Foto Friday # 90

A local enjoying breakfast in a small coffee shop in Kuching, one of my favourite foodie towns.

Foto Friday # 81

Lemongrass for sale at the market in Kota Kinabalu on the island of Borneo, Malaysia.

Foto Friday # 49

Strangely enough, this is going to me my lunch at work today

Chinese Coffee Shops

  

               Coffee shops keep the world moving. Wether they are in Europe, the Americas, or in Chinese communities in Asia. Only in Asia are Chinese Coffee shops different from the rest of the world. No comfy sofas to sit back and drink your soy milk caffe mocka. The coffee or Kopi as it's called in Malay, is strained through a large cloth strainer that resembles one of my old socks. 

These places are very basic in appearance. Plastic chairs, tables and cutlery. The places are normally with white tiles. Actually I haven't seen one that wasn't tiled white. The image of cleanliness is important, as they proudly show off the certificates to prove it.

Depending on where you are, really depends on the people who frequent them. For example, in Malaka and Penang, you get a good mixture of races, not just Chinese. Where as in Kuching it would mainly be the Chinese who visit. 

Not only are drinks provided, you can get an assortment of local snacks, mainly Chinese in origin. Well they are Chinese Coffee Shops after all. 

We have had some good noodle soups, dim sum buns, stir fried noodles in most of them. Good, filling and cheap food. What more can you ask. 

During the week we found it was mainly workers who came to drink or eat. At weekends we saw a lot of families come for a lunchtime snack (we were never up that early). The shops are always busy, normally from dawn to well beyond dusk, sometimes 24 hours. Lots of people coming in for a quick bite or drink, friends to gossip or just to meet up, or others like us, just to watch the world go by in very relaxed atmosphere. 

Maybe coffee shops the world over are similar after all. 

First Beer in 45 Days

The first sip of beer after 45 days was a refreshing one. Had it at Brewerkz at Clarke Quay in Singapore. I thought as I had not had a beer for so long, it may as well be a good one. 

So we popped along to Brewerkz as they are a micro brewery. I am pretty sure they were not around the last time we were in Singapore. It's amazing that on this trip the amount of dull, tasteless beer we have drunk. I can really only name a few beers that I have drunk that are of note. 

The reason for my fastening was that after being on the road for nearly 4 months and drinking beer literally everyday I was getting a bit of a beer belly, as well as fed up with beer. So as we approached Malaysia, one of the few Muslim countries in Asia, I decided to go beer free. Mainly to get rid of this belly, plus Malaysia as far as I am aware, does not brew any beer itself. So I would not be missing anything. 

I have to admit that after 45 days, I was really wanting to taste a good beer. So Brewerkz was the spot. They brew a splendid selection of beers ranging from dark ales to crisp light lagers. I settled for a Pilsner (5%). The first gulp was pure magic. I actually could of drunk the whole glass more or less in one go, but didn't want to over do it. 

What else goes with a good beer, but a good burger and chips, and they were damn good. Always like a place that does a good burger and fries. 

I've no doubt we will return to Brewerkz before we leave Singapore for another tasting. 

Nasi Lemak

Nasi Lemak is without doubt the best breakfast dish ever, although Malaysians eat it anytime of the day. It's the national dish of Malaysia, (unofficially of course) it's a national institution, an obsession, rather like how Laksa is in some 

states. It is available everywhere, from roadside stalls, bus station cafes to food courts, restaurants and even 5 star hotels. In some hotels we have stayed in, we have had to put it together ourselves at breakfast time.

It's a very simple dish consisting of a few core ingredients. Rice cooked in coconut milk and flavoured with pandanus leaf, ginger and lemongrass for fragrance. It is also served with fried anchovies, fried peanuts,  a hard boiled egg, a slice or two of cucumber, a dollop of chilli sambal. Some places we found serve it with fried chicken, a meat curry or even prawns. Malaysians sometimes have it with fried cows lungs in chilli and chicken liver curry. Not seen those yet. One place we were at, the waiter came back to us to apologise that the chicken curry was off but they had beef randang if we were interested. Of course we were. 

