I have always been eating this way, mostly with family and close family friends, frequently with friends and sometimes even with people we just knew. Once you sit people down to a feast, all shyness and boundaries goes out the window; where everyone start smacking their lips and poking at food together as If they have been long lost friends. Food transcends boundaries, it brings people close together. My most memorable feasts are usually at the biggest Chinese celebration which is the Chinese New Year. Here I would see feast of many of my favourite dishes, mostly only appearing once a year, making them very precious and the reason to gorge like I will never get to eat them again, or at least not until next year. Not to forget of course is the way we come together during these feasts, where we bellow with laughter, talking loudly and incessantly, updating each other of our lives and gossiping about others, a trait that we Chinese seem hard to avoid, and then of course keep on eating and eating and eating till we can eat no more.

Looking deeper though, I do think that internally within a family, communal eating do bring the family closer together. Family that eats together stays together. Of course during my teenagers years I would not think the same way, in fact I was really happy that I am spared of this ‘rule’, therefore in no need to rush home during lunch or dinner, and get to choose when to eat when I want to, of course within the stipulated time set by my mum. But right now, looking back, I am sort of envious to those of my friends who used to eat communally with their family. I believe it is this sense of going back and eating together, updating each other on their lives or just having this routine makes one a family, while sharing food together along with everything else. Another reason that I love communal eating is the possibility of tasting everything in sight and chooses what you like best to eat more of; yes I am greedy as such. I love to share yet I am greedy in contradictions but somehow communal eating bridge the gap together for me.

Anyway, if you are in to try some communal eating the Asian way, though it has badly defrayed from the older days of real Chinese etiquettes, here I still try, yes try to practice some etiquettes that I deem needed such as:

No double dipping the sauces.
It means do not take a morsel, dip the accompanying sauce, bite off a part of it, and then dip into the sauce again for more. Not only is this hygienically not wise, it is truly not a good sight to behold, at least for me. So if you must have the sauce, else maybe then the morsel is just incomplete or your first dip was really bad, then you can get a clean spoon and scoop up some sauce and then proceed to lather it onto your morsel.

Decide before taking.
Decide what to eat before picking it up, to avoid hovering over the dish and pushing and poking to find for your favourite piece. Imagine yourself, using a chopstick or any other utensils, rummaging through the dish to find your best piece or worst still, standing up reaching across the table and look as if you are digging for goal somewhere!

Once taken, it is taken.
After picking up the food, do not drop it back into the main dish, even if it is not what you intended to take or want to eat. One of the best way to cover this mistake is to show some attentiveness and pass on that food to somebody, smiling as genuinely as possible and say “nah, have a piece”. The bonus point is that it is even something praiseworthy to do! Please though, do not let people know you heard this trick from me.

In the end though, just remember to enjoy the meal, after all we are all just there to have a good meal, so any faux pas can be overlook, or as how the Chinese likes to say ‘close one eye’, in a way meaning that we can pretend we did not really see that. As long the meal and company is great, it is all that matters in the end of it, where everyone sit back, burp loudly and rub their bellies, or maybe not quite as graphic, but you get the picture, and then just smile contentedly thinking about the next good communal meal at the back of their minds.

Rokh is a food columnist on Malaysia Travel Guide, she’s an epicurean and a cook who loves to eat, also writes in her own food blog – Tham Jiak. In this column, she will bring you along while she explore various Malaysia foods, like what is good, what makes them so special and how or where to best well enjoy them. More [+]

Lum Chin Orchid Garden is a not only paradise to those who adore orchids, it is also undoubtedly an escapade to nature and serenity from the bustling Kuala Lumpur city. It is a delightful setting for one to get in touch with mother nature and to see different varieties of orchids.
Visitors can always find an ideal gift to bring back home from their vacation.

Location

View Larger Map

Lot 1872, Jalan Selesa 9, Taman Gembira, Jalan Kuchai Lama 58200 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 603-79833436
Fax: 603-79876673

Pineapple Tarts
Photo by e-wander

Dated back into history, these shining dainties were not from China itself, in fact undisputedly, many agrees that it is originated from Malaysia Straits Chinese namely known as the Peranakan or Baba Nyonya. They are the very early Chinese immigrants that had settled in the British Straits Settlements of Malaya, partially adopting Malay customs for assimilation effort. Most Peranakan are Hokkien, therefore explaining the term of Ong Lai, and the usage of the ubiquitous pineapple in Malaya during those times. Being still accustom to their Chinese blood in a foreign land, they came up with innovative way to celebrate one of their most important events with a new twist. From then on, Chinese New Year in Malaysia were filled with myriads of pineapple tarts ranging from various styles. These styles were fashioned across times, coming in many forms. In the 80s, it is the ‘country’ style which is like an open faced tart, where the pineapple fillings are heaped upon ‘flower’ shaped base. Then in the 90s, the ‘pineapple look’ caught on where the fillings are wrapped inside the crust which then is shaped to look like mini pineapple. Then with the latest emergence style is the rolled up version where the pineapple fillings are peeking out from the sides.

