Further Food Adventures in My Hometown
I am not particularly a fan of the fruit mix called rojak (literally "hotch-potch"). It is a concoction of thin cut slices of fruit and other crunchy stuff that is meant to deliver a heavenly sensation once inside your mouth. It delivers a heady mix of sweet, sour and savoury tastes, which can be garnished with sesame seeds, chili cuts and a unique prawn paste blend called the hay koh. Originating from Malaysia and Thailand, variations can be found in Singapore, Burma and Indonesia. It can be confronting or instantly delightful to the initiated; even though I grew up with it, I have not been endeared to this dish, though like effect of the full moon,it is said that pregnant women may suddenly develop a temporary dire for this street hawker's magic.
I fell for its charms when a cousin of mine got two packs of this delicacy from Bukit Mertajam, a bustling regional centre located on the mainland portion of Penang State (the Brits named it Province Wellesley). I immediately liked this version, from a stall labelled Or Lang Hock (Tanned Guy called Ah Hock). Ah Hock does his street vendoring business near the old Cheok Sah Cinema in downtown BM.
Hainan Town near the Penang Ferry Terminus offers mostly Straits Chinese food but has the braised mutton which I love. I dined with three long standing friends between thick pillars in a setting copying the colonial style and with a constant view of the double-decker ferries plying between Butterworth and Georgetown, comparable to the Star ferries between Central and Kowloon in Hong Kong. The spring roll peculiar to Straits Chinese cuisine (choon pniah) is deep fried, and the curry historically made for a Dutch captain (Kari kapitan) has the in-depth authenticity here. I must emphasise that judgement of Straits Chinese food can be detailed and varies from person to person.
Both cousins Ah Nai Chee and Mu Che make their own variation of the pah kor dessert soup, involving blanched and cooked almonds, all full of glory in their attractive yellow, combined with dried longans, in a clear broth. The process of readying the almonds, and ensuring that they are just soft when eaten, can be an art by itself.
It is also traditional for the Lunar New Year to have a mee suah dish, as the long thin noodles are significant to suggest wishes of a long and good life. Mum and cousin Mu Che each had them made in their homes. When lunching out with Bee's family at Goh Huat Seng (Kimberly Street, Georgetown), I also was impressed with the oyster noodles and the Chiu-Chao fashioned tofu.
On previous flights with Singapore Airlines, I had dabbled in miniature portions of the Lunar New Year salad called the yee sang and had refreshing doses of the Raffles Hotel cocktail Singapore sling. This time around, there were satisfying portions of pork in red curry and Indonesian styled fried rice served on board. It was an amicable way to bridge between the food variations of Wollongong and Georgetown, although I am sure that the curry and rice were prepared in Sydney kitchens!
I fell for its charms when a cousin of mine got two packs of this delicacy from Bukit Mertajam, a bustling regional centre located on the mainland portion of Penang State (the Brits named it Province Wellesley). I immediately liked this version, from a stall labelled Or Lang Hock (Tanned Guy called Ah Hock). Ah Hock does his street vendoring business near the old Cheok Sah Cinema in downtown BM.
Hainan Town near the Penang Ferry Terminus offers mostly Straits Chinese food but has the braised mutton which I love. I dined with three long standing friends between thick pillars in a setting copying the colonial style and with a constant view of the double-decker ferries plying between Butterworth and Georgetown, comparable to the Star ferries between Central and Kowloon in Hong Kong. The spring roll peculiar to Straits Chinese cuisine (choon pniah) is deep fried, and the curry historically made for a Dutch captain (Kari kapitan) has the in-depth authenticity here. I must emphasise that judgement of Straits Chinese food can be detailed and varies from person to person.
Both cousins Ah Nai Chee and Mu Che make their own variation of the pah kor dessert soup, involving blanched and cooked almonds, all full of glory in their attractive yellow, combined with dried longans, in a clear broth. The process of readying the almonds, and ensuring that they are just soft when eaten, can be an art by itself.
It is also traditional for the Lunar New Year to have a mee suah dish, as the long thin noodles are significant to suggest wishes of a long and good life. Mum and cousin Mu Che each had them made in their homes. When lunching out with Bee's family at Goh Huat Seng (Kimberly Street, Georgetown), I also was impressed with the oyster noodles and the Chiu-Chao fashioned tofu.
On previous flights with Singapore Airlines, I had dabbled in miniature portions of the Lunar New Year salad called the yee sang and had refreshing doses of the Raffles Hotel cocktail Singapore sling. This time around, there were satisfying portions of pork in red curry and Indonesian styled fried rice served on board. It was an amicable way to bridge between the food variations of Wollongong and Georgetown, although I am sure that the curry and rice were prepared in Sydney kitchens!
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