Tasty Roast Pork In Salak South Garden

FOOD TRAIL
By SAM CHEONG


WHAT made me go back to Salak South Garden? Well, one reason being the decades-old coffee shops and stalls offering good food.

The other was a special invitation from my makan kaki that I couldn’t refuse.


Two decades and still going strong: Tian Hong coffee shop has the best char siew in the entire neighbourhood.

The eating pal in question was Lawrence Leong who runs a business in the area and the man had been giving me plenty of feedback on the good eateries in Salak South Garden – particularly two coffee shops offering roast duck and char siew in Jalan Hang Tuah 2 and Jalan Tuanku 2.

For starters, I checked out ‘Chicky and Ducky’ roaster that offers ‘siew ngap thui fan’ (roasted duck thigh rice). The stall is located at the Tim Won coffee shop and is owned by a couple.

One of the guys known as Ah Kit said the roasted pork and duck were the speciality and recommended the duck thigh cooked using the family recipe : a special brown sauce.

At RM7.50 per plate, I would say that the taste and flavour of the roasted meat was acceptable. My buddy Leong said the best part of the duck was the neck.

”Wah! You serious ah?” I asked.

“Well, you see, roasted duck connoisseurs in Hong Kong would take it with its fat removed. So, it’s the skin that is crunchy and sweet tasting,” he explained.

For me, the fattest part of this particular bird is the neck and it’s the duck thigh or breast that are the choice morsels when it comes to savouring roasted duck.

”Eh, keep it light ah! We are going to check out another joint,” said Leong. I spoke to one of the stall owners at the coffee shop who mistook me for a civil servant.


Tasty offering: Tong San’s stir-fried prawn noodles.

So, in order not to blow my cover, I told the trader that I was a field researcher for the Inter-national Society for Siew Ngap Studies (ISSNS) and was at the eatery on a census-taking mission.

”Wah! Like that also can ah?” said the confused stall owner. I told him that I made up the ISSNS story and got a slap on my shoulder as a friendly gesture from the man.

From roast duck, the trail continued to Jalan Tuanku 2, which is about a five minutes’ walk from Tim Won coffee shop. Leong pointed out a double-storey shop lot with a crowd queuing outside its premises.

It was noon and people were already packing the eatery. Now, this felt as if I was transported into another world. I could see roast chicken, siew yuk and char siew hung on a rack with workers busy chopping away roast meat and scooping rice for their customers.

Here, we made our way to a small table at the rear section of the shop. I observed the interior, which reminded me of shop lots built in the early 70s.


A decent fare: Duck thigh rice at Tim Won coffee shop.

”Ah, Chinese coffee shops are not interested in ambience and decor lah. It’s the quality of their food that matters,” Leong elaborated.

The place was a real dump and the sour expression of the lady running the show said a lot about her PR skills but this didn’t deter customers from crowding the restaurant.

Service here was prompt as our char siew rice arrived minutes after we placed an order. And I must say that the Tian Hong coffee shop has the best roast pork in the entire neighbourhood.

Their quality could rival that of Yoke Woo Hin and Overseas restaurant. At RM8 a plate, the owners of this coffee shop meant serious business. Good food don’t come cheap and if it is cheap, doesn’t mean it would be good.

Our second pit stop in the Salak South Garden food marathon proved to be a satisfying experience.

I asked the lady owner about the coffee shop’s background and she told me that she has been working there since her mid-20s.

”Aiyah! Now ah, I am already 60 years old lah. So, you can imagine how long we have been here,” she said with a laughter.

Well, just when I thought I was all ready to pack up and head back to the office, my eating pal told me it was not end of the journey yet.

As a matter of fact, Leong was just getting warmed up. We took a break at Nelson’s char koay teow stall where we were offered free top-up for our sugar cane juice.

There, Leong pointed out that there were several more good food outlets, but since the offering was similar in nature, he picked the best of the lot.

After a good 20-minute break, we proceeded to Tong San restaurant, a family owned food business that has been in the game for nearly three decades.


Inviting: At RM8 per plate, Tian Hong’s char siew rice mean serious business for roast pork lovers.

Here, the house dishes are fried prawn noodles and their fried rice. At RM48 a plate for the prawn noodles, the shop is perpetually packed during lunch hour.

To get a taste of at least six dishes, Leong called for reinforcement. His friends arrived 30 minutes later to fill the dining table.

And as previously indicated, we had ‘sang har meen’ (prawn noodles) and other noodle dishes.

The orders arrived promptly and I went on to savour the different variety of noodles.

For me, the prawn noodles fell short of my expectation. But the saving grace was Tong San’s fried rice. Now, this came as a big surprise because it was tasty and laden with choice ingredients like fish cake, fried anchovies and prawns.

The average price for a dish here is from RM5 to RM50. So, you have to make your choices carefully.

That said, my eating marathon ended with some yow char kuai (Chinese crullers) from Leong’s favourite stall at Jalan Hang Tuah.

Since there’s hardly any public transport to this part of Kuala Lumpur, I would suggest car-pooling.

To get there, you can use the New Pantai Expressway or the Besraya Highway.

Now, if you have a cell phone that is equipped with a Global Positioning System (GPS) navigator, key in the following coordinates: Tian Hong coffee shop - N 03 05” 025’, E 101 41” 773’ and Tong San restaurant - N 03 05’ 017”, E 101 41” 764’.

You can also use the GPS coordinates with Google Earth to find a Geographic Information System interfaced map of the locations provided.

So, have a good makan and happy hunting!

Hawker Food To Make My Day

FOOD TRAIL WITH SAM CHEONG

When it comes to good and cheap food, Salak South Garden is a place that is begging to be discovered. I found out about this place from my friend Lawrence Leong, who owns a small business there.


Hard at work: Nelson at the wok.