Right up to a decade before, pineapple tarts have been more of a family ritual where every family makes their own batch from their most guarded recipes, handed down from mother to daughters. As time goes by, the novelty of it had slowly been fading away, where many entrepreneurs seek to leverage on this as opportunity and had came up with selling them just months before Chinese New Year. Think of it as an exclusive and limited edition sort of production. These entrepreneurs range from those selling their ‘homemade’ small batches albeit higher price but with higher quality and touch, in oppose to the entrepreneurs selling large batches as wholesale coming in its own packaging even. Connoisseurs hold by the principle that the best pineapple tarts must be made by hand thus explaining the thriving cottage industry in oppose to the industrial produces. Though these goodies are usually available year round, it never taste the same as it does for Chinese New Year, maybe it’s the novelty, or the excitement, or the saving of one’s tummy for the yearly indulgence or scientifically the pineapples are more abundantly sweet this time around.

Even for me, I was introduced to these lovely morsels during the auspicious Chinese New Year. I remember vividly that my sister and I, really young at that time, was fascinated by the plastic containers industrial version of rolled up pineapple tarts lined up rows after rows in our mini town’s supermarket. So we pestered our mum to get it for us, and once home, we devoured it like there is no tomorrow. It was finished even before you can say “Happy Chinese New Year”. But at that time, being the first time and still a kid, the ones we had were actually inferior, having thick hard skins and too much sugar ratio to pineapple in the fillings. Later on as I grew up and tried various pineapple tarts, I start to discern the good from the bad and the various types there is. I enjoyed both the rolled up and the open face tarts. For the rolled up tarts, I especially love those that are really buttery, where once you pop it melts in your mouth mixing along with the pineapple fillings, enriching it as it goes. As for the open face tarts, I like those for being able to truly savour the pineapple fillings more indulgently. For both, my pineapple fillings have to be fragrant, full of pineapple fruitiness, still slightly moist and just lightly sweetened.

Prosperity, Come Forth!
Photo by Rokh

Making the pineapple tarts are no easy feat, thus the usual family ritual where everyone needs to chip in to make it easier. First and foremost, fresh and sweet pineapple needed to be source for, and then slice off the skin and religiously remove every spiky ‘eye’. Then it is cut to slices and then grated by hand, making care not to hurt the fingers, though now the modern alternative is to let a food processor do the work. Then the grated pulp need to be drained and then cooked over low heat with spices such as star anise or cloves, stirring continuously till nearly dry. Sugar is added according to taste at the meantime. Then the paste can be use straight away or refrigerated till needed. Next comes the second part of this tedious process that is making of the pastry. Some love the crumbly version, while others the crunchy ones. No matter which way though, there is no shortcut to the pastry making. Butter is cut into the floor till resembling dry breadcrumbs then mixed with egg and slowly kneads. The combinations of these ingredients as well as the method of making will determine the type it will become. After that, the pastries are shaped accordingly, as per the generations’ versions mentioned, or just to one’s favourite, add in with the cooked pineapple paste and then baked in preheated oven. After that, the whole place will be filled with the wonderful mixed aroma of pineapples, cloves and butter. Ah, this is how one knows the fruit of the hard work would certainly be sweet.

If you are craving for some pineapple tarts now, fret not as I found that one can get really good ones all year round in Bee Bee’s House, Melaka but do remember to pre-order though. Else you have to wait for Chinese New Year to come around in few months time, where then you can order from various home bakers that only sell them once a year. Or last but not least, for the brave hearted, one can try to make them at home. Even if you do not get it now, you must remember to stock up during the next Chinese New Year, as you would want prosperity to come to you right?

Rokh is a food columnist on Malaysia Travel Guide, she’s an epicurean and a cook who loves to eat, also writes in her own food blog – Tham Jiak. In this column, she will bring you along while she explore various Malaysia foods, like what is good, what makes them so special and how or where to best well enjoy them. More [+]

When I first learn of the word brunch, it was way long ago when I was just a little kid. My god-sister told me about it. She said, “Let’s go for brunch. Oh, wait! You know what brunch is?” My little head shake furiously. “It is something we all love to do (she was then working sometime in KL for a while), it is actually a combination of breakfast and lunch – so brunch! Got it?” Then my eyes lit up! I got it! I felt so smart that later when I got home, I told my mum about my new found knowledge of the world. My mum shrug me off as talking nonsense, but I was adamant then even as a kid that it is not, in fact it was pure genius to me, though I know for anytime soon, I would not be able to enjoy it as my mum thinks it is nonsense. Well you see, in my little hometown, everybody wakes up early. They have their breakfast early then they go about being productive in their own ways, and then they got hungry by lunch time and had a meal again. So the concept of brunch never really occurs to us.

Delicious Sandwich
Photo by ROKH

So when I finally came down to KL for my tertiary education, brunch came naturally into my life. In fact it became a norm. I was never in time for breakfast. Student life is like that, we slept at odd hours, we wake up at odd hours then we nap at odd hours again. But only when I finally went out and joined the rat race, brunch became a luxury to me, a weekend indulgence. I have then finally officially joined the hip urbanites’ brunch culture.

The brunch choices in Malaysia are so wide, I do not even know where to begin. It ranges from our local varied kopitiam, to shops with various hawker stalls inside of it to cafes and then even to posh and fine dining. The amazing thing about brunch is, you can be having either breakfast or lunch food and still call it brunch, but somehow to me and many I believe, breakfast is the way to go, and a big one at that. So normally we would go for the indulging kind of breakfast, one that can fill us up from the long fasting and then sustain us enough for the long day till our next meal which is dinner.

