ONE day in KL for Hawker Food

[ecr]

Yes did so just last night, to have with steamed fish. Delicious! We didn't cut it with regular white rice ... and I'm glad. Are some of the grains "broken"? It has a wonderful texture -- leftovers will make a nice rice salad.

Can you buy it in KL?

[Dejah]

Jeez, all that food porn is not really necessary (but appreciated )

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Boy, oh, boy! If you think that of my pics, wait till you see Boo's close up pictures.

Wait a minute.....I think I can hear your tortured screams from across the seven seas.

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That ain't no screams...dems his tummy growling!

Great pictures, Tepee.

I am curious about the shellfish. Are they like snails? You have to suck it out? Or like eating winkles in England. The vendors give you a paper cone filled with brined winkles and a pins to pull the little morsels out if you don't have enough suction?...

[Ben Hong]

That ain't no screams...dems his tummy growling!

Ssshhhh. My rep as a glut..er.. gourmand, is spread too wide already.

[maukitten]

:-) How to eat a balitong (and without using words rhyming with luck)

The chef should have cut off the tip of the shell at the narrow end leaving an opening at both ends of the shell. Do your best impression of a vacuum cleaner at work at its highest setting first at the narrow end to dislodge the flesh inside, and then at the wider end to extract it. There is a little round disc (which I think is the cartillage) which you don't eat. Place that at the rim of your plate to keep count of how many of the tasty little creatures you've consumed.

Maukitten

[Tepee]

Yes did so just last night, to have with steamed fish. Delicious! We didn't cut it with regular white rice ... and I'm glad. Are some of the grains "broken"?  It has a wonderful texture -- leftovers will make a nice rice salad.

Can you buy it in KL?

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Personally, I haven't seen it in KL or PJ before, Kuching is keeping it all to herself since it's a low-yield variety. I do keep an eye out for it, since I love it over white rice. The beauty of this rice is not only you get fiber out of it, it's not coarse or dry like brown rice...and it's so fragrant! If you run out, just pm me. Yes, the grains are not perfect...although the branded ones are more perfect than the unbranded ones.

Edited September 7, 2005 by Tepee (log)

[Tepee]

Don't worry -- "Mr. ecr" got pictures of the laksa, should be on my blog in about a wk.

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Remember to post the link!

[Tepee]

That ain't no screams...dems his tummy growling!  

Great pictures, Tepee.

I am curious about the shellfish. Are they like snails? You have to suck it out? Or like eating winkles in England. The vendors give you a paper cone filled with brined winkles and a pins to pull the little morsels out if you don't have enough suction?...

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Thanks for the visual, Sue-On.

Has maukitten answered your question on how to get the meat out? Gosh, don't know what winkles are...sounds cheekily wrinkly.

Edited September 7, 2005 by Tepee (log)

[Laksa]

Tepee, great photos and even better description. Sounds like you guys had a wonderful feast (or several).

Oh, mua chee... (what dialect is that? We call them see yang). It has been too long since I had them. Don't know how to make them, and can't exactly get them from the seven-eleven here either. Will have to persuade my mother to make some while she's visiting, but I think we used to eat them only during a particular jie (festival).

mua chee - a snack made from glutinous rice flour and tumbled in a mixture of finely chopped peanuts and sugar.

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Anonymous tauhu bakar eater, interesting to see such an unorthodox method of holding chopsticks. Is it effective?

Dejah, they cut off the narrow ends of the balitong so that with openings at both ends, the air flows easier.

Perriwinkles are a lot like balitong but the shells are round. I liken sucking on perriwinkles to when your vacuum cleaner hose accidentally catches on a plastic bag and makes a godawful sound. Not the most pleasant experience, for the diner or the vacuum cleaner.

[Shiewie]

Yes did so just last night, to have with steamed fish. Delicious! We didn't cut it with regular white rice ... and I'm glad. Are some of the grains "broken"?  It has a wonderful texture -- leftovers will make a nice rice salad.

Can you buy it in KL?