But prior to my visit, the namesake was a place that gave me the impression that it was far and away. This stigma had remained in my head since my secondary school days when a schoolmate had told me that he lived in Salak South.

Each time he mentioned the place, my reaction was: “Wah! So far ah?” That was back in the 80s when the road transportation link was not as good as it is today.

Now, this idyllic residential area is like a worn-out human heart – full of inner and outer ring roads bypassing its surroundings.

To get there alone, you will need good navigational skills. I'll get to that part later. So, what is good here? Well, there are many thing; let me start with two makan places in a specific area within this suburban setting.


Cheap and good: Nelson's 'masterpiece' char koay teow is priced at RM3.50 per plate.

Okay, first – there is Fatty Mok's Hakka Yong Tau Foo shop off Jalan Hang Tuah 1. According to my friend Leong, this eatery is well known for its curry laksa, yong tau foo (stuffed tofu and vegetables) and chicken soup noodles.

So, with that in mind, I made the necessary arrangement to catch up with my makan-kaki (food buddy) at his office.

But, I was not so lucky because there was a production hiccup in his daily schedule. “Sam ah! Eh, you carry on lah, mention my name to the shop and they'll know what to do. I cannot join you lah, sorry ah!” he apologised.

With or without Leong, I was determined to check out Fatty Mok's curry laksa, so when I got there after parking my car at the road kerb, I wasted no time in telling a Myanmar worker there what I wanted.

Service was prompt and as my bowl of noodles was delivered, I went snapping away with my pocket camera. While I was at it, the diners around me watched my actions closely.

I caught wind of two guys behind me having a conversation on a lone diner having his laksa and snapping away with a camera.


Good laksa dish: Fatty Mok's curry laksa.

“Eh, mutt yeh yan ah?” (in Cantonese: who is this guy?) one of the patrons asked. It felt intrusive, but a man has to do what he has to do when it comes to getting the job done.

Now, Fatty Mok's curry laksa, in my humble opinion, fulfilled my criteria for a good laksa dish. Why? The gravy is creamy and tasty, there are enough cockles for you to lose count, plenty of taugeh (bean sprouts), fresh tau foo pok (fried bean curd) and – best of all – enough char chee phei (deep-fried pig's skin).

A small bowl costs about RM4 and my complete meal cost only RM5 with a chilled glass of soya bean milk thrown in. Besides curried noodles, the shop is also known for its ching thong meen (soup noodles).

I would recommend this if you want something less spicy and well, having tasted it in an earlier session, I would say that the soup noodles are as good as the laksa offered by the shop.

Moving on, there is another stall located nearby which came highly recommended by Leong. And, his instruction was simple: “Go across fei loh Mok's and look out for the chap fan stall.”

He was referring to Nelson's Char Koay Teow and to the untrained eye, it is not easy to locate this stall. Which was why I brought my hand-held Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver to lock-in the coordinates of the fried noodles stall.

Anyway, I made my way to the stall and the first thing I noticed was a hidden signboard that read: “Nelson's Char Koay Teow, open 8am–4pm, closed on Sundays.”

My immediate reaction was: “Yat teep kuai teow meen, tor-tor ngar choy” (a plate of koay teow and mee with plenty of bean sprouts).

Dumbfounded, the stall owner paused for a moment and then he went to work right away when the order was made. I watched as Nelson, the stall's operator, started stirring and clanging away at his wok.

It took less than five minutes for the noodles to be served on a plate lined with a piece of banana leaf. And, what I noticed was the hallmark of good fried noodles.

My father, who used to run a Hokkien mee stall at Lorong Bunus, off Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, had taught me the finer points of identifying a well-done dish.

He said the noodles should not be too flat; it must have body and flavour and it should not be soggy or over-fried. What I saw at Nelson's was a masterpiece.

The char koay teow was tasty and rich in flavour. There was a generous serving of cockles to go with it and to nail it in the head - plenty of chee yau char (pork rind) was added.

And, at a price of RM3.50, it was unbeatable. The extra plate of noodles on top of my curry laksa at Fatty Mok's made my day. Soon, I would join my colleague Stuart Michael in his Beginner's column as a prime candidate for weight loss and management. By the way, I congratulate Michael for raising funds to support a charity home.

Okay, back to Salak South Garden. To get there, take a drive on the New Pantai Expressway, take the right exit to Jalan Kuchai Lama and when you approach the Ajinomoto junction, turn left and head straight for about 800 metres.

Once you get to a traffic light junction, turn left and take the left exit towards a hill slope and you are there. For those who navigate with their automobile GPS receivers, key in the following coordinates: Longtitude: N 03 05” 062', Latitude E 101 41” 687' and your navigator will do the rest to get you there. Good luck and happy hunting!

Tasty Fare For Late Breakfast And Lunch

FOOD TRAIL:BY SAM CHEONG

JALAN Maharajalela, which was formerly known as Birch Road, is the gateway to the Southern sector of Kuala Lumpur and is well known for its hawker fare, especially among night birds.

Despite being overshadowed by the city's development, many of the makan places that were found along this busy road many years ago are still intact.


Tasty: At 80 sen a piece, this is the standard fare at Jalan Maharajalela's yong tau foo stall.

This is also one of the few places at the fringe of the city centre where you can find double–storey colonial homes that were built with a chimney in the kitchen.

If you love post-war architecture, this is one place where you can go on a photographic safari. Here, you will find an architectural potpourri from at least five different eras.

During “soccer season” in the 70s and 80s, many Chinese fans would make a detour for supper at a Fukeen chow (Hokkien stir–fried noodles) stall and a coffee shop famous for its curry laksa.

These makan places do exist, but I want to concentrate on what you can find during daytime for breakfast – well, late breakfast – and lunch.

First, there is a yong tau foo (stuffed vegetables) stall managed by an elderly couple, located next to the Ho Wah Genting building off Jalan Maharajalela.