Nasi Lemak
Photo by rashdan

So let us start from our local style of brunch. If we head out for cheap eats and fast and unpretentious food, normally we would hit the various coffee shops around that has many hawker stall inside that will spoil you with choices. We can go Chinese food such as toast bread with egg, char kuey teow (Malaysian stir fried flat rice noodles with prawns and cockles), wan tan mee (dry sauce noodle with wanton and BBQ pork), bak kut teh (pork in herb soup), dim sum, while we can also go for Malay food such as nasi lemak (coconut rice with anchovies sambal and egg), nasi goreng (fried rice), nasi dagang (glutinous rice in coconut milk with fish curry, cucumber pickles and sambal) or we can go for Mamak (Indian Muslim)/Indian food such as roti canai (flatbread), tosai (rice flour bread), Maggie mee goring (fried instant noodles, yes straight from the packet and fried with whatever is available at hand from cabbage to taufu to sliced chicken to green vegetables shredded). Having mentioned all that, I have actually just scratch the surface of what Malaysia has to offer locally for a lazy brunch, nearly everything save from full fledge meal are suitable.

For those who want to splurge a little and have decadent and indulging breakfast both on stomach and the wallet, Malaysia boasts a whole lot of choices as well. From the lower end of posh cafes, one can get the typical American breakfast (as interpreted by most Malaysians) which is toasts, ham, eggs, beans and sausages, or you can get indulging sandwiches that has thick freshly baked breads sandwiching mountains of fillings in between, or the kopitiam style of toasts and half boiled eggs with good cup of coffee. Even recently the pancakes fever had invaded Malaysia, and it is no longer something ‘easy’ that people does at home for breakfast, one now can go out to a restaurant and enjoy them in various forms, from thin crepe-like to thick puff-like, with various accompaniments, from savoury to sweet. Also one can then move further up the chain and go to posh dining for various brunch choices, where in Malaysia it is extremely popular to have brunch buffets especially in hotels. We are lots that love to get the best value out of our money not to mention the time so we shall feast like there is no tomorrow to not only cover the two meals that we are supposedly having, we may also fill up for the night as well. There are also of course many fine ala-carte choices in these posh establishments that well cater for the brunch crowd, yes the idea is so powerful restaurants are creating and planning their menu around it.

American Breakfast
Photo by Judhi

Anyhow, the idea of brunch naturally occurs to us Malaysian, especially those in the rat race that appreciates their weekends very dearly, nearly as if its sacred, therefore there are bounds to be sleep in or things to do in morning, chores to finish before the day starts, and so by the time that people got out to find something to fill their grumbling tummy from the long fast, it is always almost lunch time but not quite yet and with absence of breakfast, it is then the perfect time for brunch!

Rokh is a food columnist on Malaysia Travel Guide, she’s an epicurean and a cook who loves to eat, also writes in her own food blog – Tham Jiak. In this column, she will bring you along while she explore various Malaysia foods, like what is good, what makes them so special and how or where to best well enjoy them. More [+]

Photo by ROKH

When I was young, these breakfasts have already been a ‘thing of the past’. We were bombarded by the media for new ways of doing things. At one point, my mum got the idea of us having milk and cereals for breakfast, not something my grandparents would have imagine having for breakfast, but something I am so familiar with. After a while the idea got boring and I was back to milk and bread or eggs and everything else. I also did not have the luxury of where I hear children going to kopitiam with their grandparents or parents for breakfasts, it was probably because my family and my grandmother (who stays next door) stays too far away from town, and by too far I meant in Taiping context which is a drive of 10 minutes away. Even up till my university times, when I am out on my own I have yet to embrace this Malaysian kopi culture, until of course when I finally went out to work. That was when it got me, and since then I always crave for a good old simple breakfast ala Malaysian with the good old Malaysian kopi.

At one point though, the coffee giants from afar hit our shores and it shocked the generations before me. I hear so many comments like “who would pay RM10 for a cup of coffee when I can get one with RM1 from the local kopitiam?” or “have you heard of the extremely expensive coffee?” or “I couldn’t understand young kids who pay so much nowadays just for a cup of stylo coffee, do you know I use to drink coffee from its saucer which is spills from my grandfather’s coffee?”, and so the nagging goes on, and I for one just nods as at that time, thankfully those coffee giants have yet to invade my hometown, and I can proudly make a stand that I do not support them, but who would have known, few years down the road I did spend that much money on the cup of coffee in the city where I can get it and yes I do enjoy it, but it is an occasional treat for me at least. But who could have resist the posh setting, the comfortable sofa, the cozy lightings and the varieties of coffees to choose from and to top it off, free wireless access, those were also precious back then when broadband was not a common thing for every household yet.

Photo by su-lin

Later on, the ingenious Malaysians came up with a cross in between our local kopitiam with all its nostalgia and worthiness and the coffee giants with all its posh environment and facilities, out came our very own new age kopitiam. “New age kopitiam?” you asked, oh yes, that is the name I came up with for the new style kopitiam that has been mushrooming around Malaysia. The new age kopitiam is a place where they serves the nostalgic food and drinks that we all still so fond of in a place that exudes the theme of the old-styled coffee shops while adding some new twists of some comfortable sofas and air conditioned area and still manage to keep the price right in between the local kopitiam and the coffee giants. The idea hit it off immediately and now you can see these new age kopitiam spreading like wild fire through the power of franchising. Though I must admit that the food is never as good as you can find in local kopitiam, or even the kopi may not necessarily be the same as the nostalgic kopi or the kaya any better than the tried and true generations of kaya making kopitiam out there, I couldn’t resist going to the new age kopitiam, probably for its convenience (it is seriously at every nook and corner of the Klang Valley now, even at the outskirts area) and for knowing what you are going to get roughly – toast bread with butter and kaya, half boiled eggs, kopi and some other local dishes to choose from and besides that without spending a bomb.

