The Adventures of Bruce and Ian

After a quick morning cab ride to the airport, we boarded a flight to cross the South China Sea and arrive in Kota Kinabalu. Life in Eastern Malaysia moves in a different fashion at a different pace than life on the mainland. While it does feature active urban centers like KK, the sense of natural mystery and wonder that is endemic to the island of Borneo permeates every aspect of Eastern Malaysia.

…Also, it was way more humid.

Our initial plan to drive from Kota Kinabalu, up the west coast of Borneo to the tip of the northern state of Sabah. But after experiencing the lane-swerving madness of KL, and seeing the looks on locals’ faces when we told them about our plans for Sabah, we began to have second thoughts. Heck, we were still freaked out by the whole “driving on the left side” deal.

Thankfully, our stunning, intrepid and fearless friend Sarah came to our rescue, and agreed to meet us in KK to once again act as our guide (and chauffeur), this time in the exotic climes of Borneo. Sarah had never ventured over to the other side of Malaysia, so the trip promised to be as exciting for her as it was for us…with some unexpected results.

We rented a car and loaded up on road snacks. Ian and I had by now developed tastes for a couple of local chip brands, and were happy to find plenty of Krating Daeng, the original Thai inspiration for Red Bull. Guided by Sarah’s GPS, we headed north…

At mid-afternoon we arrived at our destination: the Rungus Longhouse. To back up a bit, for months we’d been planning on visiting the longhouse, one of the many traditional homes still maintained by indigenous Malays in Borneo.

Ian in particular had become attached to the idea of visiting the longhouse. Whenever the subject came up (or even when it didn’t), Ian took great delight in saying the name of the place. And it never was just “the longhouse”, it was always “the RUNGUS Longhouse”, with plenty of rolled R’s and extravagant pronunciation. By the time we arrived in Kota Kinabalu, I’d lost count of how many time Ian had asked taxi drivers, hotel concierges, waiters, and just about anyone else whose ear he could bend about the Rungus Longhouse. Like I said, I think he just enjoyed saying “Rungus”.

Set at the end of a winding country road amidst picturesque jungle, the longhouse was a…well, it was a long house set on stilts. We met up with Maranjak, the head (or “Rungus”) of the family who built the longhouse. He gave us a tour of his home, and graciously agreed to sit down to answer some questions about it and the traditions behind it.

Our video of our visit to the Rungus Longhouse.

The Asam Laksa is known throughout South East Asia as one of the best noodle soup dishes ever. Penang apparently is THE place to get the real deal.

Now, I had read stories online about Penang Asam Laksa and all its majesty. I desperately tried to find it back home, but the best I could come up with was coconut laksa – and I wasn’t too impressed with it either.

Before I continue, it should be said that I have a high bar set for noodle soups. As I’ve noted before, I myself am Vietnamese – with that I have known the world champion of noodle soups – Pho. I also know the light and middleweight champions: Bun Rue and Bun Bo Hue.

So when I heard that the Asam Laksa is perhaps a worthy challenger, I owed it to myself to see it it was true. In Penang, I finally had a chance to try their acclaimed noodle soup.

It definitely is a very tasty soup dish. Its stock is complex in flavour, not bland by any means, and the combination of ingredients makes for a hearty dish.

The tamarind based broth has a nice tart kick and the whole dish is steeped in a seafood aroma.

The broth isn’t a runny soup, but a slightly thicker sauce.

Thick and chewy rice noodles gave it a nice texture, and toppings of meats, fish, and vegetables provided a nice variety.

Topped off with basil and mint leaves, (as well as a pungent, horrid smelling shrimp paste..ugh…)the Penang Asam Laksa sure earned its title as Penang’s signature dish.

Chowing down on Penang Asam Laksa.

BUT…

It isn’t better than Pho. It’s a bit unfair comparing the two, since they both have very different base stocks, however if we’re talking about pure tastiness it loses out.

I found it actually very similar to Bun Rue, a tomato-based crab noodle soup dish from Vietnam. Both are seafood based and have a tart broth, and so this is probably a better comparison. I still like Bun Rue better =P

Some say I have to eat Penang Asam Laksa from Stall No.11 on Gurney Drive – maybe that’ll turn the tide for me!

And again we find ourselves ready to eat…you guys must think I’m a glutton of sorts.