Once the Nasi Lemak is made, it's presentation time. Somehow, people have managed to wrap it up into a banana leaf, no idea how, whilst others have simply been piled together on a single plate and for the artistically gifted they have been presented on a plate, like a piece of art. Gordon Ramsey eat yer heart out. 

It has overtaken noodle soup as my favourite way to start the day. 

Knowing Me, Knowing You - Kuching

Passing the AHA Organic Cafe as we arrived in Kuching, The Cat City as it means in Malay. I wondered if the 80's Norwegian pop group had been big in Malaysia, or whether Alan Partridge had made a runner from his job at Radio Norwich.

We were at a loss for where to eat lunch one day, it was raining hard and neither of us wanted to walk too far, as we only had only one umbrella slightly big enough to keep one side of each of us dry. I remembered AHA. Had to give it a try. It was organic, and as long as the photos of Morten and co were kept to a minimum and 80's hits were at a low volume I could handle it. 

As we were walking there, a car decided to show us who was boss and deliberately splash in a large puddle and drench our backs completely. The obscenities that flowed from my mouth would have turned the meanest criminal a slight shade of red. I know people back in the UK who do this all the time. They do it for fun, and because they hate pedestrians, because they get in the way. I wanted to throw a brick through the back window, but the thought of spending any time in a jail in Kuching did not appeal to me, plus the car would belong to a local politician or policeman. One day vengeance will be had. In this life or the next. 

We arrived at AHA and all thoughts of cheesy euro-pop groups vanished. Downstairs was a shop selling all manner of organic produce as you would expect to find in any organic shop back in London. Maybe not as much but a good selection there was. 

The seating for the cafe was upstairs, so we wandered up, trying to ignore the looks of the staff as they were gorping at our soaked backs. Lot's of nice comfy sofas and some all together strange tables met us as we took the last steps onto the top floor. We both jumped into the same sofa and it enveloped us. I love places like this, that care as much about how comfy you are as well as how good the food is. 

The menu was kinda sparse. Only a few dishes on it, and all consisted of noodles, plus a pasta dish. We forgot to ask about Today's Special, which was a shame as it turned out to be Tuna Head Soup. Fish Head's would have to wait until Little India in Singapore. 

I ordered a Dry Noodle Curry, and Lina opted for a Apple Cider Noodle Soup. Interesting. The headlines downstairs were that they did not use oil to cook with. Dry frying they called it. I guessed everything was either steamed or boiled. 

As we relaxed soaking up the place, drinking my Green Tea, we really could have been anywhere. Chiswick did really come to mind, as it has been on our minds of late. Maybe we were meant to move back there, but we were opting for North London instead. 

Our food arrived and a delight to the senses it was. So colourful and visual. My noodles were topped off with shredded carrot and red cabbage, and a few ground nuts for extra texture. Not so sure about the two green leafs sticking out of the side of the dish, but they added colour. Lina's was just as colourful with red cabbage, some sweet corn, green leafs and those pounded nuts again. 

My dry noodle curry was exactly that, and it was great. The spices were nicely blended to give you a taste of the Sub-Continent but not to over whelm you. Lina's soup was good but odd. Not an everyday occurrence to encounter cider as a soup base. It worked though. Although it could have used more salt. The inclusion of a small yolky egg was a welcome delight and something we haven't seen since Japan. It had been missed. 

All in all AHA was a great place for a light lunch, as Malay food had been weighing us down a bit of late. It had stopped raining, so we decided to vacate the premises and head off to a museum for some culture.

By this time I had forgotten to ask them if Alan was in today. I would have hoped the answer was no. 

Ahhaaaaaa .... 

Life Cafe - Kuching

Our second visit to the Life Cafe was just as good as the first. It is situated opposite the Black Bean Coffee shop, which was fast becoming our second home in Kuching. The same table and two chairs outside were always kept clear for us. I'd like to believe this, as coincidences are too much sometimes. They only sell 100% pure Sarawak coffee from estates in the hinterland. They have a wide selection of teas from Sarawak also. But it's the homemade peanut cookies that keep bringing us back, as we get one with each coffee. Bribery always works with me. 

