Food

This blog post was supposed to be uploaded a long time ago… but with the slow Internet, it had to wait. It’s a bit weird, timeline-wise, but still valid. Have fun!

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It’s been a few days of no posts but I have been well and truly busy. In fact, as I was lamenting to my friends who called on Xmas Eve, I was still working on a proposal for a client right up till midnight on the eve. But never mind that – I took complete rest on Christmas Day and yes, today too. Boxing Day is for relaxation I suppose, and anyway, one is still recuperating from the after-effects of feasting!

I started the Xmas weekend all worked up for feasting – well, Vern and I had a lovely, cosy lunch at 32, The Mansion on Saturday (thanks Vern!). She even got me a souvenir from Australia – bless her soul. This wise old gal just turned 18 (how I envy that age where one is young and carefree about life – but then again, Vern is nothing like the average youth one meets).

Christmas Day was fun because I did not go near the laptop at all – and I watched lots of TV. Actually it was two whole hours of Channel 11 on Astro of sexy old Nigella Lawson and lisping boy Jamie Oliver. They both put me in the mood for celebrating as they were going on and on about food for Christmas; from Alaska Bombe to pork roasts, from simple sushi to pizza. And in between, I was busy cooking Sarawak laksa for a small dinner party I was (ahem) having. It was something I had been meaning to do for a long time now.

Cooking Sarawak laksa isn’t difficult – it’s just tedious!

I took photos to document the cooking process so that those of you who want to try it out for yourself, please do.

The most important ingredient is the Sarawak laksa paste. Now this part is a bit tricky because you have to beg, borrow or steal. You just can’t find it here in Penang (anyone who can get Sarawak laksa paste here, please give a shout out.) I can get it easily because it comes from my client who manufactures this laksa paste for export and for use in her shop in Kuching. This is one of the advantages of having clients in the food business – we get plied with lots of samples!

The few packets of laksa paste that we have in our fridge are like precious gems. Only to be opened and cooked for special occasions like Christmas. Also, it’s more fun to cook when there are lots of people coming over; everyone loves a good bowl of kickass laksa, particularly displaced Sarawakians like my husband who hanker for their hometown food and some KL friends of mine who have been asking for some (sorry Jana, I wished you were here to try it out but you are in KL, of all times).

OK, besides the laksa paste, you will need some a packet of mee hoon (rice vermicelli), 2 eggs, 300gm medium-sized prawns, some chicken breast meat, chicken carcasses, lots of limes, coconut milk and some coriander. You will also need some real Sarawak sambal belacan too and I get mine courtesy of Barrett and Stefania. (By the way, they’re also mentioned in Wikipedia. See end of this post for the link.)

You can prepare the laksa soup or gravy first and let it simmer over a slow fire for 3 hours or more. Get a huge stock pot and fill it halfway with water. Bring to a boil and add in the chicken carcasses and prawn shells. I have not tried cooking it with pork bones (like what I do when simmering Chinese herbal soups) because Nic tells me no one uses ‘bak kut’ to make the laksa stock.

Once the stock has simmered for at least an hour, you can add the laksa paste. Once the paste goes into the stock, the whole apartment smells like laksa! The fragrance wafts around and those in the know will know that someone is cooking laksa. Free smells for the neighbours then. Let it simmer for an hour or so first.

You can now prepare the other ingredients. In another pot, bring some water to boil. First, blanch the mee hoon. Rinse the mee hoon under running tap water after it comes out of the pot of boiling water. Next, blanch the chicken breast meat; when the meat has cooled, you need to tear the meat into strips. Finally, blanch the prawns.

Finely slice the coriander and put aside. Also, slice some limes. These two will be the laksa garnishing.

Next, beat the eggs lightly in a bowl. Heat up your pan and make thin omelettes with these eggs. Cool and julienne. Set aside.

You will need to ‘tapis’ or filter your laksa gravy. This is the part which I find tedious. Get another pot of similar size and place a metal strainer on the mouth of this pot. Filter the gravy well. Once you have filtered it, you will need to bring it back to a simmer on the stove.

The next step is to add coconut milk. I would prefer freshly squeezed santan from the wet market but sometimes I have to make do with Ayam Brand Coconut Milk in tetrapak. I used 200ml of this coconut milk – you can use more if you wish, depending on how rich or ‘lemak’ you want your laksa gravy to be. I tend to watch the waistlines of my friends so I go easy on the artery-clogging santan.