No-frills dining: A couple having their meal at the yong tau foo stall at Jalan Maharajalela.

This eatery has been around for at least three decades and is a popular haunt among office workers and yong tau foo lovers.

What sets it apart is the soup and dry gravy noodles that are served here to complement the stuffed vegetables. And, prices are pretty standard at 80 sen per piece.

So, a simple helping would set you back by RM4.50 (that is roughly five pieces of vegetables and a bowl of noodles) and RM1.20 for a glass of iced barley.

I was introduced to this stall by a friend who frequented a few fishing tackle stores around here. Apart from the yong tau foo stall, there is also a chicken rice and chap fan (Chinese economy rice) shop here that is sandwiched between two large trees.

Business is brisk here during lunch hour and the highly recommended offering here is the chicken rice. The best time to savour your lunch here is from 11am and if you are early, the best seats are on the house.

Moving on, there are some noteworthy makan places at Jalan Choo Cheng Kay, which runs parallel to Jalan Maharajalela.

But, before I get down to the juicy details, here are some interesting notes which I had gathered through the years. My buddy C.M. Khor, who was with a real estate company in the 80s, told me that the Choo Cheng Kay apartments had the largest balcony for high–rise living quarters of its class.

This was, of course, undisputed throughout the era. And, well, the apartment itself has a dark past. At its peak, the area was well known among the hamsap-lou (randy men) as a red light district.

Many of the apartments here were Kuala Lumpur's top brothels. But that is a thing of the past as frequent crackdowns by the authorities have driven vice activities away from this neighbourhood.


Wholesome: Braised pork ribs (front), and chicken and roast pork.

Okay, hamsap matters aside, let's get back on track with food. I was told by my friend Lee Hon Yew that the best mun phai kuat fan (braised pork ribs rice) could be found here.

And, it did not take me long to discover Wing Wong noodle shop, which is located in the middle row of a four–storey block of flats in Jalan Choo Cheng Kay.

It occupies the car porch area of two lots and there is a colourful signboard with an arrow pointing to the shop. So, what is good at this place?

For starters, the curry laksa and ching thong meen (soup noodles) came highly recommended. But the gist of it – is the braised pork ribs rice.

At RM5.50 a plate, I cannot complain. The serving is generous and it tastes pretty decent. The ribs are crunchy outside and soft in the centre.

And, since it is a stand–alone dish, you can also order Wing Wong's wat-kai (boiled chicken) as a side dish. This will set you back by RM4.50. I would not recommend the siew yuk (roast pork) because it was tough and quite salty.

Word has it that the noodles here are on par with the offering at the night coffee shop at Jalan Maharajalela, but that will have to be my late breakfast on a follow-up visit.

Other than Wing Wong, you can also check out a wantan mee stall located in a lane off Jalan Choo Cheng Kay, which is passable.

To get to Jalan Maharajalela, it is best that you take the monorail from Brickfields and get off at the Maharajalela station. The yong tau foo stall is roughly a five-minute walk, while Wing Wong is 10 minutes away from this location.

Top Favourites

Text by FARIDAH BEGUM

The first anniversary of Sunday Metro is on May 6 and to celebrate, we reveal our top 10 foods for the year!


1. Egg Tart

Recommended:
Choy Bee Biscuit or Simee in Kampung Simee market, Ipoh;
Fung Wong Biscuits, Jalan Hang Lekir, KL;
Tong Kee Confectionary, Jalan Tun HS Lee, KL;
Nam Heong Restaurant, Old Town Ipoh;
Yuen Garden Dim Sum, Jalan Kenari, Bandar Puchong Jaya, Puchong, Selangor.


2. Ais Kacang

Recommended:
Swatow Lane Ice Kacang, Penang;
Mustafa Cendol, Jalan Teluk Sisek, Kuantan;
Men Kee Food Court, Jalan Tun Ismail, Seremban;
Berkeley Garden Restaurant, Berkeley Roundabout, Klang;
Penang Village, Putrajaya and Hartamas Shopping Centre, KL.


3. Banana Leaf Lunch

Recommended:
Krishna Curry House, Jalan P.P. Narayanan (formerly Jalan 222), Petaling Jaya;
Ashoka, Perak Stadium, Ipoh;
Passion of Kerala, Brown Garden, Gelugor, Penang;
Sri Paandi Restaurant, Jalan Cantek, Section 5, Petaling Jaya;
South Indian Aiyengar Restaurant, Pines Condominium, Brickfields, KL.


4. Nasi Kandar

Recommended:
Line Clear, Penang Road, George Town;
Nasi Kandar Pelita (Headquarters: Taman Chai Leng, Prai, Penang; 21 branches in Malaysia, Chennai, India, and Australia);
Nasi Kandar Kudu, Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, KL;
Kampung Melayu Nasi Kandar, Jalan Kampung Melayu, Penang;
Restaurant J.S. Maju, Presint 9, Putrajaya.


5. Nasi Lemak

Recommended:
Zam Zam Nasi Lemak near St Michael’s school in Alor Star;
Nyonya Nasi Lemak at Jin Hoe Café, Jalan Cantonment, Penang;
Nasi Lemak Tanglin at Kompleks Makan Tanglin, Jalan Cendasari, Kuala Lumpur;
Lido Nasi Lemak, Klang, Selangor;
C.T. Garden (C.T. Roses) Nasi Lemak, Jalan Dewan Sultan Sulaiman, KL.


6. Tau Foo Fah

Recommended:
Pasar Malam Jalan Templer, Seremban;
Hawkers Centre, Taiping;
Funny Mountain Tau Foo Fah, Jalan Osbourne, Ipoh;
Small lane next to Wisma Hanifa, Jalan Masjid India, KL;
Stall on Petaling Street across Hong Leong Bank, KL.