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Personally, I haven't seen it in KL or PJ before, Kuching is keeping it all to herself since it's a low-yield variety. I do keep an eye out for it, since I love it over white rice. The beauty of this rice is not only you get fiber out of it, it's not coarse or dry like brown rice...and it's so fragrant! If you run out, just pm me. Yes, the grains are not perfect...although the branded ones are more perfect than the unbranded ones.

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Not sure whether it's the same thing but have seen red bario rice sold in the health/organic food shops in KL/PJ... but it's pricey. There is also a Thai frgrant brown rice that's pretty good ... just slightly chewier - will bring some on Sat.

[Anonymous tauhu bakar eater, interesting to see such an unorthodox method of holding chopsticks.  Is it effective? 

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Ok ok I confess I'm the unorthodox chopstick holder and it's pretty darn effective too as I can pass the "pick up a peanut with chopsticks" test . Had a little corn on my thumb as a child so adapted it to a more suitable way for holding chopsticks and pencils/pens. Had to switch to the "correct" method whenever granny walked past but mum said it matters not as long I can write .

[Tepee]

Since it's confession time, I'm also guilty of being an unorthodox chopsticks-holder. <Don't throw bad salted eggs at us!!!> However, my criss-cross style is very effective too...whatever that works, right?

We won't go into the other things I do in an idiosyncratic way...some people just can't stand it.

Edited September 8, 2005 by Tepee (log)

[Tepee]

Oh, mua chee... (what dialect is that?  We call them see yang).  It has been too long since I had them.  Don't know how to make them, and can't exactly get them from the seven-eleven here either.  Will have to persuade my mother to make some while she's visiting..

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Oh ho! So, that explains your disappearance. With mummy dearest pandering to your every whim and fancy, you don't have to visit amateurs like us.

Mua Chee...think it's hokkien. But looking at the chinese characters for it doesn't make much sense, it's just words based on the sound mua chee.

[hzrt8w]

Since it's confession time, I'm also guilty of being an unorthodox chopsticks-holder. <Don't throw bad salted eggs at us!!!> However, my criss-cross style is very effective too...whatever that works, right?

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There is a whole thread on how to hold chopsticks a while back:

Adventures in chopstick etiquette

[Tepee]

Thanks, hz... I loved reading that.

[Krista G]

I just got back into NYC from Asia last night, and am not one of those travelers who uses the internet on the go--so I'm just reading this great post today.

Thanks to all the KL people for kindly escorting me around town and introducing me to all the best hawker food. It was one of the best days we had in S.E. Asia. The laksa, hokkien mee, bbq stingray, nasi lemak, kueh, fresh fruit from the garden...and much much more, was all so good. Tepee's photos really capture it all.

I also had fun checking out KL mall culture. I was intrigued that they have chains long gone from the U.S. like A&W (which we did try just for fun) and Orange Julius. Rotiboy was also a treat. The most frightening thing I saw was something called a "cheesybon" at Cinnabon. It looked like a cinnamon roll doused in cheez whiz. Fusion food or just weird? Now that I think about, perhaps Malaysians have a penchant for fast food and cheez whiz--we also ate at a KFC in Penang and the default side was potato wedges doused in cheez whiz and mayo. Yikes. Yes, I greatly enjoy fast food in other countries from chains I'd rarely frequent in NYC.

I have lots of food pics from KL (as well as Penang, Singapore and Hong Kong) and hope to post them soon.

p.s. Don't worry, I am perfecting my pandan pronunciation. That's the beauty of the internet--no one can hear you mangling words as you type them.

[Pan]

Welcome home, Krista!

I can't help asking why you'd go to a KFC with all that great hawker food all around and cheap restaurants to boot. I can't imagine going to a KFC in Penang, which is so famous for its Chinese food, its Indian food, etc., etc.

[Tepee]

Hey, Krista!

It was our pleasure to initiate you and James into Msian hawker food. Like Michael, I'm sure you'll be doing a lot of comparing when you eat Msian food in NYC in future. No rush for your pics...tho, we'd love to see them...you'll need some rest after clocking all those miles.

[Krista G]

I can't help asking why you'd go to a KFC with all that great hawker food all around and cheap restaurants to boot. I can't imagine going to a KFC in Penang, which is so famous for its Chinese food, its Indian food, etc., etc.