You can add your seasonings now – a bit of salt, a bit of fish sauce or nampla, a bit of oyster sauce and some sugar. Or you can just omit all these and pop in some Maggi chicken stock cubes. Let it simmer for another 30 minutes or so and your gravy is ready. Let it sit for another 30 minutes before you serve the laksa.

To assemble the laksa, place the mee hoon in a bowl. Add prawns, chicken meat, coriander and egg strips. Bring laksa gravy to a boil and ladle hot laksa gravy on top of mee hoon. Before you tuck in, squeeze some lime juice over. Stir in a generous dollop of Sarawak sambal belacan. Mix well and bon appetit!

Note: Sarawak laksa doesn’t look appetizing – in fact, it looks rather muddy and awful. There’s nothing gorgeous about this ubiquitous Sarawakian breakfast. But if you’ve tasted it once, you’ll never forget it.

Update: More rave reviews of Barrett’s sarawak laksa at this quirky blog which writes ONLY about Sarawak laksa! The link is at http://real-sarawaklaksa.blogspot.com/2006/10/tiangs-cafe-bormill.html

The honourable Wikipedia mention at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laksa

This morning we were too late for breakfast and too early for lunch. I didn’t feel like eating kueh teow thng, porridge or roti canai. Finally I remembered Minah Restoran, a place we often passed as we drove along the Gelugur main road but never bothered to ever try it out. Until I read somewhere that it serves good nasi campur.

We arrived at 11.30am which is a good time actually as the Malay dishes were just being cooked. Minah Restoran is made up of two shops and is located on the same row as Maybank Gelugur. Parking can be quite iffy – you either get a parking spot or you don’t as lots are limited.
According to the third generation owner, a friendly chap, Minah’s has been around for the past 50 years. Lat’s eaten at the place in 1994 and even drew a cartoon for them (it’s framed and hung near the wash basin – pretty clever advertising!). Another frame holds a certificate dating back to the 1970s when Minah won for best non-air conditioned restaurant. The restaurant attracts lots of USM staff (due to such close proximity) – not surprisingly too as a number of USM lecturers live around the Minden housing area too.
The restaurant is breezy despite the heat wave we have in Penang right now. You walk right to the back of the outlet to pick your dishes. The open kitchen is located on the other side but customers can still see what’s going on. And A LOT is going on – a lot of cooking and frying!
When we told him that it was our first time at Minah’s, the chap who speaks English happily recommended house favourites to us. He reeled off a number of dishes: fried chicken with sauce, ikan masak lemak, prawn sambal with petai, fish head curry and beef gulai. Everything looked appetizing!

In the end we picked beef gulai, kembung fish masak lemak, fried chicken slathered with a special sourish-sweet sauce, lots of cucumber, four-angled beans and ulam with a side of sambal belacan and prawn sambal with petai to go with our white rice.

I found the ikan masak lemak to be really rich and creamy, redolent of bunga kantan and I could very well have slurped up all the gravy if no one was looking! The beef was tender too. The dishes weren’t too spicy and the sambal belacan was just right. In some places, sambal belacan is so fiery that after scorching my tongue, I can’t seem to taste any other flavours at all. Despite the fried chicken being a house recommendation, I couldn’t reason why it should be so.

Although prices are not exactly cheap either (our food bill for two plus drinks came up to RM23.80), Minah’s is clean and airy. I have eaten in other Malay warung before and usually you get lots of flies and cleanliness is definitely a compromise.

Minah’s also attracts a good crowd of Chinese customers – I would say there’s a 50:50 mix of Malay and Chinese customers, a feat quite rare in Malay outlets! Minah’s also does catering and lots of people arrive just to tar-pau the nasi campur. They don’t just tar-pau one or two packets; many cart off more than five packets each!
Our verdict? We were absolutely satisfied with the curries and thankful for this gem of a find on a searing Saturday morning and we’ll definitely go back to try more of its tempting dishes.

Although we were in Langkawi last July, we missed the opening of The Loaf, Bakery & Bistro at Perdana Quay, Telaga Harbour Park by a few days as we had come home earlier. So this time around, I told myself that I had to visit.