Anywhoozits, we visited a delightful under-a-canopy food area a little walks away from the night markets at Batu Ferringhi. Hunger was setting in and I was ready for another round of Malaysian food delights – Penang stylez.

The place we ate at was called Cafe Long Beach – imagine a Kopi Tiam, but ALOT bigger… and outside…and under a tent.

So let’s get on with the foodage – appetizers first!

Spring Roll

Nothing too inspiring about this dish. A crispy, cabbage and meat (pork I think) filled roll accompanied with a sweet chilli dipping sauce. The sauce was similar to Vietnamese fish sauce (or ‘Nuoc Mam’ to all the connoisseurs out there).

It got my appetite ready to go though, and I was hankering for some more fried delights.

Fried Oyster

My mommy told me that I probably shouldn’t be eating oyster in any form while overseas. But, I am a BIG fan of that shelled treasure from the sea.

“Fried oyster” is quite a popular dish in Malaysia it seems. Everywhere we went, I saw at least one sign advertising FRIED OYSTER in big bold red letters.

So I had to try it.

Now, it may look unappetizing, but trust me on this – it was delicious!

I was actually confused and thought that whole amalgamation of stuff on the plate was the fried oyster. “That’s a big oyster,” I thought to myself. However, I came to realize that it was a mixture of scrambled egg, spring onions, fried batter (I think?!) and little bits of oyster.

Nice textures in this dish…the softness of the oyster played nicely with the crispiness of the fried batter and spongy scrambled eggs.

MMMmmmmmmm.

Chapati

Bruce ate this one in particular – he wasn’t too impressed by it. Chapati is supposed to be a flat, dense bread of sorts, which makes it kinda dry to eat. The curries served with it were a bit bland, and combined with the already dry chapati it just felt like a chore to finish.

I’m sure there are better versions out there somewhere – or maybe this dish in general is just not for us.

Char Hor Fun

I’ve had *Ipoh* Char Hor Fun back at home, and I thought it was a very tasty dish. However, my definition of “tasty” would be completely obliterated. I ordered a Char Hor Fun – ( different than an IPOH Char Hor Fun) and the difference was clear. Ipoh is a state in Malaysia where a style of Char Hor Fun is made. The one I ate back home had a lot of sauce/gravy, was more lighter in color, and eaten almost like a soup.

This Char Hor Fun was darker in color, was only drizzled in a sauce, and eaten like chow mein. The biggest difference was the flavour.

WOW.

The smokey flavour of the noodles was just so savoury and tasty. It was clear that the cook had a beautifully seasoned wok. This is where the cook only lightly washes the wok so was to just clear light debris from it, allowing all the flavours and aromas of past dishes to permeate any and all dishes cooked from it.

Now my goal is to head on over to Ipoh, have some authentic IPOH Char Hor Fun and compare notes!

The next dish I ate requires it’s OWN blog post…the Penang Asam Laksa.

After a quick nap and a hot shower (both well deserved), we hit the town in search for some trinkets and whatsits at Batu Ferringhi’s huge night market.

What used to be a calm sidewalk by day, transforms into a frenzy of activity, full of shoppers trying to strike a deal. The bright fluorescent lights of each table and crazy neon colors of trishaws passing by reminded me of a Eastern influenced Las Vegas. It was madness!

Scoping the goods at Batu Ferringhi.

Shopkeepers were hawking their wares with gusto. You could buy literally anything, including:

• Sunglasses
• T-Shirts
• Toys
• Handbags
• “Real” DVD’s and CD’s
• “Real” software

Then there was one table we walked by, that had one item that caught my eye. A plain black Zippo lighter. Now, I’m by no means a smoker – or a pyromaniac either – I just like flipping Zippos open and closing, doing tricks with them, you know – anything that makes me look dangerous…

I decided to make use of the lessons Sarah taught me on our previous haggling attempt and see if I couldn’t get this puppy in my hot little hands for a fraction of the price.

Here’s my attempt.

Lo and behold – here is the patented Ian Method™ of haggling:

• 1. Ask how much the item is.
• 2. Immediately counter the offer. Say it again to ingrain it in the vendor’s head.
• 3. When rejected, immediately ask what other colours are available.
  (this is done to sidetrack the vendor’s train of thought)
• 4. Ask of alternative options or variants of the item that you know clearly don’t exist.
• 5. Slightly raise your counter offer.
  (to the point where it’s a neglible 5 RM away from the original price)
• 6. Add the words “and I’ll take it no problem” – to assure the person that their worries will be put to rest if sold at that price
• 7. Question the authenticity of the item.
• 8. When asked whether or not you yourself can verify the authenticity – ask again.
• 9. Admit defeat and pay the vendor the original price.