7. Murtabak

Recommended:
Murtabak Mengkasar, Pekan, Pahang (also known as the royal murtabak);
Padang Tembak, Penang;
Hameediyah Restaurant, Campbell Street, Penang;
Bismillah Restaurant, Klang;
Fresh and frozen murtabak from sisters Nik Sri Emas & Nik Sah at Jalan Merbau and Banggol, Kota Baru, respectively.

8. Roti Canai

Recommended:
Sri Melur Jaya, SS19, Subang Jaya;
Restoran Miria, Kota Baru;
Zam-zam Kopitiam, Jalan Teluk Sisek, Kuantan;
Vello Villas, Penang Street, Penang;
Buharry Bistro, Asian Heritage Row, Jalan Doraisamy, KL.


9. Char Kway Teow

Recommended:
Pun Heong Coffee Stall at Tebing Tinggi, Jalan Bendahara, Ipoh;
Side of Tin Wah Coffee Shop in 4 1/4 Old Klang Road;
Hai Beng Coffee Shop (Old Man Lim), Jones Road, Pulau Tikus, Penang;
Kedai Goreng Kuey Teow Tong Shin, off Changkat Bukit Bintang, KL;
Kedai Kopi Sin Guat Keong, corner of Kimberley Street and Cintra Street, Penang.


10. Roti Bakar

Recommended:
Kluang Train Station Canteen, Kluang;
Kedai Kopi White House, Jalan Sultanah Zainab, Kota Baru;
Kedai Kopi Hai Peng, Kemaman;
Tong Nam Bee, Jalan Tun Razak, Raub;
Hainan Curry Rice, Bukit Tinggi, Klang;
Kedai Makanan Sun Sun, Jalan Merdeka, Ampang.

Delectable Italian Dishes

Compiled by RENITA CHE WAN

They may not be super affordable for Blogger J but the yummy dishes make it value for money dining at Sassorosso.


Quattro Formaggi – 4 Cheese Pizza

BLOGGER J was pining for some really good Italian dishes and found a great Italian restaurant conveniently located just a stone’s throw away from the bustling KLCC area.

Situated in a cosy little bungalow on Lorong Yap Kwan Seng is a restaurant called Sassorosso and she finds the exterior very inviting, with patches of greenery around the low-key white building making it look very stylish without being “hoity-toity”.

“I particularly appreciated that they did not put the tables too closely together, making the space inside look more spacious than it actually was,” said J.

“Scanning the extensive menu, we felt spoilt for choice. There was a wide range of deliciously described meat, pastas, pizzas and seafood.


Panna Cotta

“As we were feeling especially greedy that night, we actually chose the Quattro Formaggi - 4 Cheese Pizza as our starter for the night.

“I really enjoyed this pizza – simple but satisfying and the crust was just nice ... slightly crispy but with some ‘bite’ to it and topped with a generous amount of fragrant cheese.

“Moving on to the mains, we tried the Veal Ossobucco, Duck Breast & Confit, Pasta Bigoli all’anitra and Stuffed Chicken.

“The clearcut ‘winners’ here were definitely the Veal Ossobucco and the Duck Breast.

“The Duck Breast and Confit was not particularly tender, but stood out with its smoky fragrant taste and totally non-existent ‘ducky’ flavour in the meat.

“As for the other two, they were not that nice. The Spaghetti Bigoli all’anitra was unusual but I found it a bit starchy due to the thickness of the spaghetti.

“The Stuffed Chicken was okay and so was the lemon butter sauce but the chicken was a bit too dry.

“Of course, we could not miss out on dessert. That night we had the Panna Cotta and Strawberry Millefeuille.

“The Panna Cotta was pretty good – the texture was not too dense, yet not too light and just right in terms of sweetness.


Chocolate Flan

“The highlight of the night for me was definitely the Chocolate Flan. I must admit, at first I thought it was too expensive but decided to order it anyway ... and thank goodness I did!

“I know this sort of dessert is pretty common nowadays but I found that Sassorosso does it really well.

“Overall, I really enjoyed our dinner there that night. It’s not like it’s super affordable but I felt it was good value for money considering the yummy taste of the nicer dishes. Just be a bit careful on what you order.

“I’m definitely going back to try out some of the other items on the menu!”

A Waffle Anytime

By FARIDAH BEGUM

The waffle has come a long way from being a foreign food to a local favourite.

SLAP this crisp, soft biscuit with anything you have – peanut butter, kaya, chocolate, jam or just plain butter and you have a scrumptious snack that would just plain satisfy you.

Let’s go a step further. Put a scoop of your favourite ice cream to it, lace it with your favourite topping and what happens? You are simply in Cloud Nine!

The waffle is actually made of the same batter as that of pancakes. However, the waffle batter is toasted in a specially designed griddle that makes great square grids on it and once it is done, it is simply eased out and slathered with the ingredients of your choice.

When the craze for waffles started more than a decade ago, one of the most popular spots to have good waffles was at the A&W fast food outlets.


Simply scrumptious: Mainly an offering for dessert, the waffle is now also quite popular as breakfast fare.

Today, the waffle can be found in just about every food court or in small spaces within shopping complexes and even at departmental stores where the main strategy is to get a waffle to appease the children and husband and for the wife to sweetly walk her way into a grand sale!

The waffle has also become more localised as Malaysians shy away from sauces such as chocolate, strawberry, caramel with scoops of ice cream and generous blobs of whipped cream, to slightly less messier toppings of local favourites such as jam, kaya, peanut butter and the like.

Perhaps, it is not so much the taste but the ease of being able to eat it, walking or standing rather than having to sit and eat it with a fork and knife!

One of the first places to offer waffle more than a decade ago was the A&W chain of fast food restaurants with various delicious and appealing toppings along with quite reasonable prices, given the generous ice cream and fruit toppings that were available.

Mainly an offering for dessert, the waffle is now also quite popular as breakfast fare, as the frozen variety are available and the appliances that are used for making bread triangles filled with savoury fillings also now come equipped with waffle plates.