Life Cafe has a short menu, mainly consisting of noodle dishes. We were tempted by them, even the Eight Treasure Crocodile Soup was screaming out to me to be eaten, but it the sight of pork on the menu that drove me wild. We had been in Malaysia for over a month by now, and we had seen no pork on any menu. We had even seen chicken ham and sausages, but alas no pork. So the thought of eating some fatty pork was too much to say no. 

Now should I have Hakka Pork Leg or Pork Rib Stew, which I could have with either rice or noodles. Getting sick of rice so noodles it was going to be. I have actually had both as we ventured back there the following night as well. Well you can never have to much of a good thing. 

The Hakka Pork Stew had glorious chunks of fatty pork. Oh my god they were good. The stew was made up of a typical Chinese stock, which included 5 spice powder and star anise. The following night the Rib's were just as good, but the sauce was lighter and not so strong, but still as good. The noodles were thin and worked well with the stews. The Hakka Pork would have been a Smash with mash also. Get it. 

Lina had a Lamb Stew which for the exception of pearl barley and potatoes, any Irish Gran would have been proud of. So lamby. So good. 

This was a real surprise coming from a Chinese cafe in a small town in Malaysia. Kuching was handing out surprises on every corner and we were loving it. 

On our third visit to the cafe. Lina decided to have the Eight Treasure Crocodile Soup, and some steamed pork and leek dumplings. The Eight Treasures we found out were Chinese herbs, some tasted better than others. One tasted a bit like cardboard. The crocodile itself didn't really taste of much, but was moist and well cooked. The star of the show was the soup itself. It was really different. The herbs gave an indescribable taste to it, but overall it was pretty good. 

The dumplings were filled with pork and eek and came with a soy sauce and minced garlic dipping sauce. Reminded me a lot of the momo's I used to eat in Tibetan restaurants in Khatmandu. Gorgeous. 

For the second time that day, I had chicken curry with noodles. This was the better one of the day. This had a thick gravy at the bottom of the bowl, enough to coat the noodles, but not drown them. I am getting fed up with thin watery gravies, so this was a welcome change to get a nice thick one. Yummy. 

Bad Cooking Lesson

I wasn't going to write about this experience, as I was worried it would all come out quite negative. But time has passed and I hope this will be quite objective. We'll see ...

I had read that in Kota Bharu, the Director of the local tourist centre, Roselan made cooking courses. Apparently they are quite popular. We popped along, as we wanted to get some more information on the city itself and what we could do there. 

Roselan is a very cheerful guy and very likeable. He even made Kota Bharu sound much more exciting than it was. The lesson was based on 3 courses, a meat dish, a fish and a vegetable dish. We went with his suggestions on what dishes would be best. All sounded good. The price was comparable with that of classes in Thailand. We were to meet him at one of his other moonlighting jobs the following day. 

Kota Bharu was a nice city, but turned out to be less interesting than we thought. Much promise, but nothing lived up to its promise. Just like the cooking class. 

We met Roselan and he took us to his house. The contents of what we were going to cook were in shopping bags on the backseat of the car. We were to have a fruit selection at the end, and the dreaded durian was purchased. This is where I first tried it. See blog below re my thoughts of this fruit.

We were to cook chicken curry with potatoes, fish steaks in soya sauce, and stir fried vegetables. The evening started with the ingredients for the chicken curry being laid out on the table and we helped cut them up and pound them in a mortar. Lina was enjoying pounding the shallots and chilli's. 

When we asked what this dish was called in Malay, we were given the English name. The chicken curry was a standard Malay coconut curry. This one just had potatoes added. I have had this before somewhere else in Malaysia and can be a great dish. Unfortunately when we got to eat it, the sauce was very nice, and the potatoes were cooked well, but the chicken was a lot overcooked. 