If you don’t know yet, The Loaf is owned by Tun M as he is fondly known in Langkawi. Tun M being our ex-Prime Minister, Dr. Mahathir. That is reason enough to pay a visit to The Loaf! Two types of visitors abound – those who are simply curious and want to find out what it’s all about and if Tun’s bakery is all that it is made out to be. The other type of visitor is probably a foodie and wants to follow where the stomach takes her! I am a combination of both so yes, a visit to the most famous bakery in Langkawi was in order.

Ann told us that we simply must go because of the breads, the sheer fantabulousness of the place, the attention to even the minutest detail and of course, the gorgeous view of the quay as one enjoys a leisurely breakfast at the bistro.

Located in a three-storey building by itself, The Loaf on the ground floor is elegantly Japanese; understandably so as Tun M’s partner is a Japanese (The first and second floor is actually Tun’s office cum apartment whenever he comes to Langkawi).

You can see the kitchen and the staff at work if you come in via the side entrance. The main kitchen with all the high-tech baking equipment (also where they knead the dough and bake bread) is located at another building, just a skip away.

Ann revealed that the bakery’s uncompromising attention to quality breads means two shifts work at any time. The real bread chefs clock-in at midnight to knead the dough and make the breads, buns and loaves till the next morning. When the staff arrive at seven in the morning, the chefs’ jobs are done. All that’s needed is to pop the dough into the oven and bake them in batches and bring them to the bakery throughout the morning. The best time to come is mid-morning as all varieties of breads and buns are just out from the oven!

Anyway, we arrived at ten-ish – a good time as the sun was bright and the boats and yachts rocked gently on the harbour. The bakery & bistro smelt heavenly – I am definitely a bread fan.

You can sit outside, al-fresco and watch the yachts rocking gently on the waves and imagine, just for a while, you are in Ibiza or Monaco. Or if the sun’s too warm, take a seat inside and be lulled by the bread-y scent!

I ordered the American Breakfast set (RM29+) – a hefty mushroom omelette accompanied by hash browns, chicken sausages, light salad with toasted bread and the melt-in-the-mouth almond croissant.

The breakfast set also came with tea/coffee and real orange juice (like Ann says, “not those diluted stuff but freshly squeezed juice, you know”). Butter, strawberry jam, marmalade and kaya for the toasted bread came in exquisite dishes!
Nic opted for Tun’s Favourite (RM22+) which was a unique Malaysian breakfast comprising a bowl of fragrant mutton curry (you can opt for beef too), two soft boiled eggs and chunky toasted bread. Dipping bread into the thick spicy curry is a charming way to have one’s breakfast!

After my large American Breakfast, I could not try any of the pastries or the breads but we went back two days later for another round; this time, just to try the breads. I loved the quiche loraine (RM7) – each mouthful is rich and meaty!

I also enjoyed the Focaccia Chili (RM5), a plain but tasty focaccia with bits of chopped chili, black sesame seeds and herbs. Nic picked the house favourite croissant (RM5) to go with his espresso. He also chose the Boronaise (RM5), a bun filled with minced beef ala bolognaise. Yum!
Beverages start from RM8 while bread and buns start from RM4 onwards.

I also spied the Sicillian Riccotta Cheesecake – a lowfat Italian cheesecake with white chocolate, honey and ricotta cheese and filo pastry. Oooh! Besides, they have fig tarts, bostock aux fleurs (a brioche of cream cheese, Belgian butter and dry apricots), baguette levain (or what we know as the regular French loaf), Rueben sandwich made up of toasted rye, pastrami, swiss cheese and sauerkraut, chapeus, and lots more.

The Loaf is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner from 8am to 11pm daily except Thursday. The wait staff are attentive and friendly and you’ll probably enjoy yourself so much that you’ll be chatting with the Executive Chef, Chandran in no time.(Psst…by the way, he’s Sarawakian!)
When you are here, take your time. You must enjoy some things in life.
Breakfast on the quay is one of them.