Waffle is actually available almost in every shopping mall in the country as the commercial machines are quite easy to haul from one place to another, given its size and the easy recipe for making the waffle biscuits.

At most hypermarket outlets, one of the first smells to attract you would be the final toasting of the waffle biscuit before it is smeared with the topping requested by a customer.

The only complaint would be that the waffle should actually be packed in environment-friendly packaging instead of plastic bags, and this is also because when it is placed in a plastic bag, the steam from the heat of the waffle will soften the biscuit and render it almost tasteless and soggy.

There is another craze for the crispy waffle biscuits, which are filled up with ice cream and this is an even more delicious morsel as it does not lose its crisp and is easy to eat, besides being sweet and a lot thicker than the soggy wafer cones that were and still are occasionally used to hold ice cream.

One of the best is at the New Zealand Natural ice cream stand in Bangsar Village in Kuala Lumpur, where the biscuits are just the right size and the ice cream, creamy and truly tasty!

It is not so much one ingredient or another but more the marriage between the waffle and ice cream that makes it truly unforgettable.

Sunday Metro hopes that readers would try out the recommended waffle sites by readers. For those who want to try this delicious snack at home and have a waffle griddle, simply use the basic pancake recipe and follow instructions on the appliances; add your favourite toppings and you are on your way to making your own waffles at home. Bon appetit!


SMS SENDERS’ PICK FOR BEST WAFFLE

> Best waffle at Latest Recipe Restaurant in Le Meridien Hotel Kuala Lumpur.

> Try the waffle at a & w in d lake gardens, seremban, it’s delicious with ice-cream topping. try u will love it.

> The best waffle that I had ever had is at a stall, located in front of KFC in Selayang Mall, Kepong, Selangor. From: Yin Peng

> Best waffle a&w pj. perfect crispy/soft balance. But should use real plates not paper!

> Try the ones in front of Bintang supermarket. It’s near the Motorola building. Yummilicious!

> Try Waffle Stop at Lot 10 Shopping Complex in Jalan Bukit Bintang

> Waffle World in 1 Utama is pretty good.

Legacy of Love

PENANG
By HELEN ONG

The Hakka Connexion serves something one rarely comes across commercially: home-cooked Hakka food.

THE late Tan Sri Wong Pow Nee was a teacher of humble origins who rose to become the first Chief Minister of Penang from 1957 to 1969.

Of Hakka descent, he was apparently fiercely proud of his heritage, his family initially settling in Balik Pulau where there is a large community, and later moving to Bukit Mertajam.


Warm gesture: Peter Wong inviting you to try some home-cooked Hakka food.

In memory of his late father who died in 2002 at the ripe old age of 92, son Peter Wong Tet Phin, 49, has set up a gallery in Jalan Basawah, behind Giant Supermarket in Burmah Road, which showcases hundreds of photographs from his personal collection collected over the many years he was in office.

The small room is packed with framed pictures and other memorabilia, and a visit there is sure to bring back memories for many.

As entry to the gallery is free, Wong has also established a restaurant next door to help fund this worthwhile project.

The Hakka Connexion serves something one rarely comes across commercially: home-cooked Hakka food.

“Not many outlets serve this kind of food,” he explained.

His cook and partner, Carene Lim, 48, was one of the very few; she used to cook and serve this peasant-food-turned delicacy from a hawker stall in town.

As it is quite different from the sort of sam poey (dishes) we usually eat in Penang, which is more nyonya-based, the meal turned out to be an interesting sojourn into a culinary world of which I knew next to nothing about, despite having had an old Hakka flame decades ago whose family ate such food.

Lim did stress that as, traditionally, Hakka (Khek) people were immigrant visitors from northern China whose nomadic lifestyles meant that they absorbed influences from the various regions they finally settled in, the lines are blurred as to the origin of some dishes.


Mouth-watering: Hakka noodles with minced pork and soya sauce eaten with homemade chilli and garlic sauce.

“Much of Hakka cooking involves pork and fish,” she explained, so we started with one of their signature dishes from their small but popular and reasonably-priced menu, Tu Kar Chor (Vinegar Pork Trotters). Its sweet and sour dark gravy, seasoned with ginger, is very similar to the Hokkien version.

Another is “Lui Cha” or “Ham Cha” or even “Lei Cha” – it has different names, but basically the dish consists of individual portions of, in this case six different types of vegetables, some fried with dried shrimp, chai por (preserved vegetable) and nuts heaped around a helping of white or brown rice.

“Each state serves this dish differently,” according to Wong, but the important must-have ingredient is apparently the green tea soup, which comes in a separate bowl.

It is made with tea and Chinese herbs, and there is a strong overriding flavour of mint camphor, which is unusual but not unpleasant.

The dish is deemed quite healthy as the vegetables give it plenty of fibre, and rather like rojak, you mix everything up, including the soup, before tucking in. At RM6, it’s worth every sen.

I especially liked the spicy and flavoursome Hakka Noodles tossed in black soya sauce, which is a bit like broad, flat konloh meen, but served with a helping of savoury minced pork and eaten with a good spoonful of fried onion fritters and a tasty homemade chilli and garlic sauce.

Their Hakka Yong Taufu, also homemade, is popular too; taufu, bitter gourd or brinjal filled with a paste made with sai to fish, minced pork and a hint of kiam hu (salted fish), served in a light clear soup.


Proud showcase: The gallery dedicated to the memory of the late Tan Sri Wong Pow Nee.

Yet another new dish I was introduced to was the appropriately-named Suan Pan Zi, or Yam Abacus, little round discs made from a dough of yam and tapioca flour which is kneaded, shaped then cooked in boiling water before being stir-fried with minched pork, mushrooms and soya sauce.

Shaped like an abacus seed, they are soft, smooth and slightly springy, and the taste is an odd mix between sweet and savoury, although I’m told some places serve it dry without a sauce.

