When we
travel we always get recommendations of things to do and see, none more so
than what and where we must eat. But when you travel specifically to eat,
that’s when people sit you down make you take out your notebook and write down
where you need to go and what you must have. Even being told to go to the a restaurant that is the dirty one near the drain. My must-eat-list is growing, like I will be, since I have got to Malaysia and told people I am here
to eat and write about it.
Food carries
culture and heritage like nothing else. I can’t think of any other ritual that
we do more often than we eat. Food holds pride, knowledge; it reflects the
local geography and says a lot about economic status. It is also something that
transcends boundaries. While there are many ceremonies in cultures that are not
appropriate for foreigners to join in, everyone can always eat!
After a day
talking and thinking about food, I met Cho
for less talk and more eat. It seems pretty fitting the name of her cookbook
translates to “please eat”. We visited the evening markets and ate our way
through it. Every stallholder and vendor had steaming, frying and golden food
under bright lights. Every second stallholder Cho stopped at and brought a bit
for me. Have this one, this one is good, and please, you have to try this, she
said.
Between Cho
and the people who I have met in Malaysia so far, here is what I need to eat.
Malaysia, I am going to eat you!
Line Order -
apparently there is two, one is an imposter, the original is the dirty one near
the drain.
Kasim Mustafa
– between 12pm and 3pm they put on a dish where I am told there is a vat of
rice, dhal and chicken, no choices.
Prawn Mee –
Penang staple must have of prawns and noodles
And Cho’s
list of what to eat in Malaysia.
Naki lamak - coconut rice infused with
pandan leaf served with cucumber slices, small fried anchovies, roasted peanuts,
hard-boiled egg, and hot spicy sambal. Traditionally sold wrapped
in banana leaf or newspaper
Rendang - usually beef or chicken
slow-cooked with ground spices and coconut milk until the meat literally melts
in your mouth and the spicy sauce is reduced to a dry curry
Kangkung belacan - water spinach stir-fried
in shrimp paste and chillies
Banana leaf rice - rice with an assortment
of vegetables, curried meat or fish, pickles and papdum served on a banana leaf
Roti canai - thin bread with a flaky crispy
crust (when done well), fried on a skillet and served with usually a three
condiments to dip the roti in
Assam laksa - thick white rice noodles
served in a tangy spicy fish soup with onion, basil, pineapple and cucumber
topping.
Char kway teow - stir-fried flat rice noodles
with prawns, eggs, chives and bean sprouts. Usually, with an option of cockles
as well and sometimes the best ones tend to have a bit of crispy pork lard
Curry mee - thin yellow noodles mixed with
beehoon (rice vermicelli) in spicy curry soup with coconut milk with dried
tofu, prawns, cuttlefish, chicken, mint leaves and topped with a special sambal
Hokkien mee - thick yellow noodles fried in
thick black soy sauce and crispy pork lard
Prawn mee - yellow noodles and meehoon
(rice noodles) served in soup boiled from prawns, boiled egg, kangkong
vegetable and chilli
Pan mee - Hokkein-style noodle which means
‘flat flour noodle’ served in a soup. The dry pan mee is served with minced
pork, fried onions, anchovies, and topped with a poached egg that is stirred
into the noodles. The key to the dish is the dry chilli mix sambal, which is served on the
side
Kaya toast or roti bakar - bread served
with kaya which is a sweet spread made from coconut and egg
Popiah - fresh spring roll stuffed with
stewed vegetables and tofu in a sweet brown sauce
Otak-otak - grilled or steamed fish wrapped
in banana leaf which has been flavoured with spices and coconut milk
Lor bak - marinated mined pork, rolled in a
thin sheet of soybean then deep-fried until the outside is crispy
Cendol - a dessert/sweet drink with green
noodles in coconut milk and shaved ice
Ice kachang - sweet red beans, seaweed
jelly, barley pearls, sweet corn and fruit covered in shaved ice then laced
with rose syrup and condensed milk (sometimes with durian ice cream)