This is how the evolution of the kopi culture in Malaysia is, from the long standing yesteryears of kopitiam that our grandparents and their parents used to enjoy, though now dwindling down from its previous glories, to the coffee giants invasion to Malaysia where loads of youth couldn’t resist, and now to the new age kopitiam that is truly Malaysian. I for one enjoy all three generations of kopi culture in Malaysia, embracing the diversity, revelling in the nostalgias, indulging in the posh coffees while also enjoying the in between. Do try at least both of the truly Malaysian kopi culture when you are here, sipping the local brewed kopi at the old kopitiam with the regular locals during breakfast and also catching a cup of kopi at the new age kopitiam with the diverse crowds at every other times.

Rokh is a food columnist on Malaysia Travel Guide, she’s an epicurean and a cook who loves to eat, also writes in her own food blog – Tham Jiak. In this column, she will bring you along while she explore various Malaysia foods, like what is good, what makes them so special and how or where to best well enjoy them. More [+]

Photo from ZeroNuker

Back when in the Taiping, my dearest hometown, I remember that there used to THE famous place to get your satay, and it is a makeshift barbecue pit outside a restaurant with an Indian man beating his worn rattan fan profusely at his rows of delicious satay while rows of customers stare and wait. It was seriously that good. I vividly remembered the time when my dad swing by the place, parked nearby the stall, ask all of us to wait in the car, that’s mum, sis and me, and then went out with a huff like he is on an important mission. I would then stare out the car window longingly towards the thick cloud of gray smoke billowing from the stall, as I know that soon back home I will be able to tuck in to stick after stick after stick of juicy meat with bits of burnt crunches slathered liberally with sweet peanuty satay sauce. Ah, my dad indeed went on an important mission, a mission to fill his family with an amazing fare. By the time we got home we would all eagerly wait for my mum to unwrap the satays on the plate and the sauces into a bowl plus everything else and tuck in! I believe this is one of the best communing food you can find, everyone taking a stick and dipping into the same sauce again and again to scoop everything up; I believe we can truly only share with closed ones. Those were the days I remembered us sharing food together, me stacking a pile of sticks beside my plate and secretly proud of my achievements in quantity!

In Malaysia, the Satay is like our ultimate meat on stick, inner juicy spiced meat with charred outside that are crunchy with smoky flavour that is oh so addictive. The best Satay is with the right combination of charred skin and juicy meat that are lean with a little bit of fat hidden here and there. Although for me secretly I would be removing the fats out, yes I know blasphemous for serious epicureans but bear with me as I have never really learn to appreciate squishy soft white ‘jelly’, but as I know from various epicureans, the fats are the binder of the meat and it is a must, so therefore I advocate it as such. Though mostly, mediocre satay may lean more towards the hard type due to lack of meat or over barbecuing, therefore do look out for good ones to truly appreciate Malaysian satay! In comparison to the satay I tried in Thailand, I found that our Malaysian satay had more charred outer layer and drier while the Thailand satay is actually more to lightly cooked meat on the barbecue pit, though lacking the important charred crunchy skin for me, I do enjoy it in some ways, but personally I like the Malaysian ones better!

Photo from T|ng~

The next thing that will make or break a satay is definitely its peanut sauce! As mentioned before, satay is just not complete without its soul mate the peanut sauce. The sauce is made of chopped roasted peanuts in spicy concoction of chilli, loads of spices, soy sauce and tamarind; it is the perfect pair to our said satay. Coat the satay with the sauce and then chuck it into the mouth where you would be hit with spicy peanut sauce and then bite into the smoky charred skin which then would be greeted by juicy meat. Ah, bliss! Besides that, Malaysian satay would be served with several other optional assortments like sliced cucumbers, normally in triangle shape and slightly thick, onions also sliced thinly in bite sized, and sometimes even cubed ketupat rice. If you notice, all of these accompaniments are cut to just the right bite sized for us to use the remaining satay stick to poke into these lovely morsels to further wipe clean the satay sauce. Besides the satay, these are like the second best mate to the peanut sauce.

Many Malaysians, especially the Klang Valley residences, vouch that Kajang satay is the best satay around. This unassuming small town that is just a few stones’ throw from the KL city is the humble originator of the biggest, juiciest yet still charred enoght satay! Besides, it is also notoriously famous for having many, many types of meat, ranging from the usual chicken and beef to rabbit and deer meat, one would start to see the possibilities of meat on stick! Of course the sauce has to be good enough to accompany all these simple and exotic meats. Though long time ago, I ate these indulging satay once right in Kajang itself and thoroughly enjoyed it, thereafter I no longer have to travel all the way to have it as the satay itself has expanded out to various major locations in Klang Valley! Yes, lucky us now, these restaurant totting names like “Kajang Satay” has sprouted around at various hotspots like mushrooms after the rain, so do look out for it and tuck into the array of satay when you chance upon it.