Yes yes…I’m a pitiful excuse for a haggler…I hang my head in shame.

The hotel we were staying at in Penang was one of the many which sit on the beachfront strip of Batu Ferringhi (Foreigner’s Rock), Penang’s most famous resort district and nightspot. The popularity with visitors to Malaysia which gave the region its name hasn’t diminished over the years: we spotted plenty of Americans, Brits and Aussies soaking up the sun and lazing on the beach.

We checked into our hotel, one of many that open directly onto the beachfront. The ground floor of the Holiday Inn merged seamlessly into the trees and sand, with bars and deckchairs scattered out to the water.

We didn’t have as much time on our hands as most of the beach’s inhabitants, so spending the rest of the day sipping mai tais and zombies (oh, if only we weren’t on such a tight schedule) wasn’t in the cards. We were able to get some nice footage of the surf gently lapping the fine, golden sand, though.

Surf and turf at Batu Ferringhi.

It was time to get ready to check out Batu Ferringhi’s famous night market, or pasar malam.

The Penang curry still warm in our bellies, we drove to the foot of Crane Hill and prepared to climb up to Penang’s most recognizable cultural landmark: the Buddhist Kek Lok Si Temple.

Built into the side of the hill, the temple’s been a work in progress for over a hundred years, with new wings, shrines and statues constantly being added. Unfortunately, construction work was being done on the massive statue of the goddess Kuan Yin during our visit, and scaffolding blocked our view of the 30 meter goddess who looks out over Georgetown.

The climb up to the temple is made via long stretches of enclosed stairways which are lined with market stalls (the likes of which we were now well accustomed to seeing in Malaysia).

Azhar recognized one of the vendors from years past and stopped for a minute to chat. Ian, who was getting flashbacks to the ascent up to the Batu Caves from all of the stair climbing, was all too happy to catch a breather.

The first of the temple’s many features we came across when we finally reached the top of the stairs was an enclosed pond populated by hundreds of turtles. The turtles are left in the pond by Buddhist devotees as symbols of spiritual deburdening, and are fed with vegetable shoots by visitors. I was surprised at how quickly and deftly the lazy sunbathers would swim to the food as soon as it hit the water.

Turtles chow down!

There’s something irresistibly cute about hearing a turtle munch its lunch.

From the courtyard just past the turtle pond we got a great view of the Ten Thousand Buddhas Pagoda, the temple’s most prominent building. We stopped to get some photos and video, and then headed on to explore the temples various ornately decorated pathways and shrines.

Exploring the Kek Lok Si Temple.

Ian gave a quick shout-out to the Big B, wishing for prosperity and happiness for his family…and a new skateboard. I’m not sure that’s exactly how the Noble Eightfold Path works, but I don’t know – I’m not a doctor.

It was still only midday, with plenty of time to check out Penang’s famous beaches.

We started our climb down the hill and headed off for one of Malaysia’s most popular tourist destinations: Batu Ferringhi.

After a subpar stay at a hotel just outside of the KL airport which shall remain nameless (grungy room, malfunctioning AC and moths the size of HOLY EXPLETIVE!), we headed to the airport at the crack of dawn to catch the first morning flight to Penang. The flight was quick n’ easy, and we met with our friend Azhar, a Penang native who’d volunteered to guide us around his home state.

Penang was the place we’d spent the most time reading about prior to the trip, and we were determined to make the most of our time there. Penang’s an island state with a reputation for gorgeous beaches and fantastic curry.

Before checking into our hotel, Azhar suggested that we grab breakfast at a hole in the wall he knew in the heart of Georgetown, the state capital.

Welcome to Line Clear!

The hole in the wall turned out to not even have a wall. Set up in a dingy alley between two buildings were a series of seemingly makeshift stalls, pots and tables, which made up Line Clear – “nasi kandar” being the name for the curried rice dishes which Penang is famous for, and “line clear” being the Malay equivalent of “all good” or “good to go”.

