s definitely another story for another time.
But supper. It’s so Malaysian, right? Where do you go for supper? Or do you make your own?

Snacks and Food of Kuching

It’s much easier for me to see the differences in food when I am in Kuching. I go with my Penang eyes anyway. Sightseeing aside, the local food in Kuching is quite different from Penang because they’re still quite traditional in many ways (read: not as polished commercialised as we Semenanjung people are). Each community has its own special food, either for celebrations or for regular consumption.
Below are some interesting snacks and food you might want to try the next time you are in Cat City!
“Bee phang” or rice cakes
According to my mom-in-law, these are eaten by the Hakka during CNY. They have various types: with sesame seeds, with peanuts, etc. I never knew this existed until Lisa (from KL!) told me she loved the bee phang from Kuching.
Bee Thor
I first tasted bee thor when my mom-in-law bought it from the local market. It is shaped like a teardrop, the size of a hand. Think of it as a flattened steamed pau – the ingredients inside can be savoury or sweet. Sweet ones have peanuts and sugar while the savoury ones include minced meat. I love the savoury versions. I can’t remember if it is a Hakka or Hainan snack!
Tebaloi or crispy sago biscuits
Tebaloi is a famous native (Melanau) food in Sarawak. It is made from sago flour and tastes nice and crispy like a thicker version of kuih kapit (which in Sarawak is called kuih sepit). It is a snack which locals don’t eat at all just like we Penang people don’t eat tambun biscuits or nutmeg unless we buy them for visiting or out-of-town friends!
Kek lapis or Indonesian layer cake
Visit any open house during CNY in Kuching and you will taste fantastic kek lapis. The beauty of this cake is not in the cake but the various designs and patterns which are revealed when the cake is sliced, eliciting awed oohs and aahs. In this regard, Sarawak Malays are creative in making kek lapis in different colours, layers and yes, designs! I have seen a whole recipe book dedicated to the making of this beautiful edible work of art. Never leave Sarawak without getting this cake. Yes, there are halal and non-halal versions. The halal version can be bought in Satok. The non-halal versions can be bought at any good bakery in Kuching.
Keropok udang with vegetable acar
It is a given that you will be served keropok udang or ikan in any Sarawakian’s house. The way to eat this is with the local vegetable acar or pickle made with julienned carrot and cucumber in a tangy base of spices. It sounds odd (that’s what I thought too the first time I heard about it) but the combination works really well. You put a teaspoon of pickle (usually served chilled) on the keropok. When you bite into the crispy keropok, you get a burst of tastes and sensations on your tongue: savoury and sweet and salty all at once. It works only with acar from Sarawak so get a bottle if you’re in any local market there. (Quick sidenote: Learn how to make instant acar from a Sarawakian friend of mine in the US.)
Kuching siew pau
Unlike the Seremban siew pau which we get here in the Semenanjung, the Kuchingites have their own famous siew pau. It is less polished, unlike its Seremban cousin, and looks ‘whitish beige’. The taste is more traditional too. But yummy nonetheless. Imagine it’s a siew pau that your grandma made – looks and tastes like that. Try the yam puff and curry puff too when you buy the siew pau. Legend has it that the two feuding siew pau makers along Carpenter Street in downtown Kuching (near Chinatown) make the same pau because one learnt from the other and then decided to open a shop next to her mentor! Of course everyone says the original pau from the original shop tastes better! You don’t have to visit the shop to buy the pau – you can get it just as easily from any coffee shop around Kuching.
“Umai” or raw fish salad
Umai is a native food made from raw fish. I first tasted this during the Rainforest World Music Festival many years ago at the Sarawak Cultural Village. I’m quite all right with raw fish since I do love my sashimi with a vengeance. According to a Kuchingite friend who works in Mukah (famous for its sago by the way and of course fat juicy sago worms!), any type of fresh fish can be used to make umai. Also, you can have two types of umai – one is shredded raw fish mixed with sliced onions, lime juice, salt, sugar and chillies or the other type which is plain sliced raw fish (akin to sashimi) eaten with a spicy chili dip. Both taste equally good, he says. This same person has also taken grilled sago worms. We asked if it tastes like chicken. He smiles and says that he can’t describe it – one must take it to know how it tastes like!
Sarawak laksa
Of course you must taste this when you are in Kuching. How can you not? The one I like is located at the 3rd Mile market, in a coffee shop which sells kolo mee too. It’s pretty addictive, this Sarawak laksa. If you start getting withdrawal symptoms, go to any Everise supermarket and grab a few packets of laksa paste. I’ve tried looking for the original brand – Swallow brand – but cannot seem to find it. I did find other unknown brands like Cap Helang, Cap Burung Bayan etc. Not tested so do not know if they’re any good. Or try getting Barrett’s laksa paste from their coffee shop at Bormill Estate if all fails. Barrett’s is the offshoot of the original Swallow brand. Don’t forget to get their sambal belacan too. Otherwise your sarawak laksa will not taste like sarawak laksa without the sambal belacan!
Pepper
If you don’t know that Sarawak is famous for pepper, you shouldn’t read further. LOL. Sarawak is the world’s biggest producer of quality pepper, for your info. Pepper is the king of spices and your black pepper steak will be awful without this spice. Get peppercorns for your friends and family because nothing tastes better than freshly ground pepper from fresh peppercorns (Especially ‘too thor thng’! Yum) Anyway, if you don’t cook but would like something peppery, try pepper sweets (which taste like mints so don’t worry). Or buy pepper perfume! Or buy pepper sauces in bottles. Where to get? Any supermarket in Kuching or any Sarakraf or tourist souvenir shop.
Salted terubuk fish
I love eating terubuk fish (American Shad) which my grandma cooks although the fish has so many bones that it’s terrifying! But the fish is lemak and lovely when braised with bitter gourd and black beans. However in Sarawak, they do the salted fish version. Sold in the Satok market, this fish is a must-buy. I have not tasted this salted terubuk though but I guess it would be like any other salted fish. Anyone tasted this and know how to eat it?
Midin or young fern shoots
Only in Sarawak you will get this at your local ‘tai chow’ or ‘chu char’ eating place. It is crispy and yummy when stirfried with garlic and out of this world when fried with belacan! Midin is a jungle fern eaten by locals. Nic says the pucuk pakis (like the ones you find in Tesco) over here is similar but NOT the real thing.
Kolok Mee
It’s a sin if I leave this out. Kolok Mee or Kolo Mee is a simple dish of springy noodles (very “Q” – a Hokkien term for extreme springiness!) with seasonings, lashings of char siew oil and slices of char siew. That’s it. So simple, so delicious! Unlike our wantan mee, it has no black soya sauce, it is not soggy, and it is not full of ingredients. It can be served dry or in a soup. Either way, the kolo mee is good because it has bite and the flavourful char siew oil gives it the added ooomph. You can get kolo mee anywhere, anytime in Kuching. I’ve become as much of a kolo mee fan as my husband. You have not been to Sarawak if you have not tasted this local dish. Yes, there are halal versions too sold by Muslims – it is topped with beef slices instead of porky char siew.
OK, this post is making me really hungry. I must stop or I’ll drool all over this PC!
Do you have any favourite food/snacks from your hometown to share?
Granted, Kuching isn’t my hometown (it is my husband’s) but I feel I know the place after so many trips there! Any Sarawakians want to add on to my list of snacks and food of Kuching?