The Loaf, Lot C9, Perdana Quay, Telaga Harbour Park, Pantai Kok, 07000 Langkawi. Tel: 04 959 4866
More about The Loaf: http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2006/7/27/business/14944068&sec=business

It is the Nine Emperor Festival in Penang now. Actually the festival has been going on for the past week. Devotees who make vows will observe the 9 days of taking nothing but vegetarian food. And in Penang, it’s easy to do so as every corner one turns, one can see the yellow buntings and stalls with throngs of people. Penang is still predominantly Taoist and many take the opportunity to give their bodies some rest from meat and turn to more vegetables and fruit.
To say that many Chinese observe this festival is an understatement. And SAR scares, bird flu and what-not have in a way made it more enticing to have more vegetarian meals. But I feel that Chinese vegetarian restaurants and stalls focus too much on mock meats, which isn’t really a healthy way to observe vegetarianism.
Still, I was a tad surprised when someone asked us if we were observing the festival.
We had just finished our weekly marketing at the Lip Sin market yesterday and with bags of meat, fish and vegetables (and a packet of ‘siew yoke’ too), we sat down to our breakfast at the Supertanker food court (which is located conveniently opposite the market).
We’re regulars at this food court and the person who asked us was a woman who usually takes our drink orders.
“Ni men mei you zher hsu?” She asked. (“You both not taking vegetarian food?”) She must have eyed our meat, fish and yes, that tempting packet of chopped ‘siew yoke’.
Nope. We don’t. Not because we don’t think it’s important. I think it’s important to go vegetarian but not necessarily to go when it’s dictated. Religion is private, between me and the cosmic god and unless I am thanking god for granting me my wishes (which I stopped doing a long time ago because it’s not right to barter with god, you know?), I believe I can go vegetarian any day. Not just on during this festival. And anyway, food from these roadside stalls can be quite dirty. I’ve found sand and stuff in them so I prefer proper restaurants if I want some quality vegetarian food.
When I had firm instructions from my Chinese sinseh the last time to cut out all meat, sugar, eggs, seafood, fruits and processed food if I wanted to get well from my horrible geriatric cough, Nic and I went on a two-week vegetarian food diet. We eliminated everything but rice and vegetables. Initially I had balked when the sinseh told me what I had to cut out. I even had to take my bread plain – no jam, no kaya, no butter, nothing. I thought I was dead and gone – what, none of my favourite stuff like cheese allowed? How do I survive?
Surprisingly, Nic and I did. We managed to enjoy our vegetarian stint. I don’t know if it is psychological (or what Cantonese call “sum lei zhok yung”) but I felt better. Lighter, more energetic and less sluggish especially in the afternoons. In the end, with a strict diet of vegetables and rice (I can be quite disciplined if I need to) and the sinseh’s powdered medicine taken religiously every four hours, I got better and my cough disappeared.
During that time, I found that Penang is a vegetarian’s paradise. This little island has some of the better, if not best vegetarian restaurants all around.
One of my favourites is For You Yen in Dato Kramat (near the Clark Hatch Gym). You can order ala-carte or you can take the economy-rice style pickings with some 25 different types of vegetarian offerings each day! This place is very popular during the 1st and 15th of the Chinese lunar calendar and many people come to take-away or ‘tar-pau’. Parking here can be a headache though. But prices are reasonable.
The next place nearest to where I stay is probably Than Hsiang Temple, near the Snake Temple on the way to Bayan Lepas/airport. The food here is pretty delicious and they even do full vegetarian 8-course wedding dinners too. Their 8-course dinners are replete with vegetarian sharks’ fin soup and mock prawns/fish/meat. The last time I went, the temple had a separate section which served only organic vegetables. Popular with the factory crowd at lunch because of ample parking and a quiet environment.
Of course in downtown Georgetown you can find lots of good vegetarian stalls and restaurants. It’s just that I have yet to explore them fully! Do recommend some to me if you know if any good ones.