Azhar explained that Line Clear was open 24 hours a day, and had been serving a fanatically loyal base of Penangites for almost fifty years. Spices were imported from India and prepared under a veil of secrecy. Pictures of Malay celebrities with the proprietors lined adorned the walls of the buildings Line Clear was sandwiched between. We ordered a variety of curries at Azhar’s suggestion and waited for the food with glasses of Malaysia’s famous “teh tarik” or pulled tea.

Watch that tea fly!

Ian ate nasi kandar, which was…well, I’ll let him explain in his own words.

Ian says: Nasi Kandar is essentially a curry buffet. You get your plate of rice, and pick out what types of curries you’d like to have with it along with other side dishes like fried chicken, squid, beef, hard-boiled eggs, okra and much more. They pile it on high and let you have at it.

And have at it I did. Normally I’m a one curry man – but in Penang I was willing to take a walk on the wild side. I bombarded my tongue with fish, beef and chicken curries and blindsided it with BBQ squid, grilled okra and fried chicken. Mmm…

Fried chicken and curry…now THAT’s a winning combination.  

I opted for roti canai, a much simpler dish: curry sauce served on a piece of soft roti bread. I’d had plenty of roti canai of varying quality back home, but the whiffs I’d caught from the bubbling pots of curry at the front of Line Clear had piqued my interest and I was keen to experience Line Clear’s signature curry in as pure a form as possible, undiluted by secondary ingredients and flavours.

I cut a piece of the roti with my knife, scooped up a healthy dollop of the curry with it, and took my first bite.

(This was the only stock image we could find which could even vaguely approximate what was going on in my head during that first bite.)

Let me back up a bit. I love curry.

I don’t consider myself a gourmand by any stretch, but when it comes to food, I live for curry. Curry-based dishes easily make up half of the food I cook for myself (and given how spicy I like it it’s usually only myself who eats it), and I’m constantly striving to refine my curry preparation techniques. I’m always eating curry at restaurants, be they Thai, Indian or Malay, either looking for inspirations for new ways to cook the stuff at home, or just to partake in the sheer bliss that is a perfectly balanced blend of spices rolling across the tongue.

Red, yellow, green, doesn’t matter: I love curry, full stop.

So, when I tell you that the plate of roti canai I had at Line Clear was the best curry I’ve ever eaten in my life, don’t take that endorsement lightly. Me saying “best curry I’ve eaten” isn’t like me saying “best Jack Black movie I saw this year”. It’s more like “most gorgeous sunset I’ve seen”, “most heartwrenching Maria Callas aria I’ve ever heard”, or “most beautiful Rimbaud poem I’ve ever read”.

I was forced to keep my baser instincts in check and refrain from ravaging the plate like a raccoon on garbage day. For while I was experiencing a transcendently blissful culinary sensation, a deep sadness began to well within. I knew that this moment was, in all likelihood, the peak of my curry-eating life. I could never replicate such an expressive palette of flavours in my own kitchen. I could never hope to find such a fiery yet smooth taste in the restaurants I haunted back home.

This was as good as curry could get, and I had to savour every bite. I fought to keep back the tears and ordered a second plate, just as delicious as the first.

Chowing down on delicious curry manna.

We left the table all too soon for me, but we still had a full day of sight-seeing in Penang ahead of us. When I went to pay the bill I realised that each plate of roti canai had only cost 80 sens, or about one Canadian quarter, a price which would only buy me a fraction of a papadam at any curry house back home.

The sadness won out and I howled like a lonely wolf cub.

We got a bit turned around during our tour of Malacca’s old quarter and weren’t entirely sure how to get to our next stop, the antique and curio district of Jonker Street. Given how small and centralized Malacca is, I’m not entirely sure how we accomplished this. I blame the disorientation on Red Bull and constantly looking through camera lenses while walking around. In any case, we decided to avail ourselves of one of the lavishly decorated trishaws which are ubiquitous in the Town Square.

Covered with wreaths of flowers and often blaring pop music from oversized radios, the trishaws themselves are as much of an attempt to attract the attention of tourists as the drivers themselves, calling out destinations and prices to all who pass by.

We found a cluster of trishaws and were instantly hailed by one of the drivers. Ian explained that we wanted to get to Jonker Street and began negotiating a price. The driver didn’t want to budge any lower than 20rm until we began to walk away towards one of the other drivers (a canny move which we’d use later in our trip), at which point 15rm suddenly became acceptable.