Photo from ccdoh1

There you have it, our Malaysian version of meat on stick, which I assure you, if not the best, it is definitely one of the best and definitely not to be missed if you come for a visit. After all, judging from my experience with Thai satay, I believe that our satay is unique on its own, and not to forget its unique soul mate the peanut sauce too. it just feel so right to indulge into stick after stick after stick of the delicious satay as it is healthy, tasty yet light on the wallet!

Rokh is a food columnist on Malaysia Travel Guide, she’s an epicurean and a cook who loves to eat, also writes in her own food blog – Tham Jiak. In this column, she will bring you along while she explore various Malaysia foods, like what is good, what makes them so special and how or where to best well enjoy them. More [+]

Assorted Mooncakes
Photo from Ulterior Epicure

There was no real account on when Mooncake was started to be consumed during the mid-autumn festival, but there was a trace back to 14th century that might contribute to its origin. It was during the time when China was against the Mongol, a general had disguised himself as a Taoist priest to penetrate the besieged city and distributed moon cakes around which holds hidden message to organised with the troops outside the city, where in the end aid in its victory. But of course there is also another legend, Chinese people love their folklores, where it is about a lady on the moon, yes you heard me right, and she is an immortal goddess by the name of Chang E, who as legend foretold is the wife of the best archer in the land – Hou Yi. Hou Yi had been asked by the emperor to shoot down the 9 of the 10 suns that plagued the earth at that time, and after that was awarded with an immortality pill, which Chang E had took from him and fled to the moon where she lives until today. The people on earth will offer mooncakes to her during the Mid-autumn festival, reason to why we offer the lady of the moon was not really explained.

Chinese Lantern
Photo from Synchroni

When I was young, mooncake to me was always a treat that I look forward to, being unable yet to go out and buy myself, I always delight in the sight of t when my dad lugs it back. He used to get a lot of mooncakes from various friends and clients, as it is in the spirit of giving and sharing that makes mooncake eating so exciting. I am not one of a big fan of the yolk that are in some of the variations of the mooncake, I always seek out the plain ol’ ones of smooth, silky, and slightly sweet lotus seed mooncake, the most common Cantonese type of mooncake at that time. My sister on the other hand, loves the yolks to bits and so we form the best pair to indulge in all the mooncakes at home. At times when I do not have a choice of plain ones, I would even naughtily take a mooncake, remove the yolk and enjoy the lotus seeds filling. Miraculously, the yolks that I left inside the box would disappear after that – point in case we all know who the most likely suspect is! Later on when I was older and had the chance to try out more varieties, I found a liking to the five kernel mooncake consisting of various nuts and seeds and sometimes candied winter melon and Chinese dried ham, so you can imagine the myriads of flavours meld together to form a unique taste that is certainly only acquired by quite a selected few. A colleague of mine just commented to me today that “isn’t that type of mooncake is only eaten by old people?” Not to judge, but I for one have yet to met one from my generation who likes this type.

Mooncakes!
Photo from Just for fun

In Malaysia right now, the mooncake scene has grown tremendously, from the yesteryears of giving each other traditional Cantonese style mooncakes, we have now come forth with many other region’s traditional mooncakes and not to forget coming up with many new contemporary varieties. Cantonese style mooncakes are made of thin biscuit-like dough that are baked to dark brown covering various paste like lotus seed, red bean, white sesame and Chinese red date. Then quite traditional was also the ping pei mooncake (commercially known as snow skin), whereby the skin is made of glutinous rice flour and then chilled in oppose to baked while the fillings are quite similar to its baked sister’s. The new contemporary mooncakes had pop up like mushrooms after the rain, it became really hard to keep track of, especially some debuts only in a year and disappear the next base on its popularity. It ranges with traditional skin but new assorted pastes, naming a few are green tea (quite a strong favourite that has been appearing year after year), honeydew, strawberry, chocolate, cheese and there are even luxurious ones like bird nests. The latest, latest craze was apparently hyping on the get-healthy bandwagon, which is actually jellies shaped and mould into shapes of mooncake. I personally enjoy these versions too for its creative fillings, favourite was durian paste with light jelly skins.

Snowskin Mooncake
Photo from Lovebuzz

In the end though, regardless what type of mooncake one is consuming, be it traditional, ping pei, contemporary or even the jelly versions, and also regardless whether it is for sake of pop culture or truly to observe the tradition, it is the act of sharing mooncakes collectively that is really the fun part. It is the spirit of sharing the mooncake that gives the significance to it, exuding spirits of reunion while strengthening the ties. I have many fond memories of sharing a small pieces of mooncakes, which was usually cut into 8 slices for its famous Chinese auspicious numbers that signifies fortune, with family, friends and recently even colleagues, where normally the eating of the mooncake will be followed with loads of laughter and sharing of comments on which mooncake taste the best this time around. Also not to forget is the act of giving mooncakes to each other, so head on out now when there is still time to buy a box to share with the people that you care about and also to give to them so that they can also spread the joy of sharing around!

