Have taste will travel |
Travelling has its pluses and zeros. I know, I jet around quite a bit of late (and it’s not funny reading about the Air France flight that mysteriously “disappeared” over the Atlantic while in a plane to Manila) and the lethargy of flight down time gets you. Someone one and a half metres from you goes cough-cough, sniff-sniff and you selflessly pray for him, glancing upwards murmuring, “ if you love me, please…no H1N1 for him, he’s a good person”. Otherwise it a quarantine party for all in that 1.5m radius zone, says regulation. Then, there’s that slim chance your four wheeled spinner luggage spun its way to another airport and left you shirtless and staring at the last bag on the conveyor (not yours). And at the immigration counter, you remembered proof of your return ticket was in that bag - lost in airspace. And the taxi cabbie, he goes “ya, ya, ok ok” to whatever destination you utter, and mid-way through the ride, he turns around and ask in fractured English, “where go, sir?” And when you finally reach your hotel via a scenic route, guess which bag your pre-paid hotel e-confirmation voucher was in. But, the heavens are fair. They won’t put you through all these man made modern inconveniences in a strange land without compensating you with what that faraway landscape and foreign culture can offer. Like having sotong, prawns and fish grilled in fragrant kicap manis and sambal at Jimbaran beach in Bali - where the sea laps the shore just 3 meters from your toes, as a wish-seller offers you a box kite, where you light and candle inside, chant a wish and send it floating heavenwards - illuminating the sunset sky in its wake (even if it was cloudy and moody, the makan won’t let you down). So, if the need for great feed is something fun to unravel in your travel, and you have this penchant to taste the multi sensual pleasures of makan, then I share some of my makan notes in my recent traverses.
1. Kafe Cangkir
It’s relatively inexpensive and the star dish here, if you are fan of mutton, is the goat satay (equally pungent). They use chunky cuts of good grade goat meat and grill it to perfection, and simply serve it with soy sauce and pickled vegetables or/and peanut sauce. If you like sup tulang, then go also for their curry bone marrow with stir fried goat chunks seasoned with shallot, fresh tomato, pepper, sweet soy with goat curry. They also have a traditional Sundanese chow of tahu telor – fried egg with tofu with kicap manis, peanuts and bean sprouts. 2. Soto Ceker Jangkung They have been at it for over 20 years and it clearly shows just how masterful these folks are in the art of chicken feet soup and noodles- possibly the best in all Jakarta. Their broth is intensely flavourful and they also serve it up with chicken skin crackers (sinfully beautiful) and innards satay. 3. Warung Nasi Campur Ibu Weti It just a little Balinese style chap chye png (mixed dishes rice meal) street side stall frequented by locals and informed travelers – hordes of them. The quiet and petit boss Ibu Weti, just hovers over about 8 pots of some of the most flavourful simple ingredients ever assembled. Shredded chicken with greens tossed in chilli oils, sambal hard boiled eggs, grilled pork in spices, string beans and a stunning sambal, to mention a few. Best part, cheap and its just 50 metres from the beach with deck chairs and iced tea beckoning. Malaysia 1. Assam Laksa Balik Pulau Bowls and bowls of rice noodles (udon like) garnished with finely-sliced pineapple, onions, mint and bunga kantan (ginger flower) is stacked on top each other. You wonder if it’ll ever topple. But the hungry and discerning packs throng the place and clear it fast. They say they close at 5pm but by 3pm on mist days, they are already scrapping the pot. The broth is sour, fragrant and thick with minced fish and that dollop of hae ko (rojak prawn paste) is an odd but perfect boost to this strangely sour and wonderful Nonya noodle dish. Easy to locate – go to the market and the stall is right out front. 2. Restoran Woh Fung (Cze Cha restaurant)
A local family eatery, serves up one of the freshest steamed pating fish around. Its home made tofu dish with minced meat and shaves of chye po (pickled radish) is comfort food at its best and it all goes well with its Seremban-style four-vegetable sambal dish (sey tai teen wong). They have a big menu board of many “ala minute” dishes which the boss will serve up in around 10minutes each. But they taste nothing like fast food, only in the hands of an expert wok handler, can these be made that fast. Relatively inexpensive and it’s a family meal hangout. |