Island Glades – Penang Curry Mee Secret

I am going to tell you about our favourite Penang curry mee stall because all other curry mee I’ve tasted out there really cannot compare to Auntie’s. Also I think it’s time Auntie got recognition for her absolutely fair value curry noodles. Very fair value as you will see.
Oh sure, someone we know will tell us about this amazing curry mee or that curry mee here and there. But wait till you taste THIS curry mee. It’ll blow your socks off. Or pantyhoses.

Chockfull of ingredients…where can you find ingredients piled so high that you can’t even see the noodles?
Nic and I have been her fans for the past five years now. Yes, it’s been OUR secret for the past five years. My ex-colleagues also wax lyrical over this 70-something-year-old’s curry mee.
Of course it’s not healthy to eat curry mee all the time (especially curry mee with so much of evil stuff like santan, blood cockles and pig blood). But there’s something about this curry mee that lures us again and again. Or it could be these 3 reasons:
1. It is the cheapest ever – RM2 for small, RM2.50 for big. Small is big so be warned.
2. Packed with lots of good stuffs – cockles (‘see hum’), prawns, pig blood, tau pok, cuttlefish, mint leaves, lots of mee and meehoon and of course, kickass sambal.
3. Her curry soup is so good that you’ll want to slurp it all down till the last drop.
In other places, you get a miserly portion of curry mee with no ‘liao’. No prawns at all. Sometimes all you get is tau pok and some fish cake slices. Want prawns? Have to add extra RM1.
Auntie gives you hearty portions even if you order small. Her big curry mee can be shared between 2 small eaters. But then again, one taste of her curry mee will make you a true blue fan. How to share?
Anyway, you can take-away or eat there. It’s a house porch so seating is limited unless you go early. It’s best to eat there because she’s also quite friendly and will regale you with stories of her travels (an adventurous soul she is! This woman has been to places, I tell you!).

