food glorious food
We have a family tradition….when it’s your birthday you get to choose what’s for breakfast…so this morning that task fell to me, and after yesterdays’ breakfast, I didn’t need to think twice about where we would be going.
Yesterday as the morning call sounded (WHAT’S FOR BREAKFAST?) we decided to try to find some fresh fruit, but turning the corner at the end of our street we stumbled across a busy little roti establishment and our minds were easily changed. The place was jam-packed, which is always a good sign, and waiting for tables was preferable to trudging around looking for an alternative. As we waited, a local guy, whose parents had come from northern India, assured us we had chosen the best roti place in town. He had travelled 15km for no reason other than to buy *this* roti; he promised it would be the softest roti we had ever tasted. And he was right. The daal and curry were perfect too! He had said there is curry that looks like curry and smells like curry, but is not real curry. This was the real thing.
What was for lunch yesterday?
Fruit this time. Rob had seen a vege market earlier in the morning, so after a morning walking and rivercruising, we headed back for the fresh fruit. Except the market had disappeared! You could see where it had been, but by noon it was gone.
As I’m playing catch-up with the blog and am writing this a few days later, I have the benefit of hindsight to be able to add in now that we visited the next day and watched chickens being gutted and chopped up…..
Mr Breakfast Roti was still around though so we sampled his Mee Rojak. Oh-la-la! It was the “sweet not hot” item on the menu, and as a family that appreciates spicy, we were hoping it would not be too bland. Never fear! We ended up burning from the inside out. Literally!
What was for dinner?
The night before we had eaten a DELICIOUS-with-a-capital-D Baba Chicken Laksa at a quirky restaurant/museum at the night market. We returned again, this time choosing a Nonya/Baba chicken rice special. They had already run out of the special Baba rice, but could do it on plain rice.
Fine by us.
Oh no, we only have four chicken pieces left.
Ah well, that’s OK, we’ll find somewhere else.
No wait. One moment.
counting counting counting
We can do eight if you have this other chicken.
No problem.
One. Two. Three. A scoop of rice, piece of chicken, boiled egg cut in half with a piece of fishing line, a handful each of dried fish and peanuts, some shredded cucumber and onion, and a dollop of chilli sambal.
Sorry, we’ve run out of plain rice. Oh no, wait, wait!
LOTS OF SOME DIALECT I DID NOT RECOGNISE DIRECTED AT A YOUNG GUY WHO LOOKED BEWILDERED AND TRIED TO QUESTION BUT WAS SHOO-ED AWAY.
Young guy disappeared, rice pot was taken away.
Wait, wait!
Young guy reappeared with a red plastic bag full of cooked rice. The rice pot was brought back out and the new rice dumped in it.
Plate filling resumed.
And somehow we ended up with ten plates full, lots of apologies and an extra chicken soup. Could you complain at that kind of service? Not at all. What’s more, the guy remembered what we had eaten the night before!! And later on in the evening further up the market one of the ladies who worked there greeted me like a long-lost friend, full of smiles, hellos and arm patting.
The restaurant itself was most interesting. Walls were adorned with an eclectic mix of art work. Everything from the Mona Lisa to Constable landscapes, from Chinese calligraphy to Catholic icons. Ancient dust-laden lanterns hung from the ceiling, spreading a warm glow on the solid dark timber tables and benches. A sparkly chandelier did not, however, look out of place. Neither did the old pots, telephone, stamp collections and other artifacts littering every corner and the unused boarded-off stairwell.
To top off this fine dining experience, were glasses of freshly squeezed oranges, apples and lemons. See why we went back?
Dinner tonight, our first night in Kuala Lumpur, was a grand family feast, preceded and followed by great piles of rambutan straight off uncle’s tree.
Tags: food, postcard: Malaysia
rayres
*ew ew ew ew* sounds fantastic! 😀 *ew ew ew ew*
and those rambutan are incredible!
What a wonderful family photo in KL. Bet you are having a brilliant time with Rob’s family. Food looks delicious. Great choice for your bday breakfast also. Hope your day was filled with special memories.
Wendy
A very happy belated birthday
LOL, with a title like that, I know you have truly understood the Malaysian heart!
KL Cafe goodies now seem like a Westernised substitute, doesn’t it?
And hey, that family photo at the restaurant looked like any of the hundreds I/my mum has – no, wait, yours are predominantly white faces! mwah!
That must have been one of your most memorable birthdays! God’s riches blessings!
Oh am so home sick now for the food!!! 😛