The opening of the restaurant cum gallery was deliberately timed to coincide not just with Malaysia’s 50th anniversary last year, but also the fifth anniversary of his patriotic father’s demise on Aug 31.

“When we first started, we had only four tables and a couple of dishes,” Wong said, “but even then we had a stream of people coming to eat here. We have added a few new dishes since.”

The Hakka Connexion, based in this modest little shophouse, is pleasant and clean, and interesting pictures of Hakka village roundhouses in clusters from central China line one wall. It can get quite packed at lunchtimes.

The gallery is open daily from 11am to 8.30pm. For details, e-mail them at littleshanghai _penang@yahoo.com or call Wong (016-483 2823).

Helen Ong is a self-confessed foodie who loves to hunt down the best of Penang.

In Sync With Apple Cultivation

BA'KELALAN: The quaint Ba'Kelalan town at the northeast of Sarawak is today synonymous with apples, literally the fruit of one man's labour.

Tagal Paran, 75, affectionately known as Pak Tagal, is the man credited with cultivating apples in Ba'Kelalan, the only place in Malaysia were apple trees thrive.

Apples are known to survive in the temperate climate but the former pastor's inquisitiveness and determination made them thrive here.

Where others tried and failed, he persevered and triumphed.

In fact, Pak Tagal is confident that one day Ba'Kelalan will provide all the apples that Malaysia needs.


Fruit of his labour: Pak Tagal showing apples harvested in Kampung Buduk Nur recently.

Located 900m above sea level, the placid district has a cool atmosphere similar to New Zealand but apples are certainly not indigenous here.

The apples and the annual Apple Fiesta make Ba'Kelalan an enchanting destination for visitors.

Pak Tagal's younger brother Andrew Balang Paran brought 50 wild apple seedlings from Kalimantan in the 1960s after he saw locals there cultivating the fruit, and the rest is history.

However, only in the mid-1970s did he seriously venture into apple cultivation by taking over 300 apple trees planted on a trial basis on his land by agricultural authorities.

He realised that the trees were dying slowly and the authorities had limited knowhow on apple cultivation.

“I immediately set off for Batu Malang in Indonesia to learn more about apple cultivation and enlisted the services of two apple growers from there.

“I went to Indonesia three times to obtain new seedlings. It was all by trial and error,” he said, reminiscing on his foray into apple cultivation.

Pak Tagal's 3ha orchard in his village of Buduk Nur now has 2,000 apple trees, and he has four workers to assist him.

About one tonne of apples are produced in a season at his orchard, he said.

The apple trees bear fruit twice a year, normally during the middle and the end of the year.

The trees are pruned to simulate winter and the leaves are shed manually.


Warm welcome: Pak Tagal (third from left) posing with his wife Yammu (second from left) and son Mutang (left) in front of Apple Lodge at Kampung Buduk Nur in Ba'kelalan.

Soon, after the induced stimulus, the trees begin to bloom and bear fruit.

The apples are grown without pesticides and chemicals fertiliser.

The are varieties of apples grown here.

The Manalagi (Golden Delicious), has been renamed the Ba' Kelalan Apple. The fruit is greenish-yellow in colour and tastes sweet and crunchy. It is suitable for apple pie and fruit salads.

The Anna, which is red on top and yellow below, is sweet and sour and feels soft.

Rome Beauty is green with a reddish tinge at the bottom. It is similar in taste to Anna but feels crisp.

The Granny Smith is green and tastes sour. It's the apple for cooking and making cider.

The apples are marketed in Lawas and Miri but are in limited quantity.

Pak Tagal is confident that, if people in the nine villages in Ba'Kelalan start growing apples, Malaysia can export apples.

He pointed out that there were other temperate fruits like citrus, strawberries and grapes that could be grown here.

He is already experimenting with strawberries and some villagers are cultivating Arabica coffee.

Nonetheless, there is a serious setback.

Ba'Kelalan is virtually isolated as it is located in a remote area close to Kalimantan in Indonesia. Access to the outside world is only through airplanes and four-wheel-drive vehicles.

Thus, there is no way to export the apples in big quantities.

But Pak Tagal need not despair as plans are underway for a 170km road from the nearest town of Lawas at the foothills.

He is confident the road will pave the way for big companies to undertake apple cultivation on a big scale, and the apples can move up the value chain when processed into jam or cider.

With the road, Pak Tagal envisions Ba'Kelalan emerging as a leading producer of highland fruits and vegetables for Sarawak, like Cameron Highlands is to the Peninsula and Kundasang to Sabah.

Nevertheless, apples are not the main produce of Ba'Kelalan.

The fragrant Adan rice (Bario rice) is the main commodity of locals.

Yet, Pak Tagal believes that apples will remain as Ba'Kekalan's forte in wooing the tourists.

Ba'Kelalan receives up to 3,000 tourists annually, mostly Europeans, and the number is expected to increase.

The retired missionary with agriculture close to his heart is reaping the fruits of his labour.

The genial Pak Tagal and his wife Yamu Pengiran have seven children – Dr Judson, Mutang, Dina, Rangai, Gerit, Martha and Sandra.

Like the apples, Pak Tagal's family is the pride of Ba' Kelalan and its people.

His son, the late Dr Judson, was a former Ba'Kelalan assemblyman and state deputy minister. Another son, Mutang, a lawyer, is the former Member of Parliament for Bukit Mas.

The family operates the Apple Lodge homestay facility in Buduk Nur where visitors can get a taste of the customs and traditions of the Lun Bawang people.

The annual Apple Fiesta at the end of March is in the Sarawak Tourism calendar and visitors can see and savour the apples right at Pak Tagal's orchard.

This humble man has vowed to continue with his passion.

Pak Tagal does not seem to realise that his passion for cultivating apples has made him an icon and helped Ba'Kelalan gain prominence in tourism.