We were still pretty sure we were being taken for a ride in more ways than one, but we agreed and squished ourselves into a cramped bench which the driver insisted was intended to carry two passengers (maybe if one of them had been one of the little monkeys from the Batu Caves) and set off.

Our trishaw ride.

We got our bearings within a block and realised that we could’ve easily walked to Jonker Street in as much time as it took to find the ride and negotiate its price. Still, the ride was a chance to try something new, and while we’d seen plenty of bicycles and scooters hot-dogging through traffic in Kuala Lumpur, actually weaving through oncoming traffic was something we’d yet to experience. Eeep. Also, Ian was pleased to be able to listen to Flo-rida’s “Get Low” on the trishaw’s radio, and we were impressed at the driver’s ability to pedal two 180 pound guys up an incline.

Upon arriving at Jonker street, the driver began insisting we pay him 20rm, the reason being Ian’s weight. No, seriously. He puffed his cheeks out and pointing at him, indicating that the apparent extra weight Ian had added to the load. I caved and gave him the extra five under heavy protest from Ian. I’m not sure whether Ian was more offended by the driver’s remarks or the fact that all of his savvy bargaining had been for nothing.

In any case, we set off down the festively decorated Jonker Street.

Gates and lanterns were set up at every turn to welcome the tourists who flock to the shops which offer all manner of souvenirs.

Exploring Jonker Street.

Ian picked up some porcelain elephants for a friend, and we both bought T-shirts designed by Malaccan artist Charles Cham.

I chose one with an orangutan for my ape-loving girlfriend, while Ian opted for one which proudly displayed his newly discovered love for Malacca’s signature cuisine:

We had to leave Jonker Street before sunset (like most Malaysian markets, Jonker Street really picks up only after nightfall) in order to taxi back to KL, and grab a quick sleep before flying out early in the morning to our next destination: the island of Penang.

We went to a food court just near our hotel after exploring the town square – and after all that walking we were famished.

Before I get into each dish we ordered, let me say something about Malaccan food in general.  I don’t think my brain’s ever released as much pleasure chemicals or endorphins as it did when I was gettin’ my eat on in Malacca.  Every dish I ate gave my tastebuds a new gastronomic experience, awakening new regions of taste in my tongue, and sending me down a path of hedonistic pleasure.

Yes, I realize that may seem a tad hyberbole-esque, especially over something like chicken skewers…BUT STICK WITH ME HERE.  Without further ado, here are the dishes I had the honor of putting inside my stomach:

Mee Siam

You can get Mee Siam anywhere in Malaysia really. I had it once in Kuala Lumpur – it wasn’t too memorable. But this – THIS Mee Siam? THIS Mee Siam right here? INSANE! Mee Siam is stir-fried noodle dish. It’s made with Vermicelli noodles and cooked in a sour, yet sweet, yet tangy, yet spicy sauce.

Read more about mee siam and see me try it out here!

I squeezed a lime all over the dish (something that you do A LOT over here), and when I took that first bite – my heart was singing Paul Anka’s “Puppy Love”.

“AND THEY CALLED IT……MEE SIAMMMmMMMMMmmmmmmmmmMM……”

*ahem*

The flavours all harmonized beautifully. Eating a bit of noodles and then biting into an egg or a slice of chicken mellowed the tanginess of the sauce, enough to allow the flavours of the toppings to shine through and reveal a new flavour entirely. It was truly an exquisite dish.

Bak Kut Tea

Bak Kuh Teh literally means pork bone tea.  It’s a soup boiled with pork bones for hours and hours until the soup itself becomes an extension of the bone.  The broth absorbs all the subtle and wonderful flavours of the pork bone and all that slow cooking makes the meat SO SOFT…it just fell off the bone and disintegrated in my mouth.  It was a really nice dish and a true testament to Malaysia’s cooking prowess.

Read more about Bak Kut Teh and see me try it out here!

Rojak

I really had no idea of what Rojak was.  I couldn’t find a proper description of it online, since everybody seems to have a different idea of what it should be.  Now, I love eating peculiar dishes, but I at least like to have some idea of what they are before I order it.  When I finally ordered it…I had NO idea it would look like this:

This is the Rojak I got, so let’s go down the list and see if we can’t decipher what’s in it.

