Penang - Char Koay Teow

Char (to fry) koay teow (flat rice noodles) is a phrase that stimulates the palate of many, from travellers and back packers who have savoured this street food delight, to many Asian emigrants in Western countries who once took the dish for granted and now value it with elevated memory and respect. And no better is this choice dish prepared and served than in my birth place of Penang, Malaysia.

Its origins are humble - get the wok going with hot cooking oil and throw in the aromatic ingredients of pounded/chopped garlic, some lard and thin slices of Cantonese sausage (lap cheong). When stage one gets going with fragance , flick in the shelled prawns and cockles. Push simmering previous ingredients to one side and put in the koay teow. Dexterity is required at this stage, with a quick stir frying of the noodles with seasonings of light and dark soy sauce plus chili paste.

Now the piece de resistance - create a central space on the wok before cracking at least  two eggs and unloading the contents.  Smear the cooking runny egg white and yolk with the other ingredients already in the wok.

Stir fry evenly - and finally add the bean sprouts and cut chives. Always take the dish piping hot and freshly cooked.

Above image - duck eggs used to top off a serving at Ah Leng Char Koay Teow, Datuk Keramat Road, Georgetown, Penang Island.

An important aspect of preparing char koay teow is to prepare and assemble all the required ingredients before the stir frying. Always use fresh ingredients. The significance of a slightly charred aroma for this dish is not to be under rated - and this can only be achieved from a well heated wok, which has been continually used before hand.

Singapore - Kaya Toast and Poached Egg Breakfasts

Images above taken at the Ya Kun Cafe, Tiong Bharu Plaza, Singapore.

Kaya Jam Recipe from TIME Publications:

Yield: 4 cups

.10 EGGS

. Half to 1 CUP SUGAR

(depending on how sweet you like it)

. MILK FROM SHREDDED PULP OF one coconut

(squeeze coconut milk out in 2 batches)

. 3 PANDAN LEAVES, TIED IN KNOTS

Crack the eggs in a bow and whisk

them together. Add 1/2 to 1 cup

of sugar and coconut milk and mix

it up well. Transfer mixture to â

glass bowl, add knotted pandan

leaves, then perch that bowl atop

a steaming rack in a wok,

Steam the mixture for 45 to 60

minutes, untouched, untiI the

desired consistency is reached,

When you remove the kaya from

the steamer, stir it, let it cool

and spread it over toasted bread.

The consistency should be smooth

and creamy.

From the book A Tiger In The Kitchen by Cheryl Tan.
Copyright @ 2011 CHERYL LU-LIEN TAN


=====================================

Malaysia - Kaya Toast and Poached Egg Breakfasts

Kaya is that bread spread coconut based jam simply made by steaming

a combination of egg and coconut milk flavoured with a few strips of pandanus leaves

and

tempered by sugar to taste. This spread is best put over toast with some butter to awake the senses on a
sleepy morning - and accompanied by a hot cuppa of coffee, Milo or even tea.

In Peninsular Malaysia, the most successful chain of commercial kaya toast outlets belong to the Old Town White Coffee franchise. They also provide a variety of street food favourites ranging from Penang styled char koay teow (wok stir fried flat thin rice noodles), mee goreng (wok stir fried Hokkien noodles in a savoury paste of tomato, chili and bean paste) to curry laksa. Old Town originates from the food city of Ipoh in the northern state of Perak, which used to be rich in tin mining. The classic combination of poached or half boiled eggs and a serving of two pieces of kaya toast has existed for more than a century. Nowadays you can get multi-grained bread and organic free range eggs as available preferences. In addition, you can have wireless internet, free streaming hifi and marble top tables all thrown in as part of the experience. The toasts are available till past midnight in trendy hubs of Malaysian cities and in Singapore.

The teh tarik (pulled tea) - foreground in image above - is also served at Old Town, primarily a cinnamon-flavoured black tea and condensed milk mix that requires a bit of showmanship in its preparation.

A process of repeatedly pouring the prepared combination between two vessels, from a height, cools the initially hot mix to a viable drinking temperature before being served. Think of this as comparable to decantering wine!

When served, you should obtain a nice frothy top and a much improved flavour for the drink.

Images above have been taken at the Sunshine Square outlet on Penang Island.

Below, the Old Town outlet at JB Plaza, Johor Baru.

Singapore - Muthu's Curry

Muthu's Curry can be found in the Serangoon district, Singapore's Little India.

At the entrance, one comes across a floral arrangement made in the style of Tamil Nadu.

The restaurant is already full of diners by the time my group of mates and I arrive for the second session seating.

The place reminds me of an Italian eatery in Australia, except that the fare on offer comes from another place, another time. The spices and condiments, that ruled the Indian ocean trade routes from Arabian ports to South-east Asian villages, have finally culminated in a culinary experience that requires all the senses to fully delve into. The palate is stimulated by the texture and consistency of various curry gravies. The ears are tingled by the wave of social chatter induced by good food. The eyes already anticipate what will go into the stomach, even before any food is partaken. Our nimble fingers exert their dexterity across food enhanced in taste sensations by being served on fresh banana leaf  "plates". The nose lingers with the aroma of things coming out from the earthen ovens. Hmmn, there is even a drinks area like in a pub, where revellers gather to muse on good times, all smiling as they hold their drinks.

Fish head curry (above), originally confined to South-east Asian ports, married south Indian

cooking practices with the Chinese penchant for seafood, plunked down in the heady cosmopolitan times of colonial rule and lingers as one of the most tasty fusion dishes along the Equator. The dish is savoury and spicy, with creamy gravy essential to bathing a carefully chosen succulent fish head of an adequate size.

The okras are only coincidental to the main requirement to suck curry-flushed fish eye balls or fin innards.

My top preferences that evening, apart from the curry fish head, were the eye-catching tandoori chicken (above) and the delectable prawns (below).

The right selection of steamed white rice is critical to accompany such dishes - be they basmati or jasmine rice. That evening, I could have been eating these in Sri Lanka, Chennai, Penang, Malacca or Kucing, but in Singapore it was air-conditioned comfort combined with business efficiency and papadums. We also tackled the naan breads. best to soak up any excess gravy from the various dishes. To provide a balance against the heaty stuff, we were provided with the yogurt-like raita and ice cold honey lemon drinks. Then we continued on with squid and lamb shanks, each with its different and signature taste of curry....

Tampopo's in Singapore

The specialty of Tampopo's is Kyushu inspired black pig flavoured ramen noodles. Meant to be eaten slurpy, the accompanying milky thick soup is one to savour - the above images were taken at the outlet at Novotel Liang Court along River Valley Road. The quality of the freshly made noodles is significant, for combined with the pork slices, garnishings and hard boiled brown egg, the whole experience oozes with

a warm satisfaction hardly matched by street side noodle stalls. Maybe the stock in the soup links back

to the first boiling ten years back.

Bee and I had green tea ice cream topped up by red beans for dessert. This was after an entree of exquisitely grilled unagi (eel).