Believe me, I ate plenty of hawker food and it was wondeful, but I also had a few upscale meals as well as a few chain restaurant moments. I realize that many view hawker food as quintessentially "authentic" but I also like to see how locals eat. And locals patronize both American chains like Starbucks, as well as regional ones like Secret Recipe. They probably indulge in street stall fare too.

There seems to be an eclectic spirit of eating in Malyasia and Singapore that isn't as black and white as in NYC. I read S.E. Asian "foodie" blogs that talk about homemade kueh lapis in one breath and then Swensen's sundaes in the next. I like this mix.

P.S. If anyone's interested, I've posted some semi-food-ish photos on my own website (there is duplication between mine and what Tepee has posted here).

Malaysia pics

Singapore pics

and technically off forum topic:

Hong Kong, too

[Pan]

I can't help asking why you'd go to a KFC with all that great hawker food all around and cheap restaurants to boot. I can't imagine going to a KFC in Penang, which is so famous for its Chinese food, its Indian food, etc., etc.

Believe me, I ate plenty of hawker food and it was wondeful, but I also had a few upscale meals as well as a few chain restaurant moments. I realize that many view hawker food as quintessentially "authentic" but I also like to see how locals eat. And locals patronize both American chains like Starbucks, as well as regional ones like Secret Recipe.

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Sure. For Malaysians -- correct me if I'm wrong, people -- KFC is exotic foreign food. But I don't eat there when I'm in the US, so I don't eat it when I'm in Malaysia or China or France, either.

I have nothing whatsoever against upscale food in Malaysia, though!

[hzrt8w]

...... And locals patronize both American chains like Starbucks, as well as regional ones like Secret Recipe. They probably indulge in street stall fare too.

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Oh my gosh.... I just looked at their menu. Chicken/kabob entres are only RM 13.00 (under US$4.00?)!!

We can all eat there like there is no tomorrow at those prices!

[torakris]

Well you guys have decided it for me...

Our next family trip will be to Malaysia. we still have enough miles for two more trips within Asia (we will be in Bali this Christmas). My husband and I were debating between Malaysia and Vietnam, but after reading all of these threads on KL/Malyasian food with the gorgeous pictures, Malaysia it will be!

[Tepee]

Oh my gosh.... I just looked at their menu.  Chicken/kabob entres are only RM 13.00 (under US$4.00?)!!

We can all eat there like there is no tomorrow at those prices!

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On the flipside, we'll be eating like paupers in the US or any other Western countries.

Looking forward to meeting you and your gorgeous children, Kristin!

[hzrt8w]

On the flipside, we'll be eating like paupers in the US or any other Western countries.

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Stay with the Chinese food and you will be just fine! That's what you plan to do anyway (or else someone will die I heard ).

This protection envelop can only be found in the Los Angeles basin and San Francisco areas. Can't help you when you visit San Diego or Santa Barbara. Perhaps those nights would be designated as US cultural nights (MacDonald's, Taco Bell, Pizza Huts, etc.)...

P.S.: Don't count on having lunch inside Disneyland. A hot dog would cost US $5.00 and a soda US $3.00. May be bring in some Man Tou...

Edited September 14, 2005 by hzrt8w (log)

[Pan]

On the flipside, we'll be eating like paupers in the US or any other Western countries.

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Stay with the Chinese food and you will be just fine! That's what you plan to do anyway (or else someone will die I heard ).

This protection envelop can only be found in the Los Angeles basin and San Francisco areas. Can't help you when you visit San Diego or Santa Barbara. Perhaps those nights would be designated as US cultural nights (MacDonald's, Taco Bell, Pizza Huts, etc.)...

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Santa Barbara would be La Super-Rica and for San Diego, well, there's a thread about that city in the California forum, where we should continue discussing these things...

[Shiewie]

Hi Krista

Glad you had enjoyed your trip here. We had a great time meeting up with you and James and introducing you to hawker food.

[Tepee]

Krista, you've certainly covered a lot of food ground! Tks for sharing the pics.

Pssst...Shiewie...she called us 'food-obsessed'.....

Edited September 14, 2005 by Tepee (log)