Special packaging!
Photo from Christabelle

Rokh is a food columnist on Malaysia Travel Guide, she’s an epicurean and a cook who loves to eat, also writes in her own food blog – Tham Jiak. In this column, she will bring you along while she explore various Malaysia foods, like what is good, what makes them so special and how or where to best well enjoy them. More [+]

Seremban Siew Paos
Photo from chowtimes

Siew Pao is actually Char Siew (bbq pork that I loved so much) that are wrapped in a crispy and flaky dough, which is then baked till golden brown. Though without much fact backing, I do believe that Siew Pao in general could have been originated from the Chinese Dim Sum, our famous Chinese version of It has nearly the same filling as its sister Char Siew Pao, but I feel that Seremban Siew Pao’s filling in general are more sweet and flavourful, in order to be able to also shine through its thick and hard dough. The dough is made with combination of oil dough and water dough, skilfully rolled together and then wrapped pleated around the fillings. As important the Char Siew filling is, the Siew Pao dough is equally as important to make or break a good and tasty Siew Pao. Some of the Siew Paos will have just plain Char Siew strips in the fillings while some have additional of green peas mixed in as well which will give an extra texture of soft powdery green peas and some green taste. Which fillings are more authentic I am not sure but both have its own uniqueness in taste that is worth the try.

I still remember the first time I get to taste these precious pastries. I was just a young kid then, possibly around 10 years old, the unassuming Seremban Siew Pao was set up as a franchise at Restaurant Soya (the restaurant that used to have the best popiah which I mentioned before). I remembered standing there in awe beside my mother, staring at the huge (although only one) metallic industrial oven that are exuding an addictively delicious aroma of pastries and sweet meats baking. Then I would see, with my big rounded unblinking staring eyes, rows and rows of these rounded dark brown pastries line up in trays ready to be sold. I remembered the first taste when I bit into it, I was sold – the sweet Char Siew meat in thin and short slices cooked in dark soy sauce and sugar, was a perfect match for the thick yet crunchy on the outer and flaky on the inner crust. Ah, I would say it was love at first bite. At that growing age, I can easily down a few pieces at one go, and mind you, at those times, these Siew Paos are really huge in size. After that, I am always excited when my mother mentioned to buy some Siew Paos, I would eagerly offer to help out, that is with her stopping by the roadside while I run down to the shop to pack a bunch of it, while enjoying the freshly baked smell at the stall, which then will linger in the car, in the house and on your fingers long after you have finished devouring them.

Tasty!
Photo from chowtimes

Over the years the Siew Pao has grown smaller in size gradually, possibly due to economic reasons. Most proprietors of Seremban Siew Paos had chosen to reduce the size but remain the price of around RM1. There were just a slight increase in the price since the days long gone, but the size had been tremendously reduced. Nevertheless, the quality and taste had remained so it is still worth all the indulgence, in fact now you can eat more pieces with less feeling of guilt, then again you might need more pieces to feel satiated, be forewarn as it is hard even after many pieces and nearly impossible to stop at one! There are various brands around as well but fret not that most of them, when touted from Seremban, are mostly scrumptiously good. If still unsure whether it is the right one, just look out (or rather smell out) for the discerning baking smell that will surely invoke one’s appetite.

If you are ever in Malaysia and ever stop by the quaint little town called Seremban, mind the traffic and heat though, do look out for Seremban Siew Paos at restaurants or even independent shops, there should be many obvious shops around town touting to sell this infamous Pao. While you are there, you can stop by to enjoy the really delicious Chicken Rice Balls, though this dish is more famous in Malacca, rest assured the one here is just as good if not better. But if you did not get to venture to Seremban do not worry, as I had said that these Paos had actually been setup all over Malaysia, so just look out for them at various Chinese eateries, clues are such as huge metallic industrial ovens and wafts of freshly baked sweet meats pastries, you cannot miss them!

Rokh is a food columnist on Malaysia Travel Guide, she’s an epicurean and a cook who loves to eat, also writes in her own food blog – Tham Jiak. In this column, she will bring you along while she explore various Malaysia foods, like what is good, what makes them so special and how or where to best well enjoy them. More [+]

Ice Ice Baby
Photo by qwazymonkey

When I was just a little kid in primary school, we have always loved the ‘ais krim potong’, translated loosely as ‘cut ice cream’, it is literary flavoured ice cut into thin long blocks each, each with a stick frozen inside of it. So you can imagine us, being good little kids that ate up our meal first, and then run to the ice cream man, who would always ever so diligently be standing there, manning his metal box of treasures. We would be standing there eagerly peeping over when he opens his metal treasure box, and we would gingerly and shyly pick a stick for ourselves. You can have from orange to lime to Ribena to laici to adzuki beans and many more flavours, your pick! The funny thing is whenever we have those coloured flavour ones, we always end up with our tongue tinge with that colour, and purple is always my favourite look! Nowadays, we seldom get to find these ‘home made’ versions of ais krim potong anymore. Now, one can get those pre-packaged versions at most supermarkets and groceries shops, though not as good novelty wise, the taste is still pretty much there.

As I grew older, I have slowly moved on from ‘ais krim potong’, and soon found solace in ais kacang (literary translated to peanut ice) which is also known as ABC here in Malaysia, short for ‘ais batu campur’ (better translation in English of mixed ice)! This icy treat is made from shaved ice, doused liberally with sweet flavoured syrup of various colours to brighten the dish along with a huge splash of evaporated milk. Some places even have them doused with the Malaysian’s infamous gula Melaka (palm sugar).Then with this sweeten and coloured ice, depending on where you are having this ais kacang, you would get various mix-ins such as red beans, sweetcorn, grass jelly, cubed agar-agar (jellies) and even cendol. This dish had always been a favourite of mine to cool down while I enjoy the various bites of different textures and flavours of the mixture. No ais kacang of different stalls has ever taste the same as it is universally adaptable. Though I have yet to find the best of the best ais kacangs, I am still enjoying and exploring those I can get my tongue on while I continue to search for the ultimate ais kacang that will have me go back again and again!