Apples in Ba'Kelalan are no myth, thanks to Pak Tagal.

– Bernama

The Canteena Serves A Combination Of Mexican And Malaysian Cuisine

By CHRISTINA LOW

CARLOS Zubir has never stepped foot on Mexican soil, but that has never stopped him from opening a restaurant serving the country's specialities.

It all started when Carlos met an American friend who told him about how lovely Mexican food was. And the next day Carlos invited his friend to his house for a cookout session that left Carlos craving for more.


Authentic: The servers are dressed in cowboy hats, belts and boots to match the theme of the restaurant.

He soon harboured the hope to bring Mexican food to Malaysians as there were not many restaurants offering such cuisine back then.

Today, after 17 years in the industry, his restaurant Carlos Mexican Canteena is not only famous for its Fajitas and Nachos but also the local favourite teh tarik.

“Our guests come here at all times of the day and in the evenings for a cup of teh tarik.

“We have to prepare up to 60 barrels of the tea and it is always a sell out,” said manager John Fernandez.

The outlet brings together a combination of Mexican and Malaysian cuisines for the diners.

“We do not want to serve only Mexican food. We want to combine food of both countries under one roof,” said Fernandez, a style which was adopted when Carlos first open his outlet in 1991 in Jalan Tun Razak.

After moving to a few places, the restaurant now sits comfortably at the Pavilion Kuala Lumpur.

The interior of the restaurant is warmly lit with pictures of Red Indians and other Mexican icons gracing its walls.


Our treat: A Tequila girl pouring shots of the liquor directly into the mouth of a diner while he sits comfortably on a barber's chair.

Servers at the restaurant also dress up as cowboys complete with hats, boots and fake guns.

During our visit, Fernandez shared with us the Mexican “must-haves” on the menu which comprised tacos, nachos and fajitas.

Each appears to be in a medium portion, enough to be shared among friends as appetisers. The tacos were filled with shredded vegetables and grated cheese while the nachos were swarmed with a generous topping of melted cheese and salsa sauce.

As for the fajitas, enchiladas and burritos, patrons have a choice of either shredded chicken or beef to go with it.

Fernandez explained that enchiladas was oven grilled and burritos had to be deep-fried.

However, ingredients in both were similar and one would not be able to tell them apart except for trying it out themselves.

Other popular dishes include Braised Lamb Shank and Grilled Salmon. Also available are oysters which is said to be the cheapest in town, going at only RM2 per piece.

For desserts, guests can look forward to Chocolate Banana Buri-tos as well as Deep Fried Tortilla stuffed with Melted Chocolate Banana served with ice cream.


Inviting: The interior of the restaurant has a mix of warm colours coupled with pictures of Red Indians hung on walls.

The bar area of the restaurant also has a classic-looking barber's chair where it is specially used by patrons who are seeking to party the night away with tequila shots poured down their throat while they rest on the chair.

“We tell them, they need a haircut and the patrons know what that means.

“With every six shots of the liquor, the restaurant awards the guests with a t-shirt for their brave move,” said Fernandez.

It is the restaurant's treat to keep their guests entertained after a long day at work and to look ahead to a well deserved weekend.


CARLOS MEXICAN CANTEENA
Lot C3-03 The Pavilion, Jalan Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur. (Tel: 03-2145 3996/5996)
Business Hours : Mon-Sun (10am-3am).

Sumptuous Culinary Journey Through India

By GEETHA KRISHNAN

IT GOES without saying that Passage Thru India restaurants offer the rite of passage to the enjoyment of Indian food.

The menu is as diverse as the Indian sub-continent, with more than 150 items to tease, enthral and satiate the palate. As a plus point, the journey is not based on a culinary adventure alone.

Passage Thru India in Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur, is a thematic restaurant offering insights into the different regions of India. Established 13 years ago, it passionately promotes the rich culture and art alongside food.


Boutique restaurant: The Passage Thru India Restaurant in Medan Damansara is different from its predecessor in Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur.

The latest addition to the family-run franchise is the restaurant in Medan Damansara. It is built on a boutique concept bordering on fine dining, minus the razzmatazz of the pioneer restaurant in Jalan Tun Razak.

Manager Siva Selva, who is also the founder’s son, said they had waited four years for the prime location and finally opened for business nine months ago.

“It is well worth the wait because Medan Damansara offers the right demographics for our customer base, largely comprising diners from the middle class and above plus expatriates,” said Siva.

His father’s love for Indian artefacts resonates throughout the restaurant – the walls are decorated with Pichwai paintings in ornate frames and Rajasthan dolls perched on high shelves. Copper pots and beautifully-coloured parasols add to the charm.

“These finger paintings were also done by him because he was in the creative line for 30 years, but I haven’t inherited this skill,” Siva laughingly pointed out.

He is, however, adept in the kitchen.

The restaurant does not offer banana leaf meals but it has the Executive Set Lunch, priced from RM18++ to RM22++.


Breads galore: The Cocktail Basket with six types of naan.

The range of house specials for the review lived up to Passage Thru India’s tagline of “A Passage to Good Food”.

The Cocktail Basket of six mini-naan breads – consisting of Garlic Naan, Kashmiri Naan, Mint Naan, Butter Naan, Black Sesame Naan and White Sesame Naan – allowed us to savour the range of dips, chutneys and curries.

The breads are usually relished with Mint Chutney, Sweet Potato and Tomato Chutney and Spicy Tomato Chutney. Once we were done with the taste test, we moved on to the curries.

Exceptional among the lot was the PTI Masala Prawns, featuring succulent tiger prawns cooked with 18 variety of spices and masala. It was mildly spicy.

Siva also brought out the Murgh Tikka Butter that he said had overtaken the English dish of Fish and Chips in terms of popularity. The dish was a cornucopia of ingredients so it was hard to pin-point which captured our attention the most.