He opened, what seemed like a very old bottle of Cream Soda. This brought back memories of my mum having cream soda in a glass with a scoop of ice cream added. 

The fish dish, we had tuna steaks. This could have been really good, but the fish was shallow fried, and was forgotten about and therefore overcooked and dry. Plus the other ingredients were still undercooked, as they were rushed through. Bit like the evening really.

The stir fried veg was a bit of a disaster as corn starch was added to the veg along with water to thicken up the sauce, because it had not been cooked out long enough. 

All in all it was a bit of a mare. 

The whole night was a bit weird. It was as if we were going round to a friend of a friend's house and helping him cook dinner. When it came to eat, he wouldn't eat with us, and we ate alone in the dinning room. All very uncomfortable. 

He claimed to be running these cooking classes several times a week for over 10 years. But if he was me and you were having strangers in your house, you would tidy up a bit, and give the walls a bit of a clean. If he has been doing these regularly for a few years, he would have some sort of order in which to do things. We asked for the recipes and he said "Oh if you want to write them down I may have some paper around somewhere". Lina scribbled a lot. I didn't really want to pay the remaining monies to him, as I felt it wasn't deserved. 

All in all it was a bad but different night. If you are in Kota Bharu and are in the tourist office and are offered a cooking class with Roselan, as Nancy Reagan used to say "Just Say No". 

Fish, fish glorious fish

Over looking the South China Sea in Kota Kinabalu is the Philippine Market. A monstrous, colourful collection of stalls and people grilling a wider selection of fresh fish. Luckily the wet or fish market is located right next door. Handy. It's a fantastic and atmospheric place. May not be everyone's taste but for a great cheap meal, it's a must.

Walking through the open area, being blinded by the smoke, dodging the many Philippino women enticing you to eat at their tables, trying not to trip over as you keep looking at peoples plates to see what they are eating. The fish is really cheap ranging from about 8 to 25 Ringitt, depending on if you want a tiddler or a whale. Between them all, there really is no difference. fish the same, grilled the same, sides the same, prices the same. Only difference are the women trying to get you to sit at their tables and eat.

We sat with one that was pretty much full of locals. Good sign of freshness. We ordered a nice sized squid, and a huge monster of a fish. Been finding recently, the bigger the fish the bigger the bones, which makes it easier to find them, so as not to choke on them. Problems in the past. 

I made up a dipping sauce, of chilli, sugar and lime juice. Spicy, sweet n sour. The fish came and was nice and crispy on the outside and firm and moist on the inside. It was fantastic feeling to pull the chunks of fish with my hands and dunk it in the sauce and eat it. So so so so good. So very good indeed. 

It's really strange that I come from an island, but do not really eat that much fish. More of a meat eater. But with fish like this I am being easily converted. 

Happy times. 

Kuantan - A diamond in the rough

Kuantan was just a stop over en-route to somewhere else. It is a small provisional town with not a lot going for it apart from a very helpful Tourist Information Office, who when asked what there is to do in town, replied with a blank look. They were very generous with brochures of the Tioman Islands though.

There really is nothing to do in town either. It has a nice large Mosque, a walkway along the river front and a cinema which we went to. A word of warning, like Malaysian buses, Malaysian Cinemas also have the air conditioning on full blast. We were happy to leave, just to warm our bare feet up. 

That night we didn't really want to go far to eat, so we asked in the hotel, and they pointed literally across the street to the Tjantek Art Bistro. This little place turned out to be a little oasis in an otherwise very dull town. It is we found out after the meal a very long building, as with most Nyonya houses of similar design. They were charged taxes on the width of the building not the length of it. Clever those Chinese were. 

As we entered the open shop front, immediately we felt a very relaxed vibe with some Jazz playing and a lot of art on the walls and books in cases in cabinets on either side. The lighting had been set to make for a pleasant evening of food and chat.

The menu had a major slant towards Europe, with a few Asian dishes for good measure. This we found out later off the owner was to give the local population something familiar to eat when they visited if they were not adventurous enough. 