In the spirit of the upcoming Deepavali or Diwali, whichever way you want to call it, I am doing a food post. Yes, after a long time of serious posts, why not something more in the spirit of feasting?
Knowing me, I would have a number of these foodie posts on my blog. It’s just plain old laziness which prevents me from showing them all to you.
But today, today is different. Today I just want to steer away from those serious topics and be crazy over food.
If you know me or read my blog often, Sri Ananda Bhawan of Little India, Penang, is a favourite hangout for me and my pals. We go there for lunch, dinner and most of the time, supper (although the place closes at 11pm). A trip to Ananda Bhawan is never expensive – they are one of the most reasonable banana leaf restaurants around. My favourite orders are the thosai, the banana leaf rice set (of course!) and the curries (the chicken and mutton varuval are a must-try. Forget the fish curry. Not spectacular at all). The Punjab Chicken is fiery on the tongue but worth all the water you gulp. Nic’s favourite way to end his meal there is to sip a glass of rasam. It’s something like wasabi – one sip of the rasam and your sinuses clear immediately!
About two doors away from the corner Sri Ananda Bhawan is Kaliamman’s. It’s in a class of its own because it offers similar items like its competitor but with higher prices. It’s quieter than Bhawan’s (which can be quite noisy at lunch and dinner). Good if you want to entertain clients and want some form of peace and quiet. They serve Western dishes too if you’re not into the Indian food mood. Try their kulfi and gulab jamun if you like very sweet desserts. Otherwise, stay with the curries. I recommend the palak paneer which is lovely and creamy and very much comfort food!
Innira’s in Brown Garden, Gelugur, is an institution with USM students. Parking is hell in that area but somehow people manage to squeeze their vehicles on some part of the road, leave them there and go to Innira’s. Innira’s serves banana leaf rice and the food’s a bit on the salty side. Lunch and dinner times are usually crowded so go early. You may be put off by some wait staff there (don’t let that spoil your mood for food). Sometimes their business is so good that you can be kept waiting. Try their crispy fried fish or the curry chicken.
If you have issues with coming all the way to Gelugur for banana leaf rice, you can try their outlet in town called Passions of Kerala, located at Jalan Chow Thye, off Macalister Road. Same family running the outlet. Lots of Caucasians frequent that place but the curries are still good and spicy! (Recommended dish – fried sliced bittergourd)
Jaya Restaurant (one along the main road on Gelugur and the other fronting Penang Road, opposite Cititel) is one place which I recently got to know. Anne had told me some horror tales about cockroaches but I’m not afraid of these bugs if I can tahan the rats as large as cats which I have seen at some nasi kandar places in Penang. The Jaya Restaurant on Penang Road serves up a mean tandoori chicken – piping hot, tender, juicy and spicy. I’ve never been a fan of tandoori chicken because at most places the chicken is tough. Jaya’s chapatis are wonderful too for supper. And their dhal curry is superb with chapatis.
One more place before I end. Spice and Rice at Green Hall, near The Actors Studio, is one classy place to go for Indian food. Of course, classy means the regular dishes cost more than usual (a friend sniffs that Spice and Rice charged her for sambar which is atrocious – how can sambar or dhall curry be chargeable, she asks). I had tea there once but I have heard from other friends that it is a lovely place to dine at night. They even have jazz music live or was it piano music? Whatever it is, this is one place you’d never be embarrassed to be seen at. Classy and elegant. The lawyers who own the restaurant have done up the old building just right.
Now that I’ve got your tums growling madly, pray… have you any good Indian eateries to share? Tell me, please do!
* I just realised I forgot to mention Annalakshmi at the Temple of Fine Arts (TFA), Jalan Babington. Annalakshmi serves vegetarian food for both lunch and dinner and yes, the food is scrumptious! Cooked and served by TFA volunteers. Located in a quiet neighbourhood, Annalakshmi is popular with both lunch and dinner crowds. I feel lunch is a better time to go as it is buffet style and you pay what you think your lunch is worth, donation-style. Dinner is ala-carte and you order from a menu but I have had a bad experience going there once for dinner. However, that said, I would still encourage you to try out its lunch buffet.

Anyone who knows me well will know that I am a Japanese food fan. I think I recommended so many friends to the Japanese buffet at Penang Mutiara Resort that Penang Mutiara should give me some plaque or gift voucher. Alas, that lovely Japanese restaurant there discontinued its buffet (it was most affordable at RM36++, considering its spread of dishes!). No one even minded the long, zig-zaggy 45-minute drive along Batu Feringghi to the end of the island. After all, Penangites will go anywhere, do anything for food!
But I have also developed this enormous liking for Korean food, particularly kimchi. No, I did not watch Dajeunggum the drama series. I did not even know about Rain until Marsha blogged about the hunky Korean. All I knew was many years ago, there used to be this Winter Sonata drama series (which was particularly soppy and romantic) because of that highly annoying drama soundtrack which later became everyone’s ringtone.
Anyway, back to my kimchi love affair. When I tried it many years ago, I didn’t like it all. Tasted so so. I figured Japanese food (sashimi topping the list) was still the best. Until one day, my uncle brought me some kimchi from Korea. I had told him in jest to bring me some kimchi the next time he comes home (he’s based there so I think he should know which type of kimchi to buy).
After sampling the real Korean kimchi, I was hooked. Sure, it smells very strong! The garlic in it is enough to destroy several generations of vampires. The taste is tart enough to make your gastric juices work overtime. And the crispiness of the cabbage is amazing. So all this time, I’d been tasting some lousy kimchi. The real thing is something else.
I cannot find this brand in Penang so I went online to check the price. It is expensive at RM25 per packet, the last time I checked. And opening a packet of Chongga kimchi during meal times is to be treasured (once my supply finishes, I have to wait a couple more months before my uncle comes to Penang, and even then, I am way to shy to get him to buy me some, knowing that it costs so much!).