The Mutton Rogan Ghost, cooked in an almost similar manner, was also delicious. The Tandoori Chicken was familiar but the marinade was of a different grade and quality.

It was evident that a lot of time and effort had gone into preparing each dish.

In enlightening us on the Kashgar Kebab, Siva said the Persian-influenced dish called for the chicken to be marinated and sautéed before it was coated with breadcrumbs and a layer of egg and put into the clay oven for further cooking.

“The Navratna Kurma features nine types of nuts, vegetables and fruits cooked with kurma paste,” he added.

The offer of Indian desserts of Kulfi (ice cream with saffron and almonds) and Gulab Jamun (deep-fried flour balls in rose syrup) was happily accepted. The sugar overload was heavenly.

While sipping Indian Cappuccino made from coffee beans imported from Tamil Nadu, Siva divulged that Passage Thru India had recently won the Hospitality Asia Platinum Awards as one of the top 10 restaurants in Asia.

A fitting accolade.

PASSAGE THRU INDIA
No. 9, Jalan Setiapuspa, Medan Damansara, KL (Tel: 03-2094 4360).
Business Hours: Daily, lunch (11.30am to 2.45pm) and dinner (6.30pm to 10.45pm).

The Flavours Of Europe

By DEBBIE CHAN

Cavells Restaurant and Bar
18 Jalan 27/70A
Desa Sri Hartamas
Tel: 03-23000841
Business Hours: Daily, 12pm to 2am, Happy Hours, 6pm to 9pm.

After a year of serving the friendly Desa Sri Hartamas neighbourhood, Cavells is now ready to take on the bigger market with new offerings and an extensive wine selection from Henry Martin.


Rich ambience: The charming interior of the restaurant.

It is currently the only place in the area that offers tapas, defined by the chef as little bites of joy and pleasure.

Cavells carries quite a large array of tapas offerings from traditional Spanish recipes to dishes localised to suit the Malaysian palate. Interesting dishes to look out for include Mejilloues which is mussel grilled with a deliciously fragrant topping of parmesan cheese, garlic and parsley and the Deep Fried King Prawns in crispy batter served with Ajillo Mayo.

For a more spicy flavour, the Chilli Con Can is an interesting bet. It is a classic dish given a twist with diced tomato and cheese served with French baguette and topped with diced onions while the Pollo con Limont is another spicy dish of stir fried chicken with fresh herbs and spiced and served with lemons and chilli to give it an intense flavour.

Meat dishes include the Albondigas Con Salsa which is meatball coated with seven spices served in tomato sauce, Ropa Vieja, Argentinean beef blend with capsicums, chick peas and Spanish spices, Chochifrito which is lamb pan tossed and flavoured with lemon juice and paprika and Morcilla, a sausage dish enhanced with mint flavour.


Enticing: Chocifrito is pan tossed lamb with lemon juice and paprika.

For those who prefer to play it safe, the conventional tasting Skewered Chicken and Seafood Spring Roll is the right choice and they make good snacks, too with beer.

The cuisine is highly influenced by the heritage of the family that founded the restaurant. According to general manager of Cavells Aaron Carvalho, coming from Goa, which was ruled by the Portugese for over four hundred years, the family’s cooking is very much influenced by the flavours of Italy, Portugal, Spain, and America.

“With the food, instead of focusing on one style of cooking, we decided to combine the different flavours that Europe offers,” said Carvalho.

“Our head chef, B. Vijaian is very innovative in coming up with brand new ideas to spice up our menu,” he added.


Tempting: Half mussel grilled with a deliciously fragrant topping of parmesan cheese, garlic and parsley.

Along with the delectable dishes, Cavells offers a wide selection of wines and beers and it is also one of the few exclusive locations that carry Henry Martin wines including the unique Sparkling Shiraz.

Indulge In Flavours Of Indonesia With Hotel's Buffet Spread

By SALINA KHALID


Trying it out: Guests at the launch.

THE words bakso, lotek and tek-tek may be foreign to most of us but these are some of the popular dishes of Indonesia.

Despite the names, the dishes share almost similar ingredients with some of our Malay-sian fare.

Bakso, a meatball soup, is one of the famous stall food available throughout the country.

Meanwhile, lotek is something like gado-gado, which is vegetable served with peanut sauce and tek-tek is basically fried noodle.


Crispy: An Indonesian version of murtabak.

So if you're hankering for any of these dishes, perhaps you should head to The Square at Novotel Hydro Majestic Kuala Lumpur that's promoting Indonesian fare through its Flavours of Indonesia buffet dinner.

A first for the hotel, the promotion was launched recently by the Indonesian embassy charge d’affairs Tatang Budie Utama Razak. Held in conjunction with the Visit Indonesia 2008, the buffet spread features a variety of dishes from various parts of the country.

Novotel's general manager Michel Farines was also present at the launch.

The tasty spread includes Rendang Jawa, Sambal Goreng Daging, Gepuk Daging, Ayam Krengseng, Ayam Panggang Rujak, Ikan Rica-Rica, Pepes Ikan and Cumi Ungkep. Apart from these you could also opt for Sop Buntut, Soto Ayam, Rawon Surabaya, Lotek Bogor, Bakso Malang and salad dishes for those who are health conscious.

Dessert lovers are in for a treat, too, with dadar gulung, es teler, klapert tart and pisang bakar keju.


The man behind the spread: Jajang preparing the Bakso at the launch.

The dishes were prepared by chef Jajang Mulyana, who was flown from Hotel Ibis Slipi, Jakarta, for the two-week promotion that ends on May 5.

The Flavours of Indonesia buffet dinner is priced at RM58++ per person.


The Square, Novotel Hydro Majestic Kuala Lumpur, 2 Jln Kia Peng, 50450 Kuala Lumpur. Tel: 03 2147 0888. Business Hours: 7pm to 10pm daily (dinner).