Some nice salads were on offer, along with some solid steaks dishes and some equally appetising fish on the menu also. Lina opted for a fillet of fish whilst I had a salmon steak. Both came with a nice lemon butter sauce, sauté potato's and a medley of vegetables and coleslaw(?) . No idea why that was on the plate. The fishes were grilled to perfection, cooked but still moist on the inside. 

It was a fantastic meal, simple food, cooked very well. All that was missing was a glass or two of wine, but as the owners were Malay and Muslim it is illegal for them to sell alcohol. If they would have been Chinese or Indian (Hindu) then they could have an alcohol licence. Licensing laws are always weird. 

The owner gave us a tour at the end of her restaurant and told us about the art on the walls, which most is from local artists. She asked us where we were going tomorrow, knowing everyone only spends one night in Kuantan. If you happen to get stuck there, then head for Tjantek for a great evening. In a dull town, Tjantek shines like a diamond. 

Tjantek Art Bistro

46 Jalan Besar

Kuantan

Pahang

Malaysia

Cherating

We were supposed to be in Cherating for several days before heading down to Palau Tioman but due to Malaysian school holidays, buses being full for a week and the need to change money. We only managed one night. 

Cherating is a small village next to the sea. It has that village feel to it. The beach is not the draw here, as it is not fantastic. It is the quiet laid back atmosphere and the friendliness of the people that draws visitors and keeps them there. 

As it is next to the sea you would expect a lot of fish restaurants. Actually not that many. But we did search one out. Not really a restaurant by European standards but more of a cafe by Malaysian. It was a typical shop front, with loads of plastic chairs and tables outside, with a counter out front displaying a vast array of fish and shell fish on offer. A set of scales to weigh your fish, so you knew how much it was going to cost before we had it cooked. A large flat skillet was the cooking device here. It seemed all the fish was cooked one way, one top of a banana leaf and coated with a real yummy spicy sauce. 

We saw this cafe earlier in the afternoon, by the time we returned at night the fish display had weaned down to just a dozen or so fish. The crab and clams had gone. We opted for a beautiful looking monster that weighed about 700g. No idea what type of fish it was, but it was the freshest one there. As I prodded around and checked the gills and eyes. Definately caught that day. We also ordered some rice and a plate of mixed vegetables. 

The fish was cooked to a tee, and was still nice and moist on the inside. The sauce spicy but not mouth burning, just gave me a nice glow at the back of the throat. Thankfully the fish had large bones so they were easy to sort out. No medical emergencies there. We stripped that bugger clean. That had been our best meal in quite  while, as Island food in  the Perhentians had not been that great. 

This cafe was run by three girls, all in their late teens I guess, and a boy making the drinks. Incredible that people so young could be doing so well. The only people eating their were Malays and a couple of Germans who did not like fish and just ate noodles. It baffled me. 

It was a shame we were only in Cheariting for one night, as I know we would have eaten there every night, trying all the seafood they had. 

What's that smell ?

 I have seen and smelt Durian many a time in Asia and even in London. Before you get to see it, you can generally smell a mustiness in the air. Then as you get closer the smell becomes more and then your eyes gaze upon this fruit, brown and prickly on the outside and soft and green/yellow on the inside. In some countries it is banned on all forms of public transport and public buildings including hotels. It is normally sold on roadsides away from buildings and the general 

population. Thankfully. 

I am not a fan of it, although I had never tried it before, but the smell was enough to put me off. But we were offered it one day, and decided to accept it and give it a try. I really wish I hadn't of. The only thing I can say about it is that it tastes of cheesy feet. Although I have never tasted cheesy feet, that is what came to mind as I popped that small piece of soft fruit into my mouth. It really does taste worse than it smells. 

It baffles me that people drive for miles to buy this fruit and inspect each one until they find the right one. Then saviour each morsel of the soft green fruit.  Wether they have conditioned to it from birth, fed it by their mothers to get them off baby food, and then they grow a liking to it, or they are just plain mad I do not now. 