Go say hello to Auntie for us if you eat there!
How to get there:
Her address is Number 9, Lorong Delima, Island Glades. It is a blue house on your left as you drive down the hilly area to the traffic lights of Jln Yeap Chor Ee intersection (where you see Mutiara Court apartments on your right). If you see cars parked along the road, most likely they are customers. She opens only for breakfast.
She opens most days but runs out of curry mee around 10-ish in the morning. So go early and grab a bowl! During festive seasons or school holidays, she goes off for a break with her grandchildren and children.

Surprisingly… Taiping

Lisa, Nic and I took off on a whim of a trip to Taiping before Christmas – we thought it would be fun to nose out some good eateries in that rain-soaked town.

View from the car of the beautiful old trees lining the Lake Gardens road.
We didn’t have much planned and I basically did some groundwork by googling for the best makan places in Taiping plus I could also fall back on my tattered Flavours guidebook (but then again, not every recommendation in that guidebook is accurate. Some places missed the mark all together!).
It is a one-hour leisurely drive from Penang to Taiping, and we three were looking forward to a lovely lunch of authentic Hainanese chicken chop. We followed the Flavours guidebook only to be sorely disappointed! The pork chops and chicken chop were so-so only, and I found the pork tough and tasteless.
We decided to find another popular Taiping food – popiah. But luck really wasn’t on our side that day. We found the place, a corner shop which sold popiah and soya bean drink but everything had been sold out by the time we meandered there at 4pm. The sky darkened and the threat of rain was real.
Perhaps popiah at Taiping’s market? Lisa decided to park her car near the market and we decided to nose about the market area. Of course, Taiping is not called the wettest town in Malaysia for nothing. In no time, we were running for shelter as it started its ubiquitous evening drizzle! Dreadful and no popiah in sight either!

Our barista in action….
We sat down at a coffee stall in the market to rest our tired and frustrated selves – and ordered some kopi o and tea, and since we were hungry (it’s easier to get hungry as a group!), we ordered roti bakar, a set each. A set means two slices of toasted bread with margarine and kaya.
There’s something about small town folk. In those few moments, we had started a conversation – yes, something friendly and warm about people who lead simple lives, unlike us complicated city folk. We asked about popiah but when we started sipping the coffee and tea, we were bowled over. The beverages were just right – and later we found out that these people (who are Hainanese by the way) toast their own coffee beans. No wonder the coffee was fragrant and Nic swore that it was better than any old Starbucks any day.

See that old style coffee cup in the back?
And the roti bakar. I’m a purist when it comes to toasted bread. I can’t stand the new-style, modern kopi tiam(s) which serve roti bakar which looks like the bread had been run over, all flattened and compacted. And no brown bread either – I want plain white slices, the kind we all used to eat before Gardenia and Hi-5 came along. The older I grow, the more I want things my way. Yes, dogmatic crankiness is a sign of old age, definitely!
This roti bakar was the real deal – plump slices of crisp toasted bread slathered with homemade kaya and margarine. The kaya was truly old-style – smooth, fragrant and not too sweet. It complemented the Daisy margarine well, and of course, paired well with black coffee and milky sweet tea. (You can buy the kaya – RM2 for a plastic container. Their coffee is not for sale, according to Erina of Cooking Island who is related to these people! Small world! She had to remind them of their ancestral relationship in order to wrangle us some heavenly coffee. Thanks, Erina. The coffee is like gold in our home. Only to be brought out for special occasions because it needs to be brewed the old way. None of the 3-in-1 for these Hainanese – absolutely no!)
It was pure addiction – in the end, we three had gulped down in total five cups of beverages and ate 6 sets of roti bakar. Yes, we were absolute pigs.
We promised to come back – yes, the coffee and kaya are so out of this world that they warrant a one-hour drive to Taiping.
How to get there:
Look out for the Kentucky Fried Chicken outlet in Taiping. When you spy the KFC outlet on your left, turn left into the market. The coffee stall (located in the market) will be on your right as you turn in.