Precious commodity…All the way from Korea, Chongga (or zongga) kimchi.


One spoonful of this and all the germs in your tummy will shrivel up and die cursing!


There is a great ending to my kimchi supply woe: Recently I found a local Korean restaurant which makes kimchi similar to Chongga! This Korean restaurant supplies to Cold Storage the supermarket so I get my regular supply from Cold Storage, Gurney Plaza. A square plastic box of it costs RM9.90 which is still much more affordable than directly flown in kimchi from Korea and which makes indulging in kimchi lots more pleasurable now that supply is within my control.

If I covered the warungs, the beach cafes and the odd restoran or two in my last post, this time I’m going to tell you about the fine dining we had while on Pantai Tengah and Pantai Kok. I am not much of a fusion food fan (yes, I am Malaysian at heart, give me some rice please) and too much of Western food can get tiresome after a bit but once in a while, you need some wine, some good food and great company.
Sun Sutra
Sun Sutra is part of the stylish chain of cafes and restaurants owned by Jeffrey Leong under his Sun Group Langkawi.

The interior of Sun Sutra, looking out.
Jeffrey is a hands-on owner and is among many of the non-Kedahans we met. Apparently, he had arrived on the island some 13 years ago and decided that Langkawi needed some elegant eateries. One of them is definitely Sun Sutra.

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I brought along my Flavours’ Good Food Guide to Langkawi because I did not know what to expect, food-wise. Yes I know. The last time I used it for Petaling Street, I wasn’t very impressed. The recommendations did not live up to my expectations but then again, I am consoled by the fact that ALL Penangites consider themselves little food experts. Only Penang food is good enough for us food critics. One good indicator of good food in Penang is this: is the place still around after 1 year? If it closes shop within a year, everyone knows why. The food was below par!
Anyway, here are some of the places our friends took us to when we were in Langkawi two weeks ago (This is just Part 1…. Part 2 is coming up).

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Although I enjoy cooking, I don’t particularly enjoy baking. That’s why I used to weasel my way out of making cookies as a child. Maybe I don’t have patience. I don’t enjoy waiting for batches of cookies to bake, or waiting for them to cool, before I could consider it all done and over with.
And I don’t really like cookies or biscuits either.
But cakes.
Now cakes are heavenly, in my book, and I love my Aunt’s Philadephia cheesecakes. (She does everything by hand, even creaming the cheese.) She does not make them very often now as everyone in the family is either on a perpetual diet (hence, no fattening cheese, please) or have become health freaks (cheese = cholesterol = clogs up your arteries). These people are the sort to eat chicken without skin. Now tell me, what sort of enjoyment is THAT?
I’m very partial to cakes. Banana cake, cheesecake, Indonesian layer cake, butter cake, I am game. Cake-making is simpler than biscuit-making too. You just need to whip everything into a tasty batter, plop batter into pan and bake it in the oven. In less than an hour, the aroma of baking cake will seduce your senses. And it goes well with tea and coffee.
A Sunday ago, I made a steamed cake using a cake premix. I know, I know, the purists out there will shake their heads. It’s not right to use cake premix. It’s a short cut only lazy people succumb to. As I said before, I am not much of a baker. I don’t know my flours, I don’t know my butters but I do know I want to eat cake!

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Chuan Bee is a narrow, nondescript coffeeshop in downtown Penang (China Street, off Pitt Street’s Kuan Im Teng or Goddess of Mercy Temple) which at first glance seems to be rather ‘biasa’.
“I think this is it.” Aunt Jo peered into the shop. Aunt Jo had only been in Chuan Bee once but she believed she remembered the shop based on the old man she saw.
We were craving for roti babi. My aunts, my sis and I took this opportunity to get some good chow. And the mere mention of Hainanese food can make me drive miles and miles to get some.

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