They also serve it in cakes and ice creams bu

t I am not tempted to try it again. 

But give it a try if you can and decide for yourselves. Maybe you will like it. Maybe you will join the millions of Asians who love it. Maybe you will be mad, who knows. I for one have joined the long list of people who do not like Durian. 

Malaysia, the joys of Indian food

Oh the joy of having the choice of which restaurant to goto to have some good Indian food. Normally travelling you may have one place doing a curry but it is either very watery like in Vietnam or taste of nothing like in Laos. I'm sure they forgot to put the spices in. 

Georgetown on Penang Island is heaven. Not for your everyday curry addict, as the food is what you would expect to find in either South or North India, not at your local Ruby Murray joint back home in Blighty. 

As we were in Georgetown about 8 years ago, we knew what goodness lay ahead. Fortunately for us Restoran Kapitan was still there selling the same great food to the vast array of people who sat at its tables everyday. 

Sometimes its nice that places never change with the times, changing with new trends that come and go, they just sell the same trusted food day in day out always to a great standard. It's a lesson some places never learn. 

The Indians in Malaysia were brought over by the British to work in the mines and to work in the plantations. As times passed they have blossomed into a fantastically colourful community in Georgetown. The bright blue temples of Southern India shine out on the streets of Little India. Bright colourful Sari's are being sold in shops, Indian music deafens you as you walk past the music shops. The sweet shops tempt you in to try the delights behind the glass cabinets. We were tempted. The smells of Spices being sold in shops transports you right back to India. It's heaven.

The most famous dish is Roti Canai, which I consider a Malay dish of Indian origins. It is a flatbread composed of a fluffy dough, which is continually kneaded, oiled and tossed in the air to give it its lightness. It is cooked on an oil drenched flat skillet. It should be crispy on the outside and light on the inside. It is fantastic at breakfast but equally good anytime of the day. It is served with a simple curry or gravy or even a dhal. This changes from place to place. We have even searched this out in London at our old favourite Malaysian restaurant, before it went upmarket and charged 4 times the amount for the same food but in plusher surroundings. 

The speciality of most restaurants in Little India is Tandoori, and Restoran Kapitan serves the best. To be honest I prefer the Chicken Tikka dishes to its Tandoori Chicken. There is something about the bright red colour that puts me off. It is a glorious place just to sit and have a thick mango lassi. Delicious on a hot day. They are served on a Thali dish with some god Naan bread, some mint sauce and a simple curry sauce to go with. These and with most Malay or Indian food is best eaten with your hands. You kind of get more of a feel for the food, the spices seep into your skin and the food tastes a whole lot better. 

In the Good Old Days, old men used to wander around town with a bamboo pole over his shoulder and to large pots at either end. In one pot would be rice and roti, and the other would be a selection of curries and vegetables. The pole was known as a Kandar. Nowadays you can get Nasi (Rice) Kandar in most Indian restaurants and a lot of Malay places also. You get a plate of rice hen you can choose from a wide selection of pre-cooked foods from simple chicken curry to grilled fish to spiced veggies. All the food is at a lukewarm temperature and depending when you arrive, it could have been cooked the day before. We have had some good Nasi Kandar, some average ones and some bad ones. It's kinda pot luck, but as always if it's full of locals then it's bound to be ok. 

There is a difference between the Southern Indian dishes which contain more heat, more coconut milk and centre on rice. Where the Northern Indian dishes are more meat based and are eaten with more breads. These are normally the Muslim Indians or Mamak's who serve the Tandoori foods. 

We ate a lot of Indian food whilst in Georgetown, feeding three months of deprivation. Who knows where the next one will come from....

Nyonya Cusine

Malaysia is rich and diverse in its culture, with the population consisting of Malay, Indian, Chinese and the mixes these groups have become. The most famous being the Peranakan Baba-Nyonya. Peranakan means Descended from, whilst Baba means Man and Nyonya means lady. 