Ais (Ice) Kacang
Photo by cincerosonrisa

Then not to forget is our Malaysian very own favourite van-style stall of cendol and pasembor/rojak. I simply love this really simple treat, shaved ice, pour in with the all-time favourite combination of gula Melaka and coconut milk, then top off with cendol , a specially made green worm-like dough (cooked dough of green pea flour and juice from pandan leaves). Optionally there will either be mix-in of kacang (peanut) and red beans. I love to have kacang for the extra bite, while for red beans, I love the type which is adzuki beans and not the kidney beans, and yes these two often are served with cendol, so you need to know where to get yours for your preferred type, else just go plain, it is still as good! In my opinion, the real deal that makes or breaks a cendol is the quality of the gula Melaka, freshness of the coconut milk and finally the springiness of the cendol. The best simple, meaning just plain ol’ basic combinations in small silver bowls are found at road side van stalls. But if you want to go for a huge and extravagant cendol in big bowls (normally even with a mini stand), it is best found in upmarket restaurants, preferably serving nyonya food, these are good and indulgent in its own rights.

Cendol
Photo by heather

Finally the latest, when I say latest it does not mean recently but just that it has been discovered much later than the icy treats above, is the ‘sai mai lou’, which is also shaved ice, but this time topped with fruits juices and evaporated milk and then mixed in with cubed fruits of the like and sago pearls. This, if I am not mistaken, is an adaptation from the famous Hong Kong dessert, which is now available in more and more Chinese dessert cafes around Malaysia. Though I must say, my first love for this delicious dish is at a roadside stall at Petaling Street (Malaysia’s version of China Town), where the best Mango ‘sai mai lou’ is served. I observed that the lady who mans the stall would pour in some secret fresh evaporated milk onto freshly shaved ice and then puree fresh mangoes for the ‘sauce’ which then is doused liberally onto the mixture along with sago pearls. It is a simple yet totally addictive refreshing treat. Now, as I do not get to go there often, I would have to satisfy my cravings at various desserts cafes, which is not too shabby, though unbeatable to the former, yet still able to quench my thirst while I enjoy something sweet.

Sai Mai Lou
Photo by alisoniii

So if you are ever in Malaysia, and cursing or basking in the ever shining sun that we have all year round, grab our unique ais krim potong at the supermarkets, or head on to the nearest road side stall for a quick and cheap yet satisfying shaved ice treats of campur-campur (mixtures) which is the ABC or the special green worm-like cendol, or if you are keen enough (or convinced by me), head on to Petaling Street in search of my ultimate sai mai lou. If all these do not rock your boat, rest assured you can look out for these treats at various cafes, restaurants and even at up-scale dining, you would be cool down for sure!

Rokh is a food columnist on Malaysia Travel Guide, she’s an epicurean and a cook who loves to eat, also writes in her own food blog – Tham Jiak. In this column, she will bring you along while she explore various Malaysia foods, like what is good, what makes them so special and how or where to best well enjoy them. More [+]

Shop! Shop! Shop!

While most locals would tell you to head out to Centre Point (Lebuh Raya Pantai Baru corner Jl. Duapuluh) to get your fill of great bargains for souvenirs, do not go there – you’d be lucky if you can actually see an actual store selling souvenirs at Centre Point otherwise this huge building, with a pretty messed up, complicated layout houses pretty much cheap (and of doubtful quality) knock-offs of every kind. We had no choice but get our luggage at the Centre Point, after our old luggage, a veteran of many international travels, just broke apart the moment we arrived at our hotel. The luggage is about RM 160 – pretty cheap for one big suitcase and an extra medium-sized suitcase (we will see how it is going to measure up on my future international travels).

Whilst in Centre Point, beware of scam artists operating in the area- I had the misfortune of being accosted by two men (not in uniform) flashing two little cards, just moments after I stepped out of a money changer and demanding that (in broken English) I needed to come with them (to where, I do not know so I resisted)- it was about 9:45AM on a street just outside Centre Point (on the Wisma Square side). One of the guys told me that I littered, but the funny part was there was litter all around the area and I asked for a sign that says No Littering and they both pointed on a badly tattered old sign in Bahasa and then afterwards asked me for RM 20. I told them, I needed Ringgits so I needed to go back in the building and buy more Ringgits. This time the messed up layout of Centre Point worked to my advantage and I deliberately lost them and went straight to the Sabah Tourism Board to file a complaint. Apparently, I learned later on that these scam artists prey on unsuspecting tourists and basically extort or mug them outright even in broad daylight. Thank heavens that I was also not traveling alone, as I was with another travel writer from the Tourism Paradise Philippine site that time but that shook me a fair bit.

So where to buy? The answer is actually not too far away from Centre Point. For best value shopping, nothing beats the souvenir stalls at Asia City, a mall just across Centre Point. We got great discounts from the traditional Sabah weaving, a Murut tribe mask, fridge magnets and even a copy of the Holy Quran. We basically did our entire souvenir shopping at Asia City and were quite happy with the heaps of discounts that we got compared to getting it from any other place. Haggling is expected here (the Filipinos who man the stores there gave me tons of discounts which I don’t think would be given to other people), and as common sense dictates – start very low and work your way to a compromise. The stuff at Asia City is even generally cheaper than those that you could find at the Handicraft Market (Jl. Tun Fuad Stephens) although the Handicraft Market does have a lot of choice- the prices here are pretty much touristy- therefore, way more expensive..

