Food, glorious food! It’s everywhere! On the street corner, at a ramshackle stall, in a quaint little coffee shop, at a classy hotel, the list is never ending.
Don’t you agree that we Malaysians love our food? We sometime will go through all sort of length just to eat what we desire.
Now, let me share a few of my food experiences with you.
My first real encounter with Japanese food was with a group of Japanese engineers a few years back (while I was still studying). They were here to learn English and part of their learning experience involved social skills.
Anyway, on the last day of class, they decided to treat my colleague and I to a meal of their choice. When Japanese food was mentioned, I was like, “Yew! Raw fish! I’m not sure I can stomach that. It’s going to be yucky!” That was what I had in mind, anyway. What was I to do? Well, I could only grimace in silent, plaster a smile on my face and go along with their plans. And so, we began our journey. My colleague and I first drove them to Plaza Pantai. I was driving an 82’model Honda Civic then. I guess they were worried that my car might not survive the trip into KL. No lah, it was cheaper to take the LRTJ.
Anyway, we arrived at Nikko and my colleague & I left them to do the ordering. The first few dishes that came were fine. You know, the usual tempura, rice and miso soup. Then came what I was not looking forward to, raw fish. It was cut in small little cubes. We had the honour of tasting it first as the Jasps looked on. They were all eagerly awaiting our reaction. You see, neither my colleague & I had eaten shashimi before. Anyway, I expected to have to perhaps falsify my reaction after biting into the fish. However, to my surprise, it wasn’t yucky at all. It was quite good actually. And so, that was the start of me eating Japanese food.
I’m still not very adventurous where Japanese food is concerned. However, I’m slowing broadening my horizon. It’s not easy when my family members (with the exception of my sister) are not into it. They are fine with Teppanyaki but sushi is out of the question.
So, what am I to do? Well, thank goodness I have a friend who enjoys Japanese cuisine. We usually meet up every few months to satisfy our palates. Hmm…that reminds me, I think we are due for another round of Sushi King soon.
Let’s move on to something else now…seafood. Almost everyone loves a bit of prawns, crabs or even squids now and then, right? I’ve had my share as well…Telok Gong, Klang, Kuala Selangor and even Buntal in Kuching.
My ex-boss actually brought her American friends to Kuala Selangor for this. Imagine we travelled from Section 17, PJ to Kuala Selangor. That was my first experience with Kuala Selangor. I never thought that I’ll be back there again. Now, it’s just a 30 minute drive away for me. My verdict on seafood in Kuala Selangor? Well, it’s good. But I don’t think you need to drive all the way from KL for it. There are quite a number of decent seafood restaurants in Kl/PJ too.
As for Buntal in Kuching, well, my colleagues and I actually took the trouble of renting a car when we were in Kuching a couple of years back just to have some seafood before we left. The journey took us about 30 minutes, I think. But it was worth the drive. The food was fresh, delicious and cheap.
Talking about Kuching, I do miss a few dishes there. You know, the Sarawak laksa, kwon low mee and surprisingly the tom yam meehoon as well. I used to wake early on Sunday morning, take the bus just to have the heavenly kwon low mee served at Carpenter Street. If I don’t get there early, I’ll end up waiting for over an hour. The wait can be quite agonizing as the place is really hot and cramped. Besides, you aren’t allowed to simply place an order. They will come to you when it’s your turn. So, you can only wait patiently till your turn is up.
Satok was another favourite hound of mine then. I’ll normally spend my Saturday afternoons there. You see, there’s a Pasar Minggu there that runs from Saturday right up till Sunday. It normally ends at 12 something on Sunday.
Erm…one of the stalls there sells a type of kuih that I enjoy very much. I can never remember the name. Anyway, I actually get to kill two birds with one stone there. The shop that sells the laksa & tom yam meehoon is just around the corner. The tom yam meehoon doesn’t come in your usual bowl instead it is served in a clay pot. It’s just so irresistible! The aroma, the succulent prawns…slurp, slurp…thinking of it is making me hungry.
Ok, moving on to something more recent. Let me tell you a few dishes that I enjoyed very much on my brief stint in KK. On my first trip to KK in January, my meals were mostly seen to by my students. However, I had been eying the Italian restaurant just around the corner of the hotel and I took the chance to try it on my last night there. You see, I have this huge craze for pasta. You should ask my mum how much pasta I’ve devoured in these last couple of months.
Anyway, the pasta served then was simply superb. The texture combined with its’ perfectly cooked sauce made it irresistible. There wasn’t anything left on my plate at the end of the meal. If I could have licked the plate clean, I would haveJ. With that experience, I told myself that when I got back in March again, I’ll definitely need to consume another lot. Indeed I did. As I stayed at a different hotel this time, I didn’t mind the 25 minute walk it took me to reach the restaurant coz’ it was worth the energy. I left the restaurant with a broad smile and a feeling of contentment in my tummy.
On my last night this time, I thought I’ll be stuck having hotel food as it started raining cats and dogs in the afternoon. But thank goodness it stopped. As such, I ventured out to the next block for some Korean food. It was my first time having authentic Korean food and so under the advice of the waiter, I ordered a typical Korean meal. There were about 8 dishes in front of me, all served in small portions, thank God. I enjoyed almost everything except for the kimchi. I just couldn’t accustom myself to the taste. I guess I still need to eat it for a few more times. After all, practice makes perfect, right? Hmm…maybe I can head over to the Korean Restaurant in SS2. Korean food, anyone?
Well, I think that’s enough about food for the moment. Just writing about it is making me hungry. Since I’m in Batang Berjuntai (BB), I can’t run out to the nearest mall for some sushi or pasta. So, it’s best I stop here before I start chewing on the furnitureJ.
My Comfort Zone 