So the story goes, in the 15th century, the city states of the Malay Peninsula often paid tribute to various kingdoms such as the kingdoms of China and Siam. Close relations with China were established in the early 15th century, during the reign of Parameswara, when Admiral Zheng He, a Muslim Chinese, visited Malacca. According to traditional accounts in 1459, the Emperor of China sent a princess, to the Sultan of Malacca as a token of appreciation for his tribute. The royalty and servants who accompanied the princess initially settled in Bukit Cina and eventually grew into a class of straits-born Chinese known as the Peranakan. The Peranakan retained most of their ethnic and religious origins, but assimilated the language and culture of the Malays. They developed a unique culture and distinct foods. Numerous sources claim that the early Peranakan inter-married with the local Malay population, this may might derive from the fact that some of the servants who settled in Bukit Cina that travelled to Malacca with the Admiral from Yunnan were Muslim Chinese. In the early 1800s, new Chinese immigrants to the Straits Settlements bolstered the Peranakan population.

Nyonya cuisine is a thing of love. It's not something you can come home from work and throw together ..... It takes care, time and passion to create such delicious tasting food. It does remind me of traditional Mexican food, which you have to spend ages just working on one component, and a dish may contain several of these, before you add them gradually together to create a thing of wonder. Nyonya food is the same in that respect. Peranakan or Nyonya cuisine combines Chinese, Malay and other influences into a unique blend. Nyonya cooking is the result of blending Chinese ingredients and wok cooking techniques with spices used by the Malay community. The food is tangy, aromatic, spicy and herbal.

There are two different schools of Nyonya cuisine. The dishes from the Island of Penang and the North show major influences of Thai cooking, they are more sour from the use of tamarind, compared with the Nyonya of Malacca which shows more Indonesian influences and uses more coconut milk. A classic example is laksa (a spicy noodle soup), which comes in two variants: the sour asam laksa from Penang and the coconut milk-based laksa lemak from Singapore and the southern regions of Peninsular Malaysia. Both are equally delicious but totally different. 

In Georgetown there is a restaurant that still holds true to true Nyonya cooking. It is called Baba-Nyonya Cuisine. The cook Miss Khoo, who is a 4th Generation Nyonya is very proud of her heritage. She was delighted to show us around and show us some traditional Nyonya ornaments to her restaurant come home. The restaurant is on a street of old Nyonya houses, which most have been turned into restaurants. Hers is quite small, only 4 tables greet you as you enter. There is a screen which houses another two tables if she gets busy. Luckily on our visit, only 2 tables were occupied, but we were told the night before around 45 people showed up for dinner. As she seems obsessed with doing all the cooking herself she must have been really shattered afterwards. 

The unique flavour of Nyonya recipes is determined by the rempah, a combination of spices pounded into a paste with pestle and mortar, with a very specific texture and density. It is said that a Nyonya mother can determine the culinary skill of a new daughter-in-law simply by listening to her preparing rempah with a mortar. Nyonya recipes are handed down from one generation to the next, and because of the time-consuming preparation of these dishes, it is a cuisine that is often at its best when served at home or in this restaurant, bit like Moroccan food. 

After browsing the menu we opted a starter of Top Hats. Opened topped deep fried rice wafer filled with a filling similar to spring rolls. They were very delicate. For mains we ordered Chicken Curry Kapitan (so named, some hundred years ago or so, a Dutch sea Captain asked his cabin boy what was for dinner that night. "Curry Kapitan" was the reply. It is a dense curry cooked with chicken and flavoured with candlenuts which also add to the thickness of the sauce. We also ordered a plate of hong bak, pork cooked for an age, and comes finished on the plate in a thick gravy. We also had a plate of local greens cooked in a fish paste. Sorry can not remember the name, and can not find it anywhere, but it was delicious. 

The meal and experience of eating really traditional food was great. The curry was divine as all curries should be, but aren't. The beef was melt in the mouth stuff. It was kind of a privilege to eat here and have someone lovingly cook for you and be very proud of her food, culture and heritage. 

We are looking forward to Malaka