There are little stores that dot all over the Kota Kinabalu city that also have quite good selection of yards and yards and yards of great quality sarongs, malongs and sampings (the traditional Malay men wrap-around skirt).

Also do not forget to check the Sunday Market at Jl. Gaya for more souvenirs and handicrafts, however, get there in the morning- as the place folds up early.

Average time spent- 3 hours.

A Taste of Sabah

Whenever I travel, I also make it a point to try the local fare, and being a fan of Malay food; I was curious how different Kota Kinabalu was from the rest of the more popular Penang flavors. The more expensive Evening Food Stall at Sedco Square (Jl. Sapuluh) is a small square with seafood restaurants with big aquariums lining its sides. The Old Village Seafood Restaurant is one of the cheapest around – and the soft-shell crab cooked any way you liked it is just wonderful – the shell was so soft that you can actually eat it as well. I had mine cooked chilli crab style, it wasn’t too bad at all since I had to pay about $100 SGD for a plate of black pepper crab in Singapore’s Chinatown plus we got a heap of discounts plus a free fruit platter for dessert from our waiter (who was also Filipino). The Evening Food Stall has a Fried Ice Cream stall, the batter was very underwhelming but the luscious Durian Ice Cream inside it saved the day.

In my opinion, the best place to eat is by the Filipino Market – food stalls that resemble a complicated mini-tent city right next to the Handicraft Market by the Waterfront. Food is pretty inexpensive here but very savory. Check out the Martabak (RM 1.50); Pisang Goreng (RM 1.00); Ubi Manis (RM 1.00) but our most favorite is a steamy bowl of Soto Ayam for a mere RM 3.00 and delicious Cendol (similar to Filipino’s Coconut-Pandan on Milk and Shaved Ice) for RM 2.Extremely yummy and the best meal we ever had in Kota Kinabalu, hands down.

Before leaving Kota Kinabalu, I had some Kwey Tyao at Sri Melaka Restaurant. It was not quite as good as the Kwey Tyao I had in other countries before though. One thing of note if you are dining in Kota Kinabalu, make sure that you do not touch the peanuts served nor the table napkin – you will be charged extra for it. Those peanuts are not for free. Knowing this, as I had the same experience in Singapore, I skipped the peanuts and using the table napkins. I checked our receipt and we got overcharged several times- it took the waiter three times to finally give me the correct bill.

Average time spent – 3 hours.

Walkabout KK

Kota Kinabalu has some interesting sights that one can check out by just walking around the city center. The city’s most famous landmark would be of course the Atkinson Clock Tower by Bandaran Berjaya (a very short walk from the city centre) was built in 1905 and used to be the navigational aid but is now dwarfed by the taller buildings in the area. One can also trek up the Signal Hill (which can use a little bit of cleaning as well – we spied a big pile of trash going up near the Merdeka Field) to view the other side of the hills and do a little trek to get a taste of the Bornean jungles (especially near the Istana can be quite lush and green and a refreshing respite away from the dusty city centre). On a clear day, one can see as far as the peak of Malaysia’s most famous mountain – Mt. Kinabalu.

Other great places to check out would be the State Museum, Sabah Art Gallery and the Heritage Village – however opening times are sketchy and going there is a bit of a stretch – one needs to get a cab at a taxi queue at Centre Point – one way is about RM 10. The cabbies in Kota Kinabalu does not use any meter or at least not in any of the cabs that we took while we were there. If you are heading away from the city centre, one should know that it is very hard to get around Kota Kinabalu if you do not have your own transport – taxis are hard to come by anywhere – be prepared to walk a long bit to get one like we did when we went by the State Mosque at Sembulan).

Average time spent – 3 Hours.

Relax and play

Whilst not exactly a stunning beach, Tanjung Aru Beach was a passable and a good short escape from the city centre with al-fresco dining that lines parts of beach. If one cannot hop on to the several islands off Kota Kinabalu like the islands of Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park nor Pulau Tiga, Tanjung Aru Beach is the cheap and the most accessible option to hang around by the beach. Be careful, however, of the rip tides that are common all throughout this area. We did not see any lifeguards on patrol, so you swim at your own risk.

Tanjung Aru Beach is about 15 minute walk from the Kota Kinabalu International Airport so if you want to drop by just before your flight out, you may do so and grab a few drinks and catch some sea-wind and sun before leaving Borneo.

Tanjung Aru Beach is also close to the Kinabalu Golf Club and the local Race Course and the Sutera Harbour Golf and Country Club.

Average time spent – 2-3 hours.

Kota Kinabalu has different characters thrown in together, mainly because of its very multicultural nature. Kota Kinabalu and Sabah in general is home to the many indigenous peoples as well as the Malays, Indians, Chinese and Filipinos which makes this tiny city a curious, interesting and at the same time complicated melting pot of cultures. A step into the real Kota Kinabalu is a step into the region’s underbelly- so go on, walk and see the real Kota Kinabalu and experience Malaysia like nothing that is on any hyped guidebooks.

Dave Ryan A. Buaron is a travel writer on Tourism Philippines. For him, travelling is just not about getting drunk every night during a trip but actually soaking up the local culture, appreciating the beautiful sceneries and doing something new each day. More [+]