A. Raw beansprouts – crisp and refreshing
B. Sliced radish – crunchy, great texture and very mild
C. Stir-fried Cucumber – savoury with a hint of spiciness
D. *????*
E. Boiled Egg – a staple topping it seems in Malay cooking
F. Gravy –  a rich, sweet and savoury concotion that brings everything together.

So about the *????* ingredient.  I can only describe it as fried dough or bread of sorts.  But hey, I love dough, I love bread, I love fried stuff; fried dough/bread? Hales yea!

The best part about it was that it was crispy and chewy, and you see that gravy?  It was sopped up, so I had an explosion of gravy in my mouth with each bite.  Awesome.

Satay

The satay in Malaysia was generally very good. To be fair, I only have the satay back home in Canada to compare it to. However, of all the satays I’ve eaten in Malaysia, Malacca came out as the clear winner.

Tender…smokey…juicy…a hint of crisp at the end pieces….HAVE MERCY…(yes that was a Full House, Uncle Jesse reference).

I’m pretty sure somebody will tell me that better Satays exist somewhere else in Malaysia, since Malacca probably isn’t known for their satays, but to an ignorant Westerner it was sublime!

Chicken Rice Balls

We’ve reached the end of my journey to through the heavens of taste and delight. Of course, I save the best for last – Malacca’s famous Chicken Rice Balls.

Read more about Malacca’s Chicken Rice Balls here and watch the video!

A few minutes please….to compose myself before I even attempt to describe this.

…

*whew*

Alright, picture this if you will:

On your left, there’s a litter of Daschund puppies (the weiner dogs) each representing a different flavour. Each one represents a flavour (ginger, green onion, soya sauce, chickeny-goodness, etc). They even have little collars and dog tags with their respective flavours engraved on them…aww.

To the right, there’s a litter of Pug puppies, each representing non-flavour based attributes like texture, tenderness, aroma, etc. I think one is just pure “Love”.

The puppies are playing Battleship, the classic game of naval strategy. However, the puppies recieved a version where there was a surplus of ships. So all the ships are laid out in manner such that every alphanumeric combination is a HIT!

A5 – HIT! J10 – HIT! G7 – HIT!

After every hit, they explode in a frenzy of high fives, backflips and tail wags. They congratulate each other too; it isn’t a game with enemies…it’s one of friends. Locked in brotherly love and sheer joy they celebrate with every sunk ship, with each celebration more ruckus than the last.

That my friends, was going on in my mouth. After every bite.

The chicken was SO soft and juicy…it fell off the bone the instant I looked at it practically. The rice balls were ginger flavoured and were the perfect texture. Soft rice kernals dancing with tender, succulent chicken, all to a swing band of spices and oils….*drooool*…

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go smoke a cigarette and play Battleship.

We had an impressive list of historical sites to hit up during our visit to the famed colonial city of Malacca. Thankfully, Malacca’s old city square is much as it was hundreds of years ago, with most of its attractions within spitting distance of each other. Our feet were happy when we informed them of how little traveling we’d need to do that day.

Malacca was colonized by European powers no less than three times between its founding in the fifteenth century and Malaysian Independence: by the Portugese, Dutch and British. Unlike much of Malaysia, the architectural remnants of those colonial periods are still prominent in Malacca, making it the ideal place to literally walk though Malaysia’s history.

Sitting in the picturesque Town Square, the famous Christ Church is the oldest Protestant church in Malaysia, and still offers daily services. There were plenty of other older buildings in the colonial style in the square, along with a replica of the water wheels used to fuel Malacca’s booming port trade in centuries past…although I don’t know how the vendors selling toy ray guns and cowboy hats to children fit into Malaysia’s intricate historical framework. I’m sure it’s a rich tapestry.

Just up the hill from the square sit the ruins of St. Paul’s Church, famed for being the home of St. Francis Xavier. Dozens of intricate tombstones of colonists from centuries past were set up along the inner walls of the church, giving us a vivid illustration of just how far back Malaccan history stretches.

The nearby ruins of the Portugese A Famosa fort, built in 1511, were a similar reminder of Malacca’s strategic importance as a port during the initial explosion of Asian colonization.

Malacca isn’t just all about history, though, it’s also about some fantastic regional fusion cuisine